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
See the original advert here.
I get the Lada references - that's because , younger readers , the 3 box design like the Giulia was best epitomised in the Alfa's kissing cousins , the Fiat 124 and 125 . Both were , in period , some of the best family saloons you could buy . Unfortunately , Fiat flogged the designs to Poland and Russia , who produced crappy copies long after the originals had been superseded . and it is those copies which so taint their legacy.
Yes, it looks like a 3 box saloon of the period to me, not particularly beautiful to my eyes - the Alfa GT Juniors however were quite nice looking cars and like much stuff that is pricey now they were cheap old bargain buys in the 80s.
Can remember a friend buying a 1300 Junior when he couldn’t find a decent Mexico. A guy who lived up the road in Tibberton was a big cog in the Uk scene for the 105 series cars in the 80s and used to organise a meet for these cars and other interesting stuff on the local Sutherland Arms pub car park - he told my friend they were rapid little things
It was a rorty sounding thing with the twin Webers but just seemed a bit slow for 100bhp or so compared to the Escorts with the same power. Decent though for a 1300 - Alda had already done the tuning for you whereas you had to do it yourself on the Escorts .Plus a bit cramped in the back and being young at the time we did a lot of car sharing to make the most of our petrol
He didn’t keep it long as performance can be all when you’re in your teens but got his money back - we’d probably all appreciate it more nowadays!
Certainly looks cheap compared to something like a Lotus Cortina these days though.
No accounting for taste I guess.
The GTA someone posted above is a beautiful car, but this Giulia really isn't.
I've never got the "Alfas are beautiful" thing. They've certainly made some good looking cars over the years including to my eyes some of the most beautiful cars ever created but they're made some pretty awful ones too. Some people seem to think anything with an Alfa badge must be good looking just because it has an Alfa badge.
https://www.alfaholics.com/our-cars/completed-buil...
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