Australia For Everyone

First built in 1967 in an attempt by Italian carmaker Alfa Romeo to make some of its racing technology available to the public, the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale was designed by Franco Scaglione, and built by Carrozzeria Marazzi. A stunning looker, it is believed by many to be the most beautiful looking car Alfa Romeo have ever produced and one the world's classic sports car designs. Based on the Autodelta Alfa Romeo T33 racing car, the road car made its debut at the 1967 Turin Motorshow.

Despite its stunning performance and looks, the Stradale was not a big commercial success; mainly because of its astronomic price. The 33 Stradale was the most expensive automobile for sale to the public in 1968 at US$17,000 (when the average cost of a new car in 1968 was $2,822). As only 18 were made, along with three design studies based on the 33 Stradale the 33.2, Iguana and Carabo, the car is by far the most collectable Alfa Romeo ever built, and brings seven figures or the rare occasions that one comes up for sale. The Stradale is believed to be the first production vehicle to feature dihedral doors, also known as butterfly doors. The Stradale also features windows which seamlessly curve upward into the 'roof' of the vehicle.

The race-bred engine bore no relation to the mass-produced units in Alfa's more mainstream vehicles. Race engineer Carlo Chiti designed an oversquare (78 mm bore x 52.2 mm stroke) dry-sump lubricated 1,995 cc (121.7 cu.in) V8. The road version took 1st and 2nd place in its class at Daytona and in the same year claimed 15 overall victories and 6 category victories. In 1969 the car won 14 first places overall and 13 class victories.

Model Type: 2 Door Coupe
Body Designer: Franco Scaglione
Engine: mid-engine V8 (1995cc), four chain-driven camshafts operate the valve train, SPICA fuel injection, four ignition coils and 16 spark plugs
Horsepower: 230 bhp at 8800 rpm (270 bhp (200 kW) in race trim)
Transmission: Colotti 6-Speed transaxle manual gearbox Curb weight: 700 kg
Top Speed: 260 km/h (298 km/h in race trim)