By the 1950s, Alfa Romeo had an enviable reputation as a manufacturer of incredibly successful racing cars and stunning road cars. This reputation was developed over successive decades and resulted in wins in the most iconic road races, including the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio. Alfa Romeo could also boast that the world’s best drivers, including Tazio Nuvolari, Giuseppe “Nino” Farina, and Juan Manuel Fangio, had won races in its cars.

It was with this backdrop that Alfa Romeo set the standard for meeting the high expectations of its customers. With each of its models very well received, the real stand-outs throughout its history were its glamorous convertibles, including the 6C 250 SS Spider.

In 1954, Alfa Romeo introduced the 1.3-litre Giulietta, establishing its reputation for producing small cars with “big performance”, and this reputation has continued to this day with the recently launched 4C. Such was the success of the Giulietta, whose introduction caused a sensation, that Alfa was forced to change its whole ethos and become, for the first time, a high-volume manufacturer.

Berlina and spider versions quickly joined the original Giulietta Sprint Coupé of 1954, and the spider benefitted from simple and elegant coachwork designed and built by Pinin Farina. In 750 series form, the Veloce Spider came with an up-rated engine that was equipped with dual Weber carburettors and could produce a healthy 90 brake horsepower, which was 10 horsepower higher than the standard engine. The Giulietta Veloce enjoys the honour of being the best performing and most developed open variant of the 1300 line.

The remarkable Giulietta Spider Veloce offered here was bought new through the Hoffman Motor Car Company, of New York, on 15 December 1958, and it comes with documentation from the Alfa Romeo Automobilismo Storico Centro Documentazione Department which confirms that it was manufactured just 12 days prior to its sale in New York. This fully restored Spider Veloce is presented in its original colour of Sky Blue, and it comes with its original engine, which has benefited from a thorough rebuild by a Paris-based workshop.

In confirmation of the wide variety of events of which a car of this quality and desirability is welcome, this Spider Veloce has recently completed the Modena Cento Ore Classic rally, which consisted of an exciting 1,000-kilometre journey across Italy on a route that incorporated two circuit races and 13 hill climbs on closed roads. This Spider Veloce has been fitted with a five-speed gearbox, to make it a little bit more sociable on long journeys, and therefore, it goes without saying that this Spider Veloce offers its next owner an excellent opportunity for spirited open touring. Since restoration, the car has only clocked 1,350 kilometres on its odometer.

This beautiful Giulietta Spider Veloce represents a rare occasion to acquire one of the most attractive and sought-after Alfa Romeos of its day, and one with fantastic performance no less.