The stunning Sprint Speciale coupe directly descended from Carrozzeria Bertone’s brilliant Bertone Aerodynamica Technica (BAT) design studies of the mid-1950s. With its extremely low drag coefficient of 0.29, it was aimed at competition, and a limited number were produced to meet FIA homologation rules.

The Speciale utilized lightweight construction that had been built on the chassis of the popular Giulietta Spider, and it came with a domed roofline and gracefully peaked fenders. The Giulietta’s sturdy 1,300-cc, all-alloy, four-cylinder engine was fitted with a pair of Weber side-draught carburetors, and it could produce a healthy 116 horsepower. This was enough power to push the slippery two-seater coupe to almost 125 mph, considerably faster than its conventionally bodied Giulietta Sprint coupe and spider siblings. The unique plastic air deflector mounted ahead of the windscreen, which was more commonly seen on competition Ferraris of the era, added to the car’s racy flavor.

It is estimated that no more than 1,366 Sprint Speciales were produced between 1957 and 1962, in both Giulietta and larger-engined Giulia form.

The example offered here was restored several years ago in its beautiful shade of dark blue, with a complementary soft grey interior piped in red accents, and red carpeting. The level of detail and finish throughout is impressive, with the paint still having an excellent shine, and the upholstery appearing tight and fresh. Furthermore, the car has a fine appearance of authenticity, with what appear to be the original serial number tags, body, and chassis number stampings, and the original engine under the hood. At the time of cataloguing, the odometer recorded 37,476 miles.

This is an excellent example of one of the most desirable Italian sports cars of its era.