Legend has it that the name for Alfa's Giulietta series of cars stems from a comment made by a Russian prince at a Parisian nightclub in the late 1940s. French grand prix driver--and Alfa pilote--Jean-Pierre Wimille was entertaining seven Alfa Romeo directors when the Russian recognized the party, greeting them all with the question: "You are eight Romeos without even one Giulietta?"
Although it's doubtful that the story is true, Giulietta--the Italian equivalent of Juliet--seems a fitting name for Alfa Romeo's series of delicate and feminine small 1950s sedans. In retrospect, however, it's probably best applied to the most graceful and sensuous of Alfa's postwar products: the Giulietta Sprint Speciale.
The Bertone-designed Sprint Speciale (or SS, as it became known) wasn't much more than a rebodied version of the "ordinary" Giulietta Sprint, but it was quite different in personality. Expensive and well-finished, the SS greatly resembled Bertone's bewinged, Alfa-based B.A.T. (Berlinetta Aerodinamica Tecnica) aerodynamic prototypes and Alfa's Touring-built Disco Volantes. A hot-rodded (116 hp versus 92 hp) version of the Giulietta Sprint's mostly aluminum 1.3-liter, DOHC four was coupled to a five-speed overdrive transmission taken from the 2000 Spider.
The Speciale was originally intended for the racetrack, but it was too heavy to be truly competitive; the forty-nine-inch-tall, two-place coupe weighed ten pounds more than the larger, four-seat model upon which it was based. Still, an incredibly stable chassis--with an independent front suspension and a well-located live axle in the rear--plus a slippery shape made the SS a fantastic grand tourer. Bertone's aerodynamic work paid off: compared with the Giulietta Sprint, the SS produced an almost eerie lack of wind and engine noise. Top speed, aided by a low drag coefficient, was a remarkable 120 mph.
You wouldn't expect that sort of refinement and performance to come cheaply, and it didn't. The Speciale cost just over $5600 in 1961, or almost $1800 more than the Giulietta Sprint. In later Giulia form (1963-65), equipped with Alfa's 129-hp, 1.6-liter four but few other changes, the SS was cheaper, but its price still sat dangerously close to a Jaguar E-type's.
All told, though, the Sprint Speciale wasn't intended or destined to produce grand sales numbers. Controversial styling and a lack of earth-shattering performance meant that the SS never caught on with the masses. As a result, it has always been rare, beautiful, and, oddly enough, affordable. In other words, just how we like it.
VITAL INFO
WHAT TO PAYProject cars can often be had for as little as $10,000; good, solid drivers range from $15,000 to $25,000. Concours-level restorations and healthy survivors run from $30,000 to $50,000.
BODY STYLETwo-door coupe.
PRODUCTIONJust 1396 Giulietta SS models were built from 1957 to 1962. 1400 Giulia-engined examples were produced between 1962 and 1965.
WATCH OUT FORIt's a handbuilt Alfa, so rust is always a factor. As with all Alfas, regular maintenance is key to drivetrain health.
READ MORE
Alfa Romeo Giulietta Gold Portfolio: 1954-1965by R.M. Clarke, Brooklands Books, $33.www.amazon.com
Alfa Romeo Giulietta: 1954-2004 Golden Anniversaryby A.T. Anselmi and L. Boscarelli, Giorgio Nada Editore, $60.www.motorbooksitaliano.com
SPARES AND DEALERS
CENTERLINE ALFA888-750-ALFAwww.centerlinealfa.com
RE-ORIGINALS713-849-2400www.reoriginals.com
CLUBS
ALFA ROMEO OWNER'S CLUB USAwww.aroc-usa.org
OUR CHOICEWe're normally suckers for torque, but the 1.3-liter Giulietta SS, in red, appeals as the purest of the species.