Though a current model at the brand, Alfa Romeo’s Giulia originated in the 1960s as a long-running middle-market sedan. Today’s example is one of the rarest made, with a performance-oriented drivetrain and a family wagon body. It’s even a lovely color.
Worth a side note before we get started, we have featured a coupe bearing the Giulia name, the Sprint Speciale showed early in 2020. While named as Giulia, underneath it was actually an updated variant of the older Giulietta and not the same car. The real Giulia entered production in 1962 in Milan and was a replacement for the outgoing Giulietta. Considered a compact executive car, it was available only with four doors, and as a sedan or wagon.
Engines were three, and included gasoline power via 1.3- and 1.6-liter inline fours (both of twin-cam variety) and a 1.8-liter diesel. Interestingly the diesel mill was made in England by a company called Perkins, which today is owned by Caterpillar. All transmissions were manual and had either four or five speeds. Less sporty, the four-speed was limited to the base 1.3-liter trim. The two gasoline engines were considered powerful in their day, and it was a novel idea to add considerable power to a mainstream sedan. Dependent upon carbs and tune, power ranged from 80 to 110 horses in a car that weighed between 2,150 and 2,500 pounds.
The Giulia range was a complicated one, and there were 12 different trims during the car’s production from 1962 to 1977. For 1967, the 1600 TI had the largest engine but was one step below the top-tier Nuova Super 1.6, which had sportier-looking trim. 1600 TI existed from 1962 to 1967 before it was replaced by the 1600 S. At the 1600 TI’s level, the wagon – Giardiniera – was much less common than the sedan. Constructed by coachbuilder Carrozzeria Colli in Milan just 16 examples were completed in total. Of those, 11 had rear windows, and five were panel wagons.
Today’s particular windowed wagon was purchased by an American living in Italy, who took it to Paris for a year or two and then to the US. It stayed in the original owner’s family in California for some time and needed a restoration by the end of the Seventies. Eventually, it was sold to a collector in Holland in 2006. It’s there now, where it’s on sale for $79,000.
[Images: YouTube]
That’s interesting, but not $79k interesting. The seller has mistaken “rarity” and “amount invested” for “asking price”.
And despite my weakness for Italian cars, this one needs more makeup for me to ask it out.
Looks like LADA
Lada was FIAT-124.
The “DNA” is still too obvious
Reminds me of driving buy one of the local McDonald’s on Easter Sunday. A couple was stepping out of a new Giulia. I pointed it out and the first thing out of my wife’s mouth is: “Why are they eating at McDonald’s?”
I thought the same once as I saw a man pull out of Mcds in his cream colored Bentley Azure.
Speaking as a modern Alfa owner who has been known to go to fast food and chain places, there’s a simple answer: the “local” restaurants aren’t very good.
I’ve lived in plenty of places with good local options, but at this point in my life, we do not have a local Italian joint (for example) that is half as good as the Olive Garden.
“we do not have a local Italian joint (for example) that is half as good as the Olive Garden.”
Poor soul. Where is such place? Middle of Nevada desert?
Well, Vegas is in the Nevada desert and they have good Italian food.
No, I find myself in what I would have once termed “fly-over country”. Aside from the lack of decent restaurants, and part of this is having been spoiled by living elsewhere, it’s actually quite pleasant.
I mean, if I drive the better part of an hour, I can get somewhere decent, but that’s just silly.
Maybe they just wanted an Egg McMuffin. The Egg McMuffin and the Sausage McMuffin are the best of their kind at any price.
We also stop by a lot of McDonald’s on road trips because giving the kids an hour to go ape in the PlayPlace buys us at least three hours of reasonable calm in the car afterward.
Why does ANYONE eat at McDonald’s?
That is the best Italian can design? It looks like Japanese car of period. For 79K I can buy Lincoln Navigator! Is box as well, but better and bigger box.
For 79K I would buy 2 Lancia Delta integrale evo 2. 1 for parts
It’s funny reading old car magazines disdaining 1950’s car designs as heavy and garish, and praising these 1960’s boxes as sharply styled and modern.
And yet it is 100% consistent with the aesthetic of mid-century modern design.
It’s a beautiful car, but for that price, I would be going for a vintage Alfa that was more sporting in nature.