About this Collectable
What an opportunity to drive a beautiful and excellent driving classic. Because that is definitely how this Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint from 1959 can be described. This neatly restored and recently overhauled Alfa is a Bella without equal.
For Alfa Romeo, the 1950s were the prelude to the extremely successful 105 series (1963 - 1977). The square Giulia, sporty GT Junior and GT Veloce coupés, Duetto and Spider convertibles and later the Berlina family car. All of them sought after, sporty, affordable and very drivable classics. The legendary racing past of Alfa Romeo is still in every screw and bolt. However, the Giulietta Sprint is an even purer Alfa and even more attractive in terms of looks.
The Sprint is the first truly modern Alfa Romeo and is considered the forerunner of compact GTs for good reason: great handling, light weight (940 kg) and with a nice lively engine. Carrozzeria Bertone designed the elegant body of this celebrated model, which was built between 1954 and 1962 in a production run of just over 24.000 units.
This example was originally delivered in California, on February 28, 1959 to be precise. Between delivery and now, it has driven about 76.000 km, of which less than 4.000 after a complete restoration in November 1997. The body is after import repainted in a color that is not original for this model: Blu Notte. The Sprint then was on display in a well-preserved condition for over 20 years in the collection of Gallery of Dreams in Westzaan.
The third and current owner bought the car in early 2021 and commissioned the grandmasters of Alfa Romeo specialist Van Neerijnen to provide an extensive technical service for €10.000. The brakes are therefore like new again and the engine received a complete overhaul with conversion to the original 32 mm single Solex downdraft carburettor. A satisfied chief mechanic after a test drive of 100 km: “Great driving Sprint! For the enthusiast a roadworthy piece of automotive history or a perfect basis for building a competition winner.”
Our opinion
With a barking aluminum Nord engine in a beautiful body you can emberrass every street car. The technique is made to be put to good use, because it's strong with a capital S. Forget everything you know about classics from this era, kick the throttle, shift with 5 gears to 165 and don't be afraid to use the - for the time excellent - brakes. These cars are made to drive.
Modifications
- The standard column shift gearbox has been replaced by a four-speed Veloce floor shift
- The car has been repainted in the color Blu Notte, a colour that was not originally available on the car in 1959
- A rally grille has been placed on the headlights
Remarks
The car is not in Pebble Peach condition, but it is in a overall good condition and ready to enjoy. Some signs of use and age are visible, among other things:
- Two small dents in the left rear screen and right front screen
- Rust spots (surface) on the rims
- Crack in glass of right rear light
- Paint damage on gauge housing
See photos for more. The interior has a beautiful patina but is not damaged anywhere. The body is rust free.
Service history
The car was recently (March 2021) extensively overhauled by Alfa Romeo specialist Van Neerijnen Utrecht. At that time there were 47.349 miles on the clock. It included a complete overhaul of the engine block, brakes and suspension (see invoice). Before that, the car has been in a museum for most of the time since the restoration in 1997. In the period 1997-2021, the car was driven only a few hundred miles.
Included with sale
- Four keys (two for the doors, two for the ignition)
- Spare wheel with jack
- Original booklets
- Photos of the restoration
- Maintenance invoices (partial)
Summary
Seller - Mark
Seller type - Private
Location - The Netherlands
VIN - 149307272
Year of production - 1959
Mileage - 47.500 miles
NAP - No, imported from the USA
Warranty - No
Body type - Coupé
Engine - 1,3 liter inline-four with 65 hp
Lay-out - Rear wheel drive
Transmission - Veloce 5 speed manual transmission
Exterior colour - Blu Notte
Interior colour - Blue with beige Vipla
Upholstery - Leather
Smoker's car - No
Owners - 2 private owners + 1 museum
Tires - Goodyear GT 80 165R15 86T, NOS, DOT code 438, like new
The description of this Collectable has been created with the utmost care, based on information from and validated by the seller. The Collectables performs a (pre) selection based on the information provided and consults public sources for any irregularities. However, bidders themselves must ascertain the correctness of the description and can, if desired, have a personal investigation carried out. All Collectables on our platform can be subjected to any possible inspection, investigation or valuation by buyers in advance, of course in consultation with the seller. Please refer to our Terms and Conditions for more details.
