1963 Alfa Romeo Giulia 1600 Spider

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION

Beautifully presented in its original colour scheme of Graphite Grey with a red interior, this Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider exudes the timeless appeal for which these Italian sports cars are rightly renowned.

The Alfa Romeo Historical Archive in Milan has confirmed that chassis number AR383081 was built on 1 July 1963 and sold on 13 July 1964 to an owner who lived in Jersey. As an original right-hand-drive model, it’s a very rare example of the breed, with only 404 having been built.

The Alfa was registered in Jersey using the number J151, which was changed to J1859 in December 1967, and the logbook shows that it passed through various owners there until 1975. 

It was then brought over to England, and from 1978 onwards it was kept in storage. More than 20 years later, in January 1999, the Giulia Spider was bought as a restoration project by a new owner who set about rebuilding it to its former glory.

The restoration process involved stripping the car all the way down to bare metal. The twin-cam engine was rebuilt and all braking components were renewed – including the optional front discs with which the car was fitted from new. The radiator was recored, and the owner fitted a new oil pump, water pump and fuel pump. 

The wheels were refurbished, all the brightwork was rechromed, and the interior was fully retrimmed. A new soft-top was also fitted. 

In June 2021, the beautifully restored Giulia Spider was acquired by a new owner – a well-known historic racer, enthusiast and collector. He fitted new front springs and Koni dampers in order to fine-tune the car’s handling to his exacting tastes, and has used it only sparingly during his ownership.

The Alfa Romeo Spider is one of only a handful of cars to be instantly recognisable even to people who have little interest in motoring, and this rare right-hand-drive Giulia is being offered for sale as an effortlessly chic way to enjoy some open-air classic motoring this summer.

MODEL HISTORY  

Alfa Romeo’s famous series of small, open sports cars started with the 1955 Giulietta Spider, which was styled by Pinin Farina and featured the Italian marque’s legendary all-aluminium,twin-overhead-camshaft, four-cylinder engine. 

The Giulia model was then introduced at Monza in 1962. The Spider was one of four basic variants – along with the saloon and the Bertone-styled Sprint and Sprint Speciale – and although this latest model shared much with its Giulietta sibling, the twin-cam engine had been enlarged from 1290cc to 1570cc.

Pinin Farina’s styling was carried over for the Spider, the addition of a bonnet air scoop being one way to tell Giulia from Giulietta. A five-speed gearbox was standard fitment, and the engine produced 92bhp in Normale specification, enough to boost top speed to 109mph. 

In 1964, the engine from the Sprint Speciale was fitted to the Spider in order to create the Veloce model. Running on twin Weber 40 DCOE2 carburettors, this uprated unit kicked out 112bhp, which gave the Spider Veloce a level of performance that complemented its timelessly elegant styling. 

The Giulia Spider lasted until 1966 and was described by Cars Illustrated as ‘probably one of the most delightful small sports cars which will ever be produced.’

Autocar, meanwhile, called it a ‘driver’s dream’ and concluded that ‘the satisfaction of owning such a piece of quality machinery that always responds to its master’s touch … is a rare enjoyment.’