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Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV, Bertone, 1969

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Significance
Technology
Production
Aesthetics

Location:
St. Michaels Concours d'Elegance, 2021

Owner: Fred Zell | St. Michaels, Maryland

Prologue:

Image Source: Nikon D750 (24.3 MP)

Catching the 1750 GT Veloce means tying up loose ends, or at least avoiding regret, as over the years of photographing Alfa Romeo cars I lament a couple that got away. There is a 1956 1900 Coupe by Touring, a striking black and yellow car I spotted online at the well known California-based Fantasy Junction dealer, then saw in the flesh twice over the next few weeks after it crossed the country with its new owner. I even chatted with the man. But I lost those photos. Then there was an inadequately photographed 6C 2500 SS, another Touring creation, and one I'd love to dive into. But I can't reconcile the old stock with present standards. Spotting a 1750 GTV does not make up for lost opportunities, but rather presents its own. These are among the late-model enthusiast cars that have surged recently for the pedigree of the marque, and wherever the word 'veloce' appears, special interest follows.

References:

MotorSport Magazine: Marriott, Andrew, "The Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV," MotorSport, Volume XLIV, No.10, p.22-24. This most inspiring source can be read online, with more detail than we need retain.
Hemmings: LaChance, David, "Tech: Spica Fuel Injection," Hemming's Motor News, April, 2013. A nice summary of the Spica mechanical fuel injection system.
Wikipedia: Offers a nice description of the GT Veloce within the Tipo 105 production lineage.
UltimateSpecs: We pull partly specifications from this entry, as it pertains to a carbureted version, and does not include detail on the platform or suspension.
RM Auctions: A lovely 1969 car, carbureted, with Campagnolo wheels.

The enthusiast's choice, the Tipo 105 developed along the lines of the Giulia Sprint GT, Giulia Sprint GT Veloce, and their Giulia Sprint GTA counterparts. In fact, Alfa Romeo turned to the GTA program rather than develop the T-Zed program. Good as the TZ2 had been, the GTA's production-based design allowed Alfa Romeo to go racing in cars closely related to mass-production models, a strategy that also offered privateers greater opportunity to participate.

By 1967, the 1750 GT Veloce replaced the Giulia Sprint GT Veloce as the speedy coupe among a trio of new 1750 cars, rounded out by a berlina and a spider. Production volume increased, and the 1750 became mainstay competition for the Jaguar E-Type, Porsche 911, Lancia Fulvia, Lotus Elite, and BMW 02, enduring for seven years in 1750 GTV configuration, and a full decade with the subsequent 2000 GTV, (production of which overlapped the 1750).

As a late-model production car, (at least in the context of our portfolio), I find it tricky to measure the 1750 GT Veloce. These are cars that, perhaps a short while ago, could offer enthusiasts visceral satisfaction, a connection to the Alfa Romeo story, at a fraction of the cost. Those days are now gone. The quadrifoglio badging on the C-pillars is enough to excite the market.

Period style, classic Italian pods behind a beautiful wood-rimmed wheel, and Bertone written on the flanks, each feature emphasizes the 1750's kinship among the more illustrious racing houses of the post-War era. (To say nothing about the nostalgic 1750 moniker.) So while its value has always been roadholding and responsiveness, a GT Veloce might find itself as often on lawns than roads these days.

For a better judgment of what the 1750 GT Veloce is about, see the MotorSport review from 1968, referenced in the Resources section, which details an 1,100-mile trip through Ireland with the car. Most interesting is the report of an average 26 miles-per-gallon, accomplished while carrying three adults and luggage for the duration of the trip, including spirited driving.

Beginning in 1969, US-spec GT Veloce cars received Spica mechanical fuel injection, indicated by the 'Iniezione' script across the tail. In response to US emissions regulations, the Spica unit allowed Alfa to keep horsepower right about level with its European-spec carbureted cars. In the aftermarket, many owners converted fuel-injected cars to the European Weber 40DCOE carburetors. But, as the classics market grew and support increased for early fuel-injection systems, maintenance became less problematic, made worthwhile by scarcity of survivorship and the intrigue of running an early fuel-injected car.

Three Boxes: The Italian Take on Three-Box Architecture

Not so much the stark three-box architectural exercise as its German counterparts, Alfa retains the classical elegance expected of an Italian GT. A simple panel crease circumnavigates the car, but creates a gentle bow along the shoulders, almost like an inverted leafspring. The bow ends in a tapered ducktail. These tail-below-nose proportions mimic Bertone's Sprint Speciale, an aesthetic meant to plant the tail neatly on the pavement while providing the nose a leaping attack at the wind—aerodynamic thinking, though greatly simplified by the close of the decade. High rear wheel arches cut into the aesthetic, but balance the profile.

Updated Fascia: Nose Evolution from the Giulia to the 1750

The 1750 reconfigured Alfa's Giulia nose, removing the venerated step-nose bonnet and trading two headlamps for four. The grille treatment is also the simplest of any similar Alfa GT produced before or after, with a single horizontal chrome bar bisecting the Alfa shield. These components look good, though not as well integrated as the Giulia. Clean, but less the classic than the Giulia.

US Spec: Identification for the Export Version

First series 1750 cars bound for the US write 'Iniezione' across the tail, whereas the later cars write the word across the boot lid. Also note there is no external latch for the boot. Alfa moved the latch to the passenger door jamb and included a locking mechanism. Clever, apart from its location opposite the driver. More substantial guards and seat headrests also distinguish this car among the European version. The radio antenna is non-standard, though not unheard of for retrofitted cars.

GT Interior: Notes on the 1750 GT Cabin

As a boy, my father described driving cars with gear levers mounted on the center dash console. He meant Alfas comparable to his 1971 240Z, which shared the vinyl dual-pod layout Italy made famous in the 1960s. Better, the wood trim in the Alfa Romeo and angled meters above the lever. More interesting, the slatted spokes in the steering wheel fit the horn buttons, (not so much buttons as blades), which is somewhat unexpected. As MotorSport wrote in 1968, the horn "is so effectively disguised that it took some considerable time to discover," whereas the design does make the GTV's steering wheel a highly specific artefact.

Also note that the 1750 receives a 5-speed gearbox, helpful for long, high-speed travel, and it is a true 2+2. In its day, the GTV offered enough pace, space, style, and economy to carry three adults and their belongings without sacrificing any of the enthusiasm that would make them enthusiasts to start with.

Last Updated: Nov 2, 2024

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