Apr
4
Coachbuilders at Zagato had built a successful race car around the Alfa’s Giulietta. You would think Alfa would be dancing in the strada, but no, they wanted to build one of their own. They phoned up Nuccio Bertone and set him on the task to build a Sprint Veloce Zagato beater. Designer Franco Scaglione was given a clean sheet and he came up with the extraordinary Speciale introduced at the1957 Turin Auto Show. Read More
Mar
29
Alfa was having some hard times during the development of the GTV. They wanted it to be perfect when it came to market. They get an A for effort. Like all new models, it had some quirks and most of them were resolved by 1984. Unfortunately, Porsche’s 944 was introduced at the same time so competition was tough. Today’s featured GTV-6 is a bit unusual for us. Read More
Mar
21
We love small, nimble, Italian sedans like this Alfa. The Giulia Super is the perfect little 4-door. When you think about it, you could buy a BMW 1600 and they are both very rewarding cars to drive. But the Alfa has soul. It’s lively like a young labrador. 
It just wants to go go go. Here in the USA, we could buy Giulia 1600s but in Italy you could order a lower caste version with a 1300cc engine from the GT 1300 Junior. The 1300 had rubber mats on the floor too. So 1300s are not here in any great numbers. A few made it here with returning servicemen, others were imported. Unfortunately, many of the 1300s fell victim to engine swaps by well meaning owners. We had a GT1300 Junior and yes, it required a whipping to keep up with bigger cars but it was happy doing it. Today’s offering is a Craigslist find and it by no means perfect. But we think it is an inexpensive way to get into a great event car. Hey, 4-wheel disc brakes, 5-speed, dual Webers – all in good health. There has been a color change but it isn’t a Porsche 911S so who really cares? And the rust issues, if it is not worse than described, shouldn’t be a big deal to get right again. The asking price is $11,000. See it here on Craigslist.
Mar
3
Okay so it isn’t red and it isn’t really a Duetto – that name was dropped in ’67 – but many admirers of this classic Alfa-Romeo Spider remember Benjamin Braddock’s Alfa in The Graduate. It is an iconic shape from the house of Pininfarina and one of the last under the guidance of its founder. 
This Spider is a 1750 twin-cam originally equipped with the diabolical SPICA mechanical fuel injection system. It has been converted to dual Webers, a common practice among Alfisti. Truth is the SPICA is tough to get right but when it is, its pretty good. Read More
Feb
19
If you ever see a Montreal in the US, it came from somewhere else. You see, Alfa never federalized a version for US and Canada. Then why call it a Montreal? Well, it was a show car name that stuck when it entered production. The unusual design was penned by Marcello Gandini. Gandini focused more on vehicle structure, architecture and assembly than on design. Somehow he managed to create some pretty spectacular results while following his philosophy. You’ve no doubt, heard of the Miura, Countach and Stratos? All Gandini works while at Bertone. Read More
Feb
15
We must confess that our adoration for all things Alfa-Romeo is palpable. We’ve owned a step-nose Junior and currently own a ’79 Spider Veloce. The Milano however has been completely off our radar screen. Until now. Then we ask the question, why are all the nice cars in California? And why do we live in the Northeast? You know the place that eats cars for breakfast. But now we get the Milano. It is an Alfa you can share with your friends. No, we don’t mean you throw them the keys, we mean you invite them to come along with you. Then all of you can enjoy the siren song of an Alfa 3.0 liter V-6 playing notes through a Stebro exhaust. And the balance of these Milanos…perfecto! We’ve heard good things about the enthusiasts at Ferrari of Seattle and since this Milano has been in their care, it deserves consideration. $13,900 is the price and you can read more details by clicking here for the AlfaBB.
Jan
26
We are total suckers for screaming Italian sedans and this one will tell you why. First, it isn’t red. Now some make think that heresy, but I like Pino Verde. My GT Junior was this color combo and it garnered much praise wherever we went. This model also came with the larger 1600 engine. But the 1300, like my Junior, is just so sweet and willing. Coupled with a butter-smooth 5-speed (this one is said to shift smoothly) it is just about perfect. Giulias are beautifully detailed and the boxy design is actually very aerodynamic – better than a Porsche 911 of the same period. Read More
Jan
16
If the seller’s description of this 105 Coupe (or as it is referred to in its native tongue, scalino) is accurate then this could be one to check out. Let’s go to Wiki:
The Giulia Sprint GT Veloce was very similar to the original Giulia Sprint GT. It featured minor modifications to the engine, providing just 3 bhp more power, but significantly improved torque. It can be most easily distinguished from other models by the following features:
Early Giulia Sprint GT Veloces featured the same Dunlop disc brake system as the Giulia Sprint GT. Later cars replaced this with the ATE disc brakes as pioneered on the GT 1300 Junior in 1966. The ATE brakes featured an interesting and more effective handbrake system on the rear brakes, which incorporated drum brakes inside the disc castings.
A total of 14,240 Giulia Sprint GT Veloces were made before production finished.
I owned a ’70 GT Junior until recently and Alfa continued using the Scalino body to differentiate it from its more powerful cousins. Whatever engine is under the bonnet, the body style is near perfection.
Now this car has lots going for it. It has a tidy under hood appearance looking very original. The interior isn’t bad although the seller doesn’t think the seats are covered properly.
They don’t look too off to me. Kits are available from the UK and though not an inexpensive task it could be done. I would enjoy the interior as is. The rusty crossmember clearly revealed is available from a number of suppliers here and overseas. But it isn’t easy to get at. Check with your local Alfa expert before you leap. It isn’t a $500 fix. But, if everything else checks out okay (2nd gear synchros?) and if you buy it right these Alfas will give you pleasure for years to come. And you won’t be parked next to dozens of others at the next Alfa club meeting. SCM Price Guide has the range between $15,700 to $30,000. See it here on eBay.
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