I remember in 1980 as an 11 year old kid in the UK seeing one of these in a magazine advertisement and thinking how different the design was compared to other cars of the time. My eyes were focused on those square rear lights and the height at which they were placed. Great design and styling.
👍🏻👍🏻 Same year I discussed on cars with British and Greek friends in Corfu and they were confused but fashinated by that model. Strangely the Greeks, usually more traditional, were more ready to accept that line so dry
I have owned a 1984 giulietta 2.0L for around a year now, and I have come back to this video multiple times 😂 there isnt much other content available to watch about the car i love most. For christmas I will be getting your giulietta book! I cant wait!
Cool! Yeah, the Giulietta was pretty successful for Alfa Romeo in its time, yet now it seems to live in the shadow of the Alfetta that spawned it and the 75 that replaced it. That's the reason I wrote my book, actually!
Owned a beige ‘79 series 1 with brown interior about 10 years ago. Was a daily driver it’s whole life. People responded fondly to this time capsule, I remember having a model of this as a child and always thought it looked good. It still does!
Another great Matteo! In 1977 the 1.3 liter Alfa engine was the most powerfull of its class. Greetings from Greece, also to our friends from Sfera. I hope we can all meet in Rhodos Island soon.
I really like the design of the interior, especially the first series... But the materials, fit and finish weren't great, as it was customary for Alfa Romeo back then.
Roadster Life / Sfera Channel = judicious mating. Well done. Cressoni with the (not beautiful but dynamic and original) Giulietta introduced the wedge line that all the others took up again.
I love the Giulietta, the side view was later kind of copied by Maserati with the 422. Congratulations Matteo, the video is a great addition to the book. Ciao 🙋♂️
Thank you! I did a Giulietta video early in this channel's life, but I thought I could revisit the subject now that I can make videos properly :) As it happened for the Panda and the SM, this video effectively replaces the older one I made on the subject, so I made them "private" now.
I was a child and I was dreaming holding the steering wheel of a 2nd series 1.6 1982 beige!!! what a mistake was for my father and my uncle give it away!!!!
Thank you very much, yet another great video! I have always owned a 116 serie Giulietta in the last 30 years. My last one is a 1985 2.0 made in South Africa. Like the red one in the video, mine also has the 15" GTV6 alloy wheels, which suit the car very well I think. This car I will keep forever. What I really like about your video is that you give the Giulietta and Ermanno Cressoni the recognition that they deserve. Both underrated and not appreciated enough.
I'm glad you liked the video so much! It's been through the Giulietta book that I've discovered just how successful Alfa had been in South Africa. It's a pity that local assembly was abruptly stopped and no records were kept, making impossible to know for sure how many cars were made there and their specifications.
@@Matteo_Licata Alfa Romeo was very much loved here when they were produced here. I think some records were kept, because annual production numbers were recorded in the Auto Data Digest books. Unfortunately I only own quite an old copy, so not all models were in there yet. It does not specify trim levels though. I am always keeping my eyes open for Auto Data Digest books on the second hand market though.
@@Matteo_Licata Yes, the publisher was Mead & McGrouther and printed by Goldfields Press. If you can give me an email address, I can send you the production figures that I do have.
Thank you! Black was an unusual choice for Giuliettas in Italy. People here tended to buy them in white, ivory, brown... Yes indeed, the Giulietta is not classically pretty but nevertheless very Alfa!
When the Giulietta came out, I loved it instantly. Then during the 90's and 2000's I disliked it but now I love it once more as much as when it came out.
Very enjoyable vídeo, Matteo! Not sure about which Giulietta is my favourite, the first was so pure and minimalistic, but the one on the video looks very cool and tidy with the two tone paintwork.
Another great video featuring the Sfera guys . Looking forward to seeing some of Italy’s finest roads once you manage to get out Matteo. I know you’re not a fan of Instagram but I wondered if you minded me sharing some clips of your videos on my page .
Thank you very much Matt! As I mentioned in the newsletters, that video series is definitely happening :) I hope that our government will ease off some restrictions after the Easter weekend, so I'll be able to go out and shoot some of the material I have in mind. Feel free to share clips on Instagram, just put the link to the video here on TH-cam and I'll be more than happy :)
@@Matteo_Licata looking forward to see them . I shall be taking contemporaneous notes 📝 so I can plan a trip one day . Thank you I shall of course credit you and link the video. Hopefully it will attract you some more subscribers and make my Instagram page more interesting too 👍🏻
I've owned 5 of these cars over the course of the last 30 years. Absolutely brilliant car that handles better than most modern cars. I've had to retire the last one just six months ago but I hope to be able to revive it. It's a second series 2.0 to which a 75TS undercarriage has been fitted (vented break disks, 5x98 bolt pattern) and 15" aloy rims from a 90V6.
@@Matteo_Licata Yes. It got rust in some critical places and it may actually be beyond salvaging but I've got an option on a second body that should be easier and transfer all the technical parts. Time will tell.
The Giulietta's wedge shape and ducks tail is both aesthetically dramatic and functional, and can be seen six years later in the '83 Toyota Corolla (E80) and Honda Civic (3rd generation)/Rover 213-216. Imitation is definitely the sincerest form of flattery!
My friend and I raced one of these on Hunter Street, Newcastle in 1994. We were in a Twin Carbied Mitsubishi. It was close... The Alfa was so loud with it's open exhaust, I'll never forget it lol
The first car I ever drove was a 2.0 and my dad taught me to drive in it too. Didn’t think it was appropriate to sit my test in it though! I tuned it , improved the handling and used a full 8’x4’ sheet of steel repairing all the rust after he gave it to me, when he bought a 75. I eventually scrapped it and got an Alfasud Ti🍀
@@Matteo_Licata my dad sold Alfa’s in 1968/9 in Scotland for the Scottish distributor. I was in my mother’s tummy at the start and there is a picture of me in my father’s arms in front of a Gulia super in front of our house. He never drove another car within 10mph of its top speed after driving the Alfas. He said nothing was as safe as an Alfa at its top speed. He had driven everything from lotus Cortina to E-type Jags.
Can understand the constraints Cressoni was working under at the time, though of the view the Giulietta would have benefited from a similar rear headlight treatment as the later 33 or 75
Era, come tutte le Alfa Romeo un'auto fantastica. Motore bialbero a doppio corpo che le rendeva uniche. Era un vero prodigio di ingegneria. 👍😜👍😜♥️💓❤️♥️💓♥️💓🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹
Was Ermanno Cressoni responsible for the Alfasud Series 3 and Sprint restyles? I have always really liked those restyles and the entire range from that period.
Have recently read about a project known as Tipo 152 aka Alfettina by Satta and Busso, however some details are not quite clear. Though considered as a possible FWD replacement for the Alfasud despite drawings implying a size closer to the Giulietta (116), Busso also developed an inline-4 motor that could be tilted for a lower bonnet line suggesting it could replace the Alfasud Boxer and been used in the Alfetta. Do other details exist about it and would it be accurate to describe it as a more compact Twin-Cam reminiscent (if not a resurrection) of the small Twin-Cam motor used in the Tipo 103 prototype?
Love your comments; they are always very interesting and thoughtful. I mentioned the 152 project in my Giulietta book, but details are scarce: all we know comes from Busso mentioning it in a 1987 magazine article and again in his 2005 autobiography. It was Busso's idea for an FWD Giulia replacement using a new transversely-mounted inline-four powertrain, but it apparently didn't progress beyond the drawing stage, and, following an inquiry to Alfa's archives, it appears nothing remains of it now.
Even though the following is likely to be completely unrelated with the exception of both being FWD, how plausible is it for the sub-horizontal inline-4 (rotated 80-degree) engine envisaged for the 433/434 Albertina to be an evolution of the tilted 105-120 hp 1.3-1.6 inline-4 planned for the 152 Alfettina? Because it seems there was a continuum of thought within Alfa Romeo that was either against or ambivalent towards the Hruska designed Alfasud.
Thank you! I'm glad you like it! I've left the Turbodelta out because I want to make a video solely focused on it, when I'll have the chance to film an example for myself! That's why I've called this video "why I like the Giulietta," because it's not meant to be a full history ;)
Yes, that red 1.8 looks really good with those rims! Some enthusiasts have built their own Giulietta V6s, but I agree that it would have been cool if the factory actually did that in period...
Alfa Romeo South Africa actually built 10 2.5 V6 Giuliettas. They also came with the V6 torsion bars, brakes and wheels. One of my friends' later father owned one which he enjoyed very much.
Indeed. A great designer that we lost all too early, due to a tragic illness. Everyone I spoke with and that worked with him only had nice words for Cressoni.
@@Matteo_Licata It still mesmerises me how he could do so much design with so little. Design of this Giulietta and 75 is just staggering. Even his newer designs of regular cars like Bravo/Brava were breathtaking at the time and aged well.
Beautiful. Love the rising waist line ending in the duck tale. Coincidentally, the modern Giulietta is the only model keeping the Alfa Romeo elegant design.
Because I plan to devote an entire video about the Turbodelta, as soon as I’ll film one. That’s why the title is “why I love the Giulietta”, rather than “the complete story of”.
This Giulietta was incredibly popular here in South Africa. It won endless awards, and apparently sold around 50 000 of them in this small market. When I was a kid growing up in the 80's there were still so many of them on the roads. They have sadly all disappeared now. Only a handful survive in the hands of collectors, and they now deservedly fetch good prices. Cressoni was a visionary. No doubt about it. It would be wonderful if you could do a video on his work!
Thank you for your appreciation! Yes, it's thanks to the Giulietta that I've discovered the wonderful world of South African Alfas. As I was researching for my book on the model, I discovered about the local assembly, the special editions and its popularity there. Unfortunately, we'll never know how many Giuliettas were actually made there, as no records survive.
Still a great looking design!, a very rare car to see in Australia in the 80’s, although I am not an Alphaholic i really love these great reviews - cheers from Brisbane
Great detail and work as usual . There was one of them in black in kilkenny in ireland , it always stood out amongst the boring Renaults and toyotas. Had a lovely engine note .
The series 1 was also my favourite the lack of embellishments to me suggest a self confidence in the design, you also see this look in early Pandas and the first W124 Mercedes, I really miss this era now cars are all have ugly fake grills and black plastic to make the glass area look bigger.
Bought a Giulietta new in 1983. 1.6. First new car and first (of several) Alfa Romeos. Red of course. Ended up wrecking it 3-years later. Carried way too much speed into an unexpected off-ramp configuration on the M4 outside London. In the rain. A better driver could probably have handled it or at least kept it out of the ditch. Oh well. Never really loved it. Then again, I did not appreciate the need to take care to get the transmission up to temperature before energetic gear changes. Syncros were shot less then 10,000 miles. Oddly, 5th was an overdrive. Good for highway driving but I wanted the thrill of a close ratio gearbox. A friend had an Alfetta sedan that had a direct 1:1 top gear. Closer gears would have been more fun with the underpowered 1.6 as well. Came with nasty tires that I should have ditched for a lower profile. Actually pulled the bead away and lost air during some enthusiastic cornering. Rear end is seriously planted. Loved the quirky styling. Paint was wafer thin and rust broke through after it got pelted with stone chips on a newly laid road surface. Door mirror glass broke. 50 quid for a complete new (electric) mirror. Girlfriends Ford had a similar break and it was 2 pounds for mirror glass. Took it to Monaco for the Grands Prix. Fun drive. Got into some fast driving with another guy and had the odd image of him spinning at around 70mph on a two lane mountain road. Pretty sure I saw him in the mirror smiling with his thumb up. Think it was his thumb. Started to warm to the capabilities of the Giulietta. Pretty rare now. Would love to have another now that I know more about Alfas - the Alfetta in particular. The Giulietta was replaced with a 3-year old GTV6. On my third GTV6 now in the US.
My brother purchased a new Guiletta... what a beauty... until two months later a large hole fell into the roof, then later rust holes in the bumpers and many mechanical problems with the gearbox, the clutch, the engine and the suspension... but beautiful it was. basically a big package of poor quality metal and the cheap plastic that ruined my trust in any alfa romeo
I can imagine how disappointing that felt. Unfortunately, during the 70s build quality at Alfa's factories was all over the place, with an insane variability between car to car. And if you got a particularly bad example, it was a ton of pain indeed.
Not sure about how to understand their offerings at the time, Alfetta and Giulietta were the same size and both sold at the same time. Also 75 replaced Giulietta, but what about Alfetta, Alfa 6, and Alfa 90?
The launch of the Giulietta coincided with the repositioning of the Alfetta as a more luxurious and less overtly sporty proposition. Space inside was the same, but the Alfetta came with a bit more equipment and had a substantially larger boot. Things got trickier when the Giulietta was replaced by the 75, which had a longer rear overhang and matched the 90's size, which was the Alfetta's replacement. The public liked the 75 best and therefore it cannibalized the 90. The Alfa 6 was a much more expensive car, larger in all dimensions, so the difference was much clearer there.
@@Matteo_Licata It seems to me like a blind man turning around with the leaders inside a glass store. 😃 What would be more appropriate to say: typical Alfa, or typical Italians? 🙂
When the 1st 1600 c.c models were imported into the UK ,they were automatically considered a future classic despite the controversial styling.CAR magazine tested one in Italy at 119mph before they came over here. .I had a 1.6 series 2 car 1983 ,it had higher ratios which were suppose to combat ever increasing fuel costs. However ,I considered this ineffective as you inevitably changed down to get better acceleration.Very few UK cars exist here now which is a shame
Yes, during the second series' run, Alfa used those awful longer ratios that spoiled the fun, in a vain attempt to reduce fuel consumption. Those cars rusted with gusto, so I'm not surprised UK sees few survivors nowadays. Alfa managed to solve its rust issues only from the 75 onwards
It seemed to be a fashion to use wider ratios at the time , Fiat did the same with the Mirafiori 131, and 132 models when they introduced the Supermiafiori tc, and 132 2 litre models which showed little performance advantage over predecessors
Other brands would die for such a legacy. Still Alfa is not able to cash in on it. Yet another example of a takeover by a bigger company initially saving a brand term but still wrecking it on the long term. The list is long and goes way beyod the Fiat stable. If I am correct both our favorite brands now reside in the Stellantis group. Luckily the classic types from better times survive. Imagine a true Gran Turismo Alfa with hydropneumatic suspension though!
The Giulietta was very popular here in South Africa, but I preferred the styling of its father - the Alfetta. I really hated the later 'restyling' - all that tacky plastic and silver lower half looked exactly like it was - a desperate attempt to refresh an ageing design. But not as bad as what Lamborghini did to the Countach. The 1st version was stunning but then the started covering it up in ugly plastic. To the point that the later versions looked like a kit car someone had assembled in his garage.
Had the opportunity to own a late model 2ltr in the early 90's. Great car but too much body roll for my liking. The Alfetta sedan was a better balanced car in my opinion.
Bear in mind that, back then, the awful working relations at Alfa Romeo caused some unwanted variability in the quality of the cars. It's not unheard of that one car handled better than another seemingly identical one... I've found it mentioned more than once in period road tests.
@@adampowell5376 The answer is in the title: it says "why I love the Giulietta" rather than "the complete history." I haven't mentioned all variants, and I plan to return to this model when I'll get to film some interesting variants of it.
I understand the need for body refreshments every few years, but IMHO the last version's rear end is much less good-looking than the first gen, with its added grey panels under the lovely, distinctive yet discreet taillights. Gen 1 all the way, despite the absence of the 2.0!
Well, there are first-gen 2.0 cars. Those were available (but not in Italy) from 1980. In 1981 Italy got the 2.0 engine in the limited-run "Super" version
Sorry to all Alfa Romeo enthusiasts here, but truth to be told, the wedge design was firstly used by Triumph with TR7 in 1975 (Designer : Harris Man, chief stylist at British Leyland). The Press hated the design, and found it ugly. It is funny how history proved them wrong, and many cars embrace even today this style!
At no point in the video (and neither in my book, of course!) I ever claim that the Giulietta was "first" in any way. Wedges became a wide industry trend during the 70s and 80s... With varying aesthetic results. The TR7 wasn't a looker, I agree.
@@Matteo_Licata i was not implying you said that. I just noted that Triumph is known to have used the wedge design first -as far as i know, and very succesfully with the TR7. The Press mocked it, but history shoes now that it was very innovative and nice looking car. This is why the wedge design has been heavily used from other automakers even in our days. "the shape of things to come" as the ad said, could not be more correct.
@@Kerveros1904 While Triumph's TR7 certainly is one of the most famous "wedges," the design trend started much earlier, with the Bertone prototypes Carabo, Stratos and Runabout. Harris Mann wasn't there first, but he certainly was on-trend :)
@@Matteo_Licata i never said that triumph introduced the wedge design in the world. i said that triumph introduced earlier than alfa romeo the wedge design. and we are talking about mainstream cars. we do not need to google in order to find out about 'carabo'. we all know famous wedge designs from supercars such as countach or de lorean from the start of the 70s. Triumph introduced the design to the mainstream market and earlier than alfa romeo. I understand that younare a big fan of italian designers, i am a fan too, many triumphs were designed by Michelotti, including my car, but my statement had to do comparing alfa romeo and triumph and who introduced wedge design first for the masses. (triumph and alfa romeo never produced supercars)
@@Kerveros1904 The comment section of a TH-cam video is perhaps a space too limited to have such a wide-ranging conversation... We'd need a table and beer! Yes, the concept cars from Bertone and Pininfarina weren't for sale, but they influenced what the mainstream would become in the following years. It's not that "I like" Italian designers, it's simply that Italian design houses, back then, set the trends for the industry. Of course, their influence waned to nothing by the time the 90s were out, but in the 70s the "carrozzerie" still reigned supreme :)
Honestly I never liked it, the strange shape didn't appeal to me at all, and it's strange because I have always loved the 75 that after all was not so different. Because of my age I remember them used by Police and Carabinieri together with Alfetta (in the same period the Vigili Urbani in my town had still some FIAT 128)... perhaps I am not a teenager anymore.
I remember in 1980 as an 11 year old kid in the UK seeing one of these in a magazine advertisement and thinking how different the design was compared to other cars of the time. My eyes were focused on those square rear lights and the height at which they were placed. Great design and styling.
👍🏻👍🏻 Same year I discussed on cars with British and Greek friends in Corfu and they were confused but fashinated by that model.
Strangely the Greeks, usually more traditional, were more ready to accept that line so dry
Same with me back then! I asked my parents what that car was with the high rear lights. They didn't know what I was talking about.
Immediately loved this when t first came out. The sharp lines were fabulous to my 12-year-old eyes in 1977.
I have owned a 1984 giulietta 2.0L for around a year now, and I have come back to this video multiple times 😂 there isnt much other content available to watch about the car i love most. For christmas I will be getting your giulietta book! I cant wait!
Cool! Yeah, the Giulietta was pretty successful for Alfa Romeo in its time, yet now it seems to live in the shadow of the Alfetta that spawned it and the 75 that replaced it. That's the reason I wrote my book, actually!
Owned a beige ‘79 series 1 with brown interior about 10 years ago. Was a daily driver it’s whole life. People responded fondly to this time capsule, I remember having a model of this as a child and always thought it looked good. It still does!
Fantastic video my friend! 🍀♥️🇬🇷🇮🇹
Thank you! That's also because of your lovely footage. Always a pleasure :)
Complimenti, bellissimo video! Ottimo che tu li faccia in inglese, così da divulgare la storia Alfa anche a tutti gli appassionati non italiani!
Grazie mille! Mi fa molto piacere, hai proprio capito il mio scopo: far conoscere la storia delle nostre auto agli appassionati di tutto il mondo.
Great Alfa. I liked the collaboration, Sfera is the best alfisti channel in Greece and one of the best in the world.
Thank you! Glad you appreciate it. I love their content and I'm happy to help them gaining visibility, as they deserve more success!
@@Matteo_Licata I agree. Greece is a small country and we need any help. Well done!
@@RagnoRosso thank you! 🙏🙏🙏
Yess ..this is also one of my favorite ...Nikki Lauda drives one ..in the early dayz...tq for this video..will share to my Classic Alfa Frens ...
Here is Lauda's Giulietta film, in its entirety: th-cam.com/video/mg9DUy0ovu0/w-d-xo.html
Enjoy!
@@Matteo_Licata Thanks alot Matteo
Another great Matteo! In 1977 the 1.3 liter Alfa engine was the most powerfull of its class. Greetings from Greece, also to our friends from Sfera. I hope we can all meet in Rhodos Island soon.
I'd love to visit the beautiful Rhodos and get to know the local Alfa scene! Hope that'll be possible soon!
Loved these Giuliettas, the interior was beautiful too.
I really like the design of the interior, especially the first series... But the materials, fit and finish weren't great, as it was customary for Alfa Romeo back then.
Roadster Life / Sfera Channel =
judicious mating. Well done.
Cressoni with the (not beautiful but dynamic and original) Giulietta introduced the wedge line that all the others took up again.
Nice video as always!
Glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
Is it pretty?
I don't know but it surely is extremely elegant!
Another great looking Alfa!
Canale eccellente. Grazie per le tutte le emozioni!
Grazie mille, mi fa piacere!
First like than play, amazing video, as usual 👍👍👍 regards from 🇷🇸
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy my content so much!
I love the Giulietta, the side view was later kind of copied by Maserati with the 422. Congratulations Matteo, the video is a great addition to the book. Ciao 🙋♂️
Thank you! I did a Giulietta video early in this channel's life, but I thought I could revisit the subject now that I can make videos properly :)
As it happened for the Panda and the SM, this video effectively replaces the older one I made on the subject, so I made them "private" now.
I was a child and I was dreaming holding the steering wheel of a 2nd series 1.6 1982 beige!!! what a mistake was for my father and my uncle give it away!!!!
The wedge design was quite innovative and ahead of times as some manufacturers like BMW adopted it for the 3 series more than 10 years later.
Another nice video. Grazie!
Thank you!
Thank you very much, yet another great video! I have always owned a 116 serie Giulietta in the last 30 years. My last one is a 1985 2.0 made in South Africa. Like the red one in the video, mine also has the 15" GTV6 alloy wheels, which suit the car very well I think. This car I will keep forever.
What I really like about your video is that you give the Giulietta and Ermanno Cressoni the recognition that they deserve. Both underrated and not appreciated enough.
I'm glad you liked the video so much!
It's been through the Giulietta book that I've discovered just how successful Alfa had been in South Africa. It's a pity that local assembly was abruptly stopped and no records were kept, making impossible to know for sure how many cars were made there and their specifications.
@@Matteo_Licata Alfa Romeo was very much loved here when they were produced here. I think some records were kept, because annual production numbers were recorded in the Auto Data Digest books. Unfortunately I only own quite an old copy, so not all models were in there yet. It does not specify trim levels though. I am always keeping my eyes open for Auto Data Digest books on the second hand market though.
@@MLC... Good to know. I'd better start hunting for those then. Was it a SA-based publication?
@@Matteo_Licata Yes, the publisher was Mead & McGrouther and printed by Goldfields Press. If you can give me an email address, I can send you the production figures that I do have.
@@MLC... Thanks, that's very kind of you! info@roadster-life.com
Great job. My neighbour had a black one . stunning car . right hand drive in Ireland . very Alfa in design
Thank you! Black was an unusual choice for Giuliettas in Italy. People here tended to buy them in white, ivory, brown... Yes indeed, the Giulietta is not classically pretty but nevertheless very Alfa!
As old as my birth year. I haven’t shed anything like as well. Beauty.
When the Giulietta came out, I loved it instantly. Then during the 90's and 2000's I disliked it but now I love it once more as much as when it came out.
I remember these back at the dealers when new. I was always intrigued by the wedge styling, and the ‘wood’ steering wheel and gear knob!
Wood was real on the steering wheel, but not on the gear knob, by the way :)
@@Matteo_Licata Thanks for clarifying - explains why I see the odd one with a worn gear knob and not the steering wheel!
Sempre bella
Another lovely Alfa with a great design!!! My go to classic "budget" Alfa...
Same here!
I used to see one if these parked on my road back in the 80's and I absolutely loved it but I did have two Alfasuds myself because i loved Alfas
Very enjoyable vídeo, Matteo! Not sure about which Giulietta is my favourite, the first was so pure and minimalistic, but the one on the video looks very cool and tidy with the two tone paintwork.
I understand :) Those late 1.8 models do look cool, in their own very 80s way :)
Another great video featuring the Sfera guys . Looking forward to seeing some of Italy’s finest roads once you manage to get out Matteo. I know you’re not a fan of Instagram but I wondered if you minded me sharing some clips of your videos on my page .
Thank you very much Matt! As I mentioned in the newsletters, that video series is definitely happening :)
I hope that our government will ease off some restrictions after the Easter weekend, so I'll be able to go out and shoot some of the material I have in mind. Feel free to share clips on Instagram, just put the link to the video here on TH-cam and I'll be more than happy :)
@@Matteo_Licata looking forward to see them . I shall be taking contemporaneous notes 📝 so I can plan a trip one day . Thank you I shall of course credit you and link the video. Hopefully it will attract you some more subscribers and make my Instagram page more interesting too 👍🏻
I've owned 5 of these cars over the course of the last 30 years. Absolutely brilliant car that handles better than most modern cars. I've had to retire the last one just six months ago but I hope to be able to revive it. It's a second series 2.0 to which a 75TS undercarriage has been fitted (vented break disks, 5x98 bolt pattern) and 15" aloy rims from a 90V6.
Wow, that's cool! Does it need restoration now?
@@Matteo_Licata Yes. It got rust in some critical places and it may actually be beyond salvaging but I've got an option on a second body that should be easier and transfer all the technical parts. Time will tell.
As underrated as lovely.
Couldn't agree more!
The Giulietta's wedge shape and ducks tail is both aesthetically dramatic and functional, and can be seen six years later in the '83 Toyota Corolla (E80) and Honda Civic (3rd generation)/Rover 213-216. Imitation is definitely the sincerest form of flattery!
Very true, I had forgotten about those cars, but the similarity in the rear end treatment to the Giulietta it's indeed there.
Fantastic video.
Thank you very much, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
My friend and I raced one of these on Hunter Street, Newcastle in 1994. We were in a Twin Carbied Mitsubishi. It was close... The Alfa was so loud with it's open exhaust, I'll never forget it lol
That's a cool memory! Thank you for sharing it with me!
I have always favoured the Giulietta, particularly the series one. Great and informative video as always.
Thank you!!!
I waited for this one and it disappointed me not a second.
Always have loved the Giulietta. I have also always been curious about those little vent holes under the front lights and grill.
Great video! I love the Alfetta but the Giulietta was able to carry most genes further.
Italian Masterpieces indeed! 🕯🌷🌿🇮🇹🌏
Great video. I have recently found a genuine barn find series one with 50km on the clock. Interior is like new. Hope to be restored in 6 months
Wow, that's very cool! Which year is it?
My first love. My uncle had one but he sold it before i have my lessons
Amo le tue video, peccato che non hanno fatto questa macchina con la V6 motore!
Grazie! Una Giulietta V6 sarebbe stata fantastica, sono d'accordo :)
The first car I ever drove was a 2.0 and my dad taught me to drive in it too. Didn’t think it was appropriate to sit my test in it though!
I tuned it , improved the handling and used a full 8’x4’ sheet of steel repairing all the rust after he gave it to me, when he bought a 75.
I eventually scrapped it and got an Alfasud Ti🍀
Cool story and a very cool first car indeed!
@@Matteo_Licata my dad sold Alfa’s in 1968/9 in Scotland for the Scottish distributor. I was in my mother’s tummy at the start and there is a picture of me in my father’s arms in front of a Gulia super in front of our house.
He never drove another car within 10mph of its top speed after driving the Alfas. He said nothing was as safe as an Alfa at its top speed. He had driven everything from lotus Cortina to E-type Jags.
@@geodrome That's a cool memory, thank you very much for sharing it with me!
My first ALFA!🍀
Which engine did yours have?
@@Matteo_Licata It was the 1.6 , Power enough for a young guy that time... Now I drive a 1300 Gt Junior, Power enough for an old Guy...🐸
I love the eighties angular era of Alfa Romeo, styling is unusual in a good way.
BTW An 80s band called Dangerous Birds did a song Alpha Romeo
Really? I'll have to listen to that song then! :)
Don't know: Please post a link!
@@studiocalder818 It's on TH-cam :)
Can understand the constraints Cressoni was working under at the time, though of the view the Giulietta would have benefited from a similar rear headlight treatment as the later 33 or 75
Era, come tutte le Alfa Romeo un'auto fantastica. Motore bialbero a doppio corpo che le rendeva uniche.
Era un vero prodigio di ingegneria. 👍😜👍😜♥️💓❤️♥️💓♥️💓🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹
I love the looks of these, despite the fact that they look like a hatchback with a trunk grafted on - for some reason, I really like them.
Was Ermanno Cressoni responsible for the Alfasud Series 3 and Sprint restyles? I have always really liked those restyles and the entire range from that period.
Yes indeed. Those were done by the Alfa centro stile, under his watch.
Have recently read about a project known as Tipo 152 aka Alfettina by Satta and Busso, however some details are not quite clear. Though considered as a possible FWD replacement for the Alfasud despite drawings implying a size closer to the Giulietta (116), Busso also developed an inline-4 motor that could be tilted for a lower bonnet line suggesting it could replace the Alfasud Boxer and been used in the Alfetta. Do other details exist about it and would it be accurate to describe it as a more compact Twin-Cam reminiscent (if not a resurrection) of the small Twin-Cam motor used in the Tipo 103 prototype?
Love your comments; they are always very interesting and thoughtful. I mentioned the 152 project in my Giulietta book, but details are scarce: all we know comes from Busso mentioning it in a 1987 magazine article and again in his 2005 autobiography. It was Busso's idea for an FWD Giulia replacement using a new transversely-mounted inline-four powertrain, but it apparently didn't progress beyond the drawing stage, and, following an inquiry to Alfa's archives, it appears nothing remains of it now.
Even though the following is likely to be completely unrelated with the exception of both being FWD, how plausible is it for the sub-horizontal inline-4 (rotated 80-degree) engine envisaged for the 433/434 Albertina to be an evolution of the tilted 105-120 hp 1.3-1.6 inline-4 planned for the 152 Alfettina? Because it seems there was a continuum of thought within Alfa Romeo that was either against or ambivalent towards the Hruska designed Alfasud.
Lovely cars, had a 82 1.8
Very nice!
It's a fantastic video in every way but you could have talked about the Giulietta Tutbodelta, the Last Alfa tuned by the original Autodelta
Thank you! I'm glad you like it! I've left the Turbodelta out because I want to make a video solely focused on it, when I'll have the chance to film an example for myself!
That's why I've called this video "why I like the Giulietta," because it's not meant to be a full history ;)
@@Matteo_Licata that explains a lot
Would like to see the video of all the generations of Alfa Romeo Spider, starting from the Boat Tail to S4. Thank you in advance
Noted! Brilliant idea and I promise I'll make that happen soon :)
I love this model! All of them but the Greek series 3 is amazing with the GTV rims. Imagine it with a Busso!
Yes, that red 1.8 looks really good with those rims! Some enthusiasts have built their own Giulietta V6s, but I agree that it would have been cool if the factory actually did that in period...
@@Matteo_Licata For a 1.8 she really packs a punch, I first thought it was a 2.0
Alfa Romeo South Africa actually built 10 2.5 V6 Giuliettas. They also came with the V6 torsion bars, brakes and wheels. One of my friends' later father owned one which he enjoyed very much.
I agree that Cressoni needs more recognition from Alfisti given the circumstances & era!
Indeed. A great designer that we lost all too early, due to a tragic illness. Everyone I spoke with and that worked with him only had nice words for Cressoni.
@@Matteo_Licata It still mesmerises me how he could do so much design with so little. Design of this Giulietta and 75 is just staggering. Even his newer designs of regular cars like Bravo/Brava were breathtaking at the time and aged well.
My first Alfa was the 1983 2.0 Giulietta and I still think it was brilliant and went like stink!! certainly it was and still is unfairly overlooked.
Wow, that was a very cool first car indeed!
Beautiful. Love the rising waist line ending in the duck tale. Coincidentally, the modern Giulietta is the only model keeping the Alfa Romeo elegant design.
Top 80 cars
Why was Turbodelta omitted from this clip?
Because I plan to devote an entire video about the Turbodelta, as soon as I’ll film one. That’s why the title is “why I love the Giulietta”, rather than “the complete story of”.
@@Matteo_Licata Thank you!! I love your videos!!
My first owned car ❤❤❤
This Giulietta was incredibly popular here in South Africa. It won endless awards, and apparently sold around 50 000 of them in this small market. When I was a kid growing up in the 80's there were still so many of them on the roads. They have sadly all disappeared now. Only a handful survive in the hands of collectors, and they now deservedly fetch good prices. Cressoni was a visionary. No doubt about it. It would be wonderful if you could do a video on his work!
Thank you for your appreciation! Yes, it's thanks to the Giulietta that I've discovered the wonderful world of South African Alfas. As I was researching for my book on the model, I discovered about the local assembly, the special editions and its popularity there. Unfortunately, we'll never know how many Giuliettas were actually made there, as no records survive.
My first Alfa, 1.6 litre
Still a great looking design!, a very rare car to see in Australia in the 80’s, although I am not an Alphaholic i really love these great reviews - cheers from Brisbane
Cool, thank you! I'm glad you appreciate my work so much!
i love the giulietta. the cars of the 70's and 80's were so interesting and distinctive, compared to cars now-a-days, which are all identical blobs
Great detail and work as usual . There was one of them in black in kilkenny in ireland , it always stood out amongst the boring Renaults and toyotas. Had a lovely engine note .
Thank you! I have a similar childhood memory of a Rover SD1, rarely seen in Italy and cutting quite a dash among the Pandas and Unos
The series 1 was also my favourite the lack of embellishments to me suggest a self confidence in the design, you also see this look in early Pandas and the first W124 Mercedes, I really miss this era now cars are all have ugly fake grills and black plastic to make the glass area look bigger.
There was even an Alfa Giulietta 2.0TD....from 1983-1985
I know ;)
I've covered all versions on my book, this video is more of a "homage" than a complete history
@@Matteo_Licata And a great hommage it is. I've had 3 of these Giulietta's, a 1.6/1.8 and 2.0. Loved those Alfa's.
@@peterkleinveld9705 bravo
E magnifica
Bought a Giulietta new in 1983. 1.6. First new car and first (of several) Alfa Romeos. Red of course. Ended up wrecking it 3-years later. Carried way too much speed into an unexpected off-ramp configuration on the M4 outside London. In the rain.
A better driver could probably have handled it or at least kept it out of the ditch. Oh well.
Never really loved it. Then again, I did not appreciate the need to take care to get the transmission up to temperature before energetic gear changes. Syncros were shot less then 10,000 miles.
Oddly, 5th was an overdrive. Good for highway driving but I wanted the thrill of a close ratio gearbox. A friend had an Alfetta sedan that had a direct 1:1 top gear. Closer gears would have been more fun with the underpowered 1.6 as well.
Came with nasty tires that I should have ditched for a lower profile. Actually pulled the bead away and lost air during some enthusiastic cornering. Rear end is seriously planted.
Loved the quirky styling. Paint was wafer thin and rust broke through after it got pelted with stone chips on a newly laid road surface. Door mirror glass broke. 50 quid for a complete new (electric) mirror. Girlfriends Ford had a similar break and it was 2 pounds for mirror glass.
Took it to Monaco for the Grands Prix. Fun drive. Got into some fast driving with another guy and had the odd image of him spinning at around 70mph on a two lane mountain road. Pretty sure I saw him in the mirror smiling with his thumb up. Think it was his thumb. Started to warm to the capabilities of the Giulietta.
Pretty rare now. Would love to have another now that I know more about Alfas - the Alfetta in particular. The Giulietta was replaced with a 3-year old GTV6. On my third GTV6 now in the US.
That's been great to read! Thank you very much for sharing with me these charmingly-written memories with your Giulietta :)
My brother purchased a new Guiletta... what a beauty... until two months later a large hole fell into the roof, then later rust holes in the bumpers and many mechanical problems with the gearbox, the clutch, the engine and the suspension... but beautiful it was. basically a big package of poor quality metal and the cheap plastic that ruined my trust in any alfa romeo
I can imagine how disappointing that felt. Unfortunately, during the 70s build quality at Alfa's factories was all over the place, with an insane variability between car to car. And if you got a particularly bad example, it was a ton of pain indeed.
Not sure about how to understand their offerings at the time, Alfetta and Giulietta were the same size and both sold at the same time. Also 75 replaced Giulietta, but what about Alfetta, Alfa 6, and Alfa 90?
The launch of the Giulietta coincided with the repositioning of the Alfetta as a more luxurious and less overtly sporty proposition. Space inside was the same, but the Alfetta came with a bit more equipment and had a substantially larger boot.
Things got trickier when the Giulietta was replaced by the 75, which had a longer rear overhang and matched the 90's size, which was the Alfetta's replacement. The public liked the 75 best and therefore it cannibalized the 90.
The Alfa 6 was a much more expensive car, larger in all dimensions, so the difference was much clearer there.
@@Matteo_Licata It seems to me like a blind man turning around with the leaders inside a glass store. 😃
What would be more appropriate to say: typical Alfa, or typical Italians? 🙂
@@BojanBojovic I would say typically Italian :) We tend to do weird things!
When the 1st 1600 c.c models were imported into the UK ,they were automatically considered a future classic despite the controversial styling.CAR magazine tested one in Italy at 119mph before they came over here. .I had a 1.6 series 2 car 1983 ,it had higher ratios which were suppose to combat ever increasing fuel costs. However ,I considered this ineffective as you inevitably changed down to get better acceleration.Very few UK cars exist here now which is a shame
Yes, during the second series' run, Alfa used those awful longer ratios that spoiled the fun, in a vain attempt to reduce fuel consumption.
Those cars rusted with gusto, so I'm not surprised UK sees few survivors nowadays. Alfa managed to solve its rust issues only from the 75 onwards
It seemed to be a fashion to use wider ratios at the time , Fiat did the same with the Mirafiori 131, and 132 models when they introduced the Supermiafiori tc, and 132 2 litre models which showed little performance advantage over predecessors
A friend of mine owns two 116s, one is a 1.6 with speakers in the headrest, the other is a 1.8.
When I die, I want to buried with an Alfa Romeo. So I can take it with me to the next world. 😂
Other brands would die for such a legacy. Still Alfa is not able to cash in on it. Yet another example of a takeover by a bigger company initially saving a brand term but still wrecking it on the long term. The list is long and goes way beyod the Fiat stable. If I am correct both our favorite brands now reside in the Stellantis group. Luckily the classic types from better times survive. Imagine a true Gran Turismo Alfa with hydropneumatic suspension though!
Italians were the first to make sexy cars. If you look at cars of today, somewhere in their design its got an Italian copy.
I think I have detected you really love Alfa Romeo's
I’d say so, yes ;)
Series 1 was the best-looking.
I agree!
The Giulietta was very popular here in South Africa, but I preferred the styling of its father - the Alfetta. I really hated the later 'restyling' - all that tacky plastic and silver lower half looked exactly like it was - a desperate attempt to refresh an ageing design.
But not as bad as what Lamborghini did to the Countach. The 1st version was stunning but then the started covering it up in ugly plastic. To the point that the later versions looked like a kit car someone had assembled in his garage.
The Giulietta is what made me discover the world of South African Alfas, which was unknown to me before. I agree with you, original is best!
Had the opportunity to own a late model 2ltr in the early 90's. Great car but too much body roll for my liking. The Alfetta sedan was a better balanced car in my opinion.
Bear in mind that, back then, the awful working relations at Alfa Romeo caused some unwanted variability in the quality of the cars. It's not unheard of that one car handled better than another seemingly identical one... I've found it mentioned more than once in period road tests.
There was also a turbo diesel model. I think that Fiat produced the engine.
I know. The engine had nothing to do with Fiat though: it had been designed and manufactured by VM Motori.
@@Matteo_Licata I am surprised you did not mention it.
@@adampowell5376 The answer is in the title: it says "why I love the Giulietta" rather than "the complete history." I haven't mentioned all variants, and I plan to return to this model when I'll get to film some interesting variants of it.
I understand the need for body refreshments every few years, but IMHO the last version's rear end is much less good-looking than the first gen, with its added grey panels under the lovely, distinctive yet discreet taillights. Gen 1 all the way, despite the absence of the 2.0!
Well, there are first-gen 2.0 cars. Those were available (but not in Italy) from 1980. In 1981 Italy got the 2.0 engine in the limited-run "Super" version
Sorry to all Alfa Romeo enthusiasts here, but truth to be told, the wedge design was firstly used by Triumph with TR7 in 1975 (Designer : Harris Man, chief stylist at British Leyland). The Press hated the design, and found it ugly. It is funny how history proved them wrong, and many cars embrace even today this style!
At no point in the video (and neither in my book, of course!) I ever claim that the Giulietta was "first" in any way. Wedges became a wide industry trend during the 70s and 80s... With varying aesthetic results. The TR7 wasn't a looker, I agree.
@@Matteo_Licata i was not implying you said that. I just noted that Triumph is known to have used the wedge design first -as far as i know, and very succesfully with the TR7. The Press mocked it, but history shoes now that it was very innovative and nice looking car. This is why the wedge design has been heavily used from other automakers even in our days. "the shape of things to come" as the ad said, could not be more correct.
@@Kerveros1904 While Triumph's TR7 certainly is one of the most famous "wedges," the design trend started much earlier, with the Bertone prototypes Carabo, Stratos and Runabout. Harris Mann wasn't there first, but he certainly was on-trend :)
@@Matteo_Licata i never said that triumph introduced the wedge design in the world. i said that triumph introduced earlier than alfa romeo the wedge design. and we are talking about mainstream cars. we do not need to google in order to find out about 'carabo'. we all know famous wedge designs from supercars such as countach or de lorean from the start of the 70s. Triumph introduced the design to the mainstream market and earlier than alfa romeo. I understand that younare a big fan of italian designers, i am a fan too, many triumphs were designed by Michelotti, including my car, but my statement had to do comparing alfa romeo and triumph and who introduced wedge design first for the masses. (triumph and alfa romeo never produced supercars)
@@Kerveros1904 The comment section of a TH-cam video is perhaps a space too limited to have such a wide-ranging conversation... We'd need a table and beer! Yes, the concept cars from Bertone and Pininfarina weren't for sale, but they influenced what the mainstream would become in the following years. It's not that "I like" Italian designers, it's simply that Italian design houses, back then, set the trends for the industry. Of course, their influence waned to nothing by the time the 90s were out, but in the 70s the "carrozzerie" still reigned supreme :)
Honestly I never liked it, the strange shape didn't appeal to me at all, and it's strange because I have always loved the 75 that after all was not so different.
Because of my age I remember them used by Police and Carabinieri together with Alfetta (in the same period the Vigili Urbani in my town had still some FIAT 128)... perhaps I am not a teenager anymore.
This is an italian speaking english 🙂
Yes indeed. Proudly Italian, but speaking the world's language to spread our motoring history far and wide :)
Same wheel base as a Fiat Punto (2.51)
Didn't know that :)
Not the best Alfa of all time in terms of design. Maybe it has some DNA in common with the phase1 166...
Well done
Thank you!