1957 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale

After the successful series of B.A.T. (Berlinetta Aerodinamica Tecnica) prototypes, designed by Franco Scaglione for Carrozzeria Bertone between 1953 and 1955, a berlinetta prototype was born in 1957 following the same stylistic current and philosophy. It was intended for a small production, an exclusive and sporty version of the Giulietta Sprint. It was a study of a faster version of the Giulietta Sprint, carrying out in-depth aerodynamic research in order to enable the little engine Alfa Romeo to break the 200 Km/h barrier. The car was presented as a prototype (chassis 00001) at the Turin Motor Show in 1957, and was a great success. It was called "Sprint Speciale" but the shapes was still too extreme for the production and so was reviewed in the second prototype (chassis 00002) exhibited in Geneva in 1958. The model went into production in 1959, embodying a number of styling updates and improvements and was offered as a more luxurious version of the popular Giulietta, as it was created with lightweight construction and competition in mind. The production Sprint Speciale was modeled by Carrozzeria Bertone and featured striking high fenders and a rounded roofline. The forward-thinking aerodynamic design boasts a drag coefficient of only 0.29. Built on a slightly shorter wheelbase than the standard Sprint, the curvaceous ‘SS’ was powered by a 1.3-liter Veloce-specification twin-cam engine, with twin two-barrel Weber carburetors and boasting 116 horsepower. Between 1957 and 1962, just 1,366 examples were produced.

Chassis 00001 is the prototype presented at 1957 Turin Motor Show. It was sold in 1960, and the recent restoration brought back the original shape. The body is in aluminum alloy, a feature of the first prototypes of SS only. It's now in the Lopresto collection of unique cars.