Vehicle Description
1959 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider, Pinin FarinaChassis No. AR1495
04904Engine No. AR1315 44211- Among the most iconic of Italian
sports cars.- High-quality restoration of an original U.S. delivery
example.- Alfa Romeo Classiche Certificate of Origin.-
Numbers-matching example with its original engine.Having barely
survived the ravages of WWII, Alfa Romeo desperately needed a
volume product in the 1950's. The debt-ridden company was facing a
bleak future, until someone hit on a novel method to raise funds. A
lottery was held, with the winner receiving a new Giulietta
Berlina, to be released in 1955. Production delays followed and
Alfa quickly engaged Bertone to build a coupe variant using
existing components - just in time for the 1954 Turin Salon - in an
effort to appease angry ticket holders. The lucky winners went home
happy and a potential scandal averted. Only one problem. The demand
for the pretty Sprint proved overwhelming; it quickly became a
production car.Requests for an open version followed, but Alfa
Romeo's management felt there was insufficient demand to warrant
production. U.S. importer Max Hoffman disagreed, convinced there
was a market for a Giulietta Spider. The project was put out for
bid. Franco Scaglione styled two Bertone prototypes while Pinin
Farina was allocated three chassis. Both cars were based on a
shortened Sprint platform featuring alloy twin-cam 80hp 1290cc
four-cylinder engines. Roll-up windows were included on both cars,
unlike most British roadsters of the period. Hoffman rightly felt
the public wanted them.Pinin Farina won the contract, though the
car was not ready for public consumption without modifications. The
extreme curvature of the Bertone submission would have made volume
construction too expensive, thus it was rejected. The model first
appeared at the 1955 Paris Motor Show. England's Motor magazine
called it the exhibit's prettiest car. After lauding its
roadholding, ride, braking, and engine, "Without a doubt," Road &
Track stated in its April 1956 road test, "(this) is the most
fascinating small sports car we have ever driven."This lovely
example is an original U.S. delivery car finished in Nero over a
red leather interior piped in black with matching black cloth
convertible top. Documented by its Alfa Romeo Classiche Certificate
of Origin, records indicate it was invoiced to Hoffman Motor
Company in New York on October 17, 1958 and manufactured on
December 9, 1958. It was dispatched to the U.S. with records
further indicating the body colour as AR 901 Black.This
high-quality restoration features an interior that is enhanced by a
Veloce-style Nardi two-spoke steering wheel. The trunk includes a
proper rubber mat and the Fergat wheels are shod with blackwall
tires. Data tags confirm that it is a numbers-matching example
equipped with its original engine. The original factory tool set
remains with the car. Service and parts records dating from 1993 to
2007 remain with the car.
