Until 1972 it was red with black engine bay, no brake boost, no “slittone”, racing asset by Autodelta, owned by Scuderia Panar, chassis N° AR*613217*...is there any record of it's later destiny?
GTA 613217 is the ex- Lee Midley Trans Am GTA and was run in the Trans Am series in 1970 and 1971(blue) as #93. In 1970 it had a couple of victories. So it was in the USA in time to prepare it for racing in 1970 and this GTA is very well known in era and also now in USA. Lots can be found about this GTA on this BB and in the Alfas in the Trans Am thread.
So what does this time frame conflict mean I wonder?
As far as I know little or nothing is known of the history prior to Lee Midley obtaining it in California. So if you find Italian history and the time line is found to line up with what is known in the USA it will be excellent new information.
FWIW both engine compartment pictures seem to have the same somewhat unusual expansion tank and the same bracket for a hood pin and hose going through it in the middle ....
I have had some private communications with Bora (Vladimir) and Roman Tucker and conclude that the picture Bora posted is not from the era stated originally and that the history of 613217 prior to Midgley finding it on a California car lot as a stradale, remains unknown except to say that it was sold originally to AR Newark USA.
So 217 not likely has any Euro race history and certainly not with Panar as suggested,in error, earlier.
To confirm your conclusion, I will add that Fazio assured me that the 613217 was sold by Alfa Romeo (not Autodelta) directly in States (Newark) without any history in Europe and it was not the part of Panar’s garage ever. I have discovered the origin of the error, and was intended to send you that document but as I have lost my comp, I couldn’t find your private e-mail. Anyhow it is only another dirty little story without importance…
It is Autodelta patent (idea was of engineer Surace than developed by Chiti) for lowering the roll centre of the car, giving the possibility of rear live axle to move free up and down, and combined with knuckle risers in front suspension improved a lot roll and diving effects in racing conditions.
I know this is an old post but I just came onto it searching for pic's of Lee Midgley's Alfa because my dad did a paint job and fender flairs on an Alfa for Lee Midgley (in 1970 I believe). We went to watch Lee race at Riverside Raceway a couple of months later. Sadly his clutch burnt up in the race, until the clutch went he was doing very well and had the fastest lap time to that point of the race as I remember it.
My dad's shop was Kyle's Auto Body in Hemet CA. I went to Lee's shop in Hemet a few times too.
Sadly I took no pics back then, but I did a little help on the prep for the paint job on Lee's car. I was 14-15 years old at the time. I went to a lot of motorcycle races but that was the only auto race I went to. My dad was the Autobody and paint teacher at Mt. San Jacinto Jr College, teaching night classes. My dad got his start painting early in life and worked as a painter at the Studebaker assembly plant for a while.
Lee Midgley's GTA 613217 probably got the small fender flares in the time after the 1970 Laguna Seca Trans-Am series race on April, 18th, and before the Mid-Ohio race on June, 7th. At Riverside on October, 4th, he was fourth on grid and did not finish due of fuel starvation troubles according to sources.
I think it was October, but I distinctly remember his clutch burning up. He was doing good and then he went slower and slower as the clutch was smoking, and it could not finish. I saw him and talked to him about it a week after the race at his shop.
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