Last weekend, Alfa Romeo showcased its racing heritage at the 101st edition of the Targa Florio, held in Sicily, Italy. A title sponsor of this year’s event, Alfa Romeo provided cars from its extensive collection at the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo in Arese for the classic race.
Starting at the Piazza Verdi in the Sicilian capital of Palermo, the three-stage race passed through 305 kilometers of beautiful Sicilian countryside, including Caltavuturo, Castellana Sicula, Petralia Sottana, Geraci Siculo, Castelbuono, Termini Imerese and Trabia.
Some of Alfa Romeo’s most impressive racing models from the 1960s joined the lineup of historic cars at the event. Included among the Alfa Romeos on hand were models of the Giulietta SZ, Giulia Sprint GTA, Giulia Sprint Speciale and 1600 Spider Duetto.
The Giulietta SZ from 1960 was driven by Roberto Giolito, Head of the FCA Heritage Department, and among its features are a distinctive “cut-off rear,” front disc brakes and tapered nose.
The Giulia Sprint GTA is a lightweight version of the standard GT, as the “A” in the name stands for “Alleggerita” or “lightweight,” as the steel bodywork of the standard Sprint GT was replaced by ultra-light alloy panels and 14-inch magnesium wheels, cutting the car’s original weight by more than 200 kilograms. The Giulia GTA was piloted by Fabrizio Curci, head of EMEA Alfa Romeo brand, and Giorgio Zivocci, grandson of Ugo Sivocci, who won the Targa Florio in 1923 driving an Alfa Romeo RL.
The Giulia Sprint Speciale was designed by Franco Scaglione to be an extremely low, streamlined coupé with sleek, curvy lines, distinguishable by its absence of bumpers and large “shark mouth” radiator.
The 1600 Spider Duetto features an unconventional design with a low nose and tapered “cuttlefish bone” tail, and the car became an icon following its appearance in the film The Graduate, where one was driven by the lead character, Benjamin Braddock, played by Dustin Hoffman.
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