Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider Racer

After WWII, Alfa Romeo switched from being a small volume manufacturer of fast, expensive luxury and racing cars to a volume producer of midrange cars. The 1900 Series were the first volume produced Alfas, followed in 1954 by the Giulietta.

The Giulietta was a "jewel" (Americanese pun intended). It featured a smallish 1300cc engine made from lovely aluminum castings, with a double overhead cam head just like the racing Alfas of the past. Even the gearbox and rear axle center section were aluminum to save weight. The body was "unitized", a stressed component, with state-of-the-art suspension design and giant Alfin drum brakes, looking all the while like their Grand Prix ancestors!

The first Giuliettas were the Berlina and the nicely rounded Bertone Sprint, even with a rear window that opened, like today's hatchback. The hatchback never made it to production, but the coupe was a solid "GT" with many fans and a envious competition history in Sprint, Sprint Veloce and SZ (by Zagato) form. Styled by Pinin Farina (when the name of the design house was still two words), the Giulietta Spider set new standards for sports cars. Roomy, comfortable (even a soft ride), rollup windows, good-sized trunk, easily stowed top that actually sealed. Wonderful looks, not just on the outside, but on the dash and under the hood.

The Giulietta was a best-seller for Alfa, but the Spider was more of a US phenomenon. Thanks to Max Hoffman, a large number of Alfa Spiders made it to the US. Although in America we think of "sports car racing" with roadsters, in Europe, Coupes were normally used for racing. But Spiders were used occasionally, like Alfranco Pagani's entry in the '57 Mille Miglia

Sometime around 1959, the Spider transitioned from the 750 series to the 101 series, with a longer wheelbase for more room in the passenger compartment and a revised engine with a stronger crank and better-breathing head. Cars of this era became "parts bin" cars, with mix-and-match components of 750 and 101 series. The Giulia Spider lasted until the mid 60s, as the new Spider, named the "Duetto" in a contest in Italy, replaced it. Over the years, more than 17,000 Giulietta Spiders and 10,000 Giulia Spiders were built.