1957 ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA SPIDER

Lot 20
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Estimation :
70000 - 90000 EUR
1957 ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA SPIDER
Type 750D Serial number 1457 Restoration from chassis Important file of invoices French registration The history of the Giulietta is in line with the reconstruction of post-war Europe, where some cities are still in ruins; economic prosperity is reaching out to the factories and Alfa Romeo decides to cut the bridges with the past of the firm that produced only a hundred cars a year, in a traditional way. The old Milanese company concentrated all its financial and human resources on production, even abandoning the competition that had allowed Alfa Romeo to make a name for itself in the pre-war period. Under the supervision of Orazio Satta Puliga, head of the brand's design office, the engineers worked on the design of an inexpensive but terribly appealing sports car with a power and engine that would not disavow the competitive past of the cloverleaf. The archetypal Italian sports car of the 1950s, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta was launched in 1954 and presented at the Turin Motor Show in a two-seater sedan version. A light car with a short wheelbase and powered by a 4-cylinder engine developing 80 horsepower with an aluminium block, cylinder head and crankcase, it was a real success and positioned itself slightly above its competitors: the Fiat 1100 and the Lancia Appia thanks to its 1300cc capacity. Its design was created jointly by Scarnati and Zuccheli who sketched the coupé in 1952. The bodywork sketch created jointly by Scarnati and Zuccheli in 1952 was taken up by Bertone and Ghia to give birth to the characteristic features of the Giulietta Sprint; Even though the two famous coachbuilders had conflicting ideas, it was Bertone who took the lead from Ghia and ensured the industrial production of the Alfa's bodywork, enabling the firm to meet its specifications. Contrary to the usual practice, the coupé was presented before the sedan and the cabriolet, both of which were unveiled a year later; the cabriolet, which was to be called "spider", was produced under the impulse of Max Hoffman, importer of a large number of European brands in the United States and who was aware of the importance of cabriolets on the overseas market. The design of the spider is signed by Pininfarina who was in a race against Bertone for this project but whose lines were more appealing for its simplicity and its resemblance to the coupe; the observant eye will notice that the coachbuilder was largely inspired by the Lancia B24 also designed by him. A ceremony was held when the 100,000th Giulietta was built, proving to the market that Alfa Romeo had indeed become an industrial brand. Beautiful, elegant, racy, the adjectives that journalists used to describe this Alfa Spider when it was first released are the same today and the recipe for a light convertible with a lively engine still works, as this model is much sought after by collectors and makes the Spider a "must have". Delivered new in 1957, the example of Alfa Romeo Giulietta we present to you was purchased by its current owner in 2016 in average condition, needing a nice restoration. And that was done, as over 90,000 Euros were wisely spent on the 2019 refurbishment of this convertible. Presenting itself today in a very nice restored condition, the Spider features a beautiful original Alfa Romeo grey paint (Lead Grey) and a red leather interior. This choice of configuration made by the owner is not insignificant as it is listed in the Italian firm's archives as an original configuration available in the Giulietta sales catalogue. On the mechanical side, the engine was cleaned and overhauled in order to be able to take the road serenely. Rare in this condition, this convertible is one of those cars that are often described with amusement as "more beautiful than when it left the factory"; here this popular saying is clearly true. To treat yourself to this myth of automotive history is to treat yourself to sunshine for the whole year.
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