Some of you may be too young to remember (or find it hard to believe), but there was a time when Alfa Romeo rolled out rear-wheel drive mainstream model, which even in their base variants, were a treat to the eyes and the hands of drivers.
The Giulia that was launched in the early 1960s is one of those cars. Weighing just 1,000 kg (2,205 pounds), it was powered by an alloy DOHC four-cylinder petrol engine in 1.3- and 1.6-liter displacements with power outputs ranging from 74 to 100HP, coupled to a four or five-speed manual gearboxes.
At the time, the trend of updating models nearly three years after launch and then releasing a replacement in another two to three years was non-existent.
Continuous minor updates were the norm – and in true Italian fashion, the Giulia’s range included the Ti, Ti Super, 1300, Super, 1300 Ti, 1600 S and Super 1300 models.
The second series model launched in 1972, rationalized the range offering only the Super 1.3 and Super 1.6 that were identical in everything except their engine size and final drive ratio.
A couple of years later, Alfa rebadged the cars as the Nuova Super and offered its first diesel engine option, which unsurprisingly, didn’t sit well with buyers who simply ignored it.
But it’s time to end our history lesson and introduce you to CarScoop reader Robbert Alblas, who owns a Giulia Super 1300 that is all original, down to the wood-trimmed three-spoke wheel and audio “system”, and is kept in a pretty good shape.
A ‘70s mainstream Alfa saloon is a rare sight today; most have long been sent to the crusher or simply succumbed to terminal rust. It’s no coincidence, though, that the 159 replacement will be named Giulia as the name is still fondly remembered by the Alfisti.
You can check out Robert’s Giulia in action in the video that follows after the jump.
By Andrew Tsaousis
Thanks to Robbert for the video!
VIDEO