1962' Alfa Romeo Giulia

1963 ALFA ROMEO GIULIA TI 1600

HIGHLIGHTS

An early example of the TI
Structurally solid with an excellent interior
Well maintained with a clean engine bay

THE BACKGROUND

The sophisticated and aerodynamically efficient Alfa Romeo Giulia was first unleashed in 1962 and served as the brand's entry-level family saloon for 10 years. It typified Alfa’s reputation for vigour and leading-edge technology while offering comfort and practicality. Its punchy 1570cc twin-cam engine offered better performance than many contemporary sports cars of the era and it essentially paved the trend for the 4 door sporting saloon.

As the first in the Alfa 105-Series of cars, this early Turismo Internazionale (TI) example, combines a bench seat with a floor-mounted gear change. The car has seen a handful of subtle but useful upgrades, including the installation of front disc brakes and several cosmetic details. It has also been subject to regular maintenance and care, with a believed provenance within the South African Alfa Romeo clubs. As an import from a dry country, it is well presented, with an excellent interior and a very clean solid body.

THE HISTORY

Originally an avid and meticulous Alfa Romeo collector in South Africa, the car has seen multiple spruce ups over the years while retaining much of its originality. The car is road-ready for the UK, having been shipped over in November 2020 and since settling into the UK, it has been checked over by an independent workshop and specialist auto electrician to ensure all is working as it should and would pass a MOT. Notably, it has received a new exhaust, new track rod ends installed and tracking done.

THE PAPERWORK

The car comes with a pack containing its original South African registration document, shipping and exporter information as well as the V5 and a current MOT to April 2022.

THE INTERIOR

The interior is beautifully presented, with the red seats complementing the ivory paintwork. The front seats are in excellent condition throughout, having been subject to a recent refurb with the piping detailing in excellent condition. The back seats are original and are in a similarly clean state. The door cards are tidy with no signs of significant scuffing. The dashboard is in good order with the switches displaying minor wear. The facia of the dashboard is good with no cracks or other sun damage. The strip speedometer encased in the trapezoid instrument panel and supporting dials are fully functional and in good functioning condition. The aftermarket steering wheel shows a little metal pitting, which is obviously part of the ageing process, but the wheel itself has worn well and looks very presentable. The car has had a temporary horn button installed for its MOT, but would be a straightforward fix to retain back to the steering wheel. The carpets are in excellent condition and are likely to be a recent fitting. The headline shows minor signs of age but is in good condition with no damage.

THE EXTERIOR

The metalwork on the car has been restored to a good standard, with straight and dent free panels observed throughout the car. The body lines are deceptively curved, despite the angular rigged lines which allow us to confirm the decent level of finish. The panels are good, with the odd minor evidence of uneven gaps, which are to be expected for an Alfa of this era. The doors are in good condition and shut well, with the drivers door showing resistance to staying in place when open but the fit and hinges are solid. The engine bay is clean, with the light paint showing up minor signs of surface rust. This is also the case on the inner edges of the arches, with the lightest of surface blemishes showing up. The arches themselves are decent. A couple of bubbles under the paint have come through on the bonnet, with a handful of similar blemishes seen on the nearside rear passenger door, the boot and the top of the driver's door. A handful of minor cracks and surface rust can also be seen on the gutter. The engine bay, door frames and bulkhead are solid, although the off-side lower front section of the inner wing wheelhouse displays corrosion. However, the underside and floor pan of the car is pleasingly solid, with the jacking points in good condition, along with the A-pillars and sills. The paint finish is very good, with a decent lustre that maintains good coverage across the body. The car is free from significant scuffs or blemishes and there are no signs of stone chips damage.

The chrome is complete and believed to be correct for the age of the model, with some signs of minor pitting observed. The window trim and rubber is good, with no significant damage or perishing. Overall, the trim and fittings have been well re-fitted after the car's paintwork. The front lights are in good condition, with the rear plastic items showing signs of age. The steel wheels and hubcaps are in good condition, with minor signs of typical road use. Both rear tyres are perishing, and while they still show a good level of thread, they will need replacing. The glass is in good condition, with minor signs of ageing but are chip and scratch-free.

THE MECHANICS

The car has retained much of its original specification, with its last owner managing to retain much of the features that were unique on the early cars. This blank canvas is therefore open to capitalise on the cars tuning flexibility. Mechanically the car has seen the front brakes have been upgraded to accommodate discs, as the original versions came with drums. This upgrade can be seen as a sensible precaution. The cold start represented no significant issues, the car fired up into life after a few turns of the key. Once it fired up, the engine came to temperature quickly and the exhaust condensation disappeared quickly. The new stainless steel exhaust end pipe rattled against the mounting a little. There were no knocking or unwanted noises coming from the glorious 1. 6-litre twin-cam engine. As the car was pushed into action, there were no significant knocks or vibrations within the steering or suspension components. The engine presentation is good, with evidence of maintenance and a professional engine rebuild in the past, the hoses and wiring are all neatly arranged and in good condition. There were a couple of minor issues that need to be singled out, the manifold has tiny cracks but does not seem to have any adverse effects. The car also seeps very small drops of oil, there’s a strong argument to suggest that it wouldn’t be a classic Alfa without this, but the owner states that the build-up on the ground is not significant, and was also pointed out on inspection.

THE APPEAL

These cars have very good spares support, particularly for the mechanical aspects and upgrade parts. Trim and some fittings are hard to find, which makes this example a prime candidate for someone looking for a solid, complete example. Several workshops who have worked on the car, have mentioned how clean the underside is. As an early version of the original Giulia saloon, the opportunity to obtain an RHD car that has benefitted from a dry climate does not come around often. The potential to keep it stock with the occasional track day or perhaps as a base as a historic tin-top racer is for the new owner to decide, but either way, you’re going to have a spirited experience.