Registration number: AR-28-00
Manufacturer: Gallery Aaldering Arnhemsestraat 47 6971AP BRUMMEN, NL 0575564055 http://www.gallery-aaldering.com info@gallery-aaldering.com
When someone professionally helps determine what a modern Alfa Romeo should look like, his own choice of classic Alfa suddenly becomes rather interesting.
This 1750 GT Veloce was the personal car of Bob Romkes, Head of Exterior Design at Alfa Romeo and one of the people involved with the modern 33 Stradale. This is someone who spends his working life thinking about proportion, surfaces, detailing and, ultimately, one very important question: what makes an Alfa Romeo actually look and feel like an Alfa Romeo?
Alfa Romeo’s Bertone coupés belong to that rare group of designs where very little appears excessive and almost nothing seems missing. The original Giulia Sprint GT arrived in 1963, after which Alfa Romeo continued to refine the formula. In 1967 came the 1750 GT Veloce, bringing the larger 1,779 cc Twin Cam engine, four headlamps and a slightly more mature appearance while retaining the wonderful lightness of the original concept.
The first series has a charm all of its own. The dashboard, seats and smaller details give the car, in our opinion, a particularly pure atmosphere. Classic Alfa Romeo without unnecessary decoration. Sit low behind the wheel, look across that familiar bonnet and it becomes very difficult not to want to drive immediately.
This example was delivered new in Palermo, Italy, and is finished in Grigio Chiaro over a Skai Nero interior. It is a superb combination. Restrained on the outside, dark and purposeful within, allowing Bertone’s lines to speak for themselves.
The car has been fully restored and mechanically rebuilt, and the standard of the work can be seen throughout. The paint has exactly the sort of gloss we like to see on a car of this period, without appearing excessively modern. The chrome presents beautifully, while inside the seats, carpets, dashboard and smaller details all show the same level of care.
Then you drive it.
That is when the 1750 really makes sense. The Twin Cam responds instantly, pulls cleanly and positively encourages you to use the revs. The five-speed gearbox suits the engine beautifully, and the entire car feels compact, light and eager.
That famous “mini Ferrari” feeling?
This example makes the expression very easy to understand.
Not because it is trying to imitate a Ferrari, but because it possesses a similar enthusiasm. The engine wants to work, the chassis wants the next corner and the driver is constantly involved in the experience. This is not merely a beautiful coupé to admire.
It is an Alfa Romeo to drive.
And then there is the Bob Romkes connection.
Of all the classic Alfa Romeos a designer could choose for himself, this was his 1750 GT Veloce. Perhaps that says more about the quality of the original design than any advertisement ever could.
Grigio Chiaro. First Series. Palermo delivery. Fully restored.
And formerly the personal car of a man who today helps shape the visual identity of Alfa Romeo.
That is a very difficult story to improve upon.
