Ever since I bought my Fiat 124 Spider, I’ve had a bit of a soft spot for the smaller and more economical Italian sports cars. I just wish I had gotten into these cars a lot sooner, so I could have bought an Alfa Romeo before their values skyrocketed. I’ve experienced Spiders and GTVs, but I’ve never had the chance to try out a Giulia Sprint and is on my long list of cars to own someday! So when I saw this 1963 Giulia 1600 Sprint GT barn find that’s being offered here on Lap63, I just had to feature it! Special thanks to Jeff over at BoldRide for tipping me off to this one!

Right off the bat, I better point out the problems with this car. Obviously is has some paint and rust issues. Having dealt with Italian cars, I can vouch for their proclivity to rust. I’ve experienced it first hand with my Fiat, it’s so bad that if you just think about moisture the car will start rusting! Alright, so it isn’t that bad, but close. I’m surprised to not see more holes in this Alfa, as it has some extensive surface rust. If it’s left much longer without proper treatment it will likely turn into a giant block of swiss cheese. And if that isn’t bad enough, it is located in the UK, so I still won’t get to experience it first hand. Hopefully one of our UK readers will be able to go have a look at it for us and report back!

Now you might be wonder why I would want to own one of these if I already know how badly they rust. Well that’s quite simple really, I love the styling of these cars and their wonderful twin cam engine! So much so that I’d be willing to commit to the constant battle that is fighting off the tin worm. You see, when the Giulia Sprint was introduced, it was actually just a Giulietta Sprint with the new drivetrain from the then new Giulia Saloon. This gave you the best of both worlds – the incredible looks of the Bertone style Giulietta Sprint and the power and performance of the new 1600 twin cam!

Speaking of the 1600 twin cam, here is this Alfa’s beating heart! Well I don’t know if this heart is actually beating or if it is seized at this point. It looks complete, which is a major plus, but it will likely need to be rebuilt. I love the sound and performance of these twin cam engines, but as with any twin cam 4 cylinder, there will be more components to repair, restore and maintain. At least these have a timing chain instead of a belt (like my Fiat). I really wish the seller offered more information about the engine and its current condition, especially with their asking price.

As you can see, restoration work won’t be limited to the exterior and possibly the engine, but to the interior as well. It actually looks to be in pretty good shape overall, but it will need new seat covers and cushions. The door panels look salvageable and while the dash pad has some bad spots, I think it would be repaired. I really love the looks of this interior and screams ’50s Italian grand touring car!

Yes, this Alfa is in need of tons of work, but it looks like a decent starting point if you really want a Giulia Sprint GT to restore. I’d love to have it, but besides the fact that it’s in the UK, it’s also way out of my budget. The asking price is a shocking £27,000 ($38,560)! I guess these cars have gone the way of the air cooled Porsche and will likely just continue to go up in value. I guess I will just have to keep enjoying my Fiat until I win the lottery! Oh well, I can always dream, right?