1960 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint

Supplied new in Milan on the 28th of April 1960 in Gardenia White (as confirmed by Alfa Romeo Storico) this left-hand drive Giulietta was eventually acquired by a British chap in October 2004 from Luzzago, the well-known classic car dealer.

It was then recommissioned by Hammerschmid, the Vienna Morgan Agents (he owned a Morgan too, of course) and its extensive bills can be seen on file. In short though, the work included overhauling the brakes, rebuilding the original four-speed gearbox, and adapting an early 105 series 1300cc engine to fit.

Its owner then used the car extensively taking part in an Austrian Alfa Rally and driving it to Monza before bringing it back to the UK in late 2007.

More work was carried out by Chris Robinson of Giulietta specialists RMR in 2007-08 including a bare metal respray in the original colour. Chris also fitted one of its well-respected handling kits comprising stiffer anti-roll bars and springs. Wonderfully, the engine was also rebuilt using the original 101 series cylinder head fitted to the later 105 series cylinder block.

It was then UK-registered in June 2008 and used for trips to Switzerland, where it received more mechanical attention from Volante Classic Cars in the Engadin region. The car was then sold to Black & White Garage in spring 2012. Between 2004 and 2012 it had covered over 30,000km, which must have made it one of the most used Giuliettas of modern times!

The seller bought the car from them and has covered around 10,000kms in the decade he’s owned it, including a couple of Giulietta Register events, a navigational rally (which comprised 300 miles in torrential rain and floods, which it coped with fine), the Shere Hillclimb, and lots of weekend driving.

The resprayed Gardenia White coachwork is good and straight, with accurate panel fit allied to above-average paint. We love that it still carries its original trim and badges, their honest patina retaining a history that a full restoration would have obliterated.

The chrome is good, with the front bumper having been re-plated. The rear bumper is a little tarnished (#60) and the door handles are pitted (#64) but none of it is bad enough to need sorting out just yet.

The painted steel wheels are embellished by good chrome hubcaps. The tyres are good 155R15 Vredestein Classic on all four corners and the ones on the rear axle were only fitted in 2021.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Flaws? Well, if we’re being picky then there are a couple of minor marks on the paintwork, one where the door hinge has moved back on it (#147) and a paint bubble on one sill (#262) that the seller tells us hasn’t changed in 10 years, so is probably not corrosion related.

Oh, and the front grill has been repaired (#145) and this could, the seller suggests, be improved.

The Giulietta still has its original seats and door trims. Complete with the optional, and very useful, +2 rear bench, the upholstery is two-tone blue. It’s in good shape but does show evidence of a repair to the vinyl sections of the driver’s seat.

The owner does point out that all the cars he’s seen have had a blue and grey interior, so he’s not sure if this one’s all-blue is a factory optional extra or a later re-trim. (The period brochure does list an optional two tone trim, so maybe…).

The blue carpets are replacements but the headlining is original and in a good condition. It still has the original mirror and radio blanking plate.

Easter eggs abound. Like the aforementioned radio blanking plate that echoes a radiator grille. Or the Alfa Romeo Veglia instruments and the silver material trim on the door cards.

Even the boot, with its neat over-centre clamp for the spare wheel, brings joy.

The owner says he was “attracted to the car by the fact that it had been extensively used and was ‘well sorted’ and it has proven to be very reliable in my ownership.”

That said, he’s kept up with the car’s maintenance and the work he’s carried out includes a heat spacer for the re-jetted carburettor, plus a 123 electronic distributor. It has also been regularly serviced and extensively rust-proofed with cavity wax.

The only problems he reports are an out-of-balance propshaft, which he had rebuilt by specialists DTR, and a leaking rear brake cylinder that necessitated a complete overhaul of the rear brakes.

He also acquired a good Giulietta (type 1315) cylinder block with excellent liner seats and studs so that the engine could be put back to a more original specification in future, should the new owner want to do so.

Speaking of originality, the carburettor is a Weber DCD, which we are told was a common upgrade in period.

As you can see in the video the owner shot of him starting and driving it: “it drives extremely well. The engine pulls well, revs hard as 1300 Alfa engines need to do, has strong oil pressure and does not overheat. The original four-speed box changes cleanly and has the later synchros so it doesn’t need the hard-to-find GL1 oil. The brakes pull up strongly and straight and the suspension is tight. It is a pleasure to drive, especially on a twisty B road, but it copes fine in London or on the motorway. When you drive it, you appreciate just how advanced these cars were in their day.”

The engine bay is utterly lovely. It helps that the 1.3-litre engine is a bit of a gem anyway but the care and attention to detail is lovely to see. Just take a look at the under-bonnet sound insulation for example, or the Filter King fuel pressure regulator.

The underside is solid. You can see evidence of historic repairs to the boot floor, but the owner thinks the sills and floors appear to be the originals, possibly thanks to it having been heavily treated with cavity wax in the sills and box sections and Waxoyl’d in the wheelarches.

The car comes with a copy of its Italian registration document showing its ownership between 1960 and 1986. It also has a thick wad of detailed bills and invoices for all the work done and the parts that have been fitted since 2004.

There is also a log of work carried out since 2012 (#290 onwards) and a V5 registration document in the seller’s name.

It comes with the original distributor and the aforementioned Giulietta AR1315 cylinder block plus a shop manual.

The Alfa doesn’t have a current MOT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have it MOT’d at the earliest opportunity. The cost of an MOT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic vehicle, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies…

The recent Vehicle History Check doesn’t show anything of note.

When I buy a classic my preference is for cars like this, cars that have been driven regularly, used as their designers intended, and treated a programme of regular maintenance that includes judicious mechanical upgrades to improve its reliability and usability.

If they’re achingly pretty and lithe and graceful then you can shut up and take my money.

Especially if they’re as reasonably priced as this; with a valuation of between £33,000 and £43,000, you might be able to buy cheaper but you won’t buy better because quality not only returns its investment when the time comes to sell, it also adds value every single time you look at it or drive it.

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