1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta TI

We’ll let the car’s FIVA identity card, dated 2013, tell you about it.

“The car was originally sold by Thomson and Taylor to Winchester Motor Company as a demonstrator on 14/07/1961 with registration number 8 ECG. Sold via Alfaholics in 2002 to Tom la Costa of New York with a change of registration number to GAS 465. Bought by J M Dooley in 2003 from Tom la Costa and registered with Scuderia del Portello GB Ltd as a possible race vehicle. Subsequently transferred to J M Dooley personally in 2008. It is now being prepared for regularity road events.”

If you’re not familiar with Jon Dooley, he was a very successful BTCC racer (he came third overall in 1981), the Chairman of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club, and a serial Alfa racer and owner.

The car’s current owner (the vendor) is another committed Alfa Romeo enthusiast and racer.

The car is unmodified, in first-class mechanical and dynamic condition, is regularly used (it was driven to our Oxfordshire HQ), and is very well-known to Alfa aficionados and cognoscenti.

It is clearly in very good – and entirely useable – condition, although there are a few minor cosmetic issues to consider.
 

From a few feet away, the car presents well from every angle and is a fine-looking example of both the model and the marque.

The bodywork is reassuring devoid of any dinks, dents or creases of consequence.

Some of the panel gaps and shut-lines are rather of-their-era in terms of precision, but it all adds to the car’s undeniable charm, in our opinion.

The paintwork covers a whole spectrum of different shades of yellow, with some panels fairly clearly colour-mismatched with their adjacent panels.

The chrome-work is decent throughout and there’s little evidence of tarnishing or pitting anywhere that we can see.

All five wheels are in good fettle and the matching Vredestein Classic Sport tyres look to have many more miles in them, from what we can see.

There is a little bubbling at the rear of the boot lid and some surface rust along its lower lip. We also found some nascent bubbling on top of the sills in a couple of places, just below the n/s/r light cluster and at the base of the o/s/r door.  

The lights, lenses, badging and other exterior fixtures and fittings are all in good order.

There are various scratches, scuffs, paint chips and signs of previous touch-up jobs here and there, and the scalloped, plexiglass wind deflector inserts on the side windows are crazed.
 

The interior oozes period charm and looks as if it’s driven straight out of a scene from La Dolce Vita.

The grey cloth and vinyl seats look to be in very good condition, front and back, and we haven’t seen anything errant or untoward anywhere.

The door cards are fine, save for a few paint chips and scuffs on the metal sections, but the headlining has fared rather less well and has a rip and some staining to it.

Aside from a few scratches and scuffs, the grey plastic above the dashboard is intact. The chrome trim beneath the instrument binnacle has some foxing in evidence and, below that, there is some paint chipped away both above and on the steering column.

The brown carpets appear to have lived a fairly tough life and are looking a little tired and threadbare here and there. The instruments, controls, knobs, switches and dials look good and, as far as we’re aware, everything does what it’s supposed to do.

The boot looks solid and intact. It contains a spare wheel and a few tools.  
 

The engine bay is reassuringly clean, dry and tidy.

The car’s undersides, while showing the odd spot of what looks like surface rust dust in places, appear to be possessed of a good amount of structural integrity.

Nothing we’ve seen has given us any reason to tut or frown.
 

This car comes with various bills, invoices and receipts attesting, mainly, to the purchase of parts and components from Classic Alfa and other specialists.

We imagine that Jon Dooley and the current vendor were more than capable of expertly maintaining, servicing and generally fettling their beloved Alfas themselves.

There is an invoice for over £2,500 from 2023 for work that included overhauling the brakes and attending to a couple of leaks.

It comes with a V5C, a recent HPI report and its last FIVA identity card. 
 

This is a car that was bought to be driven – and driven by people who really knew how to drive it, look after it and maintain it.

It’s no concours show-pony.

It’s a driver’s car.

The Rallye Monte Carlo and other stickers on the windows aren’t there for show – this car has been there and done that.

With its FIVA eligibility and Jon Dooley provenance, we think it is a hugely appealing, attractive and important piece of Alfa Romeo automotive history.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £12,000 - £16,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.