24th May, 2025 11:00
1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint
Superb example of stylish Italian coupe
Estimate
£28,000 - £30,000
Buyer's premium: 15.00%
Lot details
Registration: 103XVD
Chassis: AR159332
Odometer: 44,000 km
Transmission: Manual
MOT: Exempt
- South African import
- 1600 cc engine upgrade
- Comes with original block and head
- Driven 50 miles to our saleroom
- NOVA supplied
- Presented in beautiful condition
The Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint, introduced in 1954, marked a significant milestone in post-war automotive design and performance. Designed by Franco Scaglione at Bertone, the Sprint was a sleek 2+2 coupé that showcased the brand’s flair for combining elegance with sportiness. It was powered by a lightweight 1.3-litre twin-cam inline-four engine, which delivered spirited performance for its class and helped Alfa Romeo establish a strong reputation among driving enthusiasts. The Giulietta Sprint was also notable for being one of the first mass-produced cars in Italy to feature a unibody construction, contributing to its agility and lightness. Its success laid the foundation for a full Giulietta range, including sedan and spider variants, and helped cement Alfa Romeo’s image as a maker of stylish and technically advanced sports cars.
We are delighted to offer this 1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint in Bianco Gardenia with blue/white interior. We have the Certificate of Origin from Alfa’s archives in Italy confirming the car was produced in July 1961 and originally supplied to Johannesburg (South Africa). At some stage in its life, the engine was upgraded to a 1600cc unit from a 1963 Giulia Ti. South Africans do seem to like their engine swaps and in this case we think the choice of upgrade was genius, the greater power making the car more useable whilst maintaining that character that Alfa engines have in abundance. However, for those who prefer originality, our vendor is supplying what he believes to be the original 1300cc block and head. He has gone to the trouble of checking the engine number with the Alfa Romeo Owners Club and, whilst original engine numbers don’t appear on the Certificates of Origin from the factory, they were able to confirm the number falls in the correct range for a Sprint. In 2018, the little coupe was imported into the UK where it has had only two keepers. The import papers come with the car, including the important NOVA document.
Alfa Romeo have made some beautiful cars over the years and the Giulietta Sprint is right up there. It proudly sports its Bertone wing badges and sill plates and whilst not as exotic as some of Scaglione’s other designs (Alfa 33 Stradale springs to mind…) it really is achingly pretty. This example presents beautifully and has clearly been well loved. No doubt the lack of rust can be attributed to the kind South African climate. Lovely details abound – nice chrome, the correct Fergat Torino wheels on fresh-looking Kumho tyres. The inside is equally good and another essay in Italian style. Again it is the detail that raises the design above the competition, with stylish Veglia dials, dash mounted mirror and original steering wheel. The blue/grey seats are clean and free from any obvious damage or staining and the headlining tight and tidy. There are no nasty modifications and everything seems to be to the original specification. In the boot there is the spare wheel, tyre jack and a nice new mat. The engine is nicely detailed with twin Webber carburettors providing a throaty roar.
The car comes with V5C, Certificato di Origine, correspondence with the Alfa Romeo Owners Club, import papers, NOVA certificate, South African registration documents and tax discs and a some invoices.
It’s always a joy for us to have a Sixties Alfa in our halls and this little Sprint does not disappoint. We would recommend you come and take a look yourself and we defy you not to fall in love with its beauty and charm . The fact that it is in such lovely condition and was mechanically fit enough to drive the 50 miles to our salerooms without issue is just the icing on the cake. Time to live “la dolce vita”?
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