Fantasy Junction

Description

1958 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Rally
s/n AR1493 *07801*, Engine no. AR00102*14767
Red with Black Interior

The Giulietta is the car that took Alfa Romeo from being a relatively small production company to being an economically viable and successful firm. Prior to that, they had produced large and expensive cars, and never in very large numbers. With the Giulietta, however, Alfa Romeo produced significant numbers of these charming and capable cars. Its success was due in part to its unique placement in the market. It was neither a large hugely expensive car, nor was it very small utility car (such as the Fiat 500). Instead, the Giulietta was affordable enough so that many could buy it, yet permitted a more glamorous and useful approach to motoring that really struck a chord with buyers on both sides of the Atlantic.

According to Alfa Romeo Factory Records, s/n AR1493 *07801*, was completed on Friday, December 19th, 1958 and sold just four days later on Tuesday, December 23rd in Surrey, England. Having been ordered and finished in classic “Alfa Red” with black interior, it must been the perfect Christmas ornament.

With almost 25,000 examples built over the course of nearly a decade, the design was a smashing success and Giulietta Sprints remain one of the most fun and enjoyable sports cars ever built. AR1493 *07801* was a standard Tipo 750B model incorporating all of the early styling features that make these early examples so much more enjoyable and desirable than the later Tipo 101 series machines that followed shortly after in 1959.

This particular Sprint Coupe was registered new by Mr. John Leonard Curwood on February 5th, 1959 on plates 117 RPE and later on plates WSU 446. Curwood resided at 325 Danbury Avenue, Roehampton, S W 15, UK which was a suburb just a bit southwest of London and most famous as being home to Roehampton University. He retained the car for approximately ten years before two additional UK owners enjoyed the car through the early 1970s when it was purchased by Christopher John Tormey on July 3rd, 1973. His long-term ownership continued through the transition from the old UK log book system to the current V5 system of registration. The car was off the road for quite some time until November 9th, 1989 when it was returned to the road following a thorough restoration. In 1990, the car was purchased by Mr. Iain Tennant. Tennant was a prominent and popular member of the Giulietta Register and Club and soon took to rallies and touring with his new Alfa after applying and having the car re-registered back on the original period plates 117 RPE.

In 2000, Mr. Tennant and his navigator, Paul Wilson entered the car in the prestigious Monte Carlo Challenge Rally. Not long thereafter, the car was sold to Michael G. Tompson’s Mijent Ltd. in Coventry. On October 4th, 2002, the car was sold and exported from the UK and shipped to a new owner in Japan arriving there on December 2nd, 2002. The new owner was the Maruyama Motor Company, LTD in Tokyo, Japan. Chassis AR1493 *07801* was then acquired by a private museum in 2003, also in Japan. Once there, the car was enthusiastically rallied and toured over the next ten years by its new owners until July of 2013 when this little Giuietta was sold and exported to California.

In 2015, Fantasy Junction sold the car to its current Southern California based collector, who has added 600 miles to the odometer. The engine currently fitted (Engine No. AR00102 *14767*) was originally fitted to a 1960 Tipo 101 Giulietta Spider. It has been prepared with aggressive cams, higher compression pistons, and produces exceptional horsepower.

Cosmetically, the car has handsome presentation, with a nice straight and solid body, both above and below. The doors, hood, and trunk lid are all aluminum to reduce weight. The doors and trunk lid display good fit, while the hood sits a bit proud at the rear. The car has a purposeful rally aesthetic with its deleted bumpers and hubcaps, and auxiliary lighting front and rear. The auxiliary lamps are Lucas components, a reflection of the car’s decades spent in the UK. The paintwork is a nice driver level job in good condition with minor chips and one area of cracking on the left rear wheelarch just above the bumper seam. The chrome and brightwork are generally very good, with the exception of the door handles, trunk plinth, and tail light surrounds, which show aging. Badging and trim are in good condition, as are the glass and lights. The Cibié headlamps are excellent while the tail light lenses show some hairline cracks. Rubber is in generally good condition other than some cracking on the windscreen seals.

The interior carries on the purposeful aesthetic of the exterior, with a bolted in roll bar, four point harnesses, simplified door trims, and timing equipment, compass, and map light installed ahead of the passenger. The upholstery is in great driver shape throughout. The gauges and switches are in fundamentally good condition, with some light aging present on the gauge faces, and pitting present in selected areas of the brightwork such as the instrument bezels and ashtray. The carpets and rubber mats are in excellent driver condition, as is the wood-rimmed Moto-Lita steering wheel. The headliner appears to be original and shows some aging but is in good condition considering its age.

The engine compartment is tidy and well-prepared, showing evidence of both use and consistent maintenance. Twin Weber carburetors with high flow air filters signal the purposeful competition intent of the motor, which it delivers when on the move as well. The trunk was included in the restoration, with fresh paint over structurally sound sheetmetal. A rubber mat is fitted and is in good condition. The underside is structurally sound and presents as one expect for a comprehensively restored car which has been properly used and maintained since the restoration.

The car runs and drives beautifully, with a sporting feel that rewards enthusiastic driving but still remains tractable and streetable in all conditions. The engine starts instantly when warm but requires some coaxing from stone cold. Once running, it works very well, with great carburetion and appreciably more power than a stock unit, yet retaining a high level of tractability which makes it a pleasure to use. The gearbox has great synchromesh warm or cold and shifts properly, making it a perfect complement to the motor. Brakes are effective and linear in operation, while steering is direct, precise, and communicative. The car rides firmly, but again, it is well-balanced between sporting purpose and street-friendliness in a way that matches the character of the rest of the driving experience very nicely. It has great grip and well-controlled body movements including roll, with considerably higher limits than a stock Giulietta, which makes it an absolute riot to drive on twisty roads. Overall, the car has a nice coherent feel from behind the wheel, one which leaves the original spirit of the Giulietta intact, but makes it decisively faster and more rewarding to drive in every respect. There is a pleasing, harmonious feel with no part of the experience out of balance from any other, the hallmark of a properly sorted driver’s car.

With a nice driver level cosmetic presentation, this example is nice enough to participate with on high-end events, but not so pristine as to cause concern when used in inclement weather or on partially paved roads. It has been carefully prepared for long-distance, spirited road use and a full complement of other racing updates and features have been added to this vehicle, including the aluminum opening panels. It is thoroughly and meticulously prepared for any manner of rallies, races and touring, and is ideally suited to a wide range of prestigious North American driving venues ranging from the California Mille to the Colorado Grand.

The above vehicle information is complete and accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time it is posted to this website. Corrections or additional information is always appreciated. All advertised prices exclude government fees and taxes, any finance charges, any dealer document preparation charge, and any emission testing charge. Vehicles are subject to prior sale. All advertised to be true but not guaranteed. We assume no liability for errors or omissions.

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Fantasy Junction  •  510-653-7555  •  1145 Park Ave, Emeryville, CA 94608