Obviously, this photo taken by Alessandro Gerelli at this year’s AutoClassica Milano caught our eye. That color. A mint green. Now, I don’t know if that was a factory color for those early 750 series Sprints. I don’t think the color was offered for the U.S. cars but I could be wrong.
Then I remembered I had an old bubble gum card from T.C.G…a company that made an entire line of artistically styled foreign cars in the 1960s, the Alfa was card number 47. And this one a 750 Sprint in the same mint green.
And, tucked away on another shelf is a tin plate Alfa Sprint. A child’s toy, really rough and almost hideous. But one just doesn’t throw things like that away. By the looks of the grille is is a 101 series model, maybe a 1600, with a front drive friction motor. It does not even have a manufacturers name anywhere on it, but it’s totally original. The color always put me a bit off but the toy was worth saving. The color comparison to the card and Gerelli’s photo is remarkable. Obviously there were mint green Giuliettas out there, somewhere. Maybe Max Hoffman didn’t like the color. Readers?
Which reminds me. Toys, books, and automobilia in general now have a new magazine. We review it for you in this edition of VeloceToday. Below is a recent edition with cover art by Michael Furman. Click it to get a good deal on a subscription.
Peter,
This color was offered both by Alfa and Fiat in the US. I distinctly remember an early 105 GT in that color as well as a 1900 Series IV Sprint that lived in Milwaukee. We referred to it as “bathroom tile racing green”.
Jim Weber
Pete, light green was a Factory colour on the early 750 Sprints, AR201 Verde Chiaro, offered from late ’54 to early ’58
Ciao
Greig
750B’s, D’s & E
The colour is Verde Chiaro (pale green) AR201 and available from 1954 to 58. Paul G
Pete I have the same tin green Alfa but it came without wheel hubcaps so I made some from thumbtacks to fit in my toy repair home shop. They look exactly like the real ones.
These tin Giuliettas were made in Japan.
Feel free to show my photos
What do you think?
I have seen green 750 Sprints in Alfa books but have never seen any green 101 Sprints (1960-1964).
Verde Chiaro has also been offered on the new Cinquecentos, -May still be available…
Lancia, for their third series Fulvia Coupe called this “Giada Bettole” and as I loved it, I used it when I restored my seond series Fulvia Zagato, now in Germany since 2000 when we moved to New Zealand taking with me 3 more Zagatos, a Fulvia Coupe Montecarlo and a first series Alfa Giulietta Spider.
My oldest Zagato of 1969 will need restoration and guess what colour: indeed GIADA BETTOLE!