1968 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/2 Daytona

History

Under the direction of Dr. Giuseppe Luraughi the development of an Alfa Romeo sports racing car became an important objective for Alfa Romeo in the mid-1960s. By pulling together the talents of Carlo Chiti and Lodovico Chizzola and their newly founded Auto-Delta company the company effectively developed a motorsport division. Initially Alfa Romeo commissioned Auto-Delta to produce 100 examples of the Giulia TZ, and ultimately the TZ2. The success of this program raised Auto-Delta’s credibility considerably within Alfa Romeo, and by 1965 under the direction of Chiti, Autodelta (now written as a single word) became a fully integrated part of Alfa Romeo, effectively as the factory Works team.

In the same period there was a great deal of flux in competition regulations, however the Prototype Championship soon began to supersede the GT car races which had been the focus of the early 1960s. The Tipo 33 emerged specifically from the fact that in 1966 and 1967 there were two separate championships. The Trophée des Constructeurs, designed for the prototype formula and designated ‘Group 6’, this was divided into two classes, above and below 2-litre displacement. The second championship, ‘Championat des Voitures de Sport’ required that at least fifty cars were homologated. Both series seemed to coexist however by 1967 it was increasingly clear that the prototype ‘Group 6’ category would dominate.

Development of the Tipo 33 commenced in the summer of 1966, with the first tests carried out through the winter if 1966-67. In March 1967 the car was shown to the awaiting press, its design was simply groundbreaking. The chassis frame was in the form of an ‘H’ with the two side members serving as fuel tanks and the central cross member as a fuel-carrying tank. The aeronautic inspiration was clear to see, and indeed manufacturing was carried out by Aeronautica Sicula, who had the necessary skills to fabricate the riveted aluminum construction and synthetic mastic lining to retain the fuel housed in the chassis tubes. Rack and pinion steering and front suspension were mounted to a magnesium subframe which also formed the front bulkhead. The engine was a 1995 cc V8 with four overhead camshafts and dry sump lubrication.

Highlights

One of the most significant competition cars of its era
The most successful Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/2 ‘Daytona’
Class Winner in 1968 at the Targa Florio, 1000 km Nürburgring and Le Mans
Known and continuous history

The Tipo 33/2

The first year of competition produced many changes for the 1968 model which would become known as the Tipo 33/2. A range of road holding, aerodynamic and mechanical resulted in a much better engineered car. Fuel injection was chosen over carburetors and the aerodynamics were reworked including the removal of the lift inducing periscope air intake.

Extensive testing at Mugello resulted in a new coupé body, whilst retaining the original ‘H’ layout chassis of the first development cars. Two variants, a long and short tail were developed, with the longer often called ‘Le Mans’ and shorter, ‘Daytona’, although these bodies were designed to be interchangeable. Weight was shifted to the center of the car, radiators moved to the sides, and the entire profile of the body was reduced in height. These changes, amongst others, resulted in a more balanced and competitive version of the Tipo 33, finally ready to take the fight to Porsche in the 1969 season.

Chassis 75033 017

For 1968, Autodelta announced it would be racing this new coupe version of the 33, fitted with the 2-litre engine, in Group 6 races with the following drivers: Giovanni Galli, Ignazio Giunti, Teodoro Zeccoli, Udo Schuetz, Nino Vaccarella, Giampiero Biscaldi and Giancarlo Baghetti.

The first major challenge for the car was the 24 hours of Daytona. Initially, one two-liter car was sent to Daytona for Zeccoli and Schultz, which was used for testing purposes. Autodelta ultimately entered five cars in total, including three official Autodelta entries (Schutz/Vaccarella, Zeccoli/Casoni & Galli/Giunti), one under the banner of American Alfa Romeo Inc. (Andretti/Bianchi), and a T-Car driven by Casoni.

In the end an accident in testing meant that the pairing of Galli and Giunti, who would become inextricably linked to chassis 017 didn’t make it to Daytona. Nevertheless, the new 33/2 put in an impressive performance, with three cars finishing and finishing well. This car was driven by Schuetz & Vaccarella (number 20) to 4th in Class (Wimpffen, 1999), the best result for Alfa Romeo of the weekend with the other two cars crossing the line 5th and 6th in class.

With such a promising start to the 1968 season, four Autodelta entries were announced for Le Mans in 1968. Civil disorder in France in May 1968 pushed the race to September, in turn Autodelta decided to withdraw from the Monza 1000 km to conserve their engines for the Targa Florio. Both Alfa Romeo and Porsche had been in Sicily for weeks before the event, but the Italian team was struggling to put in the times of their German competitors, chiefly because of better road holding from the Porsches in rougher sections of the course. Six short tail ‘Daytona’ configuration cars were entered, including four Autodelta cars. This car, chassis 17, car was allocated to the ever-successful pairing of Galli & Giunti.

Interviewed by Ed McDonough and Peter Collins for their 2005 book, Alfa Romeo Tipo 33, The Development & Racing History, Nanni Galli recorded that he always chose chassis 017 as each car had its own handling characteristics and were honed by the drivers throughout the season (Collins, 2005)

Despite fierce competition from Elford in the 907, Galli and Giunti secured one of the greatest victories for the T33/2 with this car, securing second overall and first in classis at the Targa Florio in 1968. Only two weeks later Galli and Giunti took the car to the Nurburgring, securing 5th and another 1st in the under 2-litre class despite chaotic pit work from Autodelta.

However, an overall victory still eluded the Autodelta team. In July four cars were entered into the non-championship Gran Premio del Mugello, in the very competitive 2-litre prototype class. Again, the duel of Porsche vs Alfa Romeo would dominate the race with the Italians facing stiff competition from the Porsche 910s of Elford/van Lennep and Siffert/Steinemann. The Alfa Romeo’s had the advantage of months of practice on the challenging circuit, a familiarity which left Galli, Casoni and Bianchi to set the three fastest lap times. Practice and some nail-biting racing paid off with the first overall victory for the Tipo 33/2. (Collins, 2005)

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The delayed 1968 24 hrs of Le Mans took place in the last weekend in September. Giunti and Galli, driving chassis 017, were the clear front runners in practice, 2 seconds faster than the second-fastest Tipo 33/2 and a full six seconds ahead of the Porsche 910s. In the race the Autodelta team delivered an almost faultless performance, sweeping the 2-litre class with only one retirement of the four cars entered and chassis 017 taking first in class and fourth overall.

The 1968 season ended strongly for Alfa Romeo despite inconsistent results damaging their standing on the points table they finished third in the Manufacturers’ Championship, Marques’ Standard Points and Challenge Mondiale. Ignazio Giunti and Giovanni Galli finished 11th (out of 114 drivers) in the drivers’ championship, the highest ranking of the Autodelta team.

The car would have two further competitive outings in 1969, however a suspension failure following contact with Elford’s 908/02 in the 1969 Targa Floria caused its retirement, followed by a further mechanical failure at the Nürburgring in June.

Chassis 017 was purchased at the end of its competition career in the early 1970s by a famed French collector called Antoine Raffaelli and was displayed for 35 years in the Musée de l’Automobile in Mougins. The car subsequently passed to Greg Whitten who embarked on a complete restoration which commenced in 1997 and was finished by 1999. Invoices on file record this most significant restoration in the car’s history. The current owner has been the custodian of chassis 017 since 2010.

Of all the Alfa Romeo T33/2 ‘Daytona’s’ built chassis 017 has the most important and impressive competition history, indeed, few cars from any marque can claim victories at three of the most significant circuits in motorsport history.