1958 ALFA-ROMEO GIULIETTA SPIDER Registration Number: 919 X...

Estimate

£40,000 - £50,000

1958 ALFA-ROMEO GIULIETTA SPIDER

Registration Number: 919 XVU           
Chassis Number: AR 1495 03594
Recorded Mileage: 99,500 miles

Designed by Pininfarina on a modified Sprint Coupe chassis that had been shortened by five inches, the Alfa Giulietta Spider was the company’s second post-war model. The little two-seat Sports Spider was introduced in mid-1955 at the insistence of New York importer Max Hoffman, who saw how well small British and German sports cars were being received in America. The Giulietta Spider offered brisk performance (almost 100 mph) from its free-revving all-alloy 1.3-litre twin-cam four mounted in a steel unibody chassis that weighed less than 1900 lbs. With the installation of a 1600 cc engine, the Spider became the slightly larger Giulia, and remained available in that form until the arrival of the iconic Duetto in 1966.

In recent years, Giuliettas, especially the Spiders, are gaining recognition as good value in the collector’s market and prices have been rising steadily, following the course of that other post-war small-displacement favourite, the Porsche 356. Many have been prepared for vintage racing, where they deliver good performance and predictable handling, often giving their rivals a good run for their money.

Manufactured in Italy in February in 1958, this beautiful example was destined for the export market of the United States, arriving with importers Hoffmans of New York, where it was sold to its first owner. The Spider stayed in the US for a number of years before being acquired by an Italian collector in the 1990s and returned to Italy as part of a private collection, where it stayed for over 25 years. In 2015 a two-year comprehensive restoration was commissioned with leading specialist Carrozzeria Renzo Tullj of Teramo, Italy. The shell was completely stripped to bare metal and refinished to its original shade of Bianco, and the engine (non-matching but from the same year of production), original gearbox, drivetrain and braking were rebuilt. All brightwork was re-chromed or replaced, and a new interior fitted, including seat covers, door trims, carpets and a mohair roof in Navy Blue. Since restoration the Spider has completed just over 2,000 shake-down miles. 

In addition to over 250 images of the restoration, the history file contains many invoices detailing an enormous amount of parts purchased, and works completed, in addition to a prized Italian ASI Gold Plate. Giulietta's are beautiful to look at, fun to drive, and popular amongst collectors. This nicely restored example is offered with a UK V5C and recently issued MoT certificate.