By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
The Auto Magazine
  • Home
  • Auto Shows
    Auto ShowsShow More
    BMW and Alvaro Barrington celebrate hydrogen mobility at Art Basel in Basel 2025
    June 18, 2025
    MHB DEALER EXPO 2025 – A Premier Automotive Networking Experience
    June 17, 2025
    Entries Open for The Cape 1000 – South Africa’s Most Beautiful Drive Returns for 2026
    June 10, 2025
    Ulterio Motiv Toyota Land Cruiser 6×6 and 6×4 to invade Land Cruiser Festival
    June 3, 2025
    Maserati enthrals at FuoriConcorso with GT2 Stradale and MCXtrema
    May 14, 2025
  • Bikes
    BikesShow More
    Desmo450 MX: Production of the first Ducati Motocross bike begins
    May 28, 2025
    25YM Honda NC750X
    May 13, 2025
    BMW Motorrad presents the new BMW R 1300 RS
    May 2, 2025
    BMW Motorrad presents the new BMW R 1300 RT
    April 30, 2025
    Honda NC750X Named Winner in 2025 Red Dot Design Award
    April 10, 2025
  • News
    NewsShow More
    Kia EV3 wins Car of the Year at 2025 Autotrader Awards
    June 23, 2025
    Porsche 963 cars raise 600,000 euros in Le Mans towards Racing for Charity
    June 20, 2025
    50 Years of BMW Art Cars and the BMW 3 Series at the BMW Museum
    June 20, 2025
    Ford Performance Returns to Pikes Peak with Electric Super Mustang Mach-E Demonstrator
    June 20, 2025
    Winners of ISUZU AI Innovation Challenge 2024 announced
    June 18, 2025
  • Concepts
    ConceptsShow More
    TOYOTA GAZOO Racing unveils liquid hydrogen-fueled “GR LH2 Racing Concept” at Le Mans
    June 11, 2025
    FIAT unveils the manifesto Grande Panda 4×4
    May 20, 2025
    Renault 4 Savane 4×4 Concept makes its global debut at Roland-Garros 2025
    May 16, 2025
    Hyundai Motor and Plus Unveil Concept for Autonomous Hydrogen Freight Ecosystem at ACT Expo 202
    May 2, 2025
    Hyundai Motor Unveils the new IONIQ 6 and IONIQ 6 N Line
    April 5, 2025
  • Interviews
    InterviewsShow More
    24-hour race at Le Mans, the Nürburgring and Spa – triple marathon for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport
    June 10, 2025
    Kosmas “Dudie” Mamaloukos – The Formidable Racing Talent
    May 15, 2025
    Hi-Range Safari City
    Hi-Range Safari City – The Premier outfitter for 4×4 customization
    May 15, 2025
    BEHIND THE SCENES: ARCHIE RUTHERFORD ON WHAT IT TAKES TO BRING THE W2RC TO SOUTH AFRICA
    May 9, 2025
    Europe and China’s automotive future in a shifting global order
    May 5, 2025
  • EVs
    EVsShow More
    Polestar 3 OTA update introduces new Abbey Road Studios Mode exclusively for Bowers & Wilkins audio system
    June 18, 2025
    No Compromise Ford Ranger PHEV Brings Electric Power to Europe’s Best-Selling Pickup
    June 18, 2025
    Scania launches MCS rapid charging solution at EVS38
    June 18, 2025
    Ford Begins Capri and Explorer Battery Pack Assembly in Cologne
    June 17, 2025
    Special Envoy Launches XPress – SA’s First Full EV Courier Fleet
    June 11, 2025
  • Motosport
    MotosportShow More
    BMW M4 GT3 EVO celebrates its first win of the season at the Six Hours of the Glen
    June 23, 2025
    24h Nürburgring: Mercedes-AMG without racing luck at the Eifel classic
    June 23, 2025
    Commanding performance by Škoda at Rally Poland
    June 20, 2025
    Nissan Formula E Team ready for Jakarta return as Season 11 enters closing stages
    June 20, 2025
    Martin Prokop Becomes First Privateer for Ford Raptor T1+
    June 18, 2025
  • Trucks & Buses
    Trucks & BusesShow More
    Scania launches MCS rapid charging solution at EVS38
    June 18, 2025
    Daimler Truck and Volvo Group launch Coretura
    June 17, 2025
    Volvo Trucks launches upgraded Volvo Dynamic Steering system to increase road safety
    June 17, 2025
    MAN starts series production of electric trucks
    June 17, 2025
    UD Trucks Southern Africa celebrates dealers breaking barriers at 2025 awards ceremony
    June 11, 2025
  • Reviews
    ReviewsShow More
    Introducing the Land Cruiser Hybrid 48V: a new powertrain for Toyota’s legendary SUV
    June 23, 2025
    THE NEW HAVAL H6 SUV IS HERE, AND IT’S BUILT FOR BIG MOMENTS!
    June 18, 2025
    THE NEW PEUGEOT E-208 GTi MORE PLEASURE. MORE GTi THAN EVER!
    June 17, 2025
    New BMW XM options: maximum exclusivity and breathtaking performance.
    June 12, 2025
    The Audi Q5 e-hybrid: all-rounder with great electric range
    June 11, 2025
  • Tech
    TechShow More
    New Kia App provides European drivers with a unified digital experience
    June 17, 2025
    Abbey Road Studios Mode makes global debut in Volvo EX90
    June 17, 2025
    Audi develops the picking process of the future
    June 2, 2025
    Volvo EX90 LiDAR and smartphone cameras: What you need to know
    June 2, 2025
    VNC Automotive Partners with P3 to Enhance the SPARQ OS Platform
    May 29, 2025
Hot News
Introducing the Land Cruiser Hybrid 48V: a new powertrain for Toyota’s legendary SUV
BMW M4 GT3 EVO celebrates its first win of the season at the Six Hours of the Glen
24h Nürburgring: Mercedes-AMG without racing luck at the Eifel classic
Kia EV3 wins Car of the Year at 2025 Autotrader Awards
Commanding performance by Škoda at Rally Poland
Latest News

The Kia EV4 Fuses Innovation and Exploration with Exterior Design Unveiling Ahead of World Premiere

Latest News

Porsche AG to gradually increase its stake in IT consultancy MHP to 100%

Motosport

TOUGH START FOR TGRSA CREWS AT SOUTH AFRICAN SAFARI RALLY OPENER

Latest News

Stellantis Delivers Full Year 2024 Results

Font ResizerAa
The Auto MagazineThe Auto Magazine
  • Home
  • Auto Shows
  • Bikes
  • News
  • Concepts
  • Interviews
  • EVs
  • Motosport
  • Trucks & Buses
  • Reviews
  • Tech
Search
  • Home
  • Auto Shows
  • Bikes
  • News
  • Concepts
  • Interviews
  • EVs
  • Motosport
  • Trucks & Buses
  • Reviews
  • Tech
Follow US
Crafted by Intellegere Media. © 2024 The Auto Magazine. All rights reserved.
Latest News

The innovative and sporty Giulietta Berlina turns 70

Itumeleng Garebatshabe
Last updated: April 23, 2025 11:47
By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
185 Views
11 Min Read
Share
11 Min Read
SHARE
  • Presented on April 20th, 1955 at the Turin Motor Show, the Giulietta Berlina marked Alfa Romeo’s definitive transition from custom to industrial production, bringing style and sporting technology to Italians’ everyday lives.
  • With over 130,000 models produced between 1955 and 1964, the Giulietta Berlina redefined the concept of the mid-size car, essentially creating the premium and high-performance category.
  • Equipped with cutting-edge solutions for the time, including a 1290 cc, twin-camshaft aluminum engine, the Giulietta was the first mass-produced saloon with these mechanical features and characteristics.
  • An Italian pop-culture icon, the Giulietta made cameos in cult films such as Dino Risi’s Opiate ’67, appeared on the first cover of Quattroruote magazine in February 1965, and was celebrated by huge stars like Giulietta Masina.
     

On April 20th, 1955 at the Turin Motor Show, Alfa Romeo introduced the Giulietta Berlina, a vehicle destined to change the Italian automotive industry forever. Elegant, technologically advanced, affordable, and sporty, the Giulietta Berlina embodied the dream of an entire generation and went on to become a symbol of Italy’s economic boom. Exactly 70 years on, Stellantis Heritage and Alfa Romeo are paying homage to a model which marked a definitive transition from custom to industrial production. It all began with 1900, but the Giulietta led Alfa Romeo into the future, taking the brand’s technical prowess to an industrial level.

Roberto Giolito, Head of Heritage Stellantis, stated: “The Giulietta Berlina brought Alfa Romeo’s sporty DNA to the everyday lives of Italians, bringing fine engineering and aspirations within the reach of an emerging middle class. This model was able to blend the prestige of the Biscione’s sporty vehicles with the functionality of a family car, establishing itself as a symbol of progress and rebirth in Post-War Italy.”

- Advertisement -
Ad image


At the beginning of the Fifties, Alfa Romeo—fresh off winning two consecutive Formula 1 titles with the Alfetta driven by Farina in 1950 and Fangio in 2951—felt the need to expand its production and reach to a larger audience whilst preserving its style, technology, and high performance. With this in mind, the Giulietta was born: a compact, modern, and affordable car which was capable of maintaining the competitive and refined spirit of the Biscione’s vehicles. However, surprisingly, it was the Giulietta Sprint coupé, and not the saloon, which debuted first at the Turin Motor Show in 1954. Designed by Franco Scaglione for Bertone, the Sprint—a high-performance compact coupé with an engine under 1500 cc—received an overwhelmingly positive reception.

Notably, the same designer created the“2000 Sportiva” from the same period, the later “Giulietta Sprint Speciale”, and the incredible 1967 “33 Stradale”. On the heels of the success of the 1900, Alfa Romeo presented a smaller coupé with superior performance at the 1954 Turin Motor Show. This would mark the Biscione’s debut in the compact category—engines under 1500 cc—and be the first time a coupé was presented before a saloon. 

Alfa Romeo used the charm and sportiness of the Sprint to create a buzz for the arrival of the Giulietta Berlina, to be released the following year, and planned for a limited production run. However, the reception the Giulietta Sprint received changed everything. After the Turin Motor Show, Alfa Romeo dealers were taken by storm and the Giulietta Sprint was an instant commercial hit, leading Alfa Romeo to speed up the development of the saloon. Thus, on April 20th, 2995, the Giulietta Berlina made its debut, marking the first time that such a powerful compact model was packaged as a family vehicle.

Following the 1900, the Milan-based company had developed its concept of a normal-sized sporty saloon. Alfa Romeo called it “the family car which wins races”. Capable of breaking records in the hands of gentlemen drivers and future champions, its slogan stated that “mom also drives it”. Thus, a new era began and Alfa Romeo was a pioneer of the concept of “sporty driving within everyone’s reach.”

It could be argued that the Giulietta invented a new class of 1300-cc vehicles which was destined to become a European standard. Not to mention that there were no mass-produced saloons in the world which could match the Giulietta’s mechanics and performance. That’s why it was a gamechanger. And, as proof of Alfa Romeo’s legacy, this model still holds up after all these years. Specifically, the design was developed by the Ufficio Stile Alfa Romeo and references elements of the Sprint on the front in anticipation of the future lineup’s aesthetic identity—what today we call the “family feeling”. Technically advanced, the Giulietta made use of state-of-the-art solutions for the time. For example, there was a 1290 cc, twin-camshaft engine under the hood which supplied 53 hp and reached a top speed of 140 km/h, which was incredible for the time, thanks to its low weight of 870 kg. The Giulietta’s refined engine was made out of aluminum (an absolute first for the motoring world) as was the gearbox and differential casing. The cylinder liners are press-fitted in special cast iron. The valve system was a twin overhead cam configuration (unique for a small power unit at that time) while the crankshaft was mounted on five bearings.

The rear-wheel drive car was also noteworthy for its gear shift on the steering wheel (a clutch lever became available as an alternative in 1957) and the pull-on handbrake located beneath the facia to the left of the steering wheel. The front suspension was also independent with coil springs, wishbones and a stabilizer bar. The rear suspension was independent with coil springs, upper wishbones and struts. Braking was assured by four drums produced using a special Alfa Romeo casting procedure.

It is also worth noting that the production of the Giulietta Berlina also marked a turning point for Alfa Romeo. Although mass production began with the 1900, the Giulietta was the vehicle that transformed the Portello plant into a modern factory. At the beginning of the Fifties, the Milan plant was still set up for custom production, unable to churn out more than 50 vehicles a day. With the Giulietta, and the interventions of Austrian engineer Rudolf sHruska, the entire process was redesigned: new assembly lines were created, workflow was reorganized, and the production phases were streamlined. In just a few years, Portello was capable of producing up to 200 cars a day, quadrupling its capacity. This quantitative evolution went hand in hand with a cultural one: Alfa Romeo was no longer just an elite brand, but a leader in the European automotive industry.

The Giulietta became part of the Italian collective imagination and an icon of style and progress. It appeared in films like Dino Risi’s Opiate ’67 next to movie stars such as Marcello Mastroianni, Sophia Loren and Vittorio Gassman. In 1960, model 100,001 was famously celebrated by Fellini’s muse, Giulietta Masina, further solidifying the car’s connection to Italian culture. Interestingly, in yet another example of its technical and symbolic importance, the Giulietta Berlina appeared on the first cover of Quattroruote magazine in February 1956. The very name “Giulietta” is part of its legend, with two competing versions which attest to its origin. One states that the idea came from Madame De Cousandier, the wife of the poet Leonardo Sinisgalli; while the other tells of a Russian prince who, while at an event in Paris in 1950, addressed Alfa Romeo managers with a joke: “There are eight Romeos among you and not one Juliet?”. Four years later, the first-born Giulietta Sprint was introduced, followed by countless other versions over the years like the Berlina, the Spider designed by Pininfarina with the USA market in mind (like the Sprint, available also in the Veloce version), the Sprint Speciale designed by Bertone once again, and the Giulietta SZ by Zagato. There would even be a station wagon called the Promiscua. From 1954 to 1965, 177,690 Giulietta vehicles were produced across all versions, including 130,000 Berlina.

In short, unprecedented performance, track-inspired driving dynamics, and an unmistakable design not only make the Giulietta a cornerstone of Alfa Romeo history, but also make it a symbol of Italian identity which is capable of combining technology and poetry, speed and grace, dream and reality. And its legacy would be passed on to the equally legendary Giulia, which perfected the Giulietta’s features in terms of performance and innovation and carried on with the Alfa Romeo tradition of creating compact cars for a higher segment.

TAGGED:Alfa RomeoGiulietta BerlinaTurin Motor Show

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Stay Updated! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Share This Article
Facebook Whatsapp Whatsapp LinkedIn VKontakte Telegram Email Copy Link Print
Share
ByItumeleng Garebatshabe
Editor
Follow:
Itumeleng is the Managing Editor of The Auto Magazine. He is a tech and car enthusiast

Follow US

FacebookLike
XFollow
InstagramFollow
YoutubeSubscribe
TiktokFollow
TelegramFollow
Google NewsFollow
LinkedInFollow
- Advertisement -
Ad imageAd image

You Might Also Like

Latest News

Andrea Pallard Appointed Responsible for Global Alfa Romeo and Maserati Communications

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
November 12, 2024
Latest News

Alfa Romeo Accelerates with Robust Q1 2025 Performance

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
May 5, 2025
Motosport

Alfa Romeo celebrates 100 years of the legendary Quadrifoglio in Formula 1

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
June 17, 2023
Latest News

Alfa Romeo unveils new INTENSA special series

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
February 25, 2025
Latest News

Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, star of the “New Car of the Year 2024” contest

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
February 1, 2024
Latest News

Alfa Romeo 33, a star once more, this time at the iconic “Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este”

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
May 22, 2023

The Auto Magazine

  • Advertise
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookie Policy
  • Bikes
  • Electric Vehicles
  • Trucks & Buses
  • Auto Shows
  • Latest News
  • Motosport

Made by Intellegere Media. All rights reserved. 2023

Don't not sell my personal information
Join Us!
Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news, podcasts etc.

Zero spam, Unsubscribe at any time.
adbanner