Description
The Giulietta Sprint was born in the late 1950s, the result of Bertone's work and Alfa Romeo engineering. It sits in the lineage of post-war small Italian sports cars, offering a remarkable compromise between style, lightness and performance. Initially, the Giulietta Sprint was equipped with a 1. 3-litre twin-cam engine and a compact chassis, allowing it to stand out for its agility and sporting temperament. Very quickly, the Giulietta's success led Alfa Romeo to develop a more powerful version to meet the expectations of performance enthusiasts, while paving the transition to the Giulia range.
In this context, the 1600 version emerged around 1963. The designation Giulietta Sprint 1600 or Giulia Sprint 1600 signals the switch to a 1. 6-litre engine, with an exact displacement of about 1570 cm³. The engine retained an alloy head and a twin-cam, with a single or double carburettor depending on the model, delivering around 100 to 112 horsepower, allowing top speeds of 170–180 km/ h. The gearbox was generally four-speed, and some rarer examples could receive a five-speed box on prepared versions.
Compared with the 1300 Giulietta, the 1600 stood out for higher torque and power, offering better low-end torque and a more assertive on-road character. The interior finishes were modernised with a redesigned dashboard and new gauges, contributing to a more comfortable and modern driving experience. The chassis remained faithful to the Alfa Romeo tradition, light and rigid, ensuring precise and lively road handling, especially for a car of this displacement.
Production of the Giulietta/ Giulia Sprint 1600 was relatively limited (7, 107 examples), spanning mainly 1963 and 1964. These cars quickly found roles in competition, rallies and touring races, with preparations ranging from carburettor improvements to the cylinder head and camshaft, allowing full utilisation of the 1. 6-litre engine's potential.
This very handsome example, of Italian origin and in superb condition, has had only three owners. Based in Belgium since 2017, the car has had a refreshed interior and, in 2025, a full service including new tyres. The front drum brakes were recently replaced with discs for greater efficiency, with the original parts kept. It runs perfectly, offers authentic driving pleasure and is ready to roll right away.
