1955 ALFA ROMEO Giulietta Berlina 1.3L 4MT (54 HP)

Vehicle Overview

After a two-year delay, Alfa Romeo introduced the four-door Giulietta in 1955, and it became an instant hit thanks to its sporty character and the ability to carry a family.

The Italian carmaker had some financial troubles after it couldn’t sell the 1900 model as well as it hoped. But it managed to get over, and, with a small marketing trick, it convinced customers to return to the Alfa Romeo showroom where they could see the Giulietta.

Its rounded lines and slim pillars were fashionable for European styling. Its front fascia was cluttered by its round headlights, a narrow Alfa Romeo shield, and two horizontal grids on the lower side, just above the chromed bumper. It wasn’t the best-inspired design, but it was original. Even though it was the four-door version of the Giulietta coupe and spyder, it showed a completely different look.

Inside, there was room for four adults with two bucket seats at the front and a bench in the rear. Due to the car’s width and tall transmission tunnel, it wasn’t easy to accommodate three people in the back. For the driver and its front passenger, the carmaker offered plenty of room. The flat and narrow dashboard featured a rounded instrument cluster with a wide speedometer in the middle, flanked by the fuel and the coolant temperature gauges.

Like most Alfa Romeo, the most important part of the car was under the hood, where the carmaker installed a four-pot gasoline engine that provided 54 hp. It was paired to a four-speed manual.