Some collectors are truly devoted to this family of models, which express Italy, the fifties and carefree living better than a long speech. A brand with such a rich past that Alfa Romeo, so sporty, could only succeed in marketing this small car in coupe, convertible and saloon versions. For all tastes, almost for all budgets, the Giulietta has honoured the glorious past of this Milanese firm. Strangely enough, France is at the origin of the Alfa Romeo company. In 1909, the Italian branch of the Darracq company was for sale, and a group of Italian industrialists took an interest. Not to continue producing these cars whose reputation had spread beyond the Alps, but to produce cars more suited to the Italian market in the midst of a crisis. Thus was created A.L.F.A., which stands for Anonima Lombarda Fabrica Automobili, and which adopted as its emblem the Red Cross on a white background of the city of Milan, and the Visconti Serpent. These beautiful symbols did not bring A.L.F.A. luck at first, because the ‘fabrica’ was put up for sale in the autumn of 1915. And it was a certain engineer by the name of Nicola Romeo who acquired the Portello factory. It will be understood without delay that the true history of Alfa Romeo can begin. From the end of the Great War, Alfa Romeo made horses talk by participating in and winning numerous races. The first drivers to shine in these cars were Sivocci, Campari, Ramponi and Ferrari. The latter, a young beginner named Enzo, would play a key role in Alfa's reputation, as he would race these cars in his already famous Scuderia from 1929 onwards. It was in fact on Alfa bonnets that the first prancing horse emblems would appear. All these events led the public to associate Alfa Romeo with racing, sport and triumph. And the Formula 1 world championship titles won by Farina and Fangio in 1950 and 1951 did nothing to dispel the impression of powerful aggression that emanated from the brand with the cloverleaf. With the Giulietta, Alfa Romeo entered a new area of activity: mass production. Alfa abandoned competition at the end of 1951, covered in laurels, and as the technicians at the Portello factory were steeped in competition, it was not ordinary, anonymous products that would be the fruit of their labour. In 1954, the Giulietta was timidly released, its name a tribute to William Shakespeare and the tragedy that inspired it. The ambiguity of these cars lies in the fact that the name Giulietta corresponded to a 1300 cc engine. Later, the Giulia would have a 1600 engine. However, it became customary to call these cars Giulietta, regardless of their engine. We could talk for hours about Alfa Romeo engines alone, we could write a book about these little mechanical marvels. This brand, which has earned a worldwide reputation in this field, has clearly demonstrated its expertise and talent by producing generations of confidential ‘big’ 6 and 8-cylinder engines. But, most surprisingly, it was equally at ease in the development of this very attractive little four-cylinder aluminium engine with double overhead camshafts (driven by chains), intended for mass production. Note that the combustion chambers of this engine are hemispherical and the spark plugs are central. This engine is above all an Alfa Romeo, a brilliant and noisy piece of precision engineering, with a superb intake noise, that sonorous and characteristic hum that begins when the carburettor body opens fully. Delivered new in France, our Giulia has undergone a complete nut and bolt restoration, in that superb "Blue Celeste" livery and the photos speak for themselves. Used occasionally on sunny weekends, it is now time to find it a new home. Are you ready for la Dolce Vita?