1957 Alfa Romeo

It was an unseasonably warm afternoon when Rick Lesniewicz gave me a ride in his 1957 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider Veloce. His little red Italian roadster was in its element as we cleared the suburban traffic and headed for some less-trafficked country roads.

When the winding asphalt unfurled, Lesniewicz gave his little Alfa a stab of throttle. The dual sidedraft Weber carburetors were running a bit rough at low speeds, but his prod cleared their throats and the 90-horsepower, 1.3-liter four-cylinder began to sing like Pavarotti as the engine revved past 7,000 rpm.

 Lesniewicz has enjoyed his Alfa's song for more than 20 years. He rescued it from neglect in 1980 when he bought it as a bare chassis and a pile of used parts. This particular car was one of 32 Giulietta Spiders imported in 1957, and it had raced in the 1960 12 Hours of Sebring.

 Lesniewicz, of Leawood, discovered his car's scarcity and distinguished history while doing research for its restoration. Except for body and paint work, he did the restoration himself. By 1983, it was again road-worthy, and in 1985 Alfa Romeo used his car as the centerpiece of its Chicago Auto Show display.

 The Giulietta Spider Veloce 750 Series was the first two-seat sports car from Alfa Romeo. It was introduced in 1956 and produced through 1960, according to Lesniewicz. The car has an 89.6-inch wheelbase, weighs 1,903 pounds and uses unibody construction. The engine was quite sophisticated for its day. It has dual overhead cams, hemispherical combustion chambers and a five-speed transmission.

 This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Giulietta. Designed by Carrozzeria Bertone, the first model, a coupe, was unveiled at the Geneva auto show in 1954. A sedan followed.

In 1956, Max Hoffman, the New York importer of Alfas, persuaded the company to build a convertible. The Spider was designed by Pininfarina and presented at the Paris auto show in 1955. By 1956, a hotter model called the Spider Veloce was introduced. Lesniewicz's Spider Veloce is a 1957, and he has owned it for more than 20 years.

 Lesniewicz has been enamored with Italian cars so long one almost expects him to speak Italian. In addition to the current Spider Veloce, he recently purchased a stark white Giulia sedan he calls Zippy. Even though Zippy has a fairly small 1.3-liter engine,  it has a free and robust soul and the engine loves to be revved like the Spider Veloce. Not many people recognize an Alfa Romeo today because there are so few, but Lesniewicz loves them because each one is a bella machina.