1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Speciale

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.

This intriguing gran turismo is based on the platform of Giulia Sprint GT and was styled and built by Bertone; it’s a one-off example designed by Giugiaro in 1965; quite sadly, never made it into production. One of the reasons of not putting it on the production line was lack of the rear seats, while the production type Sprint GT was intended to secure ample space for the rear seats. The Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Speciale Prototipo by Bertone was supposed to replace the Giulia Sprint Speciale (on Giulietta basis) that was in the market since 1959; it was completely unreleased and presents styling solutions that anticipate some Italian sports cars of the 1970’s. The car is now part of the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo.