When Estévez bought #498 he was a young guy who thought he was buying a regular Giulia… What a surprise! But note the telltale lettering on the left side of the hood.

September 25, 2002

by Estanislao Iacona

Photos courtesy of Estanislao Iacona and Cris Bertschi

In 1963 Alfa Romeo decided to promote the Giulia sedan model by developing a racing version called the Ti (Touring International) Super. 501 units were built to homologate the cars for racing. This four door racer was very successful throughout the world. It was one of the first factory high performance sedans and set the pace for many other cars, including the BMW 2002 and the Datsun 510. As we shall see, in addition to its successes in Europe, the Ti was also imported to Argentina, where it proved to be the ‘car to beat’.

The Ti Super used the high beam headlight cutouts as extra brake vent inlets. César Sorkin´s #476 was bought as a project. It took a couple of years to have it running, and nowadays it is almost used as an everyday car.

Salon de l´Automobile de Genčve 1963
Alfa Romeo sent two new cars to the 1963 Geneva Salon, the new streamlined Scaglione designed Giulia Sprint Speciale, and the Giulia Ti Super, a racing berlina derived from the production Giulia Ti. The names are often confusing. The standard sedan was called a Ti in Europe. Alfa Romeo had previously used the name Ti Super in the 50s for the 1900 model. This was not the mix of the Ti and the Super banners as some people think. The Giulia Super model, also equipped with twin Webers and a five speed floor shift, was launched years later. The official launch of the Ti Super was on April 24th, 1963 at Monza. Consalvo Sanesi, famous Alfa Romeo “Collaudatore” and test driver since pre war together with Zanardi, former Fangio`s mechanic and mille miglia codriver, drove the car for the press, showing the capabilities of the new machine. Young italian driver Giacomo “Geki” Russo, drove the standing start kilometer in 33 seconds.

The simple and sporty interior was designed by Zagato, and used round instruments in place of the ribbon gauge found in the standard sedan.

Standard and Ti Super differences
The exterior look of the new Giulia was very similar to the production ones, except from the new Campagnolo magnesium wheels, two front lights instead of four, and the three Quadrifoglios on each side of the car and on the trunk. Zagato was in charge of the interior design. The result was a spartan but functional complete dashboard, with two little bucket seats. The most important features were under the bonnet. Two Weber 45DCOE replaced the single Ti carburetor. It had new higher lift camshafts and an increased compression ratio, which gave 112CV at 6500 RPM. The top speed of 180 km/h was very interesting for a 1600cc berlina. In some cases tuners like Virgilio Conrero or Carlo Facetti increased the engine power up to 135 or 140 HP, and the little Giulia would run over the 200 km/h!. The Ti Super is lower than the production Giulia due to shorter and stronger springs. It is also 100kg. lighter thanks to the use of thinner sheet metal for the body. The 910 kg. of the standard car were reduced in some cases using aluminum panels which were not provided by Alfa Romeo but which were FIA homologated.

The Ti Super was built in two series. The first 178 cars were finished in 1963 with rear drum brakes, and 323 cars were assembled in 1964 with four discs brakes. All the 501 cars were delivered in the same white, bianco spino.

Sport activity
Although the Ti Super was a berlina it could easily outperform many sport coupes. Virgilio Conrero, Carlo Facetti, Aldo Bosatto and van der Peer were some of the tuners that made the Giulia a more powerful and reliable car. But probably the most famous Ti Supers were the ones used by the Milanese Jolly Club with the “tricolore” stripes racing at Monza, Nürburgring or Spa. With important drivers and teams, the Quadrifoglio Giulia started a victorious career in Europe and the rest of the world, with victories that will included:

1963	Rally Du Var	France	Pensier/Areclin
1963	12 Tour de France	France	Massoero/Maurin (4th. OA)
1964	Monza 4 hs.	Italy	De Adamich
1964	Rally de Portugal	Portugal	De Adamich
1965	Rally ACF	France	Masoero/Massad
1965	Rally dei Fiori	Italy	Bottalla/Chiaddini
1965	Coppa Europa	Italy	De Adamich/Arcioni
1965	Zandvoort	Netherands	Oskamp
1965	Spa 500 km.	Belgium	Froelich
1965	Mugello	Italy	Pinto
1965	Spa 12 hs.	Belgium	Legal/De Keyu (2nd. OA)
1965	Marlboro 12 hs.	USA	Vato
1965	Melbourne 12 hs.	Australia	Gardner/Barth
1965	Ixelles 12 hs.	Belgium	Ackerman/Deprez
1966	Hessen Rally	Germany	Klein
1966	Brazil 1000 km	Brazil	Gancia
1966	Interlagos 24 hs.	Brazil	Zambello/Lolli

From left to right: s/n 595135, Estanislao Iacona, Luis Magenta, s/n 595498, Valentín and Omar Laciar Estévez, s/n 595476, Cristián Bertschi, Juan Pablo and César Sorkin.

The Ti Super comes to South America
From the very beginning of the 20th. century, Argentina welcomed immigrants from all over Europe, especially from Italy and Spain. This is the most important reason to understand why motor racing was so popular in our country. Alfa Romeo had been racing in Argentina since the first RL cars came in 1923. During the late 50’s, the wealthy Italian industrialist Giuseppe Vianini, who was doing business in Argentina due to his friendship with former President Juan Domingo Perón, became the new importer of the Milano cars in Buenos Aires. He first brought the lovely and desirable Giulietta Ti model that won big number of races, then the Giulia Ti, and the 2600 Sprint. It was in 1963 that a very special Giulia arrived to Buenos Aires to compete in the “Gran Premio”, a race similar to the Carrera Panamericana but for stock road cars. Only 7 or 8 Ti Supers are believed to have come to Argentina. Most of them went to the Vianini Team, who hired the most popular drivers. Names such as Alberto Rodríguez Larreta, known as “Larry”, Andrea Vianini, Nasif Estéfano, Francisco “Paco” Mayorga, Federico Cook, Ítalo Maresio, Jorge Rizzutto Mugica, Carlo Faccetti (IT), Luis Brave, Mario Colabattisti (Perú), Rodolfo de Álzaga, Néstor Salerno, Juan Fernández and Carlos Bellini, were part of the team.

From 1963 onwards, the Ti Super had brilliant performances, although mechanical problems prevented the team from winning several main races. Apparently, the main cause of the trouble was the type of tuning done in Italy prior to importation. Either Facetti or Conrero tuned the cars to race in circuits, and here in Argentina the cars were used in long races over very dirt routes.

Nevertheless, the car managed the checkered flag in these events:

100 Millas de la ciudad de Buenos Aires won by Andrea Vianini.

1963 Vuelta of Villa Allende, Cordoba, by Nasif Estefano.

1963 Mar y Sierras, 1ş D class, by Andrea Vianini.

1964 500 km. de Capilla del Monte won by Paco Mayorga.

1964 Vuelta of Carlos Paz, Cordoba by Nasif Estefano.

1964 Gran Premio, category D standard won by Paco Mayorga.

1964 Vuelta of Capilla del Monte, Cordoba, by Nasif Estefano.

1964 La Falda, Cordoba, by Nasif Estefano.

1965 Vuelta del Noroeste, by Nasif Estefano.

1965 500 km. de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires won by Fernández - Salerno

1965 Vuelta del Noroeste won by Ítalo Maresio

* Estefano was Argentinean champion of “Turismo Mejorado” in 1965.

Sorkin´s s/n 595476 is the only of the three which still has the chrome strip around the rear taillights. Milano plates are just for fun.

Giulia Ti Supers in Argentina today
Nowadays we are lucky to have three Ti Super’s in Argentina, they are: s/n AR10516.595.135, s/n AR10516.595.476 and s/n AR10516.595.498.

AR10516.595.135 was completed by the factory on December 4th. 1963 and sent to Motor Italia S.A. from Lima, Perú on December 11th 1963. Its first race in Argentina was the 1964 Gran Premio Standard, driven by the Peruvian driver Mario Colabattisti, retiring after an accident that left the car upside down. It is not clear if this car is the one later driven to victory by Ítalo Maresio who defeated Carlos Reutemann at the 1965 Vuelta del Noroeste. During the 70’s it was rediscovered in the customs office in Buenos Aires by Mauro and Graziano Bellina, two real Alfisti and great mechanics, who later sold it to its present owner, Luis Magenta, who drives it regularly in classic and sport car events in Argentina. It is no longer white but it accelerates and steers like in its youth. This car has never been restored.

It is very difficult to detemine how many Ti Supers were in Argentina, for the moment only three are known.

AR10516. 595.476 was completed by the factory on September the 2nd 1964, and sent to its first owner, Sudamericana Automotores S.A. from Buenos Aires on September 10th 1964. The car belonged to the Vianini Team, that subsequently sold it to Nasif Estéfano. This fast driver from Tucumán drove this Giulia in 17 races during 1964 and 1965 being second at the 1964 Campeonato Argentino de Turismo Mejorado and wining the championship in 1965. During the late 90s the car was discovered in San Juan, Argentina in very sad and dilapidated state, and brought to Buenos Aires where César Sorkin, president of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club from Argentina, restored it with the valuable help of mechanic Teresio Riaudo. As with s/n 595.135 is also an active performer in the Classic and Sport car events in Argentina.

Every Ti Super was painted Bianco Spino (white) but Luis Magenta still likes to have his in red.

AR10516. 595.498 was completed by the factory on August 25th 1964 and sent to Jorge Horacio Cichero, from Tierra del Fuego at the south of Argentina, on August 28th that same year. Though Cichero was the importer, its owner was Francisco “Paco” Mayorga, who raced under the nickname “Fueguinos”. Young Mayorga raced with the backing of the powerful Vianini Team. Its current owner, Omar Laciar Estévez, who did a neat and complete restoration, discovered this car in the early 80’s. It also competes in Classic and Sport car events in our country.