All About the Alfa Romeo Giulia Sedan

Alfa built more than 475,000 Giulia sedans from 1962-1976, in a bewildering variety of models that can lead to headaches and confusion in trying to sort out. I'll attempt to give some explanation here of the many types and styles. The vast majority of these models were not sold in the US, so a lot of this is a research project for me, rather than a personal-experience project. I attempt to list them in chronological order.

I'm relying to a great extent of Fusi's All the Alfa Romeo Models which, like me, is fallible, so I apologize in advance for any errors, and look forward to comments and corrections. Also, I got information from Jack Chesley's very useful Giulia sedan web page (see http://www.alfaclubdc.com/jsuper1.htm).

Giulia TI (105.14) 1962-1967; 46,000 built. The original Giulia sedan from 1962, with 5-speed column-shift, bench front seat (officially a six-seater), single carb normale 1600, full-width grille with stamped center, four headlights, small taillights, metal dash with strip speedo, two-spoke steering wheel. Early cars were all-drum brakes, morphing to disk/drum later, and finally all-Dunlop disk. 5.12 rear axle ratio. Also tipo 105.09 were knocked-down kits (CKD) for export tax purposes. Also came in RHD form (Gd).

Giulia TI (105.08) 1964-1967; 24,000 built. Same basic car as the 105.14 but with floor shift ("cambio cloche" compared "cambio volante" column shift) and bucket front seats. Appeared in 1964. By this time, I believe all had disk brakes.

Giulia TI Super (105.16)1963-1964; 500 built. A 1600 lightweight racing version of Giulia sedan with 112 HP SS-spec dual carb 1600, lightweight seats and bodywork, same basic dash but with round Giulia Sprint instruments, three-spoke aluminum steering wheel, mag wheels. Allegedly 500 built. Four-headlight grille, but inner headlights replaced with wire mesh. Dunlop disk brakes, 5.12 rear axle. Raced extensively and successfully, and some were used as "mules" for GTA development.

Giulia 1300 Berlina (105.06)1964-1971; 33,000 built. First 1300 variant of the Giulia sedan, from 1964. 78 HP Single-carb 1300 with four-speed floor-shift transmission. Two headlights instead of four and same steering wheel and metal dash, rubber floor mats, and two-spoke steering wheel as 1600 TI. Introduced smaller front fender repeater lights. 4.56 rear axle.

Giulia Super (105.26)1965-1974; 85,000 built. First twin-carb variant of the Giulia sedan built in significant numbers, the longest built, and the best-known model. Introduced 1965. Twin-carb 1600 engine, four headlights, full-width grille with two-piece cast center, sculpted "armchair" seats, three-spoke aluminum steering wheel from TI Super, wood/vinyl dash with "binnacle" for main instruments, large taillights. Early ones had Dunlop disks, switching to ATE in 1966/67. 4.56 rear axle ratio. Also came in RHD form with different tipo number (105.28) and in CKD form.

Giulia 1300 TI (105.39) 1965-1972; 200,000 built. Slightly nicer version of the 1300 Berlina, now with five-speed. Highest production numbers by far. Still two headlights, Spartan interior, and single carb as on 1300 Berlina, but slightly better performance with 82 HP. 4.56 rear axle. Introduced three-spoke black plastic steering wheel. Also in RHD form with different tipo number (105.40).

Giulia 1600 S (105.85) 1968-1970; 2200 built. Introduced in 1968, a short-lived single-carb 1600 with 98 HP and 4.78 rear axle ration, billed as a "motorway" car. Also in RHD form with different tipo number (105.87).

Giulia Super Promiscua (105.26) 1968-1969 (including above). Appearing in 1968, same tipo number as the Giulia Super sedan, but this is the basis for the Giulia Super wagon made within Alfa and also outside carrozzeria such as Colli. TI wagons have standard 105.14 tipo numbers.

Giulia 1300 Super (115.09) 1970-1973; 75,000 built. First twin-carb variant of the 1300 Giulia appearing in 1970, which had four headlights and better interior, in addition to dual carbs. 4.56 rear axle. First appearance of the 115 prefix on a Giulia sedan, which is odd, since 115 was largely for US-only 2000 models, but showed up on several non-US models. RHD in built and CKD form as 115.10 tipo.

Giulia Nuova Super 1600 (105.26, 105.26a, 105.26s) 1974-1976 (included above). Restyled 1600 version of the Giulia sedan with flattened hood and trunk lacking earlier character relief, blockier wrap-around bumpers, plastic Berlina-style grille, and center console. Twin carbs, usually Solex. 4.10 rear axle.

Giulia Nuova Super 1300 (115.09S) 1974-1976 (included above). Restyled 1300 version of the Giulia sedan with same modernized Nuova styling as 1600. Twin carbs. Fusi lists 4.10 rear axle, but I'm skeptical that a 1300 could pull such an axle. Some possible tipo confusion here, as some of these are 115.09 and some 115.09S.

Giulia Super 1.6 (115.29) 1974-1976. Uncertain yet what this is; perhaps a straight replacement for the Giulia Super 1600. Also tipo 115.30, probably RHD version.

Giulia Nuova Super Diesel (115.40?) 1976; 6600 built. Nuova Super body with an English 1800 cc four-cylinder Perkins diesel, putting out 55 HP. 4.10 rear axle. Presumably a reaction to the 1973 gas shortage. This is the same tipo as the CKD 1300 TI, which doesn't make sense to me.

Here is general coverage of the many detail differences. This is something of a minefield to sort out with the many models, especially 30-40 years after the fact:

* Grille: In late 1967-1968, the grille changed from a full-width stainless stamping with a separate stamped (TI) or cast center heart-shaped shell (Super), to a five-piece grille with a stamped center heart, separate cast or stamped headlight surrounds (single circles for 1300s; figure 8s for Supers), and black mesh grille pieces between the center grille and the lights. This lasted until the plastic Nuova Berlina-style grille came into use in the mid 70s. Generally, 1300 grilles were simpler than 1600 grilles (and most 1300s had two headlights, not four). There are many detail differences in this area; see graphic below for some information.

* Bumper: There are a variety of bumper variations. Early bumpers have more rounded detailing; in 1969-1970 the shape became more squared off, and further changed with the Nuova with a long wrap-around part at the rear. Early TIs have a cutout in the front bumper for the turn signals, and are chromed steel. Later bumpers are stainless. Overriders changed location, and some models (TI Super, 1300 Berlina) have no overriders at all.

* Rockers: The 1965 Giulia Super introduced stainless rocker panel spears, which do not appear to have been used on any other model, including the Nuova Super.

* Hood: The hood was originally held open by a spring-loaded strut extending from the firewall center to the hood. This was phased out in 1970, replaced by a folding strut at the driver's side rear corner, similar to a strut used on 1600 GTVs. Giulia TIs and Supers through the advent of the Nuova had a stainless spear down the ridge in the center of the hood. Just behind the hood, the wiper cowl changed slightly: originally, Giulia TIs and Giulia 1300 Berlinas had crosswise slats trimmed with stainless. Beginning with the Giulia Super, these slats were made longitudinal, and lost their trim.

* A-pillar: Early Giulias had a stainless trim panel on each A-pillar in front of the door, which fits under the windshield gasket and meets the stainless drip rail trim. Eventually (1970ish?) both of these trims were phased out, probably in the interest of cost.

* License frame: Giulia TIs in Europe had a stainless rectangle on the rear panel in the shape of the Italian license plate, as well as horizontal rectangular stainless trim around the taillights, not used on any subsequent model.

* C-pillar: The 1965 Giulia Super introduced a small riveted plinth on the C-pillar behind each rear door with a round plastic Alfa emblem glued in it. In 1969, Supers changed to a green enamel snake emblem, and other models had a short finishing panel with no emblem. Early cars had just a welded seam here.

* Door handles: Door handles, both inside and out, changed to a smoother, more modern version, similar to the Berlina, in 1970.

* Badging: Script on the rear face of the trunk lid varied from model to model. In general, early cars said Alfa Romeo in various typefaces (block, lowercase cursive, upper and lower cursive) on the raised center of the trunk above the trunk latch, and the model name on the right. On later cars the Alfa script moved to the left side of the trunk. The TI Super had a script on the hood, in addition to the trunk, as did the Giulia Super with five-piece grille (from late 1967).

* Wheels and hubcaps: All models except TI Supers have stamped steel wheels with vent holes. Cars through 1969 have 15" wheels, after that have 14". Earliest cars have spring clips like Giuliettas to hold the hubcaps; beginning in about 1966 three raised tangs on the wheel ridge allow a different hubcap to be snapped on; this may have coincided with the introduction of ATE brakes. The stainless hubcaps changed over time, with at least three variations; early cars have standard hubcaps like other 1600s with laurels in the plastic ring. In 1968 the hubcaps were standardized with 1750s that say ALFA ROMEO in the plastic ring; 1972 and later cars have a small center trapped "hat" stainless hubcap held by shouldered lug nuts like 2000s. 1300 variations had simplified stamped hubcaps with no plastic ring. TI Supers had cast TZ wheels with oblong, not round, vent holes.

* Dash: Giulia TIs and Giulia 1300 Berlinas have the original stamped steel dash with strip speedo and round tach; TI Supers use the same structure but with three round Giulia Sprint instruments. The Giulia Super in 1965 introduced a wood/vinyl dash with instrument binnacle, which eventually was rationalized to all models, with detail differences, about 1969. The metal dash was phased out at that time. Supers from 1969 have two small instruments on a separate panel below the heater panel. Nuovas received a center console.

* Steering wheel: Giulia TIs and Giulia 1300 Berlinas came with a heavy steel two-spoke steering wheel with black plastic rim, padded center with Alfa emblem, and "wand" horn rim; a very American-looking wheel. The Giulia TI Super introduced a racy three-spoke aluminum wheel with black plastic rim and large round black horn button, also used on the Giulia Super beginning in 1965. This same wheel was used on early Sprint GTs. Later non-US Supers used the same wheel as 1600 GTVs with horn pushes in the spokes. Later 1300s had a stylized thin three-spoke black plastic wheel with shiny horn pushes along the spokes. Late 1600s used a dished Hellebore wheel with wood or plastic rim.

* Floors: The earliest cars (TIs, TI Supers, Supers) had multi-piece wool carpets. 1300s tended to have rubber floor mats. Later cars tended to have nylon carpet, molded in the case of the last models, as on Berlinas.

* Seats: Early TIs came with bench (column shift) or bucket (floor shift) front seats. The TI Super had lightweight front seats much like on the Giulietta SZ. The Giulia Super introduced a much more supportive and comfortable wrap-around seat with pronounced rounded overhang in back, like a period Mercedes seat. 1300 versions tend to have simpler, less-supportive seats. Nuovas had headrests on the front seats. The rear seats generally had a fold-down center armrest. All seats through the early 1970s were vinyl; some later cars came with cloth upholstery.

* Pedals: LHD cars morphed from floor pedals to hanging pedals in 1970, with attendant changes to the brake and clutch system. RHD cars retained floor pedals to the end.

* Handbrake: In 1970, probably at the same time the hanging pedals came into use, the handbrake moved from the Giulietta-based "umbrella handle" under the dash to a pull-up handle type between the seats as on the GTV, Spider, and Berlina. At the same time some of the switches (wiper, fan, etc) moved to a small unit on the floor between the shifter and the handbrake.

For further discussion of these many detail differences, see Fusi, Alfa Romeo: All the Cars From 1910, d'Amico & Tabucchi, Alfa Romeo Production Cars, and the following thread on the Alfa Bulletin Board: http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/showthread.php?t=27397