Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior

Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior

If someone told me I could choose only one car in the world to own, I wouldn't hesitate for a second. My answer would be immediate: the Alfa Romeo GT Junior. With the "Scalino" suffix and a production year prior to 1968. That much is clear. However, if the second question were about the color, I'd start to falter. Whenever I thought of the GT, I immediately saw it in Rosso Alfa red. Other colors seemed interesting, but I never really paid them much attention. But it's one thing to know the shades from photos and videos, and quite another to see them in the flesh. And that's exactly what happened. Purely out of curiosity, I went to look at a GT in Pino Verde (Pine Green), not expecting much more than a quick peek. But as they say, man proposes, God disposes. When I saw the car with my own eyes, I finally understood why this color is so highly prized. It simply suits the car perfectly. It's not the typical sporty variation we all know; it shows you that the GT actually has many faces. At the same time, you realize how vibrant the 60s and 70s really were, even if old films can't quite translate that quality today. Alfa had such a diverse color palette at the time that it made your head spin. Verde Pino or the even rarer Verde Ischia, which Alfa offered for its 105 series, are colors I can't imagine on today's modern cars, yet they inherently belong to that era.

There's probably no need to introduce a legend like the Alfa Romeo GT, originally the Giulia Sprint GT (which debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963), but let's organize a few facts and details. If the factory excelled at anything during this time, besides technical and design perfection, it was—hyperbolically speaking—the ability to create a total labyrinth in their model naming. This applies predominantly to the Giulia, which seemed to have a different name every year and a slight variation every time. But please, take that with a smile.

The Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT saw the light of day in 1963 and immediately commanded well-deserved attention. There were plenty of reasons for this. After the legendary Giulietta, for which the domestic Italian public would have laid down their lives, came an Alfa that was even more beautiful. It is widely known that the design came from the Bertone studio and its design ace, Giorgetto Giugiaro. What is often overlooked, however, is the designer's age. He was only 25—a young man fresh out of school who used his divine talent to achieve something incredible. He didn't have dozens of successful creations behind him yet, but he had that something you have to be born with. The silhouette shows inspiration from the Giulietta, especially from the side, but the front and rear sections are so different that one cannot speak of evolution, but rather revolution. The GT was produced for nearly 15 years and repeatedly changed certain design elements in both the exterior and interior throughout its life journey.

When I mentioned the "Scalino until 1968" suffix at the very beginning of this text, I wanted to express my affection for the most original lines. I'll repeat myself by saying I am a staunch opponent of what we call a "facelift" today—formerly known as modernization or refreshment.

I believe time is always the best judge of quality, and that applies doubly here. As time passed, the bodywork—specifically the front and rear sections—underwent various changes. The most significant turning point was 1970, when the legendary "step" on the front hood, known as the Scalino, was discontinued. This feature gave the model its slang names: Kantenhaube in German or "Step-nose" in British literature. At the same time, the two large headlights vanished, and the entire front end was somehow smoothed out. The reason was design unification and surely cost-cutting for the 1750 GTV, GT Junior, and 1600 versions. Another design leap came in 1971 with the version designated as the GTV 2000, featuring a 1962 cc engine with 96 kW. However, the greatest unification occurred in 1974, when the 1.3, 1.6, and GTV versions all adopted the same design line. The front grille gained a chrome mesh, and the taillights underwent a major redesign. This step is what I consider the least fortunate moment in this legend's history. The graceful rear end, which the small, unified lights with chrome frames had fit perfectly, was—in my opinion—robbed of its elegance by oversized, ill-fitting lights. If Alfa knew it was time for a new model (which was the new 116 platform, the Alfetta GT), they should have let the old GT finish its run with the original lights. Even today, the public's interest is lowest in these final versions.

When I mentioned that time is the ultimate judge, separating the wheat from the chaff, the GT is a shining example. It's like wine—the older, the better. Of course, "better" is subjective, and everyone's taste differs. Generally speaking, however, the most sought-after and prized cars today are those built before the first major unification in 1970—the Scalinos. Just as the exterior evolved, the interior underwent its own transformations, and the situation here is identical. The most beautiful interiors are considered to be those from before 1968, featuring the flat dashboard known as the "Cruscotto piatto". Personally, I find it absolutely flawless and a perfect match for the car's exterior. The four circular gauges by Veglia Borletti or Jaeger are simply breathtaking. The early cars, designated as the Giulia Sprint GT Veloce, had speedometers calibrated up to 220 km/h, while all other less powerful versions had to make do with 200 km/h. The dashboard is finished off with tiny toggle switches for the wipers, fan, and instrument lighting. On the earliest versions from 1963, the dashboard surface was typically finished in a grey shade, while the GT Junior models later usually featured a wood-texture trim.

From 1968, the dashboard underwent a radical redesign. The driver was now faced with two separate circular binnacles housing the tachometer and speedometer, now calibrated to 220 km/h for all versions. While the design of these gauges is also successful—shared, for instance, by the Spiders and the 1750 GTV—to me, it doesn't quite match the character of the original layout. There was also a change in the pedal arrangement; originally "standing" and mounted to the floor, they were later floor-hinged to the top. The various versions were also distinguished by their steering wheels. The earliest Giulia Sprint GTs featured a three-spoke wheel with a large black center and the Alfa Romeo logo, a design shared with the original Giuliettas and the Giulia 1600 Super. Subsequently, a more subtle two-spoke wheel was introduced for the GT Junior, before later versions returned to a three-spoke design. These wheels were manufactured by Personal or Hellebore. In my view, the three-spoke version with a wooden rim and aluminum spokes featuring four drilled holes (not three), as found in the GTA, is the most beautiful interior accessory. It's also worth noting that the first versions weren't equipped with seatbelts, even in the front. And believe me, it's a very strange sensation to sit in a car capable of hitting an indicated 180 km/h without a single safety feature. One has to wonder which is worse... especially considering the fragility of the bodywork.

One thing about the Alfa GT shocks you, and it becomes glaringly obvious the moment you park it among today's cars: you feel as if it were built to a different scale because it is so diminutive. After all, its width is a mere 156 cm. Inside, however, you certainly won't feel cramped in the front seats. The doors are remarkably thin, with the interior panels themselves being only about a centimeter thick. Another thing that strikes you upon closer inspection—and this applies to the entire 105 series—is the sheer build quality Alfa Romeo achieved at the time. No exaggeration. It's incredibly evident that Alfa's leadership, under figures like Orazio Satta Puliga and Giuseppe Luraghi, managed to produce mass-market cars of such high quality given the possibilities of the era. The materials are pleasant to the touch, and the upholstery on even the oldest 60-year-old examples has withstood the test of time and remains in good condition. The chrome doorsills, handles, and window cranks all feel substantial. Nothing cracks, peels, or rattles.

Before we dive into the oily bits under the hood and the driving experience itself, let's talk numbers. The Alfa Giulia Sprint GT was not a cheap car even in its day; it was a symbol, a statement of the owner's status, and people treated it as such. This is partly why a relatively high number have survived. Simply put, it was so good that people cared for it. It's a far cry from today, where cars have become disposable commodities and factories churn out one SUV monstrosity after another until your head spins. In the 60s and 70s, GTs, Giulias, and Spiders stayed in families for decades. And that was only right—these cars were members of the household. Nowhere is this truer than in their native Italy. Just try parking this car in front of a shopping center in Verona and start a stopwatch. It's like dropping a piece of candy in front of a beehive. Within ten minutes, you won't be able to get near the car because it will be swarmed by fans of all generations. It is a symbol of an era and functions as a time machine. If you park a brand-new Mercedes-AMG next to it, I guarantee the Mercedes will become invisible. That is how powerful a position this car has built in its homeland over 60 years.

And what about prices today? Well, they've followed a similar trajectory. I remember being a young lad, fresh out of school, walking down Strakonická Street in Prague. There, in a dealership by the Vltava behind a rusty chain-link fence, stood a GT 1300 in deep purple with a cognac interior, tucked away among a flood of uninspiring used cars. On the glass, written in white, was the price: 150,000 CZK (approx. €6,000). I had nothing but my keys and a tram pass in my pocket. I dreamed about it, walked past it... and then it was gone. Today, three or four times that amount often wouldn't even get you the cheapest GT Junior. And a Scalino? Prices for well-preserved examples start at €35,000, while the finest specimens easily clear the €40,000 mark. As for the GTA version, we'd better only speak in whispers—€200,000 is just the starting line there.

The engineering was no less fascinating and was shared across the 105 series, both in terms of powertrains and chassis. Over time, every available displacement appeared under the hood. It all started with the Giulia Sprint GT, featuring a 1570 cc engine producing 106 hp, followed by the Veloce version, which paved the way for the high-performance GTA. The latter delivered 115 hp in factory trim and featured a "Twin Spark" head with two spark plugs per cylinder. To make the car more accessible to younger clients and to navigate engine-displacement taxes, the 1300 Junior was launched, sporting a 1289 cc engine with 89 hp. This identical engine also found its home in the Giulia and eventually the Spider. Considering that most competitors at the time produced around 60–70 hp from the same displacement, even the 1.3 offered a healthy dose of power, enough to propel the lightweight GT to a top speed exceeding 170 km/h.

Another version that is undoubtedly among the most prized today is the 1750 GTV, with its four circular headlights, a redesigned center console, and truly unique seats. Under the hood sat a 1779 cc engine producing 122 hp. This displacement is often cited as the best of all, offering an ideal balance of high power, elasticity, and low-end grunt where other versions don't quite excel. At the very top of the range was the 2000 GTV, featuring a 1962 cc engine with 130 hp.

he driving experience itself is a revelation, whether you are behind the wheel of a GT, a Giulia, a Spider, or a 1750/2000 Berlina. They all share one defining trait: lightness. Across the board, these models tipped the scales at around 1,000 kg. It is surprising how even the little 1300 can accelerate so briskly. The engine produces a wonderful, rich growl, especially if you replace the rear silencer with a straight-through pipe. And while we're on the subject of sound—if you don't drive too often and avoid dusty environments, I highly recommend replacing the air filter housing with four polished velocity stacks. Let yourself be carried away every time the carburetor butterflies snap open. These engines were fitted with either Solex, DellOrto, or Weber carburetors. They all sound magnificent, though arguably nothing can replace the Weber DCOE; the mere sight of those rounded jet-cover lids simply belongs to an Alfa.

If there was anything that significantly boosted the driving dynamics of the 105 series, alongside the all-aluminum twin-cam engines, it was the quality and effortless feel of the gearbox. Because the transmission is bolted directly to the engine and features a short-throw shifter, the gears slot in with remarkable ease. Yes, it's true that the second-gear synchros often wear out over time, but otherwise, the gearbox remains a standout strength, especially compared to the later 116 series. The biggest weakness is perhaps the rear axle, which doesn't inspire total confidence; due to the soft suspension setup, the car tends to "float" a bit at a brisker pace. This is exactly why many owners opt for stiffer dampers. Wider tires can help with stability, though they do slightly compromise the legendary lightness of the steering.

In any case, the GT Junior wasn't designed as a hardcore sports car, but as a spirited GT that offers the driver delightful feedback and a purely mechanical connection. To sum it up: a wealth of emotion, timeless design, sharp throttle response, and a beautiful, deep, sonorous soundtrack. Really, what more could you need?

Foto: Press Stellantis Heritage

Foto: Filip Hron 2026