Looking back at a revolution in terms of form and colours…

– The seventh episode of “Storie Alfa Romeo” takes viewers back to the late 1960s.
-Ingenuity, uncompromising attitude, courage in the choice of materials, unique style as a synthesis of technological creativity and innovation - these are the ingredients of the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale super sports car.
-Designed by master designer Franco Scaglione, the Tipo 33 Stradale combines the pursuit of maximum functionality and optimal aerodynamics.
-The design is a testament to the competitive spirit that characterises every Alfa Romeo model.
-This ambition not only led to numerous racing victories for the Tipo 33, but also to an unequal twin brother – the Carabo show car.
-The design by Bertone designer Marcello Gandini, the futuristic features and the willingness to experiment with the body color made the Carabo the “car of tomorrow”.
-The Alfa Romeo Montreal was created with the same aim in mind.

The description of automotive design often uses terms from human biology. The front of the vehicle is called the "face", the headlights the "eyes", the grille the "mouth". And often the body has "shoulders" or a "hips". How did this humanization, referred to by experts as anthropomorphism, come about and why?

The first automobiles were little more than horseless carriages without any special decorations. It was not until the 1930s that coachbuilders became experts in metalworking. They formed the sheet metal by hand directly onto a wooden frame, creating unique models with round, organic lines. With advances in industrial production, the shapes became much simpler because the contemporary steel presses did not allow for fine details and pronounced three-dimensionality.

In the late 1960s, these two stylistic approaches became increasingly distant from each other. The difference between cars with organic and geometric lines is particularly evident in the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale and the Carabo show car - although both have the same technical basis.

The Unequal Twin Brothers
The Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale and the Carabo couldn't be more different. One shows off the muscles and sinew of an athlete. The other is almost all straight edges and sharp angles; a design that aims to capture the essence of mobility and transport it into the future. Tipo 33 Stradale and Carabo are so much more than just two interpretations of the same theme, they seem to come from two different worlds.

The shared platform of the Tipo 33 Stradale and Carabo is the synthesis of Alfa Romeo's 50 years of racing experience. It is the result of inspired and precise planning, expertise and courage in the choice of materials. The design of the Tipo 33 Stradale combines technological innovation with creativity.

Ready for the competition
In 1964, Giuseppe Luraghi - president of Alfa Romeo at the time - decided to officially return the brand to racing. In order not to waste any time setting up his own factory team, Luraghi acquired Autodelta. The company, originally based in Udine in north-eastern Italy, was already a partner of Alfa Romeo in the production of the TZ model. Together with Autodelta, Carlo Chiti, who had already worked for Alfa Romeo from 1952 to 1957, returned to the brand and took on the role of head of the official team.

Luraghi commissioned Chiti's team to develop a racing car that would compete for success and media attention in two categories that were extremely popular at the time - the World Sports Car Championship and hill climbs. Work on the Tipo 1964 project began in 33.

Autodelta
In the mid-1960s, Autodelta moved its headquarters from Udine to Settimo Milanese, near Milan. This reduced the distance to the Alfa Romeo factory in Portello, but above all to the test track in Balocco on the motorway between Milan and Turin.

Alfa Romeo initially constructed the supporting frame for the Tipo 33, the first example being delivered to Autodelta in 1965. The frame consisted of three H-shaped tubes made of an aluminum alloy welded together. The fuel tanks were integrated into the side cavities. A magnesium subframe at the front accommodated the front wheel suspension, the radiators, the steering and the pedals. The engine and transmission were mounted lengthways behind the two-seater cockpit. The body was made of fiberglass to bring the vehicle weight to 600 kilograms - the minimum weight required by the regulations. Lightweight construction was Alfa Romeo's secret weapon for the Tipo 33 as well.

Winning the Manufacturers' World Championship in 1975 and 1977
A short development time was unrealistic for such an ambitious and innovative project. Almost two years would pass before the Tipo 33 was ready for its first race. But it wasn't that far yet. For the first test drives, the technicians installed the 1,6-liter four-cylinder engine from the GT sports car TZ2. At the same time, a completely new engine was developed. With eight cylinders in a V shape and a displacement of two liters, it initially produced 169 kW (230 hp).

The first version of the Tipo 33 was nicknamed "Periscopica" because the engine's air intake, which protruded over the roll bar, was reminiscent of the periscope of a submarine. The premiere took place on March 12, 1967, at a hill climb in Fléron, near Liège, Belgium. The driver was Autodelta's chief test driver, Teodoro Zeccoli. After years of careful preparation, the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 celebrated victory on its first outing.

The Fléron hill climb marked the beginning of a success story for the Tipo 33, which culminated in Alfa Romeo winning the 1975 and 1977 World Championships for Manufacturers. These victories made the Tipo 33 one of the most successful racing cars of its era.

The nobleman from Florence who became an automobile designer
The success of the Tipo 33 on the racetrack encouraged Alfa Romeo to develop a road version, produced in very small numbers. The task of transferring the sporty character of the racing car to the "Stradale" was entrusted to Franco Scaglione.

Scaglione was born into an old noble family in Florence in 1916. He studied aerospace engineering until he was drafted into the military. In 1941 he was taken prisoner of war on the Libyan front. He returned to Italy at the end of 1946. Instead of continuing his studies, he embarked on a career as an automobile designer. He first worked for Pinin Farina, then for Bertone and later worked freelance.

Scaglione put all his technical know-how and creative courage into the design of the Tipo 33 Stradale. The result was a masterpiece that combined stylistic innovation with the pursuit of optimal aerodynamics and functionality.

The Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale
The engine cover of the Tipo 33 Stradale can be opened in its entirety to facilitate access to the mechanical components. For the first time, a road-legal car had gullwing doors. Not only did they look spectacular, they also made it easier to get into the vehicle, which was less than a meter high. The main differences from the racing car were the extension of the wheelbase by 10 centimeters and the use of steel instead of aluminum for the H-shaped frame.

The engine of the Tipo 33 Stradale was identical to the racing version. It was made almost entirely of aluminum and magnesium alloys, had manifold injection for the fuel and dry sump lubrication for the oil circuit. Both cylinder banks were equipped with two overhead camshafts as well as two valves and two spark plugs per cylinder. In such a light car, the power of 169 kW (230 hp) enabled a top speed of 260 km/h. The Tipo 100 Stradale completed the sprint from zero to 33 km/h in 5,5 seconds.

Premiere on the Monza racetrack
Alfa Romeo presented the Tipo 33 Stradale to a wide audience at the 1967 Turin Motor Show. A handful of experts had already had the pleasure of seeing it a few weeks earlier at the Italian Grand Prix on September 10, 1967 at the Monza race track. The ninth round of the 1 Formula 1967 World Championship went down in history not only because of an epic comeback by Jim Clark, but also because of the debut of one of the most beautiful sports cars of all time.

When it was launched, the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale was the most expensive sports car. It cost almost 10 million Italian lire, while its main competitors only cost six to seven million. Only twelve units of the Tipo 33 Stradale with the body designed by Scaglione were built. Despite the high price, buyers had made the investment of a lifetime: the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale is now practically priceless.

The concept vehicle Carabo
The Tipo 33 Stradale was the culmination of the concept of a car with an organic design. But the pursuit of unique style also led Alfa Romeo in completely different directions. The idea of ​​a "car of the future" had already been implemented in 1952 with the 1900 C52 model designed by Touring. The design of the flat spider with pronounced fenders was so futuristic that it was nicknamed the "Disco Volante" (flying saucer).

The 1968 Paris Motor Show saw the premiere of a dream car that represented the evolution of this radical idea. The Carabo concept car was an early masterpiece by Bertone designer Marcello Gandini, only 30 years old at the time. The Carabo was based on the mechanics of the Tipo 33 Stradale, which was also used by other designers for one-off cars during this era. These included Giorgetto Giugiaro's Iguana, Pininfarina's 33.2 Coupé Speciale and Cuneo, and Bertone's Navajo.

In terms of height, the Tipo 33 Stradale and Carabo were similar, but the curved lines had completely disappeared. Everything about the Carabo was sharp-edged, from the wedge shape to the scissor doors. The name Carabo was inspired by the golden ground beetle (Carabus auratus), because Gandini had the show car painted in its color: a dazzling green with orange details.

The Carabo was the starting point for Alfa Romeo's strategy of paying particular attention to extravagant colours and special painting techniques to further highlight the brand's uniqueness. The same idea was behind the body colours of the Alfa Romeo Montreal.

The Alfa Romeo Montreal
In 1967, many nations exhibited their best technical and scientific achievements at the World's Fair in Montreal, Canada. The organizers of the Expo asked Alfa Romeo to create a technological symbol, a vehicle that would represent "the highest aspirations of modern man in the automotive field." Orazio Satta Puliga and Giuseppe Busso of Alfa Romeo brought the Bertone design studio on board to assist. Marcello Gandini was commissioned to design the body and interior.

The result was a complete success. Visitors to the Expo praised the elegance and message of the concept, called Montreal, effusively. Public interest prompted Alfa Romeo to develop a production version, which was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 1970.

In contrast to the concept car from the Expo, the finished Alfa Romeo Montreal was powered by a V8 engine based on the Tipo 33 Stradale engine. To make it more suitable for everyday use, the displacement was increased to 2,6 liters and the power reduced to 147 kW (200 hp). The Alfa Romeo Montreal impressed with its extraordinary range of pastel and metallic colors: from green to silver, from orange to gold.

Experimenting with colours is an Alfa Romeo tradition that continues in the body colours offered today, such as Rosso Villa d'Este, Ochre GT Junior and Verde Montreal. These colours are inspired by the brand's 110-year history and are reserved for the most powerful production vehicles currently available.

The other episodes of the “Storie Alfa Romeo” can be found at http://www.media.fcaemea.com/de-de/alfa-romeo/special/storie-alfa-romeo/storie-alfa-romeo-de.

Press contact:
Anne Wollek
Phone: +49 69 66988-450
Email: anne.wollek@fcagroup.com

© Photo: FCA Group