Alfa Romeo

{vsig}1998-11_1583{/vsig} The jewel-like Alfa Romeo TZ2 model is in effect “The Baby GTO,” simply one of the most charismatic smaller-capacity Gran Turismo car designs of all time. Furthermore, the car pictured here has hardly been seen in public since the late 1960s, and it retains all the distinctive TZ2 componentry which some of its sisters…

Its factory devastated by wartime bombing, Alfa Romeo did not resume car production until 1947, the pre-war 2500C standing the Milan marque in good stead until 1952. The firm’s first all-new offering of the post-war period arrived in 1950. Designed by Dr. Orazio Satta Puliga, the 1900 was the first Alfa to employ unitary construction…

Bodied by renowned Italian coachbuilder, Touring, known for creating some of the most exquisite early Ferrari and later Maserati designs, the Alfa Romeo 2600 Spider closely resembled the Vignale-bodied 3500 Maserati roadster. The 2600 was introduced in late 1962 and although similar to the 2000 series in design it offered a different grille, hood, windshield…

When Carlo Leto di Priolo wrecked his Alfa Romeo Sprint Veloce on the 1956 Mille Miglia, he had the car rebodied by his friend Elio Zagato, with lightweight and aerodynamic aluminium coachwork. The rebuilt car was further campaigned in races with such success that 18 further examples of the “SVZ” were constructed by fellow competitors…

This car is one of the small batch of machines which bridged the Alfa Romeo SZ, a road-going GT which was frequently raced, and the TZ, which was essentially a competition car which could be used on the road. {vsig}1998-5_1607{/vsig} The SZ was a descendant of the Giulietta Sprint Veloce, which first appeared in 1957.…

The Alfa Romeo GTAm was the racing version of the extraordinarily successful 1750 GT Veloce, the A signifying “Allegerita” or lightened and the small m indication “maggiorata” or enlarged. The Chizzola brothers had set up Autodelta to build the famous TZ Alfas and they were responsible for building just 40 of the GTAm cars during…

A direct evolution of the 1954 Giulietta Sprint, the Bertone-designed Giulia Sprint GT soon established a fine reputation on road and track following its introduction in 1962. Compared to its predecessor, it was a much more refined and relaxed car to drive, reflecting the changing nature of Europe’s roads as higher cruising speeds became more…

During the 1956 Mille Miglia, Carlo Leto di Priolo badly crashed his Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce, destroying the body. He then had the car rebodied by his friend Elio Zagato. The new bodywork bore all the hallmarks of Zagato’s mastery – low drag, beautiful lines and lightweight, tipping the scales at some 110 kg…

In 1990 Alfa Romeo unveiled the SZ, a name evoking memories of their most successful production racer, the Sprint Zagato from the early ’60s. Powered by Alfa’s silky smooth and classic 3.0-liter V6 engine which transmitted its power to the rear wheels via a 5-speed transaxle, the car could hit 152 mph and sprint from…

As was appropriate to a marque with a long and illustrious racing history, Alfa Romeo consistently provided its road-going automobiles with engines closer than most to racing specification. Alfa Romeo’s seminal engine was Vittorio Jano’s historic 2,300 cc supercharged twin overhead-camshaft eight-cylinder of 1930, which powered their famous monoposto P3 racer to so many victories…