1963 – Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider

The epitome of the Italian spider and Dolce Vita French registration Chassis n°AR*375650 - Pinin Farina styling and a pleasant 1600 cm3 "Bialbero" engine - French car with only two owners since 1972 - Old restoration documented and engine rebuilt in 2010 - Very flattering configuration for this well-reliable example In 1955, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider, part of the Milanese marque's industrial growth, inaugurated a new line of small, sporty convertibles. It was created at the request of the famous New York importer Max Hoffman, who guaranteed to sell it to American customers, who were very fond of this type of vehicle. The Bertone design office worked on the project, but in the end it was Pinin Farina's proposal that was chosen, for both budgetary and production capacity reasons. If the design of the coupé version, the Giulietta Sprint, was already very successful and enthusiastically received, the lines of the Spider, signed by Pinin Farina, are fabulous and unanimously acclaimed. Despite its modest cubic capacity, the Giulietta benefits from advanced technology, with a double overhead camshaft engine made entirely of light alloy. It underwent several evolutions, starting with a sharpened Veloce version, followed by second-series vehicles with a longer wheelbase, a more powerful engine (80 hp) and a synchronized gearbox from 1959. Finally, in 1962, the main evolution of the Giulietta Spider appeared: the Giulia Spider. Launched at the same time as the new Giulia TI of the period, the Giulia Spider uses the same light-alloy, twin-shaft, four-cylinder "Bialbero" engine, but with a larger bore and stroke (1570 cm3) than that of the Giulietta. This 92 hp engine, combined with a fully synchronized 5-speed gearbox - still quite rare at the time - enabled the Giulia Spider to reach 172 km/h, making it smoother and more reliable than its predecessor. Compact, light, agile and easy to handle, the Giulia Spider is a pure pleasure to drive, with straightforward revs and a pleasant, characteristic sound environment. To add insult to injury, its seductive plasticity makes it an icon of post-war 7th Art, helping to embody the "Dolce Vita" and reinforce its legend. The Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider (tipo 10123) presented here was distributed by Régie Nationale des Usines Renault, the official importer for France at the time, and put on the road on April 16, 1963, as attested by its manufacturer's plate and registration document respectively. Its warranty booklet, still in its original leatherette pouch, indicates that it was purchased from SOFAR (the French Alfa Romeo company) by a certain Mr. R of Marseille on April 26, 1963. Its current owner acquired it in 1993 from a person who had owned it himself since 1972. At the time of purchase, the spider was blue in color and in need of complete restoration. The renovation work, documented by photos and invoices, was spread over several years and included bodywork restoration, stripping of the hull, mechanical repairs and refurbishment of the upholstery. Following the repairs, this spider sports a metallic gray hue, combined with a black soft top and red leather interior with matching carpets, for a most attractive presentation. A few years later, and after several thousand kilometers at the wheel, the owner, not satisfied with the engine's performance, once again had the block rebuilt by a specialist in Switzerland at the end of 2010, at a cost of almost €10,000. Since then, the car has been running optimally and has been used regularly on numerous trips. Today, without being free of defects, it is in a very satisfactory state of use, and an appraisal report produced in 2023 is available to potential interested parties for further details. This Giulia spider has just under 46,000 kms on the clock, and is fitted with a Solex twin-barrel carburettor as fitted at the time. This is a car that has had very few owners, formerly restored, still in beautiful condition and ready to drive. A smooth, easy-to-use vehicle, it is also a genuine collector's vehicle.