Alfa Romeo Giulietta 750/101 Spider
The Giulietta Spider combined Pinin Farina’s two-seat open body with Alfa Romeo’s compact twin-cam engineering. Introduced in 1955, it helped establish the marque’s sporting appeal in America.
The open Giulietta
The Giulietta Spider was the Pinin Farina-bodied two-seat roadster within the first-generation Giulietta 750/101 family. It followed the Sprint coupé and joined the saloon in expanding the Giulietta range during 1955. Its shortened Sprint-derived platform gave the open car distinct proportions. Alfa Romeo’s retrospective places its introduction in autumn 1955 and records its enthusiastic reception in the United States. Alfa Romeo’s anniversary history.
This record covers the standard Giulietta Spider. The more powerful Spider Veloce is identified separately below; its equipment should not be attributed to every Spider.
Design and American-market origins
American importer Max Hoffman encouraged Alfa Romeo to offer a small open sports car. Pinin Farina’s proposal was selected over Bertone’s competing design. The production car combined a folding roof, wind-up side windows and a floor-mounted gear lever; initial series deliveries went to the United States. Its restrained bodywork featured a prominent central grille and small rear fins. Alfa Romeo’s development account.
Manufacture and industrial significance
The Spider was built in Italy with body manufacture by Pinin Farina, the Turin coachbuilder subsequently known as Pininfarina. The company’s own history identifies the Giulietta Spider programme as a decisive step from small-scale coachbuilding towards industrial production. Its expansion included new facilities at Grugliasco, near Turin, planned and constructed during 1955–1958. This manufacturing significance complements the car’s better-known contribution to Italian sports-car design. Pininfarina’s corporate history.
Engine, transmission and chassis
The Giulietta Spider used a 1,290 cc inline-four engine with a light-alloy block and cylinder head and two overhead camshafts. A four-speed manual gearbox drove the rear wheels. Independent wishbone front suspension, a located live rear axle, coil springs and drum brakes formed its basic chassis specification.
The Spider Veloce, listed from 1956, used two twin-choke Weber carburettors and an electric fuel pump for increased performance. Unlike the Sprint Veloce, it did not receive aluminium doors and bonnet as standard lightweight equipment. These distinctions describe a separate sporting derivative, rather than a universal Spider specification. Alfa Romeo’s technical tables and Veloce history.
750/101 development and replacement
Alfa Romeo dates the Giulietta Spider’s production to 1955–1962. Its retrospective associates the 1959 revision with the change from 750 to 101 and a five-centimetre wheelbase increase. Further changes in 1961 included rear-light, interior and roof-stowage revisions. The 1.6-litre Giulia Spider followed in 1962. These are production and development dates, not uniform market-specific model years. Alfa Romeo’s Spider chronology.
The later 1600 Duetto belongs to the subsequent Spider generation. Pininfarina dates its debut to the 1966 Geneva Motor Show. Pininfarina’s historical timeline.
Alfa Romeo Giulietta First Generation (750/101)
Explore the parent generation and its related Giulietta Berlina saloon.
Sources and image credit
- Alfa Romeo: The Giulietta is 50 years old — introduction and family context.
- Alfa Romeo: 60 Jahre Alfa Romeo Giulietta — development and Spider chronology.
- Alfa Romeo Austria: Giulietta technical tables and Spider Veloce distinctions.
- Pininfarina: corporate heritage and industrial development.
- Greg Gjerdingen: 1960 Giulietta Spider photograph, CC BY 2.0.
.jpg){kind=link}