1957 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider 750D

Desirable short-chassis 750D-series, believed 1 of 5.940 ever produced
The beneficiary of a total restoration by Italian experts totalling €100.000 (including car purchase) between 2017 and 2020, driven less than 5.000 km's ever since
Upgraded with rare column shift, as per the prototype Giulietta Spiders
Accompanied by its Certificate of Origin, ASI Certificate and specificatoins about restoration investments
Currently Italian registered, located near Maastricht, the Netherlands
Probably one of the best examples on the current market
Priced to sell

The 750D-Series Giulietta Spider:

When Alfa introduced the Giulietta Sprint in 1954, it created something rather special: a compact, attractive 2-seater sports car with sophisticated engineering, beautiful Italian design and performance that was quite remarkable for its size. Powered by the 1.3 litre alloy twin-cam four-cylinder, the engine that would establish the lineage of Alfa Romeo's legendary ‘Nord’ engines for the next decades.

The Berlina followed in 1954, and in '55 it was time to complete the line-up with an open 2-seater: the Spider which was noted by a "D" in the type name. The Giulietta Spider stems from a collaboration with American importer Max Hoffman, who recognised the potential for a small, elegant Italian roadster in the American market. Pinin Farina's design was an instant success, combining delicate proportions while still being genuinely sporty. Today, the earliest 750D-series Spiders are particularly sought after for their purity, lightness and stance as they sport a shorter chassis than the later cars.

The early cars are built on the shorter 2.200 mm wheelbase, which translates into the best proportions of those early Giulietta Spiders. In 1959 Alfa Romeo moved to the Tipo 101 chassis, extending the wheelbase to 2.250 mm and thus altering the car's proportions and practicality. For enthusiasts, the earlier ‘passo corto’ cars remain especially appealing for their purity and delicately compact stance and are thus the most sought after.

A nice detail is that the early development cars and prototypes also featured a column-mounted gear selector, a configuration that did not make it into the regular production cars. The production Giulietta Spiders adopted the more familiar floor-mounted gearshift, making the column shift an interesting footnote in the model's early development.

This Giulietta Spider:

This motorcar is chassis AR149501833, built on the 20th of April 1957 and is believed to be one of the first batch of 2.000 Giulietta Spiders ever built. It was sold quickly after it finished production, on the 13th of May that year in the USA, which formed the principal market for these cars at that time.

In 2016, the car was acquired by its current owner as a project and entrusted to the renowned Carrozzeria Veltenesi in Nuvolera, Italy, for a complete restoration. The work commenced in early 2017 and was completed in 2020, with the total investment, including the acquisition of the car, approaching €100.000,-. Detailed documentation of the restoration and its costs accompanies the car.

The owner, a true Alfista, chose to make the car his own. Originally finished in Bianco, the Spider was refinished in Rosso Alfa 501, while a rare column-mounted gearshift mechanism was sourced and installed as a deliberate homage to the very earliest Giulietta Spider prototypes. Following its restoration, the Giulietta remained in Italy, spending much of its time at the owner's villa on Lago di Garda - an appropriate Italian setting for a car of this character. Today, although located near Maastricht, the Spider retains its Italian registration.

Since its restoration, the car has been used sparingly and is reported to have covered less than 5.000 km. It presents today in exceptional condition, very much as it did when it came out of restoration in 2020. The quality is evident throughout: superb paintwork, excellent panel gaps and carefully finished details, from the brightwork and trim to the mechanical ancillaries. It is a level of presentation that sets this Spider apart from the typical Giulietta. It is worth noting that although the softtop is brand new, it has not been used since the restoration. During preparation for photography, we found that some care will be required when first fitting it; the mechanisms are delicate and should not be forced.

All in all the car is a true "what you see is what you get" affair. Everything works, and it drives wonderfully as well - please check out the video's on our website or YouTube channel as well, they give a good sense of this.Offered today on consignment at a fraction of the investment made in its restoration, AR149501833 represents a rare opportunity to acquire an early Giulietta Spider in exceptional condition, with a no-expense-spared restoration and a particularly evocative Italian history.

For anyone looking for one of the quintessential open two-seaters to come from post-war Italy, this Giulietta deserves serious consideration.

Price: €54.500,-