An absolutely incredible story just appeared on Facebook, courtesy of an Alfa Romeo page which shared photos of a hugely desirable 1962 Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ being extracted from a garage basement (or pit?) in Turin. The details are limited but the story sounds like the stuff of pure folklore: the lift broke 35 years ago, the owner passed away with no will, and there it sat until recently. Thanks goes to Han K for sharing this tip with us!
This photo shows the Alfa sitting in what is described as a basement with the remains of a broken lift above it. It’s difficult to discern if this was a proper garage with a put beneath for working on cars, or if the owner – a mechanic – had fabricated a lift mechanism for removing his prized Alfa from the basement. Whatever the story is, it’s remained secluded from human eyes for decades and appears to be in outstanding cosmetic condition because of it.
This was effectively a race car in street clothes prepared for Alfa Romeo by Zagato. Hand-beaten aluminum panels, perspex side windows, and a very spartan interior kept its curb weight down, and the Giulietta SZ would go on to compete in events like the 24 Hours of LeMans. Only 200 cars were made and who knows how many are left given their likelihood of on-track use? The interior of this car appears immaculate, with gorgeous racing-inspired bucket seats still intact.
I cannot find a public posting about the Government auction, but it apparently sold this morning for a cool €567,000, which is just over $650,000. These cars are considered iconic not only for their pedigree as race cars but also for the wind-cheating profile they used to a competitive advantage, influencing race car design for generations to come. Cars like this rarely come up for sale, and this basement-find discovery is one for the ages.
“Wow!” is the only word for such a rare beast.
Thanks for posting, Jeff.
my day just got brighter.
That is a beautiful machine, and a great story. I’ve already come back to this posting a few times just to look at the photos.
Time capsule, absolutely fascinating.
What he said!
I love Alfa’s. (Apart from the Alfa Sud that is)
Wonder who got the money, the government?
Fabulous car and fabulous story. Thank you
So the Incredible Hulk drove an Alfa! Thanks Barn Finds!
The only thing thats missing here is a 007 credo!
What dreams are made of!!!
I think this post might need some clarification. The lift described in the article is actually the elevator that would be used to move the car in and out of the basement. While the previous owner was a mechanic, he must not have been versed in elevator repair. The lift shown in the picture is the one that was used to literally ‘lift’ the car out of the basement (as shown in other pics on the post). Either way, it’s still a pretty cool story that is like finding a buried treasure.
Yes, the word “lift” is English for “elevator”. Now you have the real explanation!
That gets my heart pumping more than any rare Porsche I have seen lately.
Amazing that they are still out there, Buried under the bounty hunters noses !
photos thanks to the Dr. Alfa
thanks to Dr. Alfa
pix from Dr. Alfa of Firenze
What is the car to the right? I’m at a loss on that one.
The fools! They washed it before the sale.
20 grand washed down the drain :)
Doesn’t it look beautiful though?
Remember, it was a Government auction.
First the blessed Shroud of Turin….now this
wow!