2023 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale
Words: Mike Ryan
Photos: Alfa Romeo
More than 50 years after Alfa Romeo built the 33 Stradale, a roadgoing version of their Tipo 33 endurance racer, the Italian carmaker is revisiting the model in an all-new and very modern way.
The product of Alfa Romeo’s Centro Stile in-house design studio, the new 33 Stradale is being described as art in motion and the perfect combination of beauty and technology. Jean-Philippe Imparato, CEO of Alfa Romeo, expanded on the thinking behind reinterpreting this icon from the brand’s past for the new millennium.
“With the new 33 Stradale, we wanted to create something that lived up to our past, to serve the brand and to make the Alfisti fandom proud,” Imparato said. “Such a result could only have been achieved thanks to the expertise, hard work and passion of our team, with the support of management who have the clear ambition to contribute to writing chapters in the brand's future, in full respect of its unique history.
“This is the brand's first custom-built car since 1969, and I promise it won't be the last.”
33 Stradale genesis – Boutique and Custom
The new 33 Stradale is the product of two approaches to carmaking - Bottega and Fuoriserie - that are either new for Alfa Romeo, or haven’t been applied for decades. The former refers to the design of exclusive vehicles and the latter to their construction, with a high degree of customer involvement in both.
‘Bottega,’ rather dully, translates directly as ‘shop’, but would be better referred to as ‘boutique’ in this instance and references both Renaissance workshops and 1960s Italian coachbuilders. In each case, artisans in their respective fields created works of art and objects of desire, according to their clients’ requirements. In case of the new 33 Stradale, customers have been involved in the process since the beginning.
The sketches for this modern take on an Alfa classic were first presented to Alfa Romeo’s most important customers at the 2022 Italian Formula 1 Grand Prix. The response was swift and positive - hardly surprising really, given the level of adoration for the 33 Stradale amongst the Alfisti. Following further meetings and ongoing customer input, the Bottega team developed the new 33 Stradale surprisingly quickly and it’s now in production.
While Bottega allows customers a high degree of involvement in the design process, it doesn’t give them carte blanche to create whatever they like – the history, tradition and image of Alfa Romeo must be respected. In this instance, a ’33 Committee,’ made up of various department heads within Alfa Romeo, assessed all customer requests and ultimately decided whether they would be approved or not.
Tying the new 33 Stradale to the old, Bottega is headquartered at Arese in a facility that’s now the Alfa Romeo Museum, but was where the original car was signed off in 1967.
‘Fuoriserie’ translates as ‘custom build’ and is a dedicated factory programme that follows on from Bottega, allowing customers to develop specific stylistic elements, like wheels, air intakes and even the signature Alfa Romeo triangle grille, alongside a factory development team. development team. The level of customer involvement and vehicle personalisation under the Fuoriserie programme extends to even allowing customers to choose their own VIN – what Alfa Romeo refers to as “signing” the chassis.
While Alfa Romeo and their customers determined the size and style of the 33 Stradale, the actual construction is being entrusted to legendary Italian coachbuilders, Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera.
In its first 40 years of business, Touring created some legendary cars for the likes of Ferrari, Aston Martin, Maserati, Bristol, Lamborghini, Jensen and many others. For Alfa Romeo, Touring’s most famous work was the ‘Disco Volante’ (flying saucer) series of experimental sports cars in the 1950s.
Touring went out of the coachbuilding business in 1966, but was revived in 2006 and has produced a string of one-off and low-volume cars for a range of manufacturers since, including a new spin on the Disco Volante.
33 Stradale in detail – Exterior
As the name of the new 33 Stradale is inspired by the 1967 original, so too is the design. The original, styled by Franco Scaglione, took the 33 roadster platform, stretched the wheelbase 10 inches to improve interior space and added a more practical coupe body with butterfly doors. The mid-mounted 2.0-litre V8 was a detuned version of the same unit fitted to the racing 33.
According to Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos, Head of Alfa Romeo Design, Scaglione’s proportions and harmony of line on the original 33 Stradale directly influenced the approach his team took to styling the new version.
Seen from the front, the new 33 Stradale has similar diagonally canted headlights to the original, along with muscular humps over the wheels. These humps tie into styling of the ‘cofango’ (bonnet), via a distinctive ‘V’ motif that unites both front-end elements while also being a reference to an opening on the trailing edge of the original 33 Stradale’s bonnet.
Alfa Romeo’s triangular shield grille remains on the new 33 Stradale, and while it’s bigger than the shield on the original, it's been completely reinterpreted and is illuminated, it now sits behind the grille opening and is illuminated to striking effect. A traditional Alfa Romeo badge is fixed to the bonnet, but under the Fuoriserie programme, customers can choose to have this produced in the classic style or 3D form.
A carbon fibre front splitter is a modern touch; part of an aerodynamic package that doesn’t rely on any active elements to achieve its impressive drag co-efficient rating of 0.375. Front air intakes integrated into the headlight apertures contribute here, as does the shape of the mirror arms.
On the flanks, the mid-mounted engine has dictated the placement of some elements, like the air intakes, but there’s more of a ‘cab-forward’ profile on the new car compared to the old, while an integrated sunroof is said to give the cabin the feel of an aircraft cockpit. Side mirrors were never part of the original 33 Stradale’s design, but they’ve been added to the new version, while the doors are much larger and provide excellent accessibility in supercar terms.
The back end of the new 33 Stradale repeats the ‘V’ styling from the front, combining that with large circular taillights to create an aggressive look that Alfa Romeo themselves describe as “brutal”. In an era when tail lights can be any shape, the circular treatment is an obvious retro throwback, as are the quad exhaust tips that projected out from the body on the original 33 Stradale, but have been neatly tucked into the rear diffuser this time. Rear indicators are divided between the tail light centres and blades that project out from tube-like carbon-fibre housings that unite the tail lights with the engine extraction vents.
33 Stradale in detail – Interior
Just as the exterior of the 33 Stradale is striking, so too is the interior, but with an even more modern look and feel. There are still some nods to the past, though, like toggle switches and drilled pedals, but the rest of the cabin is very much “modern supercar”. Deeply sculpted seats, digital instrumentation, retractable infotainment screen, a premium seven-speaker sound system and a steering wheel with paddle shifters are all standard.
On the wheel itself, it’s noticeably devoid of buttons and controls – a deliberate move by Alfa Romeo Centro Stile and part of an overall minimalisation of the cabin controls. Adding to this effect is the relocation of some switchgear to an overhead console and air vents that are hidden in the dash design.
The fully digital instrumentation projects towards the driver, with this 3D “telescope” gauge cluster offering first-of-its-kind interaction, according to Alfa Romeo. Accents on this bold arrangement are similar to that used for the head and tail lights. The speedometer incorporates the fuel gauge, while the tachometer on the right includes an oil pressure gauge. The void in between presents a large speed readout, driving mode indicator, clock, temp and other information.
Alfa Romeo Centro Stile created two distinct cabin treatments for the 33 Stradale – Tributo and Alfa Corse. Tributo is an homage to the original car, with brushed aluminium surfaces and leather trim, that includes ribbing on the seats and colours seen on the 1967 33 Stradale. Alfa Corse uses carbon fibre for the detailing and Alcantara on the seats, doorcards and other interior areas for a more modern look. Regardless of the trim spec, the seats feature six-way power adjustment and four lumbar positions.
33 Stradale Power – Two to Choose
As with the interior trim, Alfa Romeo created two powertrain options for the 33 Stradale. The first is a 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 that’s a tweaked version of the engine already offered in the Giulia Quadrifoglio and some other models. Tuned to deliver in excess of 460kW (620hp) in this application, the mid-mounted V6 is matched to an eight-speed DCT, driving the rear wheels through an electronic LSD. Top speed of 333km/h and 0-100km/h acceleration under 3.0 seconds is claimed with this package.
Option two is a fully electric propulsion system that Alfa haven’t revealed details on, other than to stay it will produce over 560kW (750hp) and an estimated range of 450+km. While unsaid by Alfa Romeo, the BEV option will likely be all-wheel drive, with an electric motor on each axle.
Two selectable driving modes – Strada (Road) and Pista (Track) – will adjust things like engine output, throttle response and transmission speed that you’d expect. These modes also adjust suspension settings, the active exhaust valves and traction control. In Pista mode, traction control can also be disengaged entirely.
33 Stradale Chassis – Light and Easy
The new 33 Stradale is built around an H-frame chassis that was inspired by the original car. To the central H-shaped aluminium chassis tubing, a monocoque body in carbon fibre is added, resulting in what Alfa Romeo says is maximum torsional rigidity and a ride that’s both precise and safe. The roof structure combines carbon fibre and aluminium, too, with specially-designed hinges for the butterfly doors.
Suspension is made up of double wishbones with active shocks at each corner, while Alfa’s bespoke ‘semi-virtual’ torque vectoring steering increases grip and cornering ability. This suspension system also includes a front lift function that raises the front end by 50mm to clear speed bumps and driveway entries.
The firmness of the suspension can be adjusted, regardless of the driving mode, while a launch control function (Alfa Romeo calls it ‘Fast Start’) is selectable via the Quadrifoglio button on the centre console.
Braking isn’t described in detail, but includes ventilated carbon ceramic discs with six-piston calipers developed by Brembo. This is controlled by Alfa’s own Brake-by-Wire system that’s said to adjust both brake pressure and pedal feel to suit driving mode and road conditions.
33 Stradale Production – 33 and Out
Given the new 33 Stradale was a behind-closed-doors affair for the brand’s most loyal customers and collectors, it’s no surprise to learn that only 33 units will be built and all of those were sold well before the car broke cover publicly at the end of August. Apparently, the entire production run sold out within a few weeks of customers first being consulted.
How many of those customers chose the twin-turbo V6 over the BEV drivetrain is unknown. Same goes for interior trim and personalisation options.
Price is a mystery, too, with various outlets reporting everything from 1.5 million to 3 million Euros (AU$2.1 to AU$4.2 million approx.), but it’s a moot point as every unit has a buyer anyway and none are likely to come onto the market anytime soon.
The next question to ask is whether the initial success of Alfa Romeo’s Bottega and Fuoriserie will inspire the revival of other past models, like the Montreal. Watch this space…
33 Stradale – the Original
The original 33 Stradale from 1967 was derived from the Tipo 33, a mid-engined sports prototype that was one of Alfa Romeo’s most successful competition cars – in its later form.
Marking Alfa Romeo's return to racing, development of what was initially called Project 33 in 1965 was led by the brand’s then President, Giuseppe Eugenio Luraghi, and Carlo Chiti of Autodelta, Alfa’s newly formed racing department.
Powered by a bespoke 90-degree 2.0-litre V8, the Tipo 33 won its first event, a time trial at Fléron in Belgium on 12 March, 1967, with Autodelta’s chief tester, Teodoro Zeccoli, at the wheel. Success didn’t continue into that year’s World Sportscar Championship, though, with a best result of fifth.
Despite this, there was enough enthusiasm around the Tipo 33 that Alfa Romeo decided to produce a very limited number of road cars that combined the performance of the racer with comfort and drivability for everyday use. The design of the 33 Stradale (Road) was entrusted to Franco Scaglione. Adding a coupe body, amongst other changes, to the Tipo 33 platform, Scaglione’s creation is regarded as a masterpiece of automotive styling today.
Between 1967 and 1969, only 18 examples of the 33 Stradale were built, one of which is kept at Alfa’s museum in Arese. Six chassis were used to make concepts and prototypes, including the Carabo (1968 - Bertone), P33 Roadster GS (1968 - Pininfarina), 33/2 Coupé Speciale (1969 - Pininfarina), Iguana (1969 - Italdesign), Spider Cuneo (1971 - Pininfarina) and Navajo (1976 - Bertone).
The relative failure of the Tipo 33 on the track led to an improved T33/2 version debuting in 1968. A T33/3 followed in 1969, while the T33/4 with a larger, 3.0-litre V8 came in 1972 and raced alongside the T33/3 for a period.
Victories didn’t really start coming for the T33 until the move to a 3.0-litre flat 12 engine with the T/33/TT/12 in 1972. In this form, the T33 would deliver the World Sportscar Championship for Makes to Alfa Romeo in 1975 and 1977.
