60 years Auto Delta!

We previously established that 2023 will be rife with the milestones and celebrations of historic car brands. We're putting another one in the spotlight, because today is celebrating Alfa Romeo 60 years Autodelta. Although that is not a car manufacturer, but the name of the competition department of the Italian car manufacturer. Motorsport is in the DNA of the Alfa's, there are only a few brands in that very large car market that are so thoughtful with car racing. And what brand has been that for so long? 60 years means that Autodelta was founded in 1963. So reason enough to stop and think about it.   

March 5 1963

Autodelta is the famous racing department of Alfa Romeo, was housed in Settimo Milanese and was directed by Carlo Chiti. The latter name is of course no stranger to the seniors among AMK readers. On March 5, 1963, Carlo Chiti founded Auto Delta SpA together with Lodovico Chizola and his brother. For this action they had the indispensable support of the then Alfa Romeo President Giuseppe Lurachi. Chiti already worked before Alfa Romeo as a technician and designer. He had already proven himself before at Ferrari and ATS. Chizola wash Alfadealer for the area around Udine, in the northeast of Italy. He took care of the housing in the town of Feletto Umberto (near Udine) and he fulfilled the management tasks of the brand new Auto Delta.

The first 'job'

The first 'job' of the new company was the production of one hundred Giulia TZs. This car was a compact grand tourer designed by Zagato, built with the technology and engine of the Giulia. It was equipped with a special tubular frame, hence the abbreviation Tubular Zagato. These Giulia's TZ were necessary for homologation in the Grand Turismo category. The project was too small for the factory itself and had to be outsourced. In doing so, Autodelta secured its status as the factory's racing department, continuing a tradition that dates back to the XNUMXs. Alfa Corse had begun.

De Alfa Julia Sprint GTA

Just a year later, it was decided to move the company from Udine to Settimo Milanese. A place in the Milanese hinterland, not far from the factory in Arese. The name was 'en passant' also changed from Auto Delta SpA to the smoother sounding Autodelta. Under the leadership of general manager Carlo Chiti, the Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA was born, a sporty two-door coupe with different engine variants. The Alfa GTA became iconic and interpreted the spirit and technical sophistication of the Italian car manufacturer like no other model. The Giulia Sprint GTA was born in 1965. It won three consecutive European touring car championships, dozens of national championships (including in the Netherlands) and won hundreds of individual races around the world. Another curiosity: the Giulia Sprint GTA was the first touring car to complete the Nürburgring Nordschleife in less than 10 minutes. What was achieved by Autodelta was nothing short of remarkable. The victories with the TZ, TZ2 and especially the GTA were strung together. Touring car racing was dominated by the 1300 GTA, followed later by the 1750 GTAm and the slightly more powerful 2000 GTAm.

From 33 ...

But it didn't stop with the GTA. The Autodelta blue triangle logo, often accompanied by the Quadrifoglio logo, also appeared on the 33. This was a specially developed two-seater racing car for endurance racing. The '33' went far, with the '33 TT 12' (1975) and the '33 SC 12' (1977) the world championship was achieved! Motivated by this, Autodelta continued into the eighties. Subsequently, Autodelta was responsible for managing all sports programs of Alfa Romeo, of the Alfasud trophy to Formula 1. In 1984 Carlo Chiti left the company and the following year (1985) Autodelta was officially dissolved. 

Gathering place for famous drivers

Finally, it should not be forgotten that Autodelta was also a formidable training ground for many Italian drivers, including Andrea De Adamich, Arturo Merzario, Andrea De Cesaris, Bruno Giacomelli, Giorgio Francia to name a few. And just as many foreign toppers: from Jochen Rindt to Jacky Ickx, from Jean-Pierre Jarier to Mario Andretti. Big international driver names in a row in which our own Toine Hezemans should not be missing. He was one of the most successful Autodelta/Alfa Romeo factory drivers ever! In addition, Autodelta also enjoyed great respect at a national level. In the late sixties and early seventies we saw almost the entire Dutch racing top driving around Circuit Zandvoort with their touring cars. Nico Chiotakis, Rob Slotemaker, Wim Loos, Tonny Zwanenburg, Han Akersloot, Frans Lubin, Wim Boshuis, Hennie van der Vliet, Hans Deen, Rob Redeker and Henri van Oorschot. And of course the gorgeous blonde, Liane Engeman! Do you remember them?

Autodelta continued

The official closure of Autodelta in 1985 led to a continuation under the old name of 'Alfa Corse'. After a difficult adventure in Formula 1, he returned Alfa with Autodelta back to touring cars. Successes were achieved with the 'GTV 6 2.5' and a little later, under the Alfa Corse flag, DTM victories with the '155 V6 Ti' in 1993 and 1994 became legendary. And after 1994 followed a very long series of victories of the '156 Superturismo'. From 1998 to 2004, to be precise.    

Racing is in the DNA

Alfa Corse or Autodelta. What's in a name. It's all wet. The logo with the blue triangle stands for all racing activities of Alfa Romeo through the years. And those racing activities were mixed with the many beautiful designs that saw the light of day in Arese. Autodelta provided a special DNA for the Italian car brand. They never lost it. And that is rightly celebrated on March 5th!

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