UPDATE: COLLECTING CARS WEBSITE JULY 2023

1958 ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA SPRINT VELOCE 750E CONFORTEVOLE

KEY FACTS

This is a very rare Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce 750E ‘Confortevole’ in excellent condition, benefitting from a recent high-quality restoration. One of just 199 Sprint Veloce Confortevole cars produced, this example was built in April 1958 and originally supplied to Alfa Romeo importer Hoffman Motor Company in New York. It has completed the Vernasca Silver Flag, Gran Premio Nuvolari, and Terre di Canossa historic rallies, all without fault.

It is powered by the matching-numbers 1.3-litre twin-cam inline-four, which sends power to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual transmission.

Understood to have resided in California most of its life, the car was offered for sale as a project by Fast Cars in California in 2009. Having been purchased by a German collector, it was imported to Germany, where a comprehensive bare-shell, nut-and-bolt restoration was carried out. A photographic restoration album accompanies the car with over 220 photographs in a presentation folder.

It was later purchased by a Swiss collector, and subsequently by the UK-based seller, who has now owned the car for six years. The car was registered with the DVLA in October 2017.

The odometer indicates 3,732 km, which is understood to be the mileage covered since the restoration was completed. Photographs of the original odometer prior to restoration indicate a recorded mileage of 83,646 miles.

EQUIPMENT AND FEATURES

There were only 199 'Confortevole' cars manufactured in one production run in 1958. They followed on from the extremely desirable ‘Alleggerita’, of which around 650 were built. The Confortevole shares all the mechanical components of the Alleggerita including the rare sand-cast twin-choke Weber DCO3 carburettors, but with a more comfortable interior specification.

This Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce 750E Confortevole is finished with a Cream exterior, complemented by a beige, period-correct vinyl-trimmed interior with tan piping. It is fitted with extremely rare original Borrani bimetal wheels (including spare), with Pirelli Cinturato tyres. Inside, it has a factory-correct two-spoke steering wheel, Veglia dials, and manually operated windows.

It is still running the correct twin Weber twin-choke sand-cast DCO3 carburettors.

Accompanying the vehicle will be the original handbooks, its Alfa Romeo Classiche certificate, its FIVA identity card, its DVLA import and registration documents, previous German and Swiss registration papers, a collection of maintenance invoices, OMP harnesses, a spare wheel, and various photographs of the car in competition. There is also a full photographic record of the restoration process.

CONDITION

Following the older full restoration it is reported to be in excellent condition, with only light wear evident and some slight crazing of the chrome driver’s door mirror. Inside, minor signs of use can be seen on the seats and in the footwells, though the cabin otherwise appears to be in very good shape. The seller is not aware of any mechanical or electrical faults. The most recent MOT test was on 3 September 2019 at 3,553 km, which was a clean pass with no advisories or defects.

SERVICE HISTORY

At the most recent service, the engine oil was changed, the brakes were adjusted, and a safety check was carried out. During the seller’s ownership, the gearbox has been stripped and rebuilt, the prop shaft has been remade and balanced, the carburettors have been dynamometer-tuned, and the brakes have been serviced.

SUMMARY

This is an excellent example of the exceptionally rare Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce 750E Confortevole, which has completed the Vernasca Silver Flag, Gran Premio Nuvolari, and Terri de Canossa historic rallies. Sharing its mechanical specification with the very desirable ‘Alleggerita’, the ‘Confortevole’ offers a more comfortable interior, making it a superb choice for classic rallies and longer-distance touring. It has covered just 3,732 km since being comprehensively restored, and would now make a wonderful addition to any discerning collection of Alfa Romeos, ready to be thoroughly enjoyed by its next enthusiast owner.

This 1958 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce is one of a claimed 199 Confortevole examples produced. A more deluxe version of the contemporary Alleggerita (lightweight) variant, Confortevole (comfortable) models featured an all-steel body as well as additional interior trim, a heater, a glove box, and roll-up windows. This example was built in April 1958 and delivered new to the US through Hoffman Motors of New York. It was later acquired out of California by a collector in 2008 and brought to Germany, where it underwent restoration work in 2009 that included a repaint as well as installation of a five-speed manual transmission in place of the factory four-speed unit. Power is provided by a 1.3-liter twin-cam inline-four fitted with a magnesium intake plenum as well as twin Weber DCO3 carburetors. Additional equipment includes Borrani 15″ bimetal wheels, finned aluminum drum brakes, and driving lights. Following the work, the car spent time in Switzerland and participated in the 2016 Vernasca Silver Flag hill climb. It was relocated to the UK in 2017 following its acquisition by the seller, who subsequently drove the car in the 2018 Gran Premio Nuvolari and 2018 and 2019 Terre di Canossa road rallies. A 123Ignition programmable distributor was added under current ownership, and service is said to have involved overhauling the transmission as well as replacing the clutch assembly, driveshaft, Girling secondary cylinders, and brake linings. This 750E-series Sprint Veloce is now offered in the UK with an Alfa Romeo Classiche Certificato Di Origine, a 2017 FIVA identity card, manufacturer’s literature, partial service records, a removed Magneti Marelli distributor, and UK registration documents.

The steel body left the factory finished in Banana Beige and was stripped, repaired, and repainted as part of the aforementioned 2009 restoration work. The strakes bisecting the lateral air intakes at the front of the car wear chrome trim, and further exterior details include driving lights, Bertone fender badges, side mirrors, venting rear quarter windows, and a single exhaust outlet with a polished finisher.

Borrani 15″ bimetal wheels feature alloy and steel construction and wear bright hubcaps. Pirelli Cinturato tires are mounted at all four corners. A matching spare is stored inside the trunk along with a jack and tool kit. Braking is handled by finned aluminum drums. The Girling secondary cylinders and brake linings were replaced in June 2018, according to the seller.

Confortevole models were equipped with roll-up side windows, as opposed to the sliding plexiglass windows of the Alleggerita. This example features seating trimmed in tan vinyl upholstery with contrasting sides and piping along with color-coordinated door panels. A Conrero badge is affixed to the glovebox door, and additional appointments include a cabin heater, a dash-mounted mirror, sun visors, lap belts, and Sprint Veloce-branded door sill guards.

The two-spoke steering wheel features a chrome horn ring and sits ahead of a painted steel dash housing Veglia instrumentation. The tachometer reads from 2k- to 8k-rpm and is accompanied by a 220-km/h speedometer as well as a combination gauge with readouts for oil temperature, water temperature, and fuel level. The five-digit odometer shows just over 3,700 kilometers (~2,300 miles), which is believed to represent the distance driven since 2009. True mileage is unknown.

The 1.3L twin-cam inline-four is equipped with a magnesium intake plenum as well as twin Weber DCO3 carburetors. A 123Ignition programmable distributor was added under current ownership, and the removed Magneti Marelli unit is included in the sale.

Power is sent to the rear wheels through a replacement five-speed manual transmission that is said to have been rebuilt in June 2018. A Sachs performance clutch assembly as well as a custom-built driveshaft were installed at that time, according to the seller.

The Alfa Romeo Classiche Certificato Di Origine shows a production date of April 8, 1958, and lists the factory exterior color as well as delivery to New York.

The November 2017-dated FIVA identity card is shown above and lists a production date of April 8, 1958, along with identification numbers and a summary of the car’s history.
The car is registered in a country that does not issue titles for vehicles. It is being sold on its UK V5C registration document.