1963 Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider

The Alfa Romeo Giulia GT is a coupé derived from the Giulia built by Alfa Romeo between 1963 and 1975. The Giulia GT would have replaced the Giulia Sprint 1600, a Giulietta Sprint with 1.6 engine of the Giulia Ti, of which it maintains the general bodywork setting and also the classic front engine and gearbox placement with rear wheel drive. The bodywork, the work of a very young Giorgetto Giugiaro at the time employed by Bertone, was mounted on the floor of the Giulia Ti sedan with a shortened wheelbase from 2510 to 2350 mm and was a sleek 2 + 2 sports coupe. The curious front "scalino" (i.e. step) that characterized all the versions produced up to 1968 and part of those produced up to 1971 was due to a rethinking between the approval of the design and the production of the car. Originally it had to be an air intake, then abolished to contain costs, which, leaving room for the "step", defined an important (and recognizable) stylistic figure. Thanks to its lines and excellent road qualities, this car became one of the most sought-after cars of the period. Several versions of Giulia GT were produced in the various series that can be classified into: Sprint GT, GT Junior, GTC (convertible), GTA (alleggerita/lightened), and GT Veloce. The Sprint GT Coupé lived up to its name, as it had a five-speed manual gearbox, a high-revving inline four-cylinder engine, and four-wheel disc brakes. So sophisticated was the Sprint GT that even at the end of the model’s life more than a decade later, it was still heralded by journalists all over the world.

The launch of the Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1963 was closely followed by a Bertone two-seater spider, intended to replace the open-top version of the Giulietta model. The first proposal is simply a Bertone Giulia GT, shortened and without the roof. The prototype of this version is then modified: the bodywork of the new prototype, to which Ernesto Cattoni of Alfa Romeo Centro Stile gave a contribution, stood out for the marked dihedral line on the side like the Sprint GT as well as a new front end with a slender grill and small Alfa shield in the center. The car remained at the prototype stage: the debut of the Duetto by Pininfarina stops the project.