(Note: The following grammatically challenged description of the Sprint appears exactly
as found on the eBay posting, edited only for brevity. - ED.)
Red exterior with the original red and gray leather interior & red carpets. The panel fit on the Bertone coachwork and over-all aesthetics are excellent. Interior, although original, shows very minimal wear, no rips or tears. The odometer indicates 96,000 but not convinced if they are miles or kilometers. The Arizona title shows the mileage to be actual. The car is powered by an alloy 1300 cc double overhead cam, 4 cylinder engine, coupled to a four-speed transmission. Equipped with factory Weber carburetors, and the rare, original cast aluminum intake plenum and air filter canister. The engine has enjoyed a recent "freshening" and runs and drives beautifully.
Also present is the original Nardi trademark wooden steering wheel. New Michelin radial tires on original wheels in the correct size and type. This Alfa was imported 4 years ago from Italy to Northern California to participate in annual Italian automobile festivities in and around the Monterey and Laguna Seca area, and also to take part in the California Mille. It has also participated in the Arizona Governors Cup (Hospice) Rally. This is a private-party sale, you are not dealing with a dealer. The value guide indicates by VIN that this car may be, indeed a '59, but it is registered and was imported as a '60. The Alfa can remain in secure, indoor storage for up to 30 days, after payment in full, while the new owner arranges for shipping or transportation. I will gladly answer any and all questions relating to this rare, Alfa Veloce coupe. Thanks for looking and Good Luck!
Corrections: This Alfa is fitted with a five-speed transmission, not a four-speed as listed in the above text. Also the numbers stamped into the factory ID plate are 10105 1493-21167 Motore AR-1315. The actual number stamped on the alloy engine block are: AR 1315 011460. Inspection also shows the car is fitted with Koni shock absorbers at all four corners. Thanks!
{analysis} In 1954, with the introduction of the Giulietta Sprint, Alfa joined Jaguar, Aston Martin, Porsche, Maserati and Ferrari in offering a lightweight twin-cam engine in an aerodynamic grand-touring body. Originally equipped with a dual-throat, downdraft Solex carburetor, it was only two years later that the factory hot rod version, the Veloce, made its debut. With twin Weber side-draft carburetors and a host of internal improvements, the Giulietta Veloce was Alfa Romeo's tutorial on how to wrest 90 durable horsepower from a 1.3-liter engine that could maintain 7,000 rpm all day long.
This Giulietta is a mixture of the very impressive and the terrifying. Someone spent a lot of money on the restoration, and, according to the nine photographs posted on eBay, it appears to be in #1 condition. The body panels are straight and the doors don't show the typical Sprint droop, which occurs as a result of their considerable weight. The chrome is unmarked and all the trim pieces, including the hubcaps, are correct. The interior has been redone in red and gray leather or leatherette, and the red carpeting is all new. The trunk fabric lining is correct and the battery area is undamaged. The engine bay is both correct and spotless.
This car sold for $16,500 on eBay on March 21, 2002. The sum-$1,500 over SCM's high Price Guide price-probably represents a loss over the amount of lire spent on getting the car to its current condition. Moreover, whoever did the restoration, presumably an Italian, knew what original Giulietta Sprint Veloces looked like, and maintained that appearance meticulously. Shiny paint, sparkling chrome, a spotless interior and pristine engine bay add up to a no-objections car. Perfection invites picking nits: the only fault is that the original radio blanking plate (a very rare item) is missing and the holes for the radio have been filled in, so the surface is perfectly smooth. So far, so good.
In fact, perhaps too good to be true. The car, by itself, is utterly captivating, but the owner's description shouts "caution!" Despite the seller's continued insistence that the car is "original," there are many things wrong here. In the first place, the Nardi wheel was not an original item on the Veloce, and the car cannot possibly be as original as the owner claims. This is a 42-year-old car, with 96,000 miles (the speedo reads to 140, and cannot be in kilometers), yet there is no visible wear on the seats, carpet or pedals. A four-speed transmission was original equipment, but this car carries a five-speed. Along the same lines, the Koni shocks were not original equipment. Finally, a Giulietta engine at 96,000 miles probably deserves a thorough overhaul, not a refreshment.
Believing that this car is original and unrestored requires an astounding suspension of disbelief. A more credible claim for this car would have been that it underwent a cost-no-object restoration and has been compulsively cared for ever since.
But there's more to this story. A check of serial numbers reveals that this car began life as a Solex-carbureted Sprint Normale, not a Sprint Veloce. The seller, who expressed surprise when supplied with this information, was still able to find a buyer who was willing to purchase a make-believe Veloce. The new owner is an automotive enthusiast/journalist who states that he is completely happy with the car.
Slowly, fakey-doo or clone cars are being accepted for what they are, and they are being purchased by those to whom originality is not paramount. In fact, SCM's Price Guide listing of $15,000 for a #2 Sprint Veloce should probably be revisited in light of this sale. True Sprint Veloces are hard to come by, which makes properly done clones like this desirable. And so long as someone is not fabricating a famous race history or other provenance to go with the car, what's the harm? It's really not much different than putting a set of triple two-barrel carbs on a 1965 GTO that was originally equipped with a four barrel, or converting a 260 c.i. Mustang to a high-performance 289. So long as buyer and seller both are clear about exactly what the car is, at the end of the day everyone should be happy.
The increasing acceptance of well-done clones is evidence of the birth of a whole new market segment.-Pat Braden{/analysis}