1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Series 101

Alfa Romeo's post-war twin-cam, four-cylinder engine design would continue to be a part of the Italian automaker's portfolio for decades to come. It was initially introduced in the Giulietta line-up in the mid-1950s and would go on to power the update Giulia range until the early 1990s.

In 1962, Alfa Romeo introduced two new models, the Giulia Spider and the Giulia Spider Veloce. The Giulia Spider contained a four-cylinder engine producing 92 horsepower. The Spider Veloce version was sportier and used a twin-carburetor version of the same engine....the result was about 112 horsepower.

The Giulietta Spider, with elegant coachwork designed and built by Pininfarina, was very successful and continued virtually unchanged in 1.6-liter Giulia guise when the latter joined the Alfa Romeo lineup in 1962. Introduced at the Monza Autodrome on June 27th of 1962, the Giulia range was the work of a design team headed by Dr. Orazio Satta Puliga, whose resume included all of the post-war Alfa Romeos. The engine capacity was increased from 1300 to 1600cc bringing horsepower of the twin-cam four from 80 to 92bhp and the car's top speed to 109 mph. The reliability was greatly improved and the larger engine was noticeably smoother and less fussy. The Giulia 1600 Spider came standard with a five-speed gearbox and front disc brakes and remained in production until 1966.

The Spider Veloce added twin Weber carburetors and a host of other special parts and features that greatly improved its performance. The modifications yielded a nearly 24% increase in horsepower, making the 101 Series 1600 Spider Veloce the fastest and most powerful of Alfa Romeo's Giulietta/Giulia production models to date. Visually, the Spider Veloce gained a raised hood scoop to accommodate the taller 1600cc engine block. This was the distinguishable feature of the Giulia from its earlier Giulietta sister. A sole 'Veloce' emblem was located on the trunk lid indicating the high-performance edition. Steel tube headers, a finned oil pan, and a lightweight cast-alloy airbox were among the most obvious Veloce engine features. Other improvements included strengthened connecting rods, high-compression pistons, and performance camshafts.

by Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2019