6/28/2017 3:00 PM

Alfa Romeo is taking part in the 2017 edition of the famous "Goodwood Festival of Speed" that will be staged from 29 June to 2 July in West Sussex in England. It is considered one of the most important international events dedicated to motor sports. Comprising the Hillclimb Race, themed shows and exhibitions of historical and current cars, it draws a crowd of 200,000 fans and collectors from around the world every year.

Also taking part in the prestigious event are a 1750 GT Am (1970), a 33.3 litre Le Mans (1970), a 155 V6 Ti DTM and a Brabham BT45-Alfa Romeo, all belonging to the Alfa Romeo Historic Museum in Arese. 

The classic cars will be on display at the Main Paddock, and some of them will face the main attraction of the Festival of Speed, the "mixed-fast" track of the Goodwood Hillclimb. The almost two-kilometre course begins on a tree-lined road leading through the southern corner of the Goodwood Estate. It then makes a decisive turn in front of the Goodwood House before climbing up a fraught and narrow road enclosed by stone walls and thick woods heading toward the racetrack, which dominates on the top of the majestic South Downs. The difference in height from start to finish is nearly 100 metres making the course particularly technical and difficult, to the point of putting a strain on the skills of concentration and speed of even the best drivers in the world.

The rare cars will be accompanied by the latest new FCA models, confirming that eternal link between the icons of the past and the vehicles currently made by the group. Alfa Romeo's first ever SUV, the Stelvio, will be making its dynamic debut in the UK as the Stelvio takes on the famous Goodwood hill climb. Alfa Romeo will also have the award-winning Giulia on display with the Veloce and the range-topping Giulia Quadrifoglio as well as the 4C Coupé and the Giulietta Veloce.

Alfa Romeo 1750 GT Am (1970)

Four round headlights, an aggressive raised profile and prominent wheel arches are the features which recall the technologically advanced spirit of the "Giulia Sprint GTA" series. The name GT Am (where "Am" stands for "America") refers to the version derived from the one sold on the North American market where Alfa Romeo marketed the 1750 GTV version with injection necessary for type-approval in the United States. The GT Am - of which 40 units were made - has mechanical injection and its two-litre engine was capable of unleashing up to 220 HP at 7200 rpm. The body is made of steel with side and rear plastic panels to reduce its overall weight. With this model Autodelta achieved spectacular results, which culminated in 1970 with the European Touring Car Championship, and in the following year it placed first in the constructors' category in the same championship.

33.3-litre Le Mans (1970)

The 33.3-litre with six-speed gearbox is the development of the previous "two-litre" version. It was fitted out with a 2998 cc, V8 engine with four valves and indirect injection and delivered 400 HP at 8000 rpm. The monocoque bodyshell chassis was formed by aluminium and titanium panels with a wheelbase practically the same as the 33.2. Its top speed was 330 km/h, and it was the 1971 version that collected the highest number of wins, including the one at the Targa Florio with Vaccarella and Hezemans.

 Alfa Romeo 155 V6 Ti DTM (1993)

The car competed in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM) which was by far the most prestigious touring car racing championship in the early nineties. At first, all competitors were exclusively German but then in 1993 Alfa Romeo decided to take part officially with the 155 V6 Ti driven by Alessandro Nannini and Nicola Larini and with other cars entered by semi-official teams.
The debut was resounding: the 155 V6 Ti won both rounds in the first race in Zolder (Belgium). By the end of the season, Larini had won no fewer than 10 out of 20 races, which added to Nannini's two wins and the many podiums and good standings of the two Italians, secured the constructors' title for Alfa Romeo and the drivers title for Larini. It was nothing short of a shock for the Germans, who reluctantly accepted that the top level 1993 DTM championship had gone to an Italian brand in the year of its debut.

 Brabham BT45-Alfa Romeo (1977)

The exciting story of this race car began in 1976, after the World Sportscar Championship won by the "33 TT 12" in 1975, when Autodelta - the Alfa Romeo racing department - decided to join Formula One by supplying the Brabham team with the 500 HP 12-cylinder boxer engine on the "33" itself. Actually, Alfa Romeo had already supplied the engines for a March car in 1971, but the experiment was immediately put on hold. The so-called "Brabham-Alfa" was presented in 1976. The car maintained the classic "Martini Racing" livery with the base colour switched from white to red, to honour the Italian auto maker. The entire operation was orchestrated by the engineer Carlo Chiti, founder of Autodelta, and by Bernie Ecclestone, who owned the Brabham team at the time. The talented Gordon Murray designed the car, built around the overall dimensions of the Alfa Romeo "flat" engine and distinguished by two side periscope scoops to feed the twelve cylinders. In 1976 the official drivers of the Brabham "BT45" were Argentinian Carlos Reutemann (ARG) and the Brazilian rising star Carlos Pace (BRA). This initial season was "preparatory": the three fourth standings, two of which by Pace and one by Reutemann, were the most significant results.


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