From that day in March of 1967, many years had passed by... 55 years to be exact.. and we had received no news about the racing story and whereabouts of prototype n. 001. It had won its first race at Fléron, Belgium and then it registered no other positive results. It fell off the radar screen entirely.
In 1968, only one year later from that initial victory, with the evolution of the new T-33 cars on the immediate horizon, the prototype no. 001, together with three other early version 'sister' cars had disappeared completely from the world's competition racing stage...replaced by new, more competitive T-33/2 models that entered motor racing history under the name "Daytona".
The triumphal progression of new T-33 cars continued on for ten years with a string of newer and faster models until the last model, the 33 SC Turbo, in 1977 ended the glorious run of the 33 model. The 33 SC Turbo had a 3 liter engine with 12 cylinders, a turbocompressor manufactured by KKK and produced 640 HP.
The T-33 Fléron 2.0 liter and the 33 SC Turbo... in the end, shared only the same number “33"in their identity. Covered with a tarpaulin, the 001 laid desolately abandoned in the Autodelta courtyard among with the other scraps remaining after the closure in Settimo Milanese of the Autodelta walled manufacturing facility in 1983.
The racing department was transferred to Senago, where Euro Racing, the new racing department of Alfa Romeo was not interested to the past glorious story.
At that point, Ing. Carlo Chiti became extremely embittered to have been assigned, in a disgraceful manner, to roles much less and less important.
Along came Marco Cajani, an architect from Milan and a great fan of Alfa Romeo automobiles and of its racing history.
He had the skill to find and recognize the shape of the first prototype of the 33 in Autodelta's courtyard at #7 Via Ernico Fermi in Settimo Milanese during his visit in 1986. Cajani is also a good driver and in his life has won many titles in the European Challenge for Historic Touring Cars and in other important races.
Carefully and skillfully... employing his best diplomatic demeanor, Cajani eventually succeeded in buying the car. The chassis was mostly complete and in one piece... there was also its engine, gearbox, suspension pieces and many other parts among the scraps of what many years ago were the winning racing cars of Autodelta. As it offen happened despite his best efforts, the 33 arrived dismembered, but with all of its parts
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The difficult work on its restoration began.
No more dogs ran within the Autodelta courtyard, like they used to do when Ing. Chiti took it upon himself to personally collect stray dogs and cats on the streets of Milan and give them shelter, medical attention, food and another chance at life.
No one would think today that... exactly in this place ...were built the cars that would have won everything on the race circuits of the world.
Cajani, knowing the value of what he had found, spent many years searching for perfection in restoration of his jewel...but that was the only way he could reach the high level of similarity that 75033.001 offers today.
However, the front and rear bonnet were missing, lost...no one knew where to look. Cajani asked Giovanni Giordanengo, the true wizard of reconstruction of lost pieces of oldtimer cars...to complete the restoration work.
In his workshop in Cuneo (Piedmont) Giordanengo had already rebuilt the bodies of many beautiful oldtimers, working together with many car museums throughout the world. He was the master who was destined to give the final touch to the new life to his T-33 Fléron, the prototype chassis number 750.33.001.
Following every original shape and curve and carefully forming the individual body panels of this beautiful car with old world wooden forms, Giordanengo for all his hard work eventually brought the T-33 Fleron back to life.
For the mechanical section he entrusted Carlo Facetti, the great tuner and once Autodelta test driver. The final restoration was completed inside the walls of the “Scuderia del Portello”.
Today the T-33 Fléron is preserved among the other beautiful cars of the Cajani collection... beautiful cars restored with love and passion to preserve the historical memory of these wonderful masterworks.
From time to time the T-33 Fleron is returned to race tracks broadcasting the sound of its wonderful engine.
All thanks to Mr. Marco Cajani...
Mr. Marco Cajani with his 33 Fleron 750.33.001
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Alfa Romeo “750.33.014”: Back to the Future
Once owned by Aldo Bardelli, now owned by Alessandro Carrara
From the book “Una strada, Una Corsa, un Ingegnere”
by Vallero Fagioli and Luigi Pulcini
Reprinted by Permission of the Authors
Usually manufacturers of racing cars organize directly or through an “owner's fan club” an "Historic Register", where enthusiasts can learn the full story of every car produced in their factory.
But, unfortunately this has not been the case with Ing. Chiti's Autodelta. We here at "Autodelta Golden Years.com" have elected to construct a Historic Register ourselves...starting with, appropriately, the T-33 750.33.001 the famous Fleron Alfa Romeo.
When the prestigious Tipo 33/2, partially designed and developed by Ing. Chiti and driven in period races by Aldo Bardelli, a racing driver from Pistoia in the 60's and 70's, this car has finally returned to Pistoia after almost thirty years.
We feel strongly to retrace its history as far and as completely as possible.
The Alfa Romeo Tipo 33, VIN 750.33.014, had its debut at the 1968 edition of 24 Hours of Daytona, driven by Casoni / Riscaldi... at the end of the race those drivers achieved 7th place overall.
The same car was entered by Autodelta appeared at the Targa Florio in 1968, where the main antagonist was Team Porsche with many 907 / 2200cc 8 cylinder cars.
Alfa Romeo took part in that race with three T-33/2 with the following racers: Baghetti / Biscardi, Galli / Giunti, Casoni / Bianchi (with the car 014) and one T-33 2.5 liter car driven by the team Vaccarella / Schutz.
In the end, Porsche was the winner in a very exciting and hard fought race with the crew Eford / Maglioli; Giunti / Galli arriving in the second place with one T-33 (less than three minutes later) and the Casoni / Bianchi car ending the race the third place with the T-33/2 (Vin 014).
The same car (Vin 014) was back on a race on the 25th of August 1968 at the Zeltweg G.P. (Austria), where Autodelta intrusted the car to the VDS Team owned by the Belgian Count Rudi Van Der Straeten; the pilot was Herr Trosch.
We find again “our” T-33 (Vin 014) one year later at the Targa Florio driven by Casoni-Spartaco Dini (from Florence).
The car was severely damaged during the practice, but Casoni found a drive with the Scuderia Tridentina that was racing with an Alfa Romeo T-33 too.
A formal document in Aldo Bardelli's personal library, records that the change of ownership of the “Autovettura AlfaRomeo 33 Tipo Sport Daytona telaio 750.33.014 usata, nello stato di fatto in cui si trova come vista e accettata completa di: batteria, cimtura, ruota di scorta, alleggerita (used car, as it is seen and accepted complete of: battery, belt, spare wheel, lightened) on the 17th of June 1969.
And for this car begins a season running on uphill races and circuits in Italy and all over the world until 1971.
During 1970 the car undergoes a particular change by Autodelta workshop. On 1969, before delivery to Bardelli, the orignal 33 Tipo Daytona had been lightened by removal of the roof and the side panels. On 1970 it underwent another slimming cure and became a “spider” to allow Bardelli to be more performing in the Prototypes of the 70's.
Only three T-33/2 cars received this treatment directly from Autodelta.
After three seasons, with many kilometers on his shoulders up and down along Italian roads, Aldo Bardelli ended his racing activity and sold the car to Giulio Dubbini from Padua.
Some time after the car “Vin 014” left Italy and arrived in the Peter Kaus collection of sport cars. In 1987 Kaus with Hans Holger and Frenzel GmbH organized the “Rosso Bianco Museum” in an abandoned factory, with “our” T-33/2 in the collection for many years.
Today the T-33/2 Vin 014, designed and developed by Ing. Chiti (born in Pistoia) and lead in the races by Aldo Bardelli, a racing driver from Pistoia, came back to Pistoia, with a ceremony at Villa di Groppoli (PT) on the 15th of May 2010.
The car is now owned by Mr Alessandro Carrara.
Mr Alessandro Carrara and his T-33/2 AR750.33.014
The driver is none other than our friend, the original Aldo Bardelli who was the champion with this T-33/2 Spider in the 1960's and 1970's, pictured (left to right) along with former website Italian editor Renzo Carbonaro, website Team Manager Robert Little, vehicle owner Alessandro Carrara and former German website editor Ulrich Zensen.
This photo opportunity was made possible through the courtesy of Mr. Carrara.
Mr. Aldo Bardelli with his original AR750.33.014 Tipo T-33/2 now owned by Aldo Carrara.
This car # 192 is T-33/2 AR750.033.014 shown prior to the start of the 1968 Targa Florio.
The drivers of this Autodelta car was the team of Bianchi / Casoni.
The car was soon converted into a Spider version and sold to Aldo Bardelli who won an astounding number of races and hillclimbs with this car!
Copyright: Luigi Pulcini 2017
This original drawing of the famous Aldo Bardelli T-33/2 created by and furnished to us through the kind generosity of Mr. Luigi Pulcini... the distinguished Editor in Chief of "Il Metato" magazine, a regional publication saluting the history and events of the wonderful Pistoia Region.
To enjoy another of Mr. Pulcini's artistic accomplishments, please turn to the Stradale History section of "Autodelta Golden Years.com".
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Alfa Romeo AR750.80.019
Owned by Curtis Leaverton
Iowa, USA
Official Historical Transcript by Autodelta Golden Years.com
Original research by Vladimir Pajevic
1970 Autodelta T33/3 AR750.80.019 was built by Autodelta in the summer of 1970. It has a continuous and extensive history file.
In the summer of 1970 it was driven by Andrea de Adamich, Henri Pescarolo and Gijs Van Lennep, finishing 2nd overall in the 1970 Österreichring and also a 2nd overall podium finish at the 1971 Targa Florio. It won the inaugural Le Mans Classic in 2002. Its last race appearance was at the 2010 Philip Island Classic in Australia. The car was then sold in 2010 with two bodies and numerous spare parts to several other purchasers until Mr. Leaverton acquired the car in 2013.
The car represents the final stage of development of the T33/3 which was first introduced in 1969. The T33/3 was Alfa’s first monocoque racing car, based on an aluminum cell structure largely inspired by existing British designs ...reinforced with titanium alloy,...extremely tough and durable.
AR750.80.019 was the last version of 33/3 family, with new developments like the switch to smaller 13 inch diameter front wheels, new front suspension and brakes, and new nose, lower and squarer in design. Engine was N° 10580*0069
Copyright 2021
First date of publication: May 7, 2021
All World Rights Reserved
Robert B. Little
Team Manager
Autodelta Golden Years.com
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Alfa Romeo AR115.12.012
33TS12 1976 Tubolare-Scatolato
Owned by the Simeone Museum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Official Historical Transcript by Autodelta Golden Years.com
Original research by Vladimir Pajevic
After the triumph of the World Championship season of 1975, Autodelta S.p.A. faced difficult years ahead… with new Alfa Romeo management personnel coming on board opposed to what they adjudged to be the useless dissipation of money devoted exclusively to racing and motor sports activity.
This state-owned factory built under the brilliant leadership of outgoing Alfa Romeo S.p.A. President Giuseppe Luraghi was now in hands of a political bureaucracy interested only in achieving goals in political circles.
The Director-General of Autodelta Ing. Carlo Chiti tried to navigate in that strange swamp, completely aware that to quit racing and literally throw away the potential of the T-33 project would be an enormous error and would cause lasting damage to the rich Italian motor racing heritage.
The tremendous torque achieved by his new flat V12 …designed also for the Brabham-Alfa in Formula 1 races was found to place undue stress and undesirable torque demands on his otherwise stiff and well-designed tubular chassis used in the T-33 since 1973.
In search of improvements in major rigidity and stiffness of his TT (Telaio-Tubolare) chassis, Ing. Chiti returned to his previous designs of a monocoque cell as the cradle for the engine to be used in his new 1976 33TS12 car.
Relying heavily with his decade-long partner Ing. Gherardo Severi, Ing. Chiti developed a new panel-rivetted structure using the good geometry of the existing tubular frame.
This new chassis, denominated TS (Tubolare-Scatolato, to distinguish it from TT, and the following year SC Scatolato), was entered into a testing schedule during the very early months of 1976 at the Alfa Romeo test track at Balocco.
Some changes that were made included adopting a new Girling braking system in front and rear, relocating the gearbox ahead of the differential, and the selection of Goodyear tires. This car was a bit heavier than the previous TT version weighing in at 720 kg / 1587 lb. opposed to 670 kg / 1477 lb. of the TT.
Initial tests were promising. Ing. Chiti hoped to have the car ready and officially entered for the April 4th, 1976 Nürburgring 300 Kms. World Sports Car Championship race. This new chassis… AR115.12.012 and its twin AR115.12.011 were race ready, waiting for the occasion to show their potential.
Responsibility and pressure on the backs of Ing. Chiti and his engineering staff for the successful entry of his new chassis was great and they moved with careful prudence.
But uneasy internal politics inside the Alfa assembly plant in Arese, about ten miles north…cancelled that entry and also forced Autodelta to skip the Monza 4 hour race three weeks later.
The AR115.12.012 car finally entered its first race… round three of the World Sports Car Championship 500 Km Imola on May 23rd in the hands of two great drivers, Arturo Merzario and Vittorio Brambilla …with the single Autodelta entry sporting N° 1 on the bodywork.
The car finished 2° overall and was impressive in some parts of the track. The potential of the new design was clear and Chiti was satisfied with the car’s behavior.
Courtesy of Vladimir Pajevic
It was (and still is today) a splendid car not so lucky and born in times that were not very auspicious for its potential. Together with its sister AR11512.011, it was the only one of its kind because the cars born later had different solutions.
AR11512.012 was lucky enough to survive intact and even more so to end up in the hands of a true enthusiast who kept it in an exceptional state, so that today it is among the best-preserved specimens in the world.
Courtesy of Vladimir Pajevic
But fortune was not on his side and in two other subsequent occasions, banal failures stopped AR115.12.012 on its way.
At Coppa Florio in Sicily on June 27th with Arturo Merzario and Mario Casoni, it was a front suspension failure, and in its last appearance of the 1976 season at Salzburgring, the failure of the oil pump despite achieving fastest time of qualifying… decreed the end of the season.
The short and not brilliant race career for AR115.12.012 certainly doesn’t describe faithfully the quality and potentiality of this racing jewel. It was the mix of bad luck, wrong factory politics and even dubious team decisions that kept the car distant from possible success on the tracks.
In 1977, the car was mainly used as a spare Autodelta team car and for specific testing as an inscribed “T” car for 500 km Dijon and Coppa Florio with Jean-Pierre Jarier and Spartaco Dini as drivers. The only race where AR115.12.012 was entered was at the Estoril event with Giorgio Francia and Spartaco Dini and finished 3° overall...clearly showing the potential of the car.
The lack of good fortune for AR115.12.012 continued even after 1976 season, when Autodelta introduced the full SC version (with small and almost insignificant differences to TS variant), and AR115.12.014 and AR115.12.015 and their Turbo cousin AR115.12.016. Those won without effort in the World Sports Car Championship in 1977.
Together with AR115.12.011 it was the last ‘true’ 11512 car born under Ing. Chiti’s supervision...
It is described as the best 33TS12 car existing.
Courtesy Autodelta Golden Years.com
Copyright 2020
First date of publication: July 8, 2020
All World Rights Reserved
Robert B. Little
Team Manager
Autodelta Golden Years.com
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Alfa Romeo AR115.12.005
Owned by the Bottinelli Family of Switzerland
Official Historical Transcript by Autodelta Golden Years.com
Original research by Vladimir Pajevic
The history of AR115.12.005 is a story full of blind spots, misty dark corners and non-confirmed sources.
The only certainty is that AR115.12.005 truly exists and its mysterious appearances from time to time can be traced back to its fabrication during the late 1973 - early 1974 period.
Let us explain the known facts...
From the first constructed examples built by Autodelta S.p.A. of Settimo Milanese in 1973, the lineage of 33TT12... the 115.12.xxx series type... was poorly memorialized and documented. And during the production years of that model type only a few of those magnificent cars were historically followed and correctly described.
That is a pity, because this new chassis series was the first true Alfa Romeo to win a World Manufacturers Championship in 1975. Alfa Romeo last captured a World Championship in 1950 and 1951 with their 'Alfetta' series of Formula One cars.
The racing life of AR115.12.005 coincided with a difficult period of Alfa Romeo corporate life.
From the resignation of Alfa Romeo CEO Giuseppe Luraghi - a great supporter of the Alfa Romeo Autodelta factory racing department - to the arrival of a new breed of managers displaying outright hostility and a combative nature to any form of Autodelta involvement with the brand...the new group deeply intended to severely limit financial support to Autodelta.
The recorded histories of Autodelta competition cars had been notoriously sketchy and insufficiently documented in the 1970's even before the transfer of some of the assets of the Autodelta racing division from Settimo Milanese to a new group of individuals in Senago, Italy calling itself “Euroracing”.
That group in the early 1980's took over the physical assets of Autodelta in a hostile manner, trashing or selling off marvelous treasured assets and throwing away paper files with reckless abandon. The only relevant core Autodelta archive materials, perhaps the most significant paper database, went mysteriously missing during the move when almost all documentation was left carelessly in absolute disarray in the old factory.
Ing. Chiti was furious, desperate but impotent to act in any direction. His only true interest was racing as he tried to comply with the awful rules and limitations imposed upon him by Massacesi and others.
A particularly egregious example of the dissolution of Autodelta history by the new custodians of the Alfa Romeo racing brand was the plight of the Alfa Romeo "Fleron", the first prototype constructed by Autodelta in 1966. Its remains were discovered by an enthusiast / historian who discovered the disassembled remains of the car hidden underneath a huge pile of rusting scrap metal and debris found in the courtyard of the old factory.
Some papers, however, were saved by Autodelta engineer and driver Roberto Bussinello...however that portion of the archive is incomplete and without the possibility of being seriously cross-examined. As a result, we know almost nothing of the cars and their period exploits from an internal ‘factory standpoint’.
And finally, some official Autodelta documents were of dubious reliability... generated at times to satisfy factory management and the IRI. It is fairly well understood that Ing. Chiti was a driven man...having maintained no interest in what ever happened 'in the past'. He maintained absolutely no interest in yesterday’s facts and old data. And as a direct result, the archives of Autodelta were never described as evidence of being well-organized. With treachery and the mysterious role of Euroracing … with help and ‘understanding’ from the new president of Alfa Romeo S.p.A. Ettore Massacesi and Mario Felici, the suicide sale of Autodelta treasure occurred.
Thus, the history of the first group of realized 33TT12 cars is based on occasional annotations and third-party sources such as photographs taken by general circulation magazines and individual enthusiasts.
In any event, the most plausible history of the 33TT12, AR115.12xxx series is this one:
As the development of the original 'TT" V-8 tubular space frame chassis introduced late in 1971 evolved, a slightly larger chassis to accommodate the larger twelve cylinder engine was created and was ready for competition in early 1973.
This new chassis was rigidly reinforced by using the lower half of the tubular body as a stressed section...providing exceptional stiffness to the construction.
Suspension was independent all-round and ventilated brakes were mounted in-board at the rear.
Two additional new solutions applied to the twelve cylinder chassis design was the fabrication of a transverse, five-speed gearbox and the modification of the fiberglass / tubular body to feature two types of integrated rear wing patterns.
The first completed chassis used mainly for evaluating the new solutions was AR115.12.001 and survives to this very day in the collection of a New York enthusiast.
AR115.12.002 was finally made ready to make its debut at the 1973 Spa Francorchamps round of the World Manufacturers Championship series in early May but the car was completely destroyed in a pre-race crash after a tire failed at high speed.
During that same 1973 season, AR115.12.003 and AR115.12.004 started at the Targa Florio event but both examples crashed in the race ...although the car driven by Rolf Stommelen set the fastest lap of the race.
The already produced AR115.12.005 and AR115.12.007 continued to make occasional appearances at a few races conducted by a variety of different organizers until the end of the season, although their record of achievements demonstrated a combination of accidents and poor reliability.
In only one race did the cars manage to finish well.
At the Le Castellet circuit in February of 1974, Autodelta had been testing new Firestone tires and possible new body configurations for the renewed and highly promising 33TT12 and it's 12 cylinder flat powerplant.
At Le Castellet during pre-season testing there were two cars, most probably the AR115.12.005 and AR115.12.007, both with different solutions of body design, short and mid-length tail bonnets and different aspiration variants. The day chosen was not a good one for testing because of wet, cold and very windy atmospheric conditions.
During practice, Rolf Stommelen... using the short tail body configuration... experienced tire failure at high speed with the car departing into the air… hitting the enclosure of the track and then hitting the ground from more than meter and half height.
Fortunately, the driver was unharmed but the car was seriously damaged with a badly bent chassis and a completely destroyed suspension.
A new chassis was sent from Settimo Milanese and all necessary proven components, including the engine were transplanted from the damaged AR115.12.005, to the newly arrived chassis, presumably AR115.12.006. Testing was finished with that car in a mid-length tail version.
Alfa Romeo entered the 1974 season with four race-ready cars and another four cars in final. Among the alterations made were taller air intake 'snorkels' behind the driver and the use of various rear tail configurations for different tracks. Autodelta twelve cylinder cars finished the first race of the season at the Monza 1000 Kilometer race in 1-2-3 order. Chassis AR115.12.008 won the race followed by AR115.12.007 and finishing third was AR115.12.006. Data was recovered in this case from an old recovered microfiche.
Described details, in general, have been based on annotations and period photos and also Autosprint magazine articles published in February and first part of March 1974.
The damaged chassis of AR115.12.005 was sent to Settimo Milanese to be repaired and AR115.12.006 ...now residing in the Alfa Romeo Museo Storico in Arese continued its racing life with an inherited engine from 005. The original motor that had been installed in chassis 005 February 1974 was AR115.12A061... possibly the same engine now in 006.
In that difficult period and struggling with a limited budget and a newly-installed factory management team hostile to the racing activity of Autodelta, Director General Ing. Carlo Chiti tried to ‘invent’ a way to earn more money to apply to further Autodelta activity.
With that general concept in mind, Ing. Chiti organized shows all around the world, displaying Alfa Romeo racing cars among its production cars...aiming to aggregate new sponsors and earn new money.
The AR115.12.005 chassis was eventually repaired and completed with dubiously assembled engine components... just enough to achieve its exact outward appearance and well-known look. The car was used in numerous occasions among auto show displays that gained public interest for Alfa Romeo production cars and Autodelta and its racing activity.
This chassis AR115.12.005 was then exposed for the first time in Switzerland, and then, after several European exhibitions ...was sent in the USA again as an exposition car.
For at least one year it was shown at Alfa Romeo Inc. National Headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Some vital internal engine and electrical components were found to have been omitted in the reconstruction of the car.
Its further history is unknown or cannot be verified by Autodelta Golden Years.com.
In our Autodelta Golden Years data archive, the 005 portfolio has only attributed not perfectly documented photos, and generally this overall history cannot be based on proven facts, but it has a plausible story with relatively good standards of proofs.
Copyright 2020
First date of publication: March 16, 2020
All World Rights Reserved
Robert B. Little
Team Manager
Autodelta Golden Years.com
New York
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Alfa Romeo AR750.80.009
Owned by Mr. Baldanza
Official Historical Transcript by Autodelta Golden Years
Original research by Vladimir Pajevic
Discovering the exact technical background of Alfa Romeo racing cars usually means the researcher must live within a balance of uncertainly and despair. In this case, the car is well-known, photographically documented and declared by experts to be proven to be the car that appeared in certain venues.
The obstacle in this case involves certain expedient administrative techniques somewhat commonly used during the 1970’s. It is a corundum facing not only today’s Alfa Romeo racing car owners of period cars but many other owners of a variety of makes. When paperwork supplied to the official entry of a team car in a FIA event was often submitted with a common VIN for expediency…without regard to the actual VIN used in the race to be held…problems such as we observe in this case have been experienced.
Autodelta was not alone in using ready-made ‘template’ documents of a car for administrative, border crossing formalities, bill of lading and for other convenience and time-saving purposes. This habit… very useful in the period, prevents or at least impedes today’s forensic researchers such as Autodelta Golden Years from tracking the exact histories of cars that are of either of present-day interest, financial investment or of historical competitive significance.
The recorded histories of Autodelta competition cars such as AR750.80.009 had been notoriously sketchy and insufficiently documented in the 1970’s even before the transfer of some of the assets of the Autodelta racing division from Settimo Milanese to other individuals collectively called “Euroracing”.
These circumstances, Mr. Baldanza, apply to your car.
Through the exploration of our highly unique database, …once the deeply hidden and closely held collection of hundreds of photographic images, prized person to person digital data exchanges and of highly privileged confidential microfiche sharing among this individual's commercial friends and business associates...we are able to answer the questions posed to us with reasonable certainty.
This Swiss individual who was known only to those in the racing trade…knowingly and wisely… preserved this valuable information for later generations to explore and uncover history once again.
He had made appearances at nearly every Formula 1, World Championship for Makes competition and rallies and other venues for decades as a supplier’s representative to the world's most notable racing teams.
He has now deceased but gifted his Alfa Romeo treasure trove to Autodelta Golden Years.com.
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Gijs van Lennep guiding chassis AR750.80.009 on the Piccolo Circuito delle Madonie, Sicily along with his teammate Andrea de Adamich during the 1971 Targa Florio.
Owing mainly to his data treasure and our other sources, we are reasonably confident and reasonably certain that your car, AR750.80.009 was and is in fact the real Autodelta AR750.80.009 car. The car represents the final stage of development of the T-33/3 series which was first introduced in 1969.
The T-33/3 was Autodelta’s first monocoque racing car, based on an aluminum cell structure largely inspired by existing British designs…reinforced with titanium alloy…extremely tough and durable.
Due largely to the extremely poor and illogical assignment of a VIN, (AR115.72.009) from a 12 cylinder Autodelta car of a later series, the supreme and unquestionable judgment to be applied to the accurate assignment VIN of AR750.80.009 emanates ultimately from Autodelta S.p.A. and the hand of it's Directore Generale, Ing. Carlo Chiti.
Correspondence involving the hand-applied signature of Ing. Chiti supplied to Mr. Baldanza of a letter from Ing. Chiti to Pilkington dated 11.1.1974 appears from all respective angles to be authentic and the signature of Carlo Chiti appears in his usual style, size and script.
Observed physical changes made to the chassis due to its racing life experience has transformed this chassis, AR750.80.009 into a modernized and updated version of a late 1970 series AR750.80. -series car.
This car was heavily damaged during the 1970 Le Mans Twenty Four Hours of Endurance event in June of 1970 and from that point the true VIN of the car was called into question, causing our team to be enlisted by the car owner Mr. Baldanza for our research expertise. Photos from our proprietary database testify to the thorough ‘beating’ the chassis sustained at Le Mans…both to the front and to the rear of the car.
However, the Autodelta team technicians assessed the chassis to be sufficiently intact to be successfully restored back to ready to race condition.
During the reconstruction carried out by Autodelta personnel over the summer of 1970, updated techniques planned for later versions up to the final car of the series ….AR750.80.019 …such as the replacement of inner chassis structural pieces and chassis stiffeners using ‘lightening holes’ and replacement titanium panels wherever possible on the structures of the renewed version …were used through the end of the V-8 3.0-liter period…photos provided under separate cover.
Chassis dynamics of the fiberglass front and rear panels and details of that nature can be compared to the car before it was damaged. A makeover of the entire structure was involved.
It is reasonable to forensically deduce that the entire structure benefited from a high-level mid-season ‘restoration’ and updating.
Mr. Baldanza has offered a statement that a restorer found a fuel tank dated August 1970 which correlates logically with the Le Mans accident that had occurred two months or so before. This is not an unusual change in fuel tanks due to the accident at Le Mans.
Again, the course of action decided by the Autodelta team in the early summer of 1970 was most assuredly planned to apply the best and latest testing research data and updates to all cars leaving the factory, including AR750.80.009.
The instrumentation of the 009 was discovered to have survived the Le Mans incident unscathed. They were original to the car’s assembly in early 1970.
Commentary:
As said earlier, are no certainties when it comes to Autodelta documentation of competitive events. Thus, it is not even certain that the "Vega" chassis was 009.
In an answer by Nanni Galli to the journalist Benzing, regarding relations between the drivers and technicians at Autodelta, Nanni said:
"The cars were not prepared and assigned to the drivers with the personal criterion. I remember that Chiti made an attempt to do so and "baptized" the cars for the 1970 season with the names of the stars. Even the fronts were colored differently and so de Adamich's car had a white nose, the one I was using, yellow, and that of Hezemans, celestial. In those cars the anchorage points of the seats were already measured, and small adjustments were made based on the driving habits of the drivers. However, this was not the fixed rule, the cars changed often, and this practice disappeared. I remember that I used the 33 named “Vega” with Magliolli, which I think was chassis 9 or 5, but this car has also been assigned to Gregory and Hezemans on other occasions. There was no certainty for this."
Nanni continued:
"Rather, it was the custom of assigning a "godfather" among the mechanics to a particular car, and it was they who perfectly knew every used car’s secrets. What could have been randomly changed were body parts."
This declaration by Nanni Galli gave the possibility to consider the car N ° 33 in Sebring as 009, but this is not certain. The habit of using documents available for different cars was consolidated, but the VIN plates were never exchanged between the cars.
Only where the technical control required the reading of the VIN, the chassis used can be safely deduced.
However, these particular fiches with this data...unlike hundreds of other such documents and fiches in our legacy databank …bequeathed to Autodelta Golden Years… have not been preserved and these chassis numbers were often assigned by our researchers through intuition. We follow the details on the photos or the habit of assigning the same car to the same driver. Certainty, I repeat, does not exist.
The car at Le Mans with number 37, was the chassis 750.80.014 of Masten Gregory and Toine Hezemans was used for testing (in April), and initially did not have a light blue front.
The N ° 40 used in 1000 km Monza was the “Mizar”, almost certainly not the 750.80.009, but more likely the 005, but without confirmation.
Of this race I have measured sequence (thought the evidence of Paolini) of laps, but without indication of the chassis numbers.
The 1971 Alfa Romeo T-33/3 AR75080.009 shown here at the Targa Florio driven by Andrea de Adamich. Along with his partner Gijs van Lennep, the driving team finished second... on the 11 lap, 44.739 mile course to Nino Vacarella and Toine Hezemans... also driving an Alfa Romeo T-33/3
Competition History
According to the data in our possession, the AR750.80.009 was produced towards the end of 1969 and tested at Balocco together with other AR750.80. sister cars from the first series.
Some statements difficult to check and confirm recall AR750.80.009 to have competed in the Sebring Twelve Hour race of March 21.1970, with the name Vega (almost all first series T33/3 had “stellar” names given by Ing. Chiti to each car) on front fenders and finished 3rd.
The undersigned had attended to the Autodelta team at that race and made photographs of that car. Those photographs are provided under separate cover.
Later AR750.80.009 lined up for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, June 14, 1970, as a factory-sponsored car, with two Autodelta test drivers, Teodoro Zeccoli and Carlo Facetti.
The car had the “long wheelbase” of 2320 mm as did all of the T33 / 3s of the first series.
At Le Mans, the AR750.80.009 had a serious accident near the Dunlop bridge, driven by Facetti and was withdrawn.
Towards the end of August 1970, the AR750.80.009 was redone with changes planned and incorporated for the 1971 season and featured changed aerodynamics.
AR750.80.009, in consulting our database was not present at Targa Florio event in 1970.
The Targa Florio was attended with a four car team of a T-33 / 3’s of Andrea de Adamich - Piers Courage with AR750.80.010, a T-33 / 3 of Toine Hezemans - Masten Gregory in AR750.80.014 and the T33 / 3 with Nanni Galli – Umberto Maglioli AR750.80.007.
The fourth car was also present in the test, probably AR75080.002 as a “T” car, tested by Masten Gregory.
The calendar and results reported by Chiti and Autodelta in the 1971 season and presented for our consideration by Mr. Baldanza are correct and well documented.
The argument that the winning car was AR75080.005 at Brands Hatch in 1971 is incorrect. Instead, in Ing. Chiti’s own correspondence, this AR750.80.09 was the winning car piloted by Andrea de Adamich and Henri Pescarolo.
Transitions of ownership of the AR750.80.09 are probably correct as on this point we do not have certain data.
When AR750.80.009 was owned by the Red-White Museum of Peter Kaus it was declared to be AR115.72.003, but even at the time this number was considered incorrect even by Kaus.
Later it was sold to the Louwman Museum under the wrong VIN number and when it was eventually acquired after a number of other owners prior to Mr. Baldanza’s acquisition …the number according to the documents had been amended.
The photos we have provided with this report are period correct and correspond to the VINs indicated. For the 1971 season cars, a possible copyright conflict might arise in the distribution of one or more of the images. We do not advise using those 1971 photographs without determining the copyright owner and seeking proper permission.
# # #
Copyright 2022
First date of publication: February 14, 2022
All World Rights Reserved
Robert B. Little
Team Manager
Autodelta Golden Years.com
The above referenced data and statements made in this report constitute the good faith effort by the Autodelta Golden Years staff and is in no way guaranteed to be factual. No financial interest by the staff in the findings of this report shall be assumed or implied. The staff has no financial interest in the car nor do we have any association with the present or past owners of the car. Our reports are constructed on an arms-length data gathering basis. No liability will be accepted by Autodelta Golden Years or its staff regarding any contents of the report and no legal liability or financial interest shall be construed or implied by its findings.
Alfa Romeo "AR105.80.023"
Owned by Private Owner
Auction to be held by RM Sotheby's (Monaco) on May 14, 2022
Official Historical Transcript by Autodelta Golden Years.com
Original research by Vladimir Pajevic
The chronic lack of reliable and accurate documentation has been a constant element confounding researchers throughout the existence of Autodelta, the "racing division" of Alfa Romeo S.p.A..
However, the unique case of this "AR105.800.23" car, a highly authentic and perfectly preserved Autodelta creation... but with a chassis number that cannot be connected to any series of racing cars produced by the factory... deserves particular analysis.
The absence of proverbial or a solid verifiable history has provided enough material for different conjectures...with the true story never actually ascertained to this every day.
The fact that many records were kept only in Ing. Carlo Chiti’s head certainly didn’t help any serious inquiry... although we know this car in question was purchased on the 10th of November 1973.
A review of the original transaction sales invoice from Autodelta S.p.A. to Milan’s Weiss-Siam company for the modest sum of 5,000,000 liras indicates that this transaction was accomplished with direct blessing of Ing. Chiti personally.
The Tipo 33/3 was discharged from active racing, and like other 14 chassis of the 33/3 family of the group general specification, its number should be somewhat like "AR750.80.xxx", instead of the strangely unreal "AR105.800.23" that was engraved on the VIN plate and present as the chassis number on the original contract form.
To complicate the whole story even more, among those produced and raced Alfa Romeo 33/3 cars, there was a "AR750.80.023", but that well known car had its own well-known history and could not be confused with the evidently invented "AR105.800.23" VIN.
The reason why Ing. Chiti assigned a non-existent chassis number was almost certainly to avoid the high taxes expected in case of the sale of this racing car.
The new owner, a family named Weiss, was in the wholesale Koni shock absorber trade and was already a OEM supplier of Autodelta, so... the decision to acquire one of Ing. Chiti’s racers was not strange. The car remained in the Weiss collection for 30 years until 2003 when Ugo Weiss decided to sell it to its second Italian owner.
The car has kept in its totally original state when acquired by the new owner in 2003 and for years more remained a rare, true example of an early type 33/3 Alfa Romeo.
Photographs provide confirmation that the car remained in the original state in which it was sold by Autodelta back in 1973, but without race participation or any open public display in any event since then.
In 2004, the car was sold once again by Coys of Kensington UK to the new owner who imported the it to the UK, where "AR105.800.23" became part of a private collection.
In 2006, it was entrusted to Pearson's Engineering Ltd. for examination and the complete restoration of the car, with the intention to preserve its originality as the absolute priority. Garry Pearson carefully dismantled the car and all mechanical parts and wheels were X-rayed, tested and then re-assembled. The engine block, cylinder heads, and other components like the crankshaft and connecting rods were checked for cracks, and then the engine and gearbox were rebuilt.
All the gauges and instruments were cleaned and serviced so the car was reassembled using as many original parts as possible. During restoration the name of Andrea de Adamich was observed on the back of the racing seat... which would offer testimony in favor of identifying the car as actually "AR750.80.010" ...a car used by Andrea de Adamich - Piers Courage.
Period photography, though showed Nanni Galli and Umberto Maglioli as drivers of the car, (AR750.80.007) recognized without a doubt on the basis of some small personal details confirmed by Galli when asked to inspect the car.
Restored with respect for authenticity, the car was engaged in the Le Mans Classic in 2008, but suffered engine failure that required the complete re-build of the motor.
In 2012, "AR105.800.23" was presented at Milan’s Motor Show, and the year later it was offered and sold at a RM Sotheby's auction.
The new owner, based upon the presumed history of the car decided to change its existing full red livery to a red / yellow one as it was during 1970 season when used by Galli-Maglioli and Galli-Stommelen at the Targa Florio and at Le Mans.
Among surviving early type 33/3 cars, together with its sister car AR750.80.003 (Alfa Romeo Museo Storico Arese) two rare and highly authentic examples of Autodelta racing engineering fortunately have survived the last 52 years in original, as-raced condition.
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