Market 553: This Spider 01381 raced SCCA F production with Shankle sponsorship

Giulieta Spider 750D 1495*01381.  Available today on eBay, still wearing signature period paint, is the Shankle sponsored Blizzard Performance Production F Giulietta Spider.  It raced SCCA F Production back in the day when it was a grassroots professional thing that you had to attend to see races, and “regular guys” could set up and race.  Seriously race.  I can’t say what the demand for a car like this is.  Since I have kept this blog I have seen a few sell for way less than I thought they ought, and a few sell for way more.  I guess supply and demand forces of the market will let us know.

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I feel like I’ve seen these period pictures before.  That’s a serious attachment to the nose – I wonder if it worked?  Neat old pick up back there too.

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Market 552: 1980’s Time warp Spider Veloce 1600 390342

Giulia Spider Veloce 1600 10118*390342, 00121*02224.  This Southern California Spider (since 1989 anyway – who knows is chequered past from whence college prior?) is available from Chequered Flag on ebay with a $71,500 instant gratification price, and a $40,000 reserve not met starting point.  It presents very well in the manner of a car that saw use as stylish transport in ages past, without much regard to recent phenomena of collect-ability or value – it probably changed hands in 1989 for a few thousand dollars.  The seller is spot on when they say it is owed a serious restoration -at least paint and some corrections, but it remains to be seen if the selling price is such that that restoration makes financial sense.  Cheque it out!

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Looks great.  Borrani wheels, Talbot style mirror, straight nose ridge – what’s not to like?  

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Market 544: Sprint Zagato 10126 00207: other-worldly transport

Sprint Zagato 10126*00207, 00120*00634 (probably original), Body 634.  This amazing piece of functional art is available now from the good folks at Fantasy Junction for a mere $585,000.  With a generally accepted production run of 44 examples, the second series Giulietta Sprint Zagato, colloquially known as the Coda Tronca for practical reasons, is the third of what I imagine being four time-lapse frames. Frame one is the original run of Sprint Veloce Zagato one-offs that inspired frame two: the first series Sprint Zagato Coda Tonda.  Frame three is the series represented by this car, and frame four is the Straight out of science-fiction Tubolare Zagato or TZ if you’re the sort to worry about pronouncing foreign words correctly.  I suppose frame five would be the Tipo 33, but that fellow is its own can of beautiful worms with quite a few interesting permutations to explore.

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Behold: the rarest production Giulietta by production number – and also my personal favorite.  I doubt I will ever own one, or even drive one for that matter, but aspirations being necessary for a healthy human brain and work ethic, I’ll  set my sights here.  A regular Giulietta Sprint looks BIG next to one of these.

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Ramble: You are a Target Audience

Giuliettas classic: Automobiles, as Henry Ford understood them, were conceived of as basic transportation, but as automakers emerged and brands began to compete for sales, lines were drawn, classes were formed and image, a mans image of himself, became linked to his* car.  Advertising began to focus on the aspirational longings of it’s target audience, with what has played out to be strange, and as such, interesting results.  (I must digress for a moment here and point out that the above paragraph is true for just about any product.  ‘Jeans, as Levi Strauss understood them, were conceived of as basic clothing…’)

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Hey Ladies!  Either of you interested in going for ride in my new car?  The dealer couldn’t supply the ultimate passenger seat accessory.”

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Market 542: Spider 750D 00861 – ready to roll

Giulietta Spider 750D 1495*00861, 1315*40850.  This numbers matching Spider 750D, available now on eBay is from the end of the second year of production.  In elegant white with red interior, it looks like a no nonsense well cared for example that is ready to be enjoyed.  Buy it Now price of $77,500 is probably a tad more than most Alfa enthusiasts will want to pay for it, and I’d really like to see the engine compartment in body color at this price. Make an offer a few thousand less and get the engine compartment painted if it concerns you.

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Whoever at Alfa in the early 50’s was making the decisions about design and styling did an exceptional job.  All the Giulietta models walk a line between universal appeal and no compromises beauty in a way that no other model line from any maker I can think of has.

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Market 541: Extremely nice 1960 Sprint 22219

Giulietta Sprint 10102 1493*22219, 1315*013171.  This European market Giulietta Sprint was reportedly purchased from Joe Mora in 2013 by an Alfa enthusiast in Chicagoland area. As purchased, the car had original but weathered paint and being somewhat of a perfectionist, the new owner decided to see what was under it. As shown by work in progress pictures on the B&L website, this looks to be a truly rust free example.

Story goes it was originally sold to a (one hopes) very stylish woman in Venice, where it stayed until 1982 when it was shipped to the USA.  The interior features new carpets and fresh vinyl. Headliner, dash, engine and rear end have never been apart.  This is a fine example and rarely does one find such an unmolested car at any price.

img_2465Great paint and exceptional chrome. Very good symmetry between all the pieces.  Interesting to see an original Italian front license plate frame.

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Market 539: Spider 00016 surfaces – coming to Duemila Ruote

Giulietta Spider 750D 1495*00016.  This early Spider, the 3rd production car, will be auctioned by RM Sothebys at the Duemila Ruote sale November 25 – 27 2016 and represents an opportunity for someone to buy and restore something special.  There will be lots of hand-made details to re-hand-make, and liberties will have to be taken in the interest of seeing it roadworthy in your lifetime, but there are other early examples out there to get information from, and skilled fabricators who can deal with whatever needs it has.  Be sure to check out the full catalog for this auction – lots of Alfa to be had!

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Looks like a good example that’s ready for final bodywork and paint.  Rims appear to be correct rolled lip items.  I wonder what the Alfa archive has to say about the original color?  The other really early one I’ve captured in my markets was cream color.  Celeste is common for early cars too.

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Request for 2016 Monterey auction pictures!

October 19, 2016: Thanks all who have sent pictures, I still need a few of each to do proper posts for the cars.

October 16, 2016: I was looking at Goodings auction results from this last Monterey classic vehicle extravaganza.  They have three fairly nice Giuliettas that sold for good money.

1958 Giulietta Spider Veloce 750F 04663 / 1315 31597 :: $148,500

1963 Giulia Sprint 1600 10112 354273 / 00112 04787 :: $77,000

1958 Giulietta Spider 750D 03368 / 1315 43164 :: $71,500

Does anyone here have pictures they’d be willing to share from the auction preview?  Email me at sprints at giuliettas dot com.  I don’t want to piss off Goodings using their pictures.

 

Market 538: SS 381294 in South Africa

Sprint Speciale 10121*381294, 00121*01310.  This clean example is on eBay right now out of South Africa. Starting price is $142,000, reserve not met.  The car has been gone over and presents very well, but could be improved in minor ways.  I think Alfa had a Completely Knocked Down (CKD) deal with South Africa where local labor was added to make a car ready for market in exchange for allowing Alfa to sell there.  It’s unclear if this SS would have been part of that scheme.  Versions of this happened in other countries – Mexico for sure.  A book could be written about the tangled web of deals made between countries so cars could be sold.

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A fine looking machine that anyone would be proud to own and happy to drive.   Windshield wipers can look a little lost on these cars for some reason – not sure I could drive this car with the wipers where they are – but I’d certainly try!
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