Alleggerita – Giuliettas

July 12, 2018October 2, 2019

Market 558: Sprint Veloce 750E 04159

Giulietta Sprint Veloce Alleggerita 750E 1493*04159, 1315*30598. RM Sotheby’s will be auctioning this charming fellow at Monterey this year. I can’t say much except wow. I wonder when a Giulietta like this will break free of the “the last one sold for X, so this one should sell for X + 10%” thinking and sell for an unexpectedly large sum because two really rich guys just want it, value be damned. Any of you want to mentor me in starting a business? Being a Technical Program Manager in Semiconductor Capitol Equipment is just not cutting it if I can’t make a play for this.

front side

When I was in Italy I kept an eye on the sky just after sunset. I can’t help but think that the Bertone palette was all about the evening sky. I’d be afraid to drive a car this low in the back. I like.

Continue reading “Market 558: Sprint Veloce 750E 04159”

October 30, 2015

Market 521: SVA 750E 02159 in Germany

Giulietta Sprint Veloce 750E 1493*02159, 1315*30114, *77*101*. This car is available now out of Germany. Price is available on request which means it’s expensive, and the seller knows what they are selling. This car is said to have been restored in the late 1980’s in Italy with Maurizio Tabucchi (yes, the same guy who co-authored the book I quote in almost every post) giving input on originality, and / or perhaps even owning it for some time.

It’s important to realize that this is not *just* a Veloce. It’s a Veloce when Veloce actually meant something really really (really) special – they were made to race, not give buyers a performance option they would seldom tap. SVA’s are generally regarded as somewhat homologous through their 600 – 610 unit production, but really the evolution that resulted in the SV Confortevole started after perhaps 200 cars being produced. Magnesium became aluminum etc. It would be interesting to see a scholarly work analyzing car to car changes, but at this point the cars are all largely restored to the capricious tastes of rich owners, and even in the cars youth, parts were swapped around feverishly in pursuit of Targa Florio mountain climb advantages etc. The parts book is thorough to a fault in a general way, but with the Veloce’s it just couldn’t capture the nuance of car to car production. Even a car like this which appears to be very original, likely hides some liberties taken for performance or expedience when it was restored.

Yes, I am saying I really like this car.

This color -typically called Francia (French) Blue, seems to be quite popular for the Sprint Veloce Alleggerita – especially the early ones for some reason. d’Amico and Tabucchi list available colors for these as: Alfa Red, Gardenia White, Iseo Blue and Black – not sure why Francia blue is not included. Headlight trims, grill eyebrows, bumpers and other assorted trim were in aluminum on these cars, as were the hood, doors and trunk. Overall weight savings from these and other changes was around 110 kg.

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August 13, 2013

Market 483: Sprint Veloce 750E 03798 ‘lightweight’ at RM this weekend

Update: A reader who has inspected this car says there are a lot of details incorrect about it, and wonders about its provenance. Especially of note are the all chrome rather than aluminum trim bits, and the overstuffed seats. Go have a look if you’re interested! I’m just an admirer of a shiny red Sprint -especially considering the sad state of my own!

Giulietta Sprint Veloce 750E 1493*03798, 1315*30552. A lightweight Sprint Veloce is one of the most exciting Giulietta models, and to find one of the few they made in unmodified form is unusual. RM is auctioning off this nicely done example next weekend. If you’ve always wanted one, now is your chance.

Nice nice nice. Original marker light? Want!

Continue reading “Market 483: Sprint Veloce 750E 03798 ‘lightweight’ at RM this weekend”

December 26, 2012

2012 Sprint and Sprint Veloce market review

The Sprint market is also up for 2012. Good cars are more expensive than last year -the top cars are very expensive. Cheap ones don’t seem to have moved much though.

Market 375 was a $2500 Sprint shell with rust. I suppose it sold since I haven’t seen it making the rounds.

Market 322 was Sprint 750B 08650, just the body selling for $3800.

Market 387 was Giulia Sprint 10112*356053, selling for $8150.

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August 23, 2012

Market 436: 1956 Sprint Veloce Alleggerita 750 E 02239

Update 8/23/12: $310,000 hammer has members of the exclusive club known as ‘early lightweight Sprint Veloce owners’ all calling their insurance agent to up the agreed value, and then thinking about whether or not they really need that jewel in their jewelry box at that price.

8/11/12: Giulietta Sprint 750 E 1493*02239, 1315*30135, Bertone body number 77117. This car will be auctioned by Russo and Steele next weekend with an expected hammer around $200,000. With a high expected price comes high praise and/or high scrutiny. d’Amico and Tabucchi list this chassis number as a 1956 Sprint Veloce 750E, good enough for me! It has been magnificently restored to a semblance of ‘last raced’ specification, with lightweight seats, a lack of bumpers and other details deviating from stock. It is doubtful it wore the Borrani wire wheels shown since -not only have I never seen a period picture of a Giulietta racer with wire wheels, they were very likely heavier than the usual Fergat or Borrani wheels due to the required extra splined hub adapter.

A lot of the ‘lightweight’ treatment was replacement of chrome-over brass parts with aluminum. Body fits together with the typical Bertone precision. Would be nice to see it wear it’s original, most likely lost 50 years ago aluminum bumpers. I have read they are available -I know ClassicAlfa and Alfastop list a few of the aluminum parts, not sure if they have bumpers.

Continue reading “Market 436: 1956 Sprint Veloce Alleggerita 750 E 02239”

August 12, 2012

Market 437: Sprint Veloce Alleggerita 750 E 03819

Giulietta Sprint Veloce ‘Alleggerita’ 750 E 1493*03819, 1315*30348. This 1957 Sprint Veloce is available now out of Italy. It is a good comparison with yesterdays lightweight Veloce, especially in the interior -would be a great comparison if I knew how much they were asking. They made about 600 lightweights if my vin/body number math is sound. Not horrifically rare as far as rare Italian cars goes, but these being very potent machines in their hey-day, frequently vanquishing their own class and placing very high outright in races against competitors with 2 or 3 times the displacement, and being constructed from lots of impossible to find special parts, they have all the cache one could want in a 50 year old Italian car. Oh -and they are beautiful and easy to drive -even among modern traffic.

Hood fits very well. I like the extra lights -looks like 1 fog and 1 spot. Marchal’s? Bumper, eyebrow trims and headlights all look like aluminum to me. Nice car.

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January 31, 2012

Market 376: Sprint 750E 04239 in Japan

Giulietta Sprint 750E 1493*04239, 1315*30449. This car is listed on Antea Cars out of Japan. I haven’t had the opportunity to write about very many lightweights, but they all seem to be this color so far. Car is in great shape -only really lacking in the originality dept, and only minorly, but nothing a few bucks wouldn’t cure. It is described as having been restored in Japan, which is probably a good thing. Enthusiastic, detail oriented folks if the few genuine articles I’ve met were a representative sample. I wonder if this car did anything race-wise back in the day…Did these have little market lights? I like this color, but is it lighter in pictures than in person? In the Coup Des Alps footage it’s a little darker looking Body is in very nice shape.

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April 29, 2010

Market 136: Sprint Veloce Lightweight 750E 04447

Update 5/7/10: 24 bidders resulted in $70,100. This is pretty low, but probably not a huge reflection on the value of this car. I think it’s more like $100K. Chances are it’s not goingf to be let go for that though.

Update 4/29/10: This car has been listed on eBay after hanging out in their showroom for most of a year. Still fabulous, still too much money for me. Sigh.

7/31/2009: Giulietta Sprint Veloce Lightweight 1493*04447, 1315*30528. This car is available right now at my local corner market for the rare, exotic and covetable: Fantasy Junction. Slide your debit card through the reader, enter your PIN and accept the $154,500 amount. Transaction complete. “Thank you, come again.”

Seller claims this is one of only 100 Sprint Veloce lightweights made but there is an often published list of the first 100 Sprint Veloce Lightweights, the date they were produced (July of 1956 is the last car on that list), who bought them, where they were shipped, and this car is not on that list, in fact, if you add that list of 100 to the other known lightweights you get close to 130. This car is body number 77498, so I would deduce it’s the 498th Sprint Veloce lightweight made, though they were not necessarily made in numerical order. Some argue that not all of those Sprint Veloce’s were lightweights, but I would rebut: “Why make special lightweight bodies then dress them in non-lightweight clothes?” Greig Smith writes very convincingly and with sound logic on this topic and deduces that there were “about 600 lightweights made“. See his comments and reasoning at the link.

Am I blue? I keep thinking that if I work hard making my Alfa fleet the best it can be, one day I will be able to have a blow out sale and buy 1 spectacular Alfa. It would be either a Giulietta Sprint Veloce Lightweight or a Giulietta Sprint Veloce Zagato Coda Tronca. It will be expensive and I will miss driving with reckless abandon in my scruffy Sprint.

Continue reading “Market 136: Sprint Veloce Lightweight 750E 04447”

April 16, 2010

Market 207: Sprint Veloce Lightweight project in LA

Update 4/16/10: More pictures have surfaced (link is to a large Flickr set). This car needs a lot to bring it back and the fact that it hasn’t been snapped up by anyone who has gone and seen it in person tells me it’s very needy. Make a reasonable offer and wait?

The fire damage to the aluminum skin of the passenger door. Ouch. Rocker needs a little too…

Lots to do to correct the steel door frame and then refit the skin.

A view that doesn’t look too bad.

Giulietta Sprint Veloce. In the for sale section at the website for the UK based Giulietta Register is a rare thing indeed -a project Sprint Veloce Lightweight! Car was apparently in some sort of fire and will require some more difficult than usual fabrication. If you’ve been looking for one as a project this may be it.

Yes it looks scary, but I bet all the easy ones have been fixed already. Doors, hood, trunk, window frames, headlight rings, and lots of other little bits are aluminum. Continue reading “Market 207: Sprint Veloce Lightweight project in LA”

November 20, 2008

Market 60: Another Sprint Veloce Allegerita, this one with Targa Florio history

Giulietta Sprint Veloce ‘Allegerita’ 750E1493*04347, engine 1315*30526, Bertone 77468. This car is available right now for 68,000 Euro’s ($85,000 on November 19, 2008) from various sources in Europe but I found it at Steuel. The advertisement text is available below and includes pieces of the cars history the new owner will no doubt have fun verifying and elaborating on. I contacted the owner directly about the car and he provided me with the numbers and an offer of further information should I require it. I have no doubt any information required to help a potential buyer will be provided without hesitation.

In contrast to yesterdays SVA this car has been thoroughly refinished and prepared inside and out for racing without for cutting any corners and with no piece untouched. As can be seen below, the engine compartment underside and suspension are all in top condition. The Conrero connection and Targa Florio history should add quite a bit to the price of this car, but other than maybe a picture I doubt much evidence of those days still exists in the car.

This car looks like a new car and I suppose one could say to all intents that it is a new car. Wheels appear to be current reproductions. Without being specific I’ll just say this car looks right- everything fits together well and has a unified level of detailing.

Continue reading “Market 60: Another Sprint Veloce Allegerita, this one with Targa Florio history”