1985 Alfa Romeo Giulietta 116 Series

Alfa Romeo 116 Giulietta, 1977 to 1985

The Alfa Romeo Tipo 116 Giulietta, designed by Rudolf Hruska, couldn't have been more different to its 750/101 namesake. The body, described as 'a wedge penetrating the air' was launched in November 1977 and offered a number of engines in its four-door saloon, front engine, rear-wheel-drive layout.

The smallest engine was the 1,357cc twin overhead camshaft all-aluminium straight four 'Nord' engine very similar to that of the GT Junior. Producing 95bhp at 6,000rpm, it required revving to get the best out of the car, something not ideal for a four-door saloon. The model was discontinued in 1983.

The 1,570cc Giulietta 1.6 had more grunt with 109hp under the bonnet, but was otherwise identical to the smaller-engined car.

In 1979, the Giulietta 1.8 was launched using the 1,779cc engine previously known as the 1750 (in the Spider and GT models). A taller final drive ratio was fitted, allowing the car to achieve a top speed of 180kph from its 122hp at just 5,300rpm, which made for a more comfortable touring experience.

In 1980, a 2-litre version, known as the Giulietta Super (later the 2.0 Ti and Giulietta 2.0) used the 1,962cc Nord engine from the Alfetta producing 130bhp. It had various styling differences to the less prestigious cars in the Giulietta range, including bronze-tinted windows.

In 1981, the range was updated and was now called the Nuova Giulietta, and in 1983, following the restyling of the Alfetta, the Giulietta was revised once again.

In 1983, the range had a diesel added: the Nuova Giulietta 2.0 Turbodiesel, using a 1,995cc VM Motori engine and featuring a new dashboard with an electronic speedometer and oil pressure warning light. He same year, the Nuova Giulietta 2.0 Turbodelta was unveiled, intended to be an homologation car for the Touring Car Championship, an intent that was never completed. The result was a great car: the standard twin-cam 1,962 engine produced 170bhp thanks to the Avio or KKK tubo, the suspension was uprated and self-ventillating disc brakes fitted. 361 examples were officially built, but a few more were finished and sold off once the motorsport programme finished in 1985.

Today the Tipo 116 Alfa Romeo Giulietta is an exceptionally rare car, especially in good condition. Whilst it shares its engine and some mechanical parts with many other Alfas, trim, body panels and other smaller items are very difficult to find. Rust, and years languishing as one of Alfa's less-popular models mean that almost all were scrapped. As with all Alfas of the era, check everywhere for rust and try all the electrics.

Other saloons of the era include the BMW E30, the Lancia Beta and the Ford Cortina.