Alfa Romeo's Giulietta Spider was among the many fruitful ideas of Max Hoffman, the astute and influential importer whose keen understanding of the American market birthed legends like the Porsche 356 Speedster, Mercedes-Benz 300SL, BMW 507, and introduced the Volkswagen Beetle to the USA. Hoffman counted Alfa Romeo in his portfolio and he persuaded the firm to offer a new two-seat Spider variant of the superb new mid-sized Giulietta, explicitly geared for American tastes with a new Pininfarina-penned body. His instincts proved correct, and the Giulietta, particularly in high-performance Veloce specification, spawned multiple generations of beloved open-topped Alfas.
It was powered by a 65bhp,1290cc four-cylinder fuelled by a single Solex carburettor and featured two chain-driven overhead. The Spider was rear-wheel drive with drum brakes on all four wheels and the front suspension was independent with deformable wishbones, coil springs, hydraulic telescopic dampers and an anti-roll bar. The rear suspension was a traditional rigid axle, guided by longitudinal arms and reaction triangle, again with coil springs and hydraulic telescopic dampers. In 1956, they produced the so-called "first series" (series '750 D in the "normal" version and '750 F' in the 'Veloce') and in late 1958, the ‘second series’ was introduced with a number of changes including a lengthened wheelbase, however, nowadays the Giulietta Spider 'Passo Corto' (short door) models are the most desired and sought-after amongst collectors.
On offer here is an absolutely stunning 'first-series' Giulietta Spider Veloce (750F) that, according to its 'Certifcato do Origine', was produced on the 31st July 1958 and was destined for the US market (New York). Its current, UK-based owner is a true classic car connoisseur with decades worth of owning and collecting experience and he was attracted to this particular car as it was a 'short-door', finished in his favourite colour (Mouse Grey), and was owned by the knowledgeable and much-respected, Jim Sullivan, Chairman of the Pacific North West Alfa Club. After his purchase in 2015, our vendor commissioned Vintage Racing Motors (VRM) to carry out a full restoration which they did over a period of time. The whole process was photo documented and the car is unquestionably finished to a higher standard than when it left the factory. The appropriate invoices remain in the file and total around $130,000, meaning that our vendor's investment in this remarkable little Giulietta amounts to over $200,000.
In the interest of pure driving pleasure, a period-correct, 5-speed gearbox was fitted at the time, however, the original 'tunnel' gearbox is included with the car and available to inspect at our auction. Once the work was finished, the Alfa was sent here to the UK, registered in 2021 and has been enjoyed immensely. It will be serviced by marque specialist Chris Robinson prior to the sale.
This is a unique opportunity to acquire a rare Alfa Romeo that has been restored to an extraordinary standard and we encourage interested parties to come and see the car at Silverstone, it will not disappoint.
