The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
From the Archives, June 11, 2008
Story and color photos by Roberto Motta
This Alfa Romeo T33/2 is powered by the two-liter Alfa Romeo V8, still with its original 240 horsepower and in its original 1967 European Mountain Championship configuration. [Read more…] about Alfa Romeo T33/2 Chassis 001
Old and new Giulias during the presentation of the Peking-Paris raid.
Story by Roberto Motta
Photos by Roberto Motta and Scuderia del Portello
On February 25, as it does every year since 1993, the Scuderia del Portello opened the new season with the “Alfa Romeo Award of Champions” for the drivers who have excelled in competitions and official events of the past season, driving both historical and modern Alfa Romeo cars.
The event was held at the historic Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese and also celebrated 35 years of the Scuderia del Portello. Present during the ceremony were President of the Lombardy Region, Roberto Maroni; the President of the Lombardy Regional Committee CONI Oreste Perri; President ACI Milano, Ivan Capelli, and the director general Arexpo Marco Carabelli. Representing FCA was Roberta Zerbi (Business Center Italian Alfa Romeo and Jeep Country Manager). [Read more…] about La Scuderia del Portello Awards
A sight one does not normally see in other museums.
Story and photos by Roberto Motta
It’s Hoods Up at the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo for the 40th Anniversary
Wander through the many automobile museums of the world (or just follow VeloceToday!) and you will quickly note that they all have one thing in common; the hoods are usually closed and if not, one can’t get close enough to study the mechanicals. This is unfortunate, for unlike today’s plastic-covered engines, many powerplants of the 20th century were hi tech engineering, awesome to look at, art in and of themselves, and designed to be easy to work on. Yet they are so often hidden under the hoods of museum pieces. Not so in Milan however!
Alfa Romeo, who has been creating technologically advanced engines for race cars and production cars since 1910, is one of the few firms left with a lengthy and glorious history of designing advanced engines. Engines are the essence of Alfa Romeo, and at the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo, they are not afraid to show it. On December 18 2016, the Museum in Arese celebrated its first 40 Year Anniversary with a special exhibition in which the hoods were open on about 300 cars for everyone to see and touch. And why not; engines are the sporting heart of Alfa Romeo; for years Alfa created only the chassis and engine, while the coachwork was completed by others such as Pininfarina, Zagato, and Bertone. Therefore, the ‘real essence’ of historic Alfas often lies beneath the coachwork.
Did we say “Forty years?” True, and it’s hard to believe that the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo first opened on December 18th 1976, born to commemorate and preserve the history of the Milanese brand.
Orazio Satta Puliga, head of design projects since the end of the Second World War, was a prime motivator for the construction of the Museum, and fortunately Satta found a great ally in President Giuseppe Luraghi. Subsequently, it was up to famous historian and engineer Luigi Fusi to assemble the collection and organize the exhibition in a new building.
A line up of 1976 Alfas owned by Alfisti visiting the 40th Anniversary.
In recent years, the museum was closed to the public for a complex renovation project by architect Benedetto Camerana. The museum re-opened its doors on 24 June 2015. Named ‘The Time Machine’ it is a modern structure that in its first year attracted more than 100 thousand visitors thanks to a fascinating exhibition that tells the history of Alfa Romeo. As such, the Museum is not only for the ‘Alfisti’, but also caters to a wider audience that includes the new generations. Still, the forty year celebration in December included a special event for the ‘Alfisti’… Alfa enthusiasts who drove an Alfa Romeo built during the ’76 model year participated in the parade on the test track next to the museum.
The museum is in Arese (Milan), Viale Alfa Romeo.
Opening Time: Open daily from 10 am to 18 pm. Closed on Tuesday.
For info: website www.museoalfaromeo.com Tel .: 02 4442 5511
Below, note that there are links in the captions to related articles.
Vittorio Jano’s GP Tipo P2 (1925)
Alfa Romeo GP Tipo P2 engine, 1925 (1987cc 155hp at 5500rpm) Read More
Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza (2336cc 165hp at 5400 rpm)
SOLO PER APPASSIONATI: Le macchine … e motori dell’Alfa Romeo Museo Storico.
Testo e foto di Roberto Motta
Il Museo Alfa Romeo di Arese ha compiuto i suoi primi 40 anni e per festeggiare ha esibito le proprie vetture con i ‘cofani aperti’ per consentire al pubblico di ammirare il suo “cuore sportivo”
Se passeggiate tra le stanze dei numerosi musei di automobili di tutto il mondo (o più semplicemente seguite VeloceToday!) avrete notato che tutti hanno una cosa in comune; tutte le auto hanno i cofani chiusi, e non ci si può avvicinare alle vetture per studiarne la meccanica. Questo è un peccato perché, a differenza dei motori di oggi, interamente ricoperti di plastica, molti propulsori del 20° secolo sono un vero concentrato di ingegneria hi tech, e sono delle vere opere d’arte.
Ma, purtroppo, sono spesso nascosti sotto il cofano delle auto esposte nel museo.
L’Alfa Romeo, ha sempre creato motori per auto da corsa e per vetture di produzione fin dal 1910, ed è quindi una delle poche aziende che può vantare una lunga e gloriosa storia nella progettazione di motori tecnicamente avanzati. [Read more…] about Alfa Romeo Museo Storico Annivesary in Italia
The 33TT Stradale at Monza for the Coppa Intereuropa in 2001. Photo by Roberto Motta.
Story by Roberto Motta
Joe Nastasi on the 33TT Stradale Giro d’Italia
As we have previously recounted, Joe Nastasi was born in Messina Sicily in 1948, migrated to the U.S. and worked his way up to becoming the U.S. Lamborghini importer. Nastasi also did well in a variety of other endeavors, allowing him to become an active collector and vintage racer. He became interested in Alfas after purchasing his first T33, s/n 11572.006. Over the years Nastasi managed to acquire other Alfa T33s from Autodelta; the 33/2 ‘periscope’ of 1967, and the 1977 33 SC12. Nastasi, as well as being a businessman, is also a great mechanic, and always personally oversees the maintenance of its cars with which he participates in the most important events reserved for classic cars. [Read more…] about Alfa Romeo Berlinetta Stradale Giro d’Italia: “Il Mostro” Part 2
We all know about the beautiful T33 Stradale coupe*. Here is the story about the other T33 Stradale…the one you have never heard of.
Text by Roberto Motta
Photos by Roberto Motta, Actualfoto, Archivio Gambi, Archivio Nastasi e Automobilismo Storico Alfa Romeo, Centro Documentazione (Arese, Milano)
Businessman, importer, mechanic and vintage car collector Joe Nastasi has owned many great cars, but perhaps the most interesting and certainly the rarest, is a T33TT V8 Stradale, a car that is not what it seems and was destined to compete in only one event. Roberto Motta brings us this story about the Alfa T33 “Mostro”, based on an article he wrote in 2007.
Only one example of the Type 33TT Stradale was constructed and is one of the most beautiful cars produced by Alfa Romeo. Little known to the public, this car holds a fascination for two main reasons: it is an Alfa Romeo and participated in a single race, the Tour of Italy Automotive in 1975. Its proper name, according to Joe Nastasi who still owns it, is the “Alfa Romeo Berlinetta Stradale Giro d’Italia”, whatever we might call it below. [Read more…] about Alfa Romeo Berlinetta Stradale Giro d’Italia: “Il Mostro” Part 1
September 26, 1976; Hockenheim, Jean-Pierre Jabouille in the Elf Renault.
By Roberto Motta
Renault Internal Press Photos
The 1976 European F2 championship was certainly one of the most exciting. The season was rich in emotions and duels on the track that led to the championship being awarded only after the last race. It was one of the most competitive years of those between 1967 and 1984, when the F2 championship was replaced by Formula 3000 due to the decrease of the participants in the F2 series. [Read more…] about 1976 F2: Invasion Renault
Story by Roberto Motta
Photos courtesy Scuderia Portello
Arese (Milan), February 6, 2016 – Each year, the Scuderia del Portello Alfa Romeo rewards its drivers during a meeting in the multipurpose room of the renovated Museo Storico Alfa Romeo. For the first time since it was renovated, the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese hosted the traditional awarding of the Portello Scuderia Champions. More than 300 guests from Japan, Portugal, England, Belgium, Germany, Mexico and Australia came together to celebrate with great enthusiasm and emotion their common passion for the brand Alfa Romeo. [Read more…] about Portello Awards at the Alfa Arese Museum
The Alfas that will run in the Parigi-Pechino Rally on the banks at Monza.
Story by Roberto Motta
As always, the cars and the drivers of the Scuderia del Portello attracted the attention of fans attending the Intereuropa Cup, an event that has returned to the calendar after the suspension of one year.
On the weekend of June 19 and 21, on the circuit and in the paddock at Monza, racing fans were able to see hundreds of racing cars that have left an indelible mark in the history of international sport. However, we believe that the most admired, engaging, and emotional were the Alfa Romeos of Scuderia del Portello. [Read more…] about Scuderia Portello’s Weekend at the Coppa Intereuropa
Story and Photos by Roberto Motta
“The legends back on track” was held on 21 and 22 September, at Monza to celebrate 50 years of Autodelta. Organized by the Italian Alfa Romeo Register, it attracted a large gathering of Autodelta racing cars and featured more than 700 cars on the track. Of these, about 300 racing cars were from Europe, Russia, Japan, and the United States.
Also participating were many of the drivers and technicians who contributed to the success of Autodelta. In the course of a conference, they entertained fans and journalists by telling stories about their part in the history of Alfa’s famous racing arm. The group included Nino Vaccarella, Teodoro Zeccoli, Gianluigi Picchi, Andrea de Adamich, Mauro Pregliasco, Bruno Giacomelli, and Camillo Marchetti.
Autodelta’s founder and chief engineer, Carlo Chiti, passed away in 1994 at the age of 70, but his son Arturo and his daughter Olga attended in memory of his father. Arturo accepted an award on behalf of the unforgettable Tuscan engineer.
Carlo Chiti's son Arturo accepts an award on behalf of his father.
Several TZ1 and TZ2 were on hand to celebrate Autodelta's fifty years.
Alonso is doing better than the rest of the also-rans.
Photos by Roberto Motta
We woke up one morning to find that our Italian correspondent Roberto Motta had sent us his photos from the F1 practice at Monza. Suddenly we realized that the season was almost over (it was MONZA already!) and we had yet to watch one race. [Read more…] about F1 Update: Roberto Motta Reports from Monza
Loeb and Peugeot exceeded all expectations at Pikes Peak.
By Roberto Motta
Photo courtesy by Peugeot Sport and Red Bull Motorsport
Other articles on the subject:
Peugeot Heads for the Hill
History of Peugeot at Pikes Peak
On June 30th, Sébastien Loeb and the 208 T16 Peugeot “Pikes Peak” shattered the record for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, with a staggering time of 8 minutes 13.878 seconds. Loeb, known by his fans as the “Cannibal”, devoured opponents along the 20 miles and 156 curves of the hill climb with an average speed of 145 kph. [Read more…] about Pikes Peak to Peugeot! In English and Italian