Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Speciale Review and Buyer's Guide

The delightfully-proportioned Alfa Giulia Sprint Speciale was launched at the Geneva Salon in March 1963, as a more potent derivative of the original Giulietta Sprint Speciale created in 1957. The original SS had been the result of a collaboration between Alfa Romeo and Carrozzeria Bertone to produce"la vettura della perfetta linea a aerodinamica"- "the car with perfect streamline form".

Legend has it that Alfa Romeo originally offered the contract for the building of the Sprint Speciale to Bertone as a salve for egos wounded following the awarding of the SZ contract to Zagato. Originally intended as a competition car, the shapely body turned out to be too heavy for the racetrack, and the SS gained a reputation as a superb high-speed Grand Turismo automobile.

With the new Giulia twin overhead camshaft 1600 engine in 129 brake horsepower tune, the Sprint Speciale offered a top speed in excess of 110 mph. The efficiency of its streamlining was shown by the fact that the mechanically similar, and one-hundred twenty five pound lighter Giulia Spider Veloce strained to reach 109 in an identical state of tune.

One of the particular advantages of the 1600 power unit was a considerable increase in torque. This allowed the overdrive fifth gear ratio to be increased to a .79 ratio from the .86 ratio of the Giulietta Sprint Speciale, enhancing top end performance. This increased speed potential was matched by the adoption of front disc brakes.

The exterior of the Giulia SS was virtually identical to that of the Giulietta, with only"Giulia SS"badges on the flanks and rear of the car giving a clue to what was under the hood. For the interior, the shape of the instrument pod was changed from the "tach high" layout of the Giulietta to the "three-in-a-line" configuration mirroring that of the Giulia Sprint.

The seats lost their contrasting piping, and the glovebox gained a door.

Our particular car this month, S/N AR380059 was offered at the 26 October' 93 London Motor Show Brook's Auction. It had underdash air-conditioning neatly installed and spent some time in the USA, where it was mechanically restored; its bodywork was restored androssocorsa paint work applied in Britain, the car having returned there in 1989. Bills for the American restoration of its engine, gearbox and carburettors (between 1984 and 1987) were available in an extensive file which also included a detailed service record between 1969 and 1975. More recently the engine had been stripped and because cracks were found some remedial work was carried out. This included a crankshaft regrind and balance, a cylinder head de-coke and the replacement of a rear oil seal. Other work included partial retrim of the dashboard and a halogen headlight conversion. The car, overall a very presentable example of the type, found a new owner for the sum of $22,737.

An Acquired Taste

Sprint Speciales, like so many Alfas, are an acquired taste: The Batman-esque styling strikes some as futuristic, others as timeless, and still others as a regrettable symbol of the swoopy fifties.

Before buying an SS, be sure that all of the nearly irreplaceable items such as bumpers, chrome window moldings and hood trim are in place. SS's are prone to rust in the usual places including rockers, inner fender panels and trunk. Contrary to some widely held beliefs, the SS is not alloybodied with the exception of the hood and trunklid.

By the Numbers

According to Fusi'sAll Alfa Romeo Cars Since 1910, there were 1,396 Giulietta SS's constructed from 1957-62, and 1,400 Giulia SS's built from 1963-65.

The Alfa Romeo "tipo" nomenclature for the Giulietta SS is Serie 101.20; for the Giulia 101.21.

Giulietta chassis numbers were 10120.00004 through 10120.00750, then 10120.177001 through 10120.177624; Giulia being 10121.38001 through 10121.381399.

Giulietta engine numbers were 00120.00001 through 00120.01576; Giulia, 00121.00001 through 00121.01400.

Current Values

During the period that anything red with an alloy engine commanded large dollars, a few Sprint Speciales changed hands for amounts in excess of $50,000. As recently as two years ago, a private party paid over $45,000 for a beautifully restored SS that was on display atConcour's Italianain Monterey.

However, a superbly redone example was sold just last month for a mere $27,000, far below replacement value, far below the money invested in the car - but probably the fair market amount in current conditions.

While prices of attractive Sprint Speciales have dropped, project SS's have become very nearly unsalable. One subscriber reports that he sold last month a decent enough Giulietta SS needing cosmetics to a South American client for $13,000. There-has been a solid Giulia SS, stripped to bare metal and nearly ready for paint, offered in the SCML for some months now, at prices ranging from $14,000 to $18,000. As the ad was just recently renewed, we expect that the car remains unsold.

We expect values of the SS to remain stable for the next few years. Properly restored examples should sell between $22,000 and $30,000. Scruffy drivers should bring in the mid- to high teens, and restoration projects will be a tough sell at any price.

SS's will appreciate at the forefront of the market at large. Because of their high restoration costs, they are a very good investment at the current time.