Alfa Romeos: 1956 Giulietta Berlina, 1966 2600 Sprint Zagato, 1971 GTV, 1991 164S

Four different Alfas grace this month's profile section as Alfas are highlighted marque this year in Monterey.

1956 Giulietta Berlina
Chassis number: AR148801774
This is an original early 1956 Alfa Romeo 750C 4-door Berlina with a column-shifted four-speed shifter and its original, numbers-matching engine. This car is quite complete, however it is missing a hubcap and a tail light lens and does not have the correct carb and air cleaner. The spare tire and tools are also missing. Included with the car are interior door handles, a grille, and some poorly re-covered interior door panels.
General condition is fair. It has rusted out on the door bottoms and some underneath. There is a poorly patched area in the spare tire well in the trunk and some holes, thin areas and some poorly repaired areas in the floors. The doors, hood and trunk all open and close well and have good gap spacing. The glass is complete and in good condition. All flooring material was removed and discarded.
The car runs and drives enough to get around the block, however further work is needed. The gas tank is out of the car and has been cleaned out, so temporarily the car is supplied via gravity feed.
This is an extremely rare model in the U.S., and is eligible for many events, whether restored stock or prepped for vintage racing.
The SCM analysis: This car sold for $3,900 on May 24, 2005, after 17 bids, starting at $100.
The Giulietta is the car that remade Alfa's image after World War II, while bringing enthusiast driving excitement to a mass audience. The key role of the Berlina, or sedan, must be acknowledged, as it was the first Alfa produced in a quantity that numbered in five digits (39,057 over eight years).
The Berlina was a nimble, spirited driver for the family man, saddled with typically uninspired sedan styling and more than a bit of transatlantic influence. Its chassis is capable and the 1.3-liter engine, though small, is willing to rev. As an event car, a Giulietta sedan can be fun, especially when modified with a later, larger 1.6-liter motor and a five-speed gearbox.
Restoring a Berlina is a labor of love only, as they will not return the investment the way the more popular Sprint (coupe) or Spider will.
That said, the car on offer here needs it all, especially if it is to be made reliable enough for events. For vintage racing, at least there would be no need to source the fiddly interior and trim bits as you would need to for a street or show car. The price was a bit high, but four grand is so little money that I can't call it ridiculous.
(Descriptive information from the seller.)
1966 2600 Sprint Zagato
Chassis number: Unknown
Undoubtedly here we have one of the rarest cars that has ever been on eBay. This is a 1966 Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint Zagato. There were just 105 made over a three-year period between 1965-67.
The car has a couple of negatives, and a couple of huge positives. First the negatives. The engine turns over, but we never got it running. It had 90-plus pounds of compression in all six cylinders a few years ago, and made no odd noises when turning over then. But today it does not run. The second point to mention is that we got this car from an old man who, like this car, was from South America. He is long gone. and there is not a clear title at this time.
Now for some good news. Like all Italian cars that are not aluminum, this one is susceptible to the dreaded "Italian tin worm," though this particular car is simply incredibly rust free. The 40-some thousand miles are original, no doubt. The body is 100% complete. All the exquisitely hand-fabricated stainless headlight buckets, bumpers, etc. are there. The main thing that is missing is the air intake crossover and the air cleaner assembly, both of which are 2600 parts.
Last year one in very good condition sold for over ?70,000 (approx. $87,000). In the late 1980s they went for $95,000. Today, who knows?
The SCM analysis: This car sold for $16,100 on May 26, 2005, after 15 bids, starting at $99.
The 2600 Sprint Zagato is one of the few cars built by the Italian firm not intended for competition. Possessing few of the typical Zagato design quirks, save for perhaps the slightly overwrought front end, it has a sleek and elegant look. Compared to the standard Bertone 2600 Sprint, it was built on a shorter wheelbase it shared with the Spider, which helped make it lighter by 300 pounds in spite of being steel-bodied. This makes a big difference in the handling, with the Zagato seeming much less truck-like than the standard coupe. These cars are fabulous highway cruisers, and would be superb for one of the 1,000-mile vintage rallies.
The fact that the subject car does not run is not tragic, but the difficulties of obtaining engine parts cannot be underestimated, as fewer than 12,000 2600s of all types were made. At one point I owned three 2600 Sprints-one to drive and two to supply parts. The low values of these cars have meant that few parts manufacturers or suppliers support the model, which is also a problem when it comes to interior parts. The glass, dashboard, console and seats are unique to the car.
The upside to the car pictured here, if there really is one, is that the body is reported to be in good condition. Restoring the complex curves of the Zagato shell isn't cheap, and finding the specialized trim is almost impossible.
The $16k sale price is about half of the low end of the $35,000-$55,000 SCM Price Guide range for these cars, yet it will merely be the start of the spending for the new owner. Far more than $40,000 will be required to get this car into very nice #2 condition, so rescuing a project like this doesn't make any economic sense today. There are usually one or more "ready to go" cars on the market at any time that would make a better buy.
(Descriptive information from the seller.)
1971 GTV
Chassis number: AR1533091
This is a gorgeous GTV 2+2, an original California car with no rust at all. It has a beautiful interior, a great paint job, and four brand new tires and rims. The engine, tranny, and clutch are in great shape. All gauges and lights are working. She looks and drives great.
The SCM analysis: This car sold for $13,950 on May 26, 2005, after 35 bids, starting at $900.
The Alfa Giulia GTV, produced from 1963 until 1977, is recognized as a truly classic Italian coupe. We've written in these pages before that it is perhaps the perfect sports car. Its engine revs willingly, and rewards energetic driving, which the GTV encourages. These cars are well supported by parts suppliers, and just about all mechanical, body and trim pieces are available.
This car looked very well done, with good panel fit, a clean interior and the desirable Campagnolo five-star alloy wheels. The only negative is that it seems to sit rather high, most probably caused by replacement springs that are too long. The most favored of the 1750 GTVs is the 1969 model, which featured racing-inspired "flying buttress" front seats. These were replaced with more sedate units in later years.
The values of these cars have been steadily rising in the past few years, highlighted by the recent sale of a 2000 GTV on eBay for a remarkable $30,000. While there are still many thinly disguised fright pigs out there, any nice example that can be bought under $20,000 should be considered a good buy.
(Descriptive information from the seller.)
1991 164S
Chassis number: ZAREA33AXM6159805
This Alfa Romeo was originally bought and owned by an Alfa collector who wanted one as a daily driver. Mechanically the car is in great condition, with sport suspension, a new clutch, timing belt, and gaskets, all replaced within the last 5,000 miles. The car is fully loaded with leather and heated seats, 18-inch wheels on new tires and a TV/Playstation in the glove box.
I have used the car as a daily driver without problems and have all the service records and receipts. Exterior and interior are in very good condition with no rust, no dents, no rips or wear in the interior. There are some minor tiny chips by the hood, but the car is in excellent condition for being 14 years old. This car was garaged and babied.


{analysis} This car sold for $5,100 on June 5, 2005, after 24 bids starting at $1,000.
The 164 was the last car Alfa sold in the U.S., a luxury sport sedan which was the most successful big sedan Alfa ever made. A clean Pininfarina design, it was well built and offered levels of performance competitive with contemporary BMWs, Mercedes and Audis. An interesting product of multi-manufacturer platform sharing, its architecture was the same as the Saab 9000, Fiat Chroma and Lancia Thema. The last of the four to be introduced, the Alfa was without a doubt the best looking.
Introduced in the U.S. in 1991 as the successor to the Alfetta-based Milano, sales were brisk at first, but they quickly declined in the face of customer dissatisfaction and indifferent dealer service. At launch the 164 was powered by Alfa's proven 3.0-liter V6, making 183 hp in standard and L trim, while an S model put out 200 hp. In 1994, a 24-valve engine was introduced and offered in two models, the 210-hp LS and the 230-hp Q.
Alfa was skirting the limits of front-wheel-drive engineering with the 164, and torque steer is prevalent when the car is pushed hard. Even in the S, the best way to drive a 164 is smoothly and steadily, unlike older Alfas that you could toss around like a roller skate.
As these cars age and good examples become harder to find, the best ones become more prized for Alfisti who are looking for a late-model car to use as a daily driver. At this point, most cars have some rattles, and the electronics can get a bit dicey after more than a decade. These problems can usually be sorted out with patience and attention.
The low $5k selling price of this car is an example of what can happen when a car is personalized. Despite its desirable S specification, a clean looking body and much recent mechanical work, its 18-inch wheels and dashboard-mounted PlayStation mean that a large part of the market will not be interested. The market spoke, and discounted it accordingly.
(Descriptive information from the seller.){/analysis}