Alfa Romeo Sprint GT (Veloce)

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Alfa Romeo Giulia GT Coupé
Alfa Romeo GT Junior Alfa Romeo GT Junior
Manufacturer Alfa Romeo
Also called Bertone Coupe
105-Series Coupé
Production 1963–1977
Assembly Italy (1965-1977)
South Africa
Predecessor Alfa Romeo Giulietta Coupé
Successor Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT, GTV & GTV6
Class Sports Car
Body style(s) 2+2 Coupé
2+2 Cabriolet
Layout FR layout
Engine(s) Straight-4
Transmission(s) 5-speed Manual
Wheelbase 2350 mm (92.5 in)
Fuel capacity 55 L (15 US gal/12 imp gal)
Related Alfa Romeo Giulia Saloon
Designer Bertone

The Alfa Romeo 105 series Coupé is a car made by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo from 1963 until 1977. It was the successor to the celebrated Giulietta Coupé and used the shortened floorpan from the Giulia Berlina car. The car variants included the Giulia Sprint GT (Grand Touring), Giulia GTA (Lightweight), Giulia Sprint GTC (convertible), Giulia Sprint GT Veloce (Veloce is Italian for "quick"), - GT 1300 Junior, 1750 GT Veloce, GTA 1300 Junior, 1300 Junior Zagato, 1600 Junior Zagato, 2000 GT Veloce, GT 1600 Junior and the Giulia GTAm (Autodelta racing version of the GTA)[1].

All models have four cylinder, Alfa Romeo Twin Cam engine with two valves per cylinder and a 5-speed manual transmission as well as disc brakes are on all four wheels. The rear suspension uses a beam axle with coil springs. Air conditioning was also a dealer-installed option. A limited slip rear differential was also standard on the later cars. The body shape was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro for Bertone.

Although not commonly thought of as a Giulia Sprint GT variant, the Alfa Romeo Montreal used a strengthened and slightly modified floorpan and suspension setup from the Giulia Sprint GT.

Contents

[edit] Giulia Sprint GT (1963–1966) - Tipo 105.02

The Giulia Sprint GT vehicles manufactured from 1963 to 1968. They can be characterized by the following features:

  • Bertone "step front" body design (the leading edge of the hood/bonnet sat 1/4 an inch above the front nosepiece)
  • 2 headlights
  • small single piece chrome bumpers
  • A chrome criss-cross grille
  • The heart grille has 6 bars
  • small tail-lights
  • "Giulia sprint GT" badging on bootlid without Alfa roundel
  • two side-draft Weber or Dellorto carburettors, and typically a 1570 cc engine displacement (78 mm bore x 82 mm stroke, 6.38l oil sump, 7.41l radiator)
  • minimalist interiors
  • No rear sway bar
  • flat panel dash in crackle dark grey
  • 15" steel wheels with chrome hubcap w/ small black ring
  • dunlop brakes

31,955 Sprint GTs were produced

[edit] Giulia Sprint GTC (1964-1966) - Tipo 105.25 (right hand drive: Tipo 105.29)

The GTC is a Cabriolet version produced in very limited numbers making them rare today with a total production of 1000 in right and left hand drive versions. The body modification was carried out by Carrozeria Touring of Milan.

[edit] GT 1300 Junior (1965-1977) - Tipo 105.30 (right hand drive: Tipo 105.31) & GT 1300 Junior Zagato (1970-?) Tipo: 105.93

GT 1300 Junior
GT 1300 Junior
GT 1300 Junior
Manufacturer Alfa Romeo
Production 1965–1977
Class front-engined coupe
Engine(s) 1290 cc I4
Alfa Romeo Junior Zagato
Alfa Romeo Junior Zagato

The entry model to the Alfa Romeo Giulia coupe range was the GT 1300 Junior. It was introduced in 1965 as the replacement for the series 101 Giulia Sprint 1300, which was the final development of the Giulietta Sprint series.

The GT 1300 Junior was fitted with the 1300 (1290 cc) twin cam engine (74 mm bore x 75 mm stroke), twin carbs, as fitted to the Giulietta series cars, but revised for the 105 series with reduced port sizes and other modifications. The smaller engine was introduced in order to benefit from Italian tax laws based on engine size.

Together with the Giulia (Berlina) 1300 Ti, the GT 1300 Junior pioneered the use of ATE disk brakes as later fitted throughout the 105 series, replacing the Dunlop disks on earlier cars. The first few GT 1300 Juniors lacked a brake servo, which was fitted as standard from 1967 onwards.

The performance was low-end compared to others in its model line, with a total of 90 bhp. Despite this, the 1300 Junior's top speed was 100 mph with a 0-60 in 12.6 seconds. In 1968 the 1300 Junior was revised and used many of the parts from the 1750 GTV, including the dashboard and suspension, but retained the early "step-front" body style. In 1971 the car was revised a second time, and received the same bodyshell as the 1750 GTV but with only two headlights. In 1974 the car was revised a third time and unified with the 2000 GTV, sharing most of the interior and exterior features. The 1300 Junior has a tight suspension and weighed in at 2050 lbs. Because of this, the 1300 Junior would often go onto three wheels. Production totalled 80623 units.

[edit] Giulia Sprint GT Veloce - or GTV - (1965-1968) - Tipo 105.36 (right hand drive: Tipo 105.37)

Giulia Sprint GT Veloce
Giulia Sprint GT Veloce

The Sprint GT Veloce variant (commonly known as 1600 GTV) continued with the same engine capacity and the stepnose body as the Sprint GT. Other features include:

  • Minor modifications to the engine for +3 hp and improved driveability
  • 3 horizontal bars on grille backed by black mesh.
  • same flat panel dash but with imitation woodgrain instead of grey crackle
  • "Veloce" script badge on rear panel, other badging as per Giulia Sprint GT
  • Green quadrifoglio (cloverleaf) on ivory background C-pillar ornament
  • front seats revised to wrap a little on the edges
  • New interior trim materials and colour choices
  • heart grille has 7 bars instead of 6
  • two piece front bumper and three piece rear in stainless steel instead of chromed mild steel one piece items
  • Later models replaced Dunlop disk brakes with ATE disk brakes as pioneered on the GT 1300 Junior in 1966.

A total of 14,240 were made before production finished.

[edit] Giulia Sprint GTA (1965–1969) - Tipo 105.32 (right hand drive: Tipo 105.34) & GTA 1300 Junior (1968-1973) - Tipo 105.59

Main article: Alfa Romeo GTA
GTA 1300 Junior
GTA 1300 Junior

The GTA model retained the external form of the Giulia Sprint GT, but was constructed with aluminum external panels, while the GT model used steel panels, with the 'A' standing for "Allegerita", Italian for lightweight. The engine was based on that of the standard 1600 cc car with a new, twin-plug head and Weber 45DCOE carburettors. The GTA was first produced in 1965 as a 1600 and later also as the GTA 1300 Junior version. The GTA 1300 Junior's engine was not based on the standard 1300 cc motor but was instead a GTA engine with a shorter stroke (67.5 instead of 82 mm).

[edit] 1750 GT Veloce (1967-1971) - Tipo 105.44 (right hand drive: Tipo 105.45)

1750 GT Veloce (GTV)
Alfa Romeo Giulia GTV Alfa Romeo Giulia GTV
Production 1967-1971
Body style(s) 2-door coupé
Engine(s) 1779 cc I4

The 1750 GTV coupe introduced in 1967 along with the 1750 Berlina sedan. fuel injected on the engines for American emission laws that were introduced at the time, while remaining with carburettors for other markets. The 1750 model had the engine capacity increased to 1779 cc displacement (80 mm bore x 88.5 mm stroke, 6.61l oil capacity, 9.58l radiator capacity). Peak power from the engine was increased to 122 bhp (91 kW) at 5500 rpm. The stroke was lengthend from 82 to 88.5 mm over the 1600 engine, and a reduced rev limit from 7000 rpm to 6000 rpm. Maximum torque was increased to 137 lb·ft (186 N·m) at 3000 rpm and a higher ratio final drive is fitted as well as larger tyres at 165-14. ATE disk brakes were fitted from the outset, but with bigger front disks and calipers than the ones fitted to GT 1300 Juniors and late Giulia Sprint GT Veloces.

The 1750 GTV had the same coupe body as the previous Giulia Sprint GTV, although the GTV featured four headlamps and less fussy external trim details. The "stepped" hood of the earlier Giulia Sprint GT, GTC, GTA and early GT 1300 Juniors was eliminated with this model. The 1750 GTV shared its mechanical items and layout with the saloon, although it had an overall shorter wheel-base. As with the other Alfa coupe models the GTV offered 2+2 accommodation and fairly basic equipment.

The interior was much modified over that of earlier cars. There was a new dashboard with new, large speedometer and tachometer instruments in twin binnacles closer to the driver's line of sight and mounted at a more conventional angle, avoiding the reflections caused by the upward angled flat dash of earlier cars. Conversely, auxiliary instruments were moved to angled bezels in the centre console, further from the driver's line of sight than before. The new seats introduced adjustable headrests which merged with the top of the seat when fully down.

The series 2 1750 GTV of 1970 introduced other mechanical changes such as a split braking system. The brake and clutch pedals on left hand drive cars were also of an improved pendant design, instead of the earlier floor-hinged type. On right hand drive cars the floor-hinged pedals were retained as there was no space for the pedal box behind the carburettors.

Externally, the series 2 1750 GTV is identified by slimmer bumpers with front and rear overriders. The interior was slightly modified, with the seats retaining the same basic outline but following a simpler design.

44,276 1750 GTVs were made before their replacement came along[2].

[edit] 2000 GT Veloce (1971-1976) - Tipo 105.21 (right hand drive: Tipo 105.22)

2000 GT Veloce (GTV)
Alfa Romeo Giulia GTV Alfa Romeo Giulia GTV
Production 1971-1976
Body style(s) 2-door coupé
Engine(s) 1962 cc I4

The final 2000 GTV model introduced in 1971 had the engine displacement increased to 1962 cc displacement with a change of the bore and stroke to 84 mm x 88.5 mm with unchanged oil and radiator capacities. The engine produced 132 bhp (98 kW) at 5500 rpm with the SPICA fuel injection. The interior trim was also changed, with the most notable differences being the introduction of a single instrument cluster, instead of the gauges installed in the dash panel in earlier cars.37,459 2000 GTVs were made before production ended[3].

1972 GTV in a vintage race at Watkins Glen International.
1972 GTV in a vintage race at Watkins Glen International.

[edit] GT 1600 Junior (1972-1976) - Tipo 115.03 (from 1974: tipo 115.34 - right hand drive: Tipo 105.05)

1600 Junior Zagato
1600 Junior Zagato

In 1972 the GT 1600 Junior was introduced with the engine enlarged to 1570 cc. The 1600GT Junior was intended to plug the gap between the 1300GT and larger 2000 GTV. The engine was substantially the same as that of the Giulia Sprint GTV discontinued four years previously, and had the same engine type number.

The GT 1600 Junior featured the pretty bodyshell shared with the rest of the range, with the same single-headlamp treatment and general features as the GT1300 Junior.

From 1974 on, the GT 1300 Junior and GT 1600 Junior was unified with the 2000 GTV and the only exterior differences were no bumper over-riders, lack of C-pillar green serpent badges, and a 1600GT Junior badge on the boot. Apart from the engine there were also some mechanical differences from the 1750 GTV and the 2000 GTV such as smaller front brakes and a different differential ratio. [4].

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Fusi, "Numbering of Alfa Romeo Cars from 1910 to 1972"
  2. ^ Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT/Sprint GT Veloce/GTC. Motorbase. Retrieved on 2007-01-23.
  3. ^ Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT/Sprint GT Veloce/GTC. Motorbase. Retrieved on 2007-01-23.
  4. ^ Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT/Sprint GT Veloce/GTC. Motorbase. Retrieved on 2007-01-23.

[edit] References

  • Alfa Romeo Giulia Coupe GT and GTA, John Tipler, ISBN 1-903706-47-5
  • Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior Instruction Book, Alfa Romeo
  • Alfa Romeo Giulia, GT, Spider Owners Workshop Manual, Autobooks, ISBN 0-85146-128-X
  • Alfa Romeo Production Cars 1910-1966, Stefano d' Amico and Maurizio Tabuchi, Giorgio Nada Editore, ISBN 88-7911-167-1

[edit] External links

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