Update 7/1/12: Curious what happened to this car?  BaT is running a series of updates from the buyer.  Looks like it’s landed in good hands.

Update 4/16/12: Asking price has been confirmed to be $60,000! Still a better deal than the red one that just ended on eBay for just under $60K.

Update 4/10/12: Car has gotten some press on BaT, lots of experts with short attention spans chiming in in the comments section.  I don’t think this car rolled over -had an off-road excursion rather.  I maintain -not a bad project.

Giulia Sprint Speciale 10121*381323. This car is on Craigslist right now out of New York. It was purchased after an accident of some sort and mothballed until now, with the tow drivers grease pencil writing still on the windows. Body has some serious problems in the roof area, but I’m pretty sure most restorers would rather tackle some roof dents than rust.  I think the survival of this car is proof that there are a lot more SS’s out there than seems possible.

What happened.  Crashed into a tree that then fell on it?  Not nearly as bad as it would be if it was stored out doors.

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Giulia Sprint Speciale 10121*381335, 00121*01326.  My local purveyors of high-end collectible cars -Fantasy Junction -have just listed this late Giulia SS.  It’s as nice as expected from them.  I think I have pictures of this car somewhere from about 10 years ago when it was for sale for less than 10% of the current $149,000 asking (Andrew, is this the car you sent me pictures of?) -my how times change.  Is this the SS apocalypse where all the nice ones start at recent high-profile auction house prices?  Why not.

Red.  Looks good in all the ways it should.  This looks like the Berkeley/Emeryville waterfront.  Used to be all sandy beaches in the 1800′s where locals did the sort of stuff people do at sandy beaches like swim in wool and drink Bourbon, but the city (or was it the railroad robber barons?) sold all the sand for 50 cents per wagon load over a somewhat long period-probably thinking there was an infinite supply.  I wonder what they thought that day when the last load was loaded up.  Hmmm -we screwed up I think -kids crying on the now rocky shore etc, gentle water suddenly become treacherous.  There’s a little sand there now between Ashby and University, but nothing like pictures I’ve seen -of course we now get pretty plastic and oil slick type debris so no one hangs out there much anyway -especially if Marin accidentally discharges ‘lightly treated’ waste water.  Oh, wait, this is about a red SS.  Nice car.

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Update 5/9/11: After an Atlantic crossing this feller has been put back up for sale.  This time in the UK.  Check it out.  Make an offer.  Description is a little odd -saying the restoration process was started 6 – 7 months ago…

“The car needs to be restored.I start the restoration process 6-7 months ago,but I don’t have the money to finish it.The body is in excellent shape.The engine starts and runs perfect ( no mechanical problems ).Matching numbers. Excellent car to restore.”

Update 4/13/11: 18 bids, $32,750.  Not bad!

Originally posted 4/5/11: Giulia Sprint Speciale 10121*381313, 00121*01302. This car is on eBay right now from Gullwing in New York after spending a few weeks on their site listed with an asking price of $32,000.  There have been a lot of SS’s moving around the last couple of months, from record setting auction results and record setting asking prices, to rough projects and everything in between.  This car is obviously at the ‘rough projects’ end of the spectrum, but the matching number engine with correct intake components, the lack of any substantial rust or accident damage and the presence of much of the unique to SS’s trim makes this a pretty good starting point, even better if you’re a skilled DIYer who is enthusiastic to own one of these.  Bidding at time of writing is $18,200, reserve not met.  Check out BaT’s mention here and especially the comments -lots of humorous somewhat uninformed opinions peppered with wisdom.

Where to begin… panel fit is good, ride height is even at all corners, corner lights and bumper brackets are in the right places, no obvious rot etc.  Flat black is right up there with flat white and primer for smoothing things over and blending the bad and good.  Front wheel appears to be a Borrani, rear a Fergat.  Go look at it in person if you are serious about it -especially considering the sellers 80% feedback score and the rarity of SS parts.

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Update 3/18/11: Hyman has added a price to their website.  $175,000!  Yes, that’s right.  SS’s are now officially in the big leagues.

Update 3/10/11: Okay so this is the same car as market 283 -I thought so but wasn’t totally sure.  I guess It’s probably more like $100K.

Giulia SS (anyone know the number?). Andy let me know that Hyman Ltd. has this very well groomed car on offer right now for probably between $60,000 and $80,000.  I don’t know if I quite agree with the sellers assertion that a Sprint Speciale is a car it takes an Italian to appreciate.  I think everyone would appreciate an SS, for the fact that such an outlandish car was ever built if nothing else -whether they like its looks or not.

A nice example in the currently unpopular (because 10 years ago they all had to be) red.  Stance, shut lines, trim, glass -all look great.  Buy and enjoy, or invest and sit on it, either way you end up with a cool car.  Word to the investor:  use it occasionally.  Alfa made cars whose true beauty is felt from the drivers seat rather than shining on the grass in a public park, and driving is maintenance.

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Update 3/7/11: A regular reader tells me he went to check this car out when the Scottsdale auctions were going on and it was sold for full $85,000 asking price a few hours before he got to the showroom to see it.  Serious money!  I should be back at this regularly for a while -sorry for the interruption… oddly, readership has stayed steady.  Thanks for reading.

Update 1/13/11. This charmer has found its way onto eBay.

Giulia SS 10121*381099, 00121 engine. This car is available now from Brighton Motorsports in Arizona.  Seller claims it took a best of class at Monterey weekends Concorso Italiano in 2010 -if so then a lot of you readers will have seen this car before. The usual “140 surviving examples” quote is in the description, I currently list 224 by vin number and know of at least 30 that I don’t have vins for.  I have pictures of 49 cars too!  No price is stated.

Nice, red, shiny, well fitted example.  This is a great angle for these car!

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