The carshow season is now opening up, and first out of the blocks, for me at least, was Spring Alfa Day at Duxford aircraft museum. An event that does exactly what it says – a spring day of Alfa Romeos, all and any, not just show queens and all time classics, but daily drivers too. As good a start to spring as you’ll see?
Time is limited today, so a quick photo survey will have to do.
You can split your Alfa Romeo selection many ways – age, pre or post Fiat, Spider or saloon, Arese or elsewhere, affordability, or red or not. This time, let’s go rear wheel or front wheel drive, and start the survey with the rear wheel drive cars.
A 1967 Giulia 1300ti saloon, imported recently from (probably) Italy. The ti was the higher tuned version of the 1300 Giulia – the one who wanted your Dad to have in 1967.
In the late 1970s. I wanted my Dad to get a Giulietta, like this 1982 2 litre model. He resisted, but it remains perhaps my favourite of the Tipo 116 family. And lesser spotted compared with the later but very similar 75 (Milano), seen in front above.
The first car from the Tipo 116 family was the Alfetta – this is a 1972 1.8 litre version, also recently imported, at a guess, from the Netherlands.
Perhaps the most recognised of the Tipo 116 family were the Alfetta GT and GTV coupes – here are a 1979 1.6 litre GT, a 1980 and a 1977 GTV2000, the 1979 car and a 1983 GTV6 with the Busso V6 engine (and a neat registration).
No Alfa event can be quite complete without a Bertone Tipo 105 (or a Bertie as some call them) coupe, and this day was no exception. We were able to group all the Bertone coupes together facing the central strip to mark the 60th anniversary of the original cars. This was a 1965 Giulia Sprint GT 1600, facing off to its spiritual successors the Tipo 916 GTV and Tipo 939 Breras.
This is a 1970 2000GTV, one owner for over 40 years.
But best in Rosso Alfa.
Of course, there were some Tipo 105 Spiders, the Graduate spider, complete the Jaguar E Type influences. This 1967 1600 was my personal pick, with a well matched red interior. The appeal of these cars seems truly timeless, and Alfa have perhaps never quite matched them in that respect.
The Alfa Romeo Montreal was distantly related to the Tipo 105, but with a very different V8 engine derived from the engine in the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33. Whether it quite added up to the sum of its parts and its looks is arguable, but the appeal is there, no doubt.
Talk of enduring appeal brings us naturally to the original Giulietta (Tipo 750, 1955-64) – this is a 1958 Spider and looked tremendous, if not very cliché Alfa, in pale blue.
Perhaps you prefer navy blue? This is a 1963 car, wit the 1290cc Alfa twin cam engine. Please form an orderly queue….
Let’s close where we started – a 1961 Giulietta Sprint, surrounded by front wheel drive Alfa 33 and Alfasuds, which is where we’ll be heading on the second part of this report.
Wow ~ so much goodness all in one place .
I wish I could find an affordable Coupe .
The Saturday is an all English show in Buttonwillow, Ca. I have no idea exactly where, my plan is to go early and follow some auld crate .
-Nate
As previously mentioned, I am not a small or foreign car person. However once in a while, one takes my eye 👁. In the 50s recall ALPHA Romeo 🤔 RED convert that was quite attractive. Other was 60s Jaguar XKE owned by local business man whose father (bank executive) had a very impressive 59 large Jaguar black sedan. Pretty solid in my tastes, BUT there are exceptions. 🚘 😎
As previously mentioned, I am not generally interested in small and foreign cars. But recall seeing a 50s red ALPHA Romeo? Convert that took my eye. Also local business man had a 60s red Jaguar XKE 🏆 and his father (bank executive) drove a very impressive larger black Jaguar (1959) sedan. Love car shows, but those I have attended rarely have any foreign makes. Always wanted to attend Auburn fall auction and show, but never made it! Would love to see a post on that! 😎
Lovely stuff here, Roger. It is good to have our resident Alfa male on the job. 🙂
Jeremy Clarkson once said testing the 166:
“BMW’s are for alpha males, Alfa’s are for nice people”. Couldn’t agree more.
I’ve owned two Alfa’s and two BMW’s, though one of those was a motorcycle. Does that make me a nice alpha male?
? Does this mean we can start in on all the Bimmer jokes ? .
-Nate
Im hoping you photograph my cousins Alfa at one of these shows unless of course hes at a bike show instead, he has one of those shoe sized convertibles with a Busso mill up front in pale blue, I like these older models which are extremely rare here and accordingly expensive if ever for sale.
Put me down for a Giulia in either a 4 door sedan or the 2 door coupes like the Sprint GT or GTV Spider. Those always fascinated me a bit more than Spider 1600.
Sorry I missed seeing you there: thank you for your excellent cataloging of the show’s favourites!
Years ago, test drove a Tipo 116 Giulietta an Englishman had privately imported to Canada, as these were not sold in North America. Liked the way it drove, but there was “a bit of rust around the edges, and a Calgary Italian shop didn’t want to deal with it, so I passed. Same color as one depicted, but with some black accents.
I owned a ’58 Giulietta Sprint when in high school in 1968-69. The exhaust note was the envy of most of my muscle car buddies. When that 1300cc engine revved up, it was a shocker to many. Twin overhead cams? They were always taken aback.