The rear-wheel-drive Alfa 33

[JHertzman@xxxxxxx]

In AD7-468 Vlad writes, at the end of an interesting and useful post about the
speed of the European 164, 
"Now, I'm very curious about this "33 stradale".I have seen all kinds of 33's,
but the fastest one was the 33 1.7 16v that had 132 HP and could reach just a
bit over 120 MPH. It was however accelerating quite nice and handling
beautiful and had my second favorite engine sound after the 164 3.0 V6 (I
haven't heard the 24 valve).
I have seen also 33 limited editions of all kinds but most were only
advertising news and none had increased power. Maybe I missed this one... 

Sorry, this was a VERY limited edition, just eighteen cars built in 1967.
Henry Wessells, in the Het klaverblaadje article I cited recently, wrote "On a
visit to Alfa in 1967 I stopped at Autodelta and Chiti showed me the first
prototype of the 33 Stradale, still in bare aluminum. Needless to say I
immediately ordered one, retaining only enough reason to demand that it be
made before Jan 1968, at which time all the new US safety and emissions
regulations took effect, effectively banning the most interesting car. I took
delivery of the car, with chassis no.1, in Sept 1968 at Autodelta. - - -
Because of my friendship with Chiti it was a special engine with 260 hp at
10,000 rpm. On the Autostrada to Venice I hand-timed it over four km at 289
kph, exactly 10000 rpm. Not bad for a 2 liter. Back in the US the fastest I
was able to reach was 260, quite fast enough. When the petroleum crisis came I
sold the car with regret, but it would be useless and only frustrating in
today's conditions."

He did sell it to a friend, however, who preserved it and left it in his will
to his trusted mechanic, Keith Goring; this is the car which has been
published in virtually every car magazine over the last few months. Vlad has
obviously been wasting his time working, etc rather than loafing around the
newsstands.

The 260 hp at 10,000 which Wessells mentions would be DIN hp; Fusi lists the
power as 230 (263 SAE) at 8,800.

Five of the chassis were used for show cars by Pininfarina (3), Bertone (the
Iguana) and Italdesign, leaving thirteen of the standard version, with a body
designed and built in Turin by Franco Scaglione.

There are many differences between this and the 33 Vlad writes about; a V8
engine rather than the flat four, RWD instead of FWD, two doors instead of
for, and several million lire - plus relative rarity -

Cordially, 

John H., who enjoyed a 33 four-door on his last Eurovacation-
Raleigh, N.C.

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