Alfa Romeo’s famous series of small, open sports cars started with the 1955 Giulietta Spider, which was styled by Pinin Farina and featured the Italian marque’s legendary all-aluminium, twin-overhead-camshaft, four-cylinder engine. The Giulia model was then introduced at Monza in 1962. The Spider was one of four basic variants – along with the saloon and the Bertone-styled Sprint and Sprint Speciale – and although this latest model shared much with its Giulietta sibling, the twin-cam engine had been enlarged from 1290cc to 1570cc. Pinin Farina’s styling was carried over for the Spider, the addition of a bonnet air scoop being one way to tell Giulia from Giulietta. A five-speed gearbox was standard fitment, and the engine produced 92bhp in Normale specification, enough to boost top speed to 109mph. In 1964, the engine from the Sprint Speciale was fitted to the Spider in order to create the Veloce model. Running on twin Weber 40 DCOE2 carburettors, this uprated unit kicked out 112bhp, which gave the Spider Veloce a level of performance that complemented its timelessly elegant styling. The Giulia Spider remained in production until 1966, with Autocar calling it a ‘driver’s dream’ and concluding that ‘the satisfaction of owning such a piece of quality machinery that always responds to its master’s touch … is a rare enjoyment.’