Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1.6

What should you look for when buying a Alfa Romeo Giulietta (116)?

The Giulietta (116) is an honest car, provided it is well maintained. Assess it systematically. Below are the inspection points per system, with indicative costs where known.

Engine and drivetrain

The Twin Cam is robust with correct maintenance, but requires attention. On the four-cylinder, watch for overheating, oil leakage, low oil pressure, a worn timing chain, carburettor issues and a tired cooling system.

• Check the oil pressure cold and at operating temperature; low pressure indicates wear.
• Assess the timing chain for noise and play.
• The carburettors must run in sync; an irregular idle speed is a point of attention.
• The transaxle is robust but requires the correct gear oil type. Alfa transaxles are designed for GL5 oil for the hypoid final drive; the wrong oil will in time wear the crown wheel and pinion. Also watch for worn synchromesh and rear suspension that may require costly repair.

Bodywork and rust spots

Rust is the biggest threat. Carefully inspect the sills, floor, inner wings, boot floor, underside of the wings, lower doors, bulkhead and the suspension mounting points. Also watch for poorly executed previous panelwork, which is costly to correct to today's standards.

• If desired, probe the sills and floor seams; surface rust behind the wheel arch lining occurs and spreads to the chassis rail and fuel line.
• Assess old repairs critically: filler and overspray often conceal more than they resolve.
• Proper bodywork repair quickly runs into the thousands of euros; a full sill and floor restoration can approach the purchase price.

Interior and electrics

Originality is the key word here. Missing trim and model-specific parts can be difficult or expensive to replace.

• Check that the car is complete; verifying that the car is complete is the most important step, because trim parts and small components are becoming increasingly difficult to find.
• Test all electrics: window operation, lighting, instruments and the characteristic rev counter.
• Assess the upholstery and dashboard; restoring the original trim is specialist work.

History and documentation

Documentation makes the difference in value and peace of mind.

• Check the chassis and engine numbers. You can verify whether the engine and transmission fall within the correct number range, but due to Alfa's registration practice at the time, matching numbers cannot always be proven.
• Request the service history, invoices and previous restoration reports.
• A documented, pristine example such as our 1978 Giulietta 1.6 with 28,001 km is rarer than the market suggests.

Which Alfa Romeo Giulietta (116) suits you?

Which version suits you depends on your purpose. For those who above all want to drive, the 1.6 the balanced choice: spirited, light and representative of the model. If you are looking for more pulling power, the 1.8 and 2.0 Super offer extra smoothness. The Giulietta (116) was supplied exclusively as a four-door saloon, and all examples have a five-speed manual gearbox; those seeking an automatic or an open version will not find it in this model.

For the collector, this is the Turbodelta the ultimate goal: only 361 built, with racing history and its own value development. For daily enjoyment with an eye on value retention, a pristine, documented early example is the most sensible choice. Unsure which variant suits you? HooG is happy to advise you without obligation.