Description
[Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint, Alfa red, 1955] Production 1955, with steering wheel gearbox, original equipment engine. 1000 Miglia eligible car, complete with chronological extract, ASI, FIVA, RIAR homologation and Alfa Romeo certificate. One of the examples built in the first year of the Sprint, produced at the end of 1955 and sold in Florence on 12 January 1956, in black with light-coloured cloth interior contrasting with the red imitation leather.
This is one of the examples with the gearbox on the steering wheel, the 'aeroplane' number plate holder, the Solex C35 - APAI-G carburettor and the instrument panel painted black, unlike the very first examples, to avoid reflections while driving. The car still has the original equipment engine as can be seen from the Alfa Romeo and Riar certificate.
After four changes of ownership between Florence and Arezzo, the car has been resting in the same garage for over 30 years, together with other Alfa cars, after having undergone complete conservative restoration over the past few years. The car has always been kept on the move, taking part in rallies and events, and has not undergone any interventions.[Historical notes] The Giulietta Sprint proved to be an unprecedented success. If the 1900 had traced the new direction of Alfa Romeo in the post-war period, this could be continued even more worthily with the Giulietta model, so much so that the latter almost ended up overshadowing the great qualities, still current, of the 1900 itself. The Giulietta marked the beginning of the commitment in a new sector, that of the medium-sized engine, and had the great merit of revitalising Alfa Romeo's sporting tradition. The engine with double overhead camshaft timing system, with an architecture similar to that of the 1900 but, like the gearbox and differential gearbox, completely in light alloy, represented a real technical revolution in the history of production cars. It was unveiled at the Turin Motor Show in 1954 and remained on the list until 1965, undergoing numerous modifications. Engine numbering, of the 1315 type that distinguished the entire Giulietta range of the first type, began with No. 1493* 00001 and ended in 1959 with No. 1493* 09002.
Weighing less than 900kg and with 65 horsepower, the car was fun to drive and an excellent companion for competitions, with only a few adjustments to the fuel supply and exhaust system. Source: 'Alfa Romeo, le vetture di produzione', Stefano d'Amico, Maurizio Tabucchi, Giunti-Nada.
