Alfa-Romeo Giulietta Sprint, Spyder, and Veloce
Although some of the great pre-war Alfas raced in the U.S. in the early 50s, Alfas were nonexistent in Northwest racing events until the middle part of that decade. The first Alfa to race here was a 1.9-litre T.I. model, followed by sprint coupe versions of the famous Giulietta. They were followed by the Giulietta Sprint Spyder, with a timeless design that is one of Pininfarina's masterpieces and is shown here. The Spyder featured a tuned 1300cc version of Alfa’s twin-cam engine that would remain in use for many more years. Coupe and roadster Veloce versions of the Giulietta were soon issued featuring bigger engines with dual Webers, producing 95 horsepower compared to 65 for the Sprint. In 1959 the Veloce “Super” came out, which produced over 100 hp. 16075 Giulietta Spyders and 3164 Veloces were produced by the time the models were discontinued in the early 60s.
Alfas usually raced in production classes F and G, and Veloces were capable of overall wins in their small-bore production races where they often faced MGAs and the smaller Porsches. Giuliettas gained additional notoriety in this area by the car’s frequent failure to maintain speed in places like the Westwood’s uphill stretch that followed the sharp hairpin. Prominent Alfa drivers of the 1950s included Don Yeamon in a 1.9-litre T.I. coupe (shown here), Hal Rudow in a Giulietta Spyder, Don Tindall and Ralph Livermore in Veloces and Bob Rinde in a Super which raced in Class D.
Alfas usually raced in production classes F and G, and Veloces were capable of overall wins in their small-bore production races where they often faced MGAs and the smaller Porsches. Giuliettas gained additional notoriety in this area by the car’s frequent failure to maintain speed in places like the Westwood’s uphill stretch that followed the sharp hairpin. Prominent Alfa drivers of the 1950s included Don Yeamon in a 1.9-litre T.I. coupe (shown here), Hal Rudow in a Giulietta Spyder, Don Tindall and Ralph Livermore in Veloces and Bob Rinde in a Super which raced in Class D.