Scaglione & the SS

Franco Scaglione was a truly remarkable man, even by the standards of most Italian car designers. From drawings of the Lancia Aurelia B50/1 for the Carrozzeria Balbo in 1951 to the Intermeccanica Indra of 1972 and the immortal Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale—which has every right to arguably be described as the most beautiful car in the world—he has stunned the world’s motoring commentators on many occasions with his shapes and creations. So, before we take a detailed look at the two cars featured here, both Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciales, we should first view the life of Sig. Scaglione.

Both in the decade prior to the 1939-’45 conflict and during the two after it, design, and in particular the automotive world, were treated to the rise of Italian style and in our current age of instant celebrity status being bestowed on anyone who does anything that is reported on YouTube or elsewhere, it may seem strange that few individuals were ever identified with being responsible for any of the amazing, gorgeous, interesting and, in some cases, frankly bizarre shapes that emanated from the literally hundreds of carrozzerie in that country. It wasn’t until much later, in the 1990s, that some of the names of these magicians of metal were revealed and, in some cases, we still don’t really know all the answers as to who did what.