1957 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce

Post-war economic development gave a powerful boost to the automotive industry. Mass motorization had begun, and artisanal production methods and limited manufacturing capacity had to give way to the logic of large-scale assembly-line production in order to meet growing customer demand. For Alfa Romeo, this delicate transition coincided with the design and production of the Giulietta, internally identified as the “Tipo 750”. Unusually, the new model was introduced first as a coupé and only later as a saloon. Technical problems delayed the beginning of production compared with the debut originally scheduled for the 1954 Turin Motor Show. The development of the car had been financed through a public capital subscription and was linked to a national lottery in which a car was offered as a prize, making any further postponement of the launch particularly difficult. For this reason, at the end of 1953 Alfa Romeo took the unusual decision to present the coupé before the saloon. The sporting version was intended to strengthen the connection between the new model and Alfa Romeo’s traditional involvement in competition. The original company programme envisaged a coupé based on the saloon’s mechanical components, to be introduced later and produced in limited numbers by Milanese coachbuilders. Instead, the design and development of the coupé proceeded in parallel with those of the saloon. An early prototype created within Alfa Romeo by Giuseppe Scarnati later became known as the “brutto anatroccolo” (i.e. ugly duckling). Coachbuilders such as Zagato and Touring were unavailable, as they were already fully occupied with other Alfa Romeo projects. Rudolf Hruska, who was responsible for the Giulietta programme, therefore sought the assistance of Mario Boano, then involved with both Ghia and Bertone, and enlisted Giovanni Michelotti as a consultant. Franco Scaglione and a very young Giorgetto Giugiaro also contributed to the refinement of the design, much of which was carried out under Boano’s direction. The numerous modifications, while respecting the original volumes, gave the body a pleasing, balanced and unmistakably sporting appearance. This is how the Giulietta Sprint was born. It was officially unveiled as a pre-production model at the Turin Motor Show on 21 April 1954. As was customary for Alfa Romeo, the relatively small 1,290 cc engine featured twin overhead camshafts, and its “roar” remained unmistakably that of an Alfa. The success of the new model was such that the company was immediately forced to revise its production plans. Carrozzeria Bertone had to cope with an unexpectedly high number of orders and subcontracted part of the body construction to specialist Turin panel beaters. The earliest body shells were therefore largely handmade. Automated pressing of the panels began only in 1960. The Sprint bodies were produced in Turin and then transported by car carriers to Alfa Romeo’s Portello plant in Milan, where the engines, mechanical components and interiors were installed. Thanks to a higher compression ratio than that of the saloon and a twin-choke carburettor, the Sprint’s all-aluminium 1,290 cc engine produced 65 hp at 6,000 rpm, enabling the car to reach approximately 160 km/h. The elegant body lines and the price of 1,900,000 Lire also contributed to its success. Although this was not inexpensive in absolute terms, it was still considerably less than the price of the larger and more exclusive 1900 Super Sprint. At first, the Giulietta Sprint was offered in only four colours: Rosso Alfa, Blu Tornado, Bianco Gardenia and Azzurro Capri. Its competition debut came at the 1955 Giro di Sicilia, after which its presence became increasingly widespread in the principal road races, circuit events and hill climbs of the period. The attempt to position the Giulietta Sprint in a more accessible market segment proved highly successful. The Giulietta saloon followed in the spring of 1955, while the Spider was unveiled in the autumn at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Production figures for the Giulietta range quickly became significant: from just 12 cars built in 1954, output rose to 1,415 in 1955 and 1,855 in 1956. The price of the Sprint increased slightly over time, while the car received continuous technical updates. These included the adoption of a revised gearbox with Porsche-type synchromesh in place of the original Borg-Warner system. Production methods and mechanical specifications were later progressively unified with those of the Sprint Veloce. The Giulietta Sprint continued to evolve through several phases. From 1962, the same Bertone body was adapted to the 1.6-litre Giulia mechanical specification and marketed as the Giulia Sprint, while a 1.3-litre version later returned to the range. Production of this body style finally ended in 1965. In total, 24,084 Giulietta Sprint coupés were built, within an overall production of 177,513 cars belonging to the Giulietta family. The model marked a decisive turning point in Alfa Romeo’s history, successfully transferring the marque’s sporting image, technical sophistication and distinctive character into a form suitable for modern series production.

Just in time for the 1956 Mille Miglia, the Giulietta Sprint was joined by the more sporting Sprint Veloce, a model distinguished by increased power and reduced weight. Among its most recognizable external features were the horizontally sliding side windows. From 1956 onward, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce quickly established itself in competition, thanks to several important technical improvements over the standard Sprint. The small 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine saw its output increase from 80 to 90 hp, partly through the adoption of two horizontal twin-choke carburettors. With a top speed of approximately 180 km/h, the Sprint Veloce became the dream car of many gentleman drivers. At the 1956 Mille Miglia, Sgorbati achieved a remarkable eleventh place overall at the wheel of a Sprint Veloce. Approximately 700 examples were built during 1957.

Chassis AR1493E*04349 took part in the last edition of the Mille Miglia in 1957, with Rinaldo Parmigiani, who gained 40th place in the overall ranking, after 13hr, 06' 47” of racing. It’s in recent years a constant presence in the most important re-enactment events.