This Alfa Giulietta Sprint Is a Cannon Blast to Drive

“When I open up the garage, put the key in the ignition, and fire up this car, it’s this amazing… it’s almost like this cannon blast,” says Jeff Martin in the Petrolicious episode featuring his 1955 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint. “It has this initial punch, and it just springs to life in this almost celebrative way. Like it’s so happy you’ve come back and turned it on.”

Indeed, Martin describes even the most mundane moments driving his Giulietta Sprint as an almost “religious ritual.” Martin’s fascination with Alfas dates to his early teens, when a colleague of his father’s drove a Giulia GTV to their house. He found his current Sprint in Santa Cruz, and as he drove it down the 101, the gas tank fell off.

The car has since been beautifully restored. “Every aspect of the driving experience feels good,” Martin says. “I don’t meditate, but this is a form of meditation.”