Giulietta History
Defining a Company
Rarely does one car launch define a company but with the introduction of the Giulietta, Alfa Romeo secured its place in the “sporty and affordable” automotive segment. The Giulietta series was the first of its models to reach significant production volumes while at the same time maintaining a premium positioning. The Spider was penned by Pininfarina and is regarded - to this day – as one of his finest automotive creations.
The Giulietta was first launched in 1954 and by the time production had ended in 1965, around 40,000 examples had been built. The Giulietta found willing buyers around the world and indeed spearheaded Alfa’s export activity. The Spider version followed in 1955 presented at the Paris Auto Show.
The convertible model of the Giulietta was heavily influenced by the American entrepreneur Max Hoffman. Under his advisement, Alfa Romeo developed the cabriolet to meet the expectations of the US clients. Americans, apparently, wanted a car with more comfort than was originally planned. The end result was that the Giulietta Spider was more “convivial” than its contemporaries such as MG and Austin Healey. Aggressively priced below Porsche and Mercedes, the Giulietta was a commercial success for Alfa Romeo in both Europe and America.
By the way, the list price in the US was $3,298 in 1958 and Lit. 1,900,000 in Italy. (this equates in today’s terms to around €20,000 if you adjust for inflation). For comparison, an MG-A price in the US was $2,195 (but it was the lowest-priced competitor at the time) and a Porsche 356A Speedster was around $3,670.
The Giulietta was not just the Sprint and Spider versions but several variations were developed over the years including examples from coachbuilders Zagato and Bertone. These included the SZ, SS and even an estate version called “Promiscua”.
Hearts & Minds
The Giulietta has entered into automotive popular culture over the years. This has been in large part due to its timeless design. In fact, Giovan Battista Farina “ (Pininfarina) called the Giulietta “la signorina che non invecchia” – “the maiden that does not age”.
The Giulietta was emblematic of an epoch - not only of “Dolce Vita” but also of an Italy in the midst of an economic and social evolution. The Giulietta straddles the 50’s and 60’s decades – a time full of promise and optimism in Italy.
More recently, the Giulietta has been a protagonist in films such as “The Talented Mr. Ripley” in 1999 and lately Sophia Loren was seen in one for the film “Nine”. Check out this link to see the 42 references! www.imcdb.org.
The Giulietta has entered the Internet Age with close to 500,000 hits for “Alfa Romeo Giulietta”. The Giulietta has been supported over the years by many clubs and groups such as “The Giulietta Register” in the UK and the “Alfaromeo750-101 Group”. The enthusiasm for this car does not seem to diminish over the years.
Giulietta Today
Whilst it may seem difficult to place the Giulietta in the context of today’s sports cars, we believe that one should not try and compare but consider the car as a gateway to an authentic driving experience. Today’s cars with all their electronic systems and controls, have - for the most part – removed the driver from the equation.
The Giulietta is at home on winding country roads, feeling the bumps on your seat, the rumble of the tires in your hands and hearing the engine and the wind.
It is difficult to experience that in today’s anesthetized cars and radar-controlled environment. Oh, by the way, don’t forget to stop for some “slow food” along the way…