Alfa Romeo Giulia TI: Spotted

This achingly beautiful competition-spec TI is ready to rally or race

Anyone else get a hankering for a rally car at the first sign of snow? There are plenty to tempt you on the PH classifieds, after all, including several vintage examples from the days before four-wheel drive was the norm. If that's your preference, the pair of gorgeous Alfa Romeo Giulias currently advertised might have already caught your attention. Both are enough to make a rally fans weak at the knees.

Just look at this Giulia TI. What a stunner. It's not just a garage queen, either, but rather a working rally car built to Appendix K regulations and bearing an FIA Historic Technical Passport. There's apparently nothing stopping it from being entered into a historic rally or race tomorrow, should its next owner want to risk such a beauty in competition. It'd certainly be in keeping with the model's spirit.

From the offset, the TI was produced as a competition car - TI stood for Turismo Internazionale, an Italian class of saloon racing - although to the untrained eye the model was indistinguishable from the 1300 Giulietta. The TI's party piece was held beneath its bonnet, as it was the first was car to receive Alfa's then-new 1.6 twin cam engine. Fed by a single twin-choke carburettor, the high-revving motor produced 91hp - plenty for a car that weighed just 960kg - and made the little rear-driven Italian lively to say the least.

For a four-door saloon, the TI was tiny - it's 52cm shorter than a modern Giulia - yet early cars with their benches were actually described as six seaters. It wasn't until the gear lever was moved from the steering column to the floor in a 1964 update that the TI received two separate front seats. At this time, the first right hand drive cars were produced, which is why original right-hookers never came with the column gear lever.

By the mid '60s, Giulia TIs were competing across the world in a variety of classes. Alfa was so buoyed by the success that it produced an even more focused variant called the Giulia TI Super, of which just 501 were made as homologation specials. The model raced with much success and was regularly seen four wheel drifting and banging door handles with the likes of Lotus Cortinas.

Our car has no such racing history attached to its chassis number, which is probably a good thing, as far as value for money is concerned. Instead, it spent the early parts of its life as a road car, until it was sold to a Finnish buyer in the 1990s and restomodded into rally specification. From then it is said to have competed in a handful of events, but was clearly lovingly cared for throughout its sporting life. Sure, it's not without some scuffs and visual signs of wear, but that only adds to this particular car's honesty.

For that reason we'd not bother putting any of the patina right and instead save the money for long drives, historic rally entries and/or generally looking uber cool in a competition-spec Alfa. This car's for driving - and at £11,500, we hope the next owner will be inclined to think the same thing.

SPECIFICATION - ALFA ROMEO GIULIA TI
Engine: 1,570cc, 4-cyl
Transmission: 5-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 96@6,200rpm
Torque (lb ft): N/A
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
Year registered: 1964
Recorded mileage: 29,000
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £11,500