By Hooniverse
I spotted this little Alfa across from an Italian restaurant and around the corner of the German battleship, in the trendy district of Clerkenwell. I was there to stake out a car made entirely from Play-Doh, but to no success. Clerkenwell is a small area, and a bright-blue Play-Doh car is hard to miss, so maybe the powers that be hid it from me in the most intricate manner (it’s in Thurrock this week, wherever that is). And I wasn’t even hungover, either. The sacrifices I make in the name of scientific curiosity (and for Hooniverse readers)!
Being the only car in the square that’s fire-engine red, this Alfa Romeo Giulietta is hard to miss. Seriously, every car around there was either white, silver, a darker silver, or dark blue, proving once and for all that Americans, Brits, and the Germans have all fallen under the evil spell of the monochrome.
This Nuova Giulietta features less sensuous curves than the first one, but certainly more power: this model features the 2.0-liter big block, pumping out 120 horsepower and a 0-60 of about 9 seconds. Later models could be had with turbo powah! and swanky Autodelta tuning, but it’s a rare beast: only 361 were produced, all with the same black exterior and bucket-o’-blood red seats. No Alfa red? Well, it was on the inside.
As long as you stayed away from the turbodiesel model, which moves to 60mph in about the same time it takes John Goodman to finish the 100-meter hurdles (19.4 seconds, or three days in normal time).
If any aspiring Don Drapers want to create an ad campaign for Italian cars, they could very well move this next to the Grey Lady around the corner. “Look how soul-less these other cars are!” some overly excited Italian man could shout. “And look at the Alfa! Such soul! Such passion! And such, etc, ad nauseaum.” I probably wouldn’t watch it, because I’d be too busy hunting down the Play-Doh car instead. It’s a way better adventure in advertising.
Antti Kautonen 
RoadworkUK
…Wow.
This thing sure isn't the prettiest Alfa I've ever seen.
Sometimes we forget that from the mid-seventies to the fall of the Berlin wall, Italy was part of the eastern bloc. Or at least so you'd think if you only saw family-car Fiats, Alfas, and Lancias from that time.
Separated at birth?
<img src="http://www.cartype.com/pics/3514/full/wartburg_newline_ad.jpg" width="600">
So are you in the UK right now? It's funny, I've got about 4 friends that went to UK to study abroad this year. My best friend is staying there through July.
I'd love to come visit this summer but work has me tied down. God I sound old. And I'm not even finished with my college degree yet…. *self-loathing*
Take a close look at the Giulietta and then look at this Alfa 75. Yep, the mid-section is the same. Alfa put on a new front and rear end to make the 75. We never saw the Giulietta in the US. From what I read, a good one was a very sweet-driving car. The problem was getting a good one…
<img src="http://en.alfaromeo-club.com/graphics/gallery/full/123_0111_06zoomalfa_romeo_75front_side_view.jpg" width=400>
Thought those doors looked familiar, but I threw out the notion of this Giulietta being a Milano with different bumpers and no moulding. Never thought they would redo the front and back side panels. The roof's different, too. Wonder why they didn't just make a new one instead.
In the full on profile (second to last) shot of this Italian offering, does anyone else see an E30 series with a slightly longer bonnet and a first gen Jetta with a slightly shorter boot? And, of course as tonyola points out the 75 mid-section.
Interesting point, but the Giulietta was introduced in 1977 – before the Jetta and the E30. Who influenced who, I wonder?
Point well taken Fine Sir. I wasn't aware of the age of this Giulietta…thanks for the enlightenment.
A looooooooong time ago, when I hung out with the race marshalls at Snetterton, there was a one make Alfa championship with Giuliettas and 75s fighting it out. I always remember the Giuliettas seemed to be driven harder.
Nice find, Blake. Few and far between on this damp and salty isle.