The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2024 - Issue 35

bitecars A MOR EO F DARING TO DREAM AGAIN O ver half a century ago, Alfa Romeo produced the mid-engine 33 Stradale sports car between 1967 and 1969. Stradale, the Italian word for ‘road-going’, indicated the street-legal version of the Au- todelta Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 racing car. In 1968, 33 Stradale was the most expensive car for public sale at $17,000. Fif- ty-six years later, it returned as a limited-edition two-seater coupé featuring a perfect balance of proportions, volumes and surface properties linking internal combustion and electric powertrain. Initially designed by Franco Scaglione and built by the Carrozzeria Marazzi team with technical aspects curat- ed by Autodelta, the classic debuted at the Paris Salon de L’Auto in October 1967. It was one of the first production vehicles to feature forward-hinged butterfly doors, with the side windows seamlessly curved upward into the roof. The road-ready model had the same suspension system as the Tipo 33 race car, featuring the upper and lower control arms in the front and double trailing arms in the rear. The 33 Stradale was regarded as the most beautiful car, with balanced forms, pure lines, and elegant details. One of the 18 models produced remains at the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese, making it a scarce piece coveted by collectors. Six of the chassis were used to underpin cool concept cars, such as the 1968 Carabo and P33 Roadster GS, 1969 33/2 Coupé Speciale and Iguana, 1971 Cuneo and 1976 Navajo. The legendary 33 Stradale undeniably marks Alfa Romeo’s history and Italian design. What Drives This Power Model? Today’s coupé is available in two powerful capacity vari- ants. The petrol version has a 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo en- gine delivering more than 620 horsepower, an eight-speed AL