Supporting the Cincinnati Art Museum’s commitment to showcase art and design across multiple disciplines, classic and concept cars introduce visitors to industrial design and its place in the history of art. Starting this February, visitors can experience the curvaceous and futuristic form of the Alfa Romeo’s 1964 Giulia Sprint Speciale created by the famed Italian design studio, Bertone. A limited production car, its body panels were carefully formed and finished by hand. The styling of the Sprint Speciale, considered especially radical when first introduced, took its cues from the study of aerodynamics and the global fascination with space travel and supersonic flight prevalent during the 1950s and 1960s.

The Sprint Speciale is on loan from Mr. Richard Grant of Dayton, Ohio. This car received the Cincinnati Art Museum’s annual Artistic Beauty Award at the 2008 Concours d’Elegance at Ault Park.

Image: Alfa Romeo (estab. 1910), Bertone, design studio and body manufacturer (1912­–), Italy. Giulia Sprint Speciale, 1964.  Steel body with aluminum hood and trunk lid. On loan from Richard Grant, L1.2009