1959 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale Coupe

This is the Sprint Speciale, designed and created by Franco Scaglione with Giuseppe 'Nuccio' Bertone after they met in 1957; only 1,366 examples of this Giulietta model were produced. This vehicle implemented many design concepts originally explored in the three BAT cars (Berlinetta Aerodinamica Technica), studies featured by Alfa. The next evolution was the Spinta, meaning 'pushed' or 'super tuned,' which was very popular at the 1957 Turin show. The SS Giuletta, the first production model, was designed through a scientific approach based on wind tunnel studies and aerodynamics thanks to Scaglione's background in the industry; it had the lowest drag coefficient of any car for many years and was a major achievement even by today's standard. Although the SS won 13th overall in Targa Florio in 1960 (as well as other wins in other races), because of its grace and design, it became known more as an elegant aesthetic masterpiece than a racing vehicle.

In Italy, this SS originally sold for $2,600,000 lira, about $4400 in 1959, at a comparable $5663 list price in the United States that year. The only options were a Nardi wood steering wheel and adapted Borrani wire wheels, both of which are included on this particular example.

This example was originally sold to a Swiss buyer, who brought it to the United States in the 1970s. The current owner has owned it for approximately 20 years. It won first place in the Alfa Romeo category at the Concorso Italiano, Monterey, in 2007.

By Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2009