1963 Alfa Romeo Giulia 1600 Spider

• One of only 404 right-hand-drive cars
• Full restoration completed in 2004 and repainted again in 2013
• Large and detailed history file with photographic record of rebuild
• A rare car in very good condition

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION

The iconic Alfa Romeo Spider remains an instantly recognisable classic, and few would argue with the conclusion of Cars Illustrated magazine when it said in period that the open-top Giulia was ‘probably one of the most delightful small sports cars which will ever be produced.’ 

The 1600 Giulia Spider being offered for sale here is the 63rd of only 404 right-hand-drive cars to be built by the factory. All were completed during 1963, and according to the Museo Alfa Romeo archives, this car was built on 1 July that year.

It was sold by Alfa Romeo the following April to Chipstead Motors Ltd of Holland Park in London. It was then registered new in the UK on 28 May 1964, and is subsequently thought to have remained in the long-term ownership of an Oxfordshire-based enthusiast.

By 1998, when it was acquired by a new owner, it had been repainted white from its original dark blue but was in need of a full restoration. This was duly carried out and faithfully documented via a wealth of photographs, and the Alfa’s colour was changed to red.

After the work was completed in the summer of 2004, the owner moved from the UK toNormandy and took the Spider with him. While he was in France, he drove it down to the Le Mans Classic, but then offered the car for sale in the UK in October 2007. It was once again bought by an Oxfordshire-based owner – up until that point, documents suggest that, apart from its French sojourn, it had been based in that county since first arriving in England in 1964. 

The Spider was sold again in 2013 via a well-known marque specialist, having been treated to a bare-metal repaint. New chromed bumpers and side grilles had also been fitted, plus new seat covers and carpets. 

More recent work has included an overhaul of the braking system and a rebuild of the carburettor in 2020. Then, the following year, a full gearbox rebuild was carried out with new synchro rings and oil seals, plus a new clutch. 

This exceptionally pretty and charismatic little sports car is now presented in lovely condition, comes with an extensive history file, and is ready to be used and enjoyed throughout the 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 remained in production until 1966, with Autocar calling it a ‘driver’s dream’ and concluding that ‘the satisfaction of owning such a piece of quality machinery that always responds to its master’s touch … is a rare enjoyment.’