ALFA ROMEO Giulia SS For sale
One of 1400ex built with the 1600cc engine
Fully documented and only three owners
Extensive restoration and period correct Conrero upgrades
Description
This stunning Giulia Sprint Speciale was produced in white over blue & cloth interior on October 17th 1963 and sold new on February 24th 1964 in Brescia. The first owner, Carlo Clerici paid 2,150,000 Lira and registered the car on March 6th with the registration 142510 BS. He took exceptional care of it and sold it to the second owner, another gentleman from Brescia called Guido Sanzeni who kept it until 2012. During all those years the car was regularly used and underwent the mandatory technical inspections. The third owner purchased it in 2012 via Romano Classics in Brescia, a well known Alfa Romeo specialist and official Porsche Service Point. It was then in lovely original condition, having covered 87 000 km and still retaining its 1964 registration.
Soon after his purchase the new owner decided on a complete restoration from the chassis by Romano Classic. The excellent condition of the chassis revealed no surprises and the work took three years during which time no expense was spared. During the restoration process, the owner, a highly experienced Alfa Romeo connoisseur and collector, entrusted oversight of the work to his friend Toni Rotondi. Acting as an adviser he checked on the car several times and made sure the car’s restoration incorporated all of the period correct upgrades, available from Conrero. M. Rotondi used to work at Conrero in Italy and founded Conrero France in the late 60's. These upgrades mainly consist in :
- High compression pistons
- Lightweight flywheel
- High lift cams
- High performance exhaust
- Borrani bi-metal wheels
- Adjustable front A arms
- Special Koni shocks
- Special ratio gearbox
- Limited slip differential
All of these period correct modifications makes this Sprint Speciale pretty unique to drive and though the engine delivers a healthy 135HP, it doesn’t behave as a race car but as a powerful and well mannered Alfa Romeo. The handling is wonderful, the chassis is very predictable and stable, the brakes perform remarkably and the steering is very precise. On top of being a superbly restored example, the car has been transformed into a wonderful driver whereas a standard car might seem a little bit frustrating in today’s traffic. The gearbox is fantastic and after pushing the car to 7000 rpm it soon reaches 180km/h in 4th and there is still one gear to go, making the top speed far in excess of 200 km/h.
The comprehensive history file includes the original registration from 1966, the transfers of ownership in 1982 and 2012, the restoration invoices and pictures plus the original user's manual.
Superbly restored and upgraded to the Conrero specifications and with only three careful owners from new, it is hard to imagine a better example of the wonderful Giulia SS.
Model history
After World War II Alfa Romeo repositioned its offer and in 1950 launched a new range of cars with the 1900. The consumers of the day required simpler and cheaper cars that were mass produced. However, the Milanese manufacturer didn’t turn its back to exclusivity nor its prestige from the 20's to the 40's, by launching a series of fabulous concept cars. Nuccio Bertone and his head designer Franco Scaglione were the rising stars of Italian coach building in the early 50's and they were soon contracted to design spectacular concept cars such as the Discovolante, BAT 5, 7 & 9 and the Sportiva 2000. The duo would later create the mythical 33 Stradale which it has to be said belongs in the Pantheon of the most beautiful road cars.
These creations had such a huge success that Bertone, under the supervision of the well educated and refined Firenze born Scaglione, was given the task to design the new Giulietta Sprint, a 1955 Coupé that would significantly help to increase Alfa Romeo’s production and forge the make’s identity. Benefiting from the aura of the concept cars, Alfa Romeo decided to put into production a civilized version of these highly inspired cars. Called the « Sprint Speciale » a tribute to the glorious Alfas of earlier years, a concept car was presented in 1957 before being introduced on to the market in 1958. With stunning aerodynamic lines producing a record CX of only 0,28, it is indisputably one of the most beautiful post war Italian production cars. It was fitted with the Sprint 1300cc engine and the remarkable 5 speed gearbox. Its low weight and drag allowed it to reach easily 180km/h.
In 1963 the Giulietta was replaced by the Giulia and its 1600cc engine. The Sprint Speciale remained in the catalogue until 1966 but benefited from the new 112 HP engine, front disc brakes, modernized gearbox and a few other minor upgrades. It now boasted a 200km/h top speed and offered a better driving experience due to much improved torque.
Only 1400 Giulia 1600 Sprint Speciales were built: they represent a golden area of the motorcar and a pinnacle of Italian automotive culture.