1963 Alfa Romeo Giulia 1600

The 1900 was Alfa Romeo's first successful post-war model, however, it was the next offering - the 1.3-liter Giulietta - which would provide the road map for the small car formula with big performance. It arrived in 1954 and the strong demand transformed the company into a high-volume manufacturer. The Giulietta Sprint Coupé of 1954 was soon joined by Berlina and Spider versions. With coachwork designed and built by Pininfarina, the Giulietta Spider was very popular and remained virtually unchanged in 1.6-liter Giulia guise when it joined the Alfa line-up in 1962. Shown at the Monza Autodrome on 27th June that year, the Giulia range was the work of a design team headed by Dr. Orazio Satta Puliga, who had been responsible for all the post-war Alfa Romeos. The hood had an air scoop which was a necessary feature to clear the larger engine's taller block. The Alfa Romeo twin-cam four-cylinder engine output rose from 80 to 104 horsepower, and the car's top speed increased to 109 mph. Almost all Giulias had a 5-speed manual transmission.

Production of the Alfa Romeo Giulia (Type 105) sports saloon lasted from 1962 to 1978. The Giulia 1600 Spider remained in production until 1966, when it was replaced by the Duetto.

The Sprint Special was launched in 1957 and was unmistakably derived from the legendary Berlina Aerodinamica Tecnica, or B.A.T., show cars created by Carrozzeria Bertone in the mid-1950s. They had a low drag coefficient of 0.29 and its intended purpose was motorsports. A limited number were produced to meet FIA Homologation rules. They were given lightweight construction and its coachwork featured a domed roofline and rounded wings. The 1,300cc, all-alloy, four-cylinder engine gave the two-seater coupe a top speed of nearly 120 mph, which was considerably more than its conventionally bodied Sprint coupé and Spider siblings could achieve.

When the 101 Series Giulia was introduced in 1962, it was powered by a 116 bhp, 1,570cc DOHC in-line, four-cylinder engine with a Weber DCOE carburetor mated to a five-speed manual transmission. The Sprint Speciale, in this guise, was capable of speeds over 125 mph.

The 1963 Alfa Romeo Giulia 1600
In the United States, the Giulia Roadster was priced at approximately $3,400 and the 2-door Sprint Coupe with seating for 2+2 at $3,600. Additional body styles included the Coupe Speciale, the T.I. four-door sedan, T.I. Super sedan, the Sprint GT Coupe, and the GTZ Coupe. The dual-overhead-camshaft four-cylinder engine had an aluminum block and head, a 1,570cc displacement, five main bearings, solid valve lifters, a Solex carburetor, and Bosch ignition. It produced 104 horsepower at 6,200 RPM, while the Sprint GT developed 122 bhp at 6,000 PRM and 103 lb-ft of torque at 3,000 RPM. The TI Super and Giulia Sprint Speciale coupe used two twin-choke horizontal Weber 45 DCOE 14 carburetors and produced 110 hp (129 SAE-rated PS) at 6,500 RPM.

The transmission was a five-speed fully synchronized manual and the steering was via a recirculating ball. The front suspension received single lower A-arms and separate upper links, while the rear had a T-shaped device that replaced the former triangulated link. The Giulia initially had drum brakes on all four corners, with the front ones of the three-shoe type. In August 1963, Dunlop disc brakes and a brake servo were installed.

Early examples had mottled cloth and vinyl upholstery, a black steering wheel with two ivory-colored spokes, and a grey, trapezoid instrument panel. A column-mounted shifter was replaced in May 1964 by an available floor shifter.

The Alfa Romeo Giulia TI Super was produced in limited quantities, with 501 built in total (including 178 in 1963 and 323 in 1964). After receiving international FIA and Italian CSAI homologation for racing in May 1964, the T.I. Super raced in the European Touring Car Challenge.

by Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2019