1963 Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider

This particular example was an Italian-market car, which lived in the glorious Mediterranean sun for a number of years, before being brought to England during the early 1980’s.

Since then, the car has been through the hands of a number of owners in various states, before coming into the hands of our vendor back in 2015, after being stored off-road in a garage since 1996 with the gearbox in the boot and the engine in the passenger seat!

Following the acquisition of this gorgeous Giulia Spider, the vendor set about commissioning a comprehensive restoration of the car, which was carried out by Motorvation of Hertfordshire, resulting in this example being nigh-on immaculate throughout.

Alongside the aesthetic restoration, the car also received a fully-rebuilt engine, rebuilt transmission, and the fitment of front disc brakes, which were a factory option but not originally fitted to this particular car. However, should the new owner want to convert the car back to its full factory specification, the original drums remain with the owner and can be made available.

Interestingly, the vendor noted that upon purchase of the vehicle, it was registered as an earlier ‘Giulietta’ car on the logbook, which, after significant research and knowledge gained from club chairs and Alfa experts, was shown to be incorrect, and the logbook now reflects that this model is indeed a later ‘Giulia’ car.

Finally, potential bidders, the question you’ve been waiting for: Is it a matching-numbers car? Well, the answer from our vendor is a resounding ‘YES’ which should certainly get your bidding fingers twitching…

Pininfarina often make gorgeous cars, but the Giulia Spider is undoubtedly part of their ‘greatest hits’ compilation… just look at it!

This example boasts wonderfully straight, even and crisp bodywork throughout, with no sign of any dents, dings or creases to spoil the Italian design houses’ styling.

The paintwork is also nigh-on immaculate, with only one noted stone chip that is visible in day-to-day use that we saw during our photo shoot, along with a more pronounced mark on the lower ‘chin’ which is usually hidden.

Being super picky, we also noted that there is some rough metal in the lower offside grille (as shown in the gallery below) and there is a light - but commensurate - patina on the side chrome trims, as well as around the window frames.

The folding soft-top is a new item and in pristine condition, with the mechanism working perfectly and no sign of any discolouration or damage to the plastic rear window.

Down below the bodywork, the wheels are all in great shape, though there are a few marks here-and-there which we’d suggest getting rectified due to the high standard of the rest of the bodywork, whilst there is also a few creases noted in the polished centre caps of the wheels.

As with the exterior, the cabin of this gorgeous Italian Spider is in fantastic shape, having clearly been on the receiving end of plenty of attention during its lifetime and restoration process.

The seats are both in excellent shape with no noted rips, tears or scuffs, though there were a couple of patches where the stitching appeared to be coming undone, as seen in the gallery below.

The carpets were all in excellent condition, including around the transmission tunnel and in the rear load area, and lifting the carpets in the foot wells revealed the Dynamat soundproofing which has been installed to bring additional comfort to the cabin.

The dashboard presents fantastically and the gauges are all present, correct and working as far as we could tell, though the lock for the choke did not work correctly, which will need addressing before the car is used regularly.

In the boot, the load area is nigh-on immaculate and presents well, with no sign of any issues inside the wings that we could see, and a fresh battery is present. During our photo shoot, the passenger door latch would occasionally stick, which should be an easy fix.

Looking underneath the car, it is clear to see that this Giulia Spider has not been driven more than a few meters since the restoration process was completed, such is the cleanliness and condition of the chassis.

There are a few areas of surface ‘bloom’ which are to be expected, but certainly nothing that sets any alarm bells ringing even slightly. The majority of the underside is also treated and sealed, meaning it should be preserved for many happy years to come.

During our short test drive, the car started first time with ease, though from cold the choke does have to be manually held out as previously stated, but once warm the car idles smoothly and without fuss. The gearbox action is nice and tight and the clutch is impressively direct too.

We did note that the brakes felt somewhat spongy - perhaps due to being laid-up for so long - whilst the steering wheel was not fitted straight, and there was a rubbing noise coming from the nearside front wheel when turning.

Having been imported into the UK some time in the early 1980’s, the earliest paperwork present with the car is for a windscreen from 1983, as, unfortunately, there is no history from the car’s time in Italy.

What is present, however, is a wealth of paperwork from the previous owners showing work carried out to the car including suspension and gearbox overhauls, along with an impressive array of invoices from Motorvation pertaining to the recent restoration whilst in the care of the vendor and current owner.

There is also a number of period photographs from when the vendor first purchased the car, along with old registration documents, MOT certificates and correspondence regarding the incorrect classification of the car as a ‘Giulietta’ and the subsequent changing of the logbook to reflect this.

Having been meticulously restored to an incredibly high standard throughout, this Giulia Spider is ready for the next owner to get in and enjoy, whilst leaving some room for light fettling and minor improvements, should the next keeper wish to do so.

An all-important ‘matching numbers’ car, this example is in outstanding condition and is finished in arguably one of the best colour combinations for Pininfarina’s masterpiece. A sure-fire head-turner wherever you go, we estimate this 1963 Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider to fetch in the region of £60,000 to £80,000 when the hammer falls.

Viewing is always encouraged and this particular car is with the seller in Fleet, Hampshire. To arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to make an appointment. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’