What a Romeo without a Juliette, even if Alfa Romeo is a mark of the car, and Giulietta - its model.

In the beginning of 50s Giuseppe Luigi got the post of one of the largest Italian cars manufacturers Alfa Romeo's general director. The firm is obliged to him for its post-war revival — he managed to reorient manufacture. Before a war the mark was considered one of the most expensive in Europe, and its cars were issued if not by the piece, extremely by small batches. Alfa Romeo kept same direction in the first post-war years. But in the impoverished and ruined country such expensive and exclusive auto was not necessary. Urgent changes were required not to become a bankrupt. Luigi oriented in trends of time quickly. He understood that the car gradually ceases being a privilege of men of means, turning to the mass phenomenon, that is why the primary goal of motor-car manufacturers now — was a release of accessible family cars.

According to Plan of Marshall, manufacture restoration was financed at factory in Portello.

Ever less

In 1950 the world saw the first midget Alfa Romeo car of model 1900. Apparently from its index, the volume of the motor did not exceed 2 l, but also with such power unit the small and easy machine was dispersed to 175 km/h — it was represented as «a family car which wins races». The model became so popular that it was used both in a taxi, and traffic police.

But Giuseppe Luigi wanted more — he was planning escalating of mass cars manufacture.

So, in 1954 even smaller in the sizes Alfa Romeo Giulietta with the engine volume of 1.3 l capacity of 53 h.p. appeared.

"Juliette's" base model with such motor which had, by the way, the aluminium block of cylinders and two top camshafts, was issued with closed four-doors body and was equipped with a four-speed transmission. The length of the babe made 3990 mm, width — 1550. Height — 1480. The forward suspension bracket was independent spring on double cross-section levers, back — dependent spring on longitudinal jet draughts. "Juliette" weighed only 876 kg and dispersed to rather decent speed of 140 km/h. (for those days).

Small "Italian" became a national hit at once. It turned to be accessible to people of average prosperity, who received quite modern, high-speed and comfortable car for modest money.

Variations on a theme

In due course Alfa Romeo Giulietta became a hit not only for Italian motorists, but also drawn attention of numerous body studios.

Carrozzeria Bertone studio presented the very first and sign updating of a midget car in 1954, it was a two-door compartment named Giulietta Sprint.

Originally this car reflected only as a prototype for the Turin motor show, but orders for it collected already seven hundreds, so it was necessary to develop its manufacture urgently. Thanks to this machine Carrozzeria Bertone small enterprise managed to avoid bankruptcy, and subsequently even to turn from handicraft body shop to an outstanding design centre. For a stylish "sprint" Alfa Romeo Giulietta they forced its engine to 80 hp, having kept its former working volume. — now it started corresponding to the car's shape: the maximum speed increased to 165 km/h. It is remarkable that designers from Carrozzeria Bertone refused from small tail fins with back lanterns, presented on four-door Alfa Romeo Giulietta Berlina sedan, despite the fact that these elements brought into fashion by Americans, drove the whole world mad those years. But Italian cartwrights are famous for their own handwriting!

Special Edition

In 1957 Carrozzeria Bertone constructed most unusual of all Giulietta updatings, named Sprint Speciale.

The machine received a futuristic shape, and they also added the motor forced to 100 "horses" to it. Its aluminium body allowed lowering the equipped weight of a model to 785 kg and consequently, the maximum speed made already 180 km/h. Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale required 12  sec to take run from zero to "hundred", what was rather an impressing dynamic indicator for the end of 50s.

In total they made 1366 Giulietta Sprint Speciale copies. With the same 100-strong motor since 1960 they also produced double compartment Sprint Zagato on the truncated chassis by small batches. The authorship of its design belonged to Zagato, specialising on light sports machines.

Pininfarina body shop — the main Carrozzeria Bertone's competitor — "struck" with the open double version Alfa Romeo Giulietta which was called Spider. However, with the 80-strong motor it had a little bigger weight — 912 kg — because of cabrio mechanism presence and strengthening of body elements.

Slider was on sale in USA especially successfully. A patriotic slogan «Such delightful cars are done by Italians» flaunted on its American fair brochure. Only ten years passed since American bombing aircraft practically levelled Alfa Romeo car factory with the earth in a place of Portello. And here the lost country delivered the cars in USA!

Pride of Italy

Manufacture of midget car Alfa Romeo Giulietta came to an end in 1963 — for twelve years they produced more than 132 000 copies of this model in various updatings. "Berlin" endured two restylings, in 1959 and 1961, and the base motor of last version developed 74 h.p. It was already called Alfa Romeo Giulietta Turismo Internationale. Outwardly cars of last years can be distinguished on larger sidelights.

Now Alfa Romeo Giulietta became an automobile symbol of Italy. More than third of produced cars are still on the move and the price for exclusive Sprint Speciale reaches hundreds thousand euro at auctions. Such an accessible Italian car!