Cars in the wild: an Alfa Romeo

In spring, nature awakes, and so do classic cars, it seems; the more sun, the more you see them.

Yesterday I saw this nice little Alfa Romeo, a real one, not a new would-be one. The light was harsh, but I did my best:

^{Olympus Stylus 1s, 65mm, ISO200, f8, 1/100s}

It's a 1971 Alfa Romeo Giulia 1300 Super. It has a light alloy, twin overhead camshaft, four-cylinder engine at 1300cc, for Italian tax reasons, and it will eagerly rev to over 6000rpm and churn out 88hp, giving the car a top speed of 165 km/h (103mph). The fastest version of the Giulia will do 190 km/h (118mph), so you see, there is an alternative to cubic inches; it's called "proper engineering".

Even though this is a small family saloon, it is a hoot to drive. The engine loves to rev, it has great acceleration, handling is great, and all the smells, sounds, and feels are real old-school Alfa. Accept no modern substitute.

As all Alfa Romeos of the era, the car had its problems, like an ideosyncratic electric system, and it also likes to rust; like my father says: "they already rusted in the brochure". The car in the photo is also very crispy in places, but it will be restored, and it's painted brown anyway, just like my father's Alfa Romeo Alfetta was: a wise choice.

Here's a photo from behind:

^{Olympus Stylus 1s, 135mm, ISO200, f8, 1/160s}

The rear bumper is missing; some owners thinks it looks better like this. It could also have fallen off; it is, after all, an Alfa Romeo. Just one of these minor niggles you accept when driving these brilliant little cars.

Previous car in the wild: a Citroën.