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Alfa Romeo GTV with factory aluminium panels

15K views 62 replies 16 participants last post by  Steve105 
#1 ·
Hello fine gentlemen,

A while ago, I remembered reading a post where it was mentionned that some NON GTA cars were produced at the end of the 105 series with Aluminium parts.

I do believe that a 1750 GTV was mentionned in the post and was located in Canada.

Can any of you remember this. Better, if you have first hand experience with “regular” 105/115 series built by the factory with aluminium doors, trunk and bonnet, could you please share your stories?

Thank you very much for any info you may have!

Cheers
 
#33 ·
As I understand one of the main reasons to homologate 1750 GTAm was to move to Group 2 from Group 4 to avoid competition with Porsche 911. Basically 1600 GTA did not have enough space in the back to be homologated as 4 seats car.
1750 GTV (GTAm) in the beginning of 1970 got modified rear seats and was homologated as Group 2 car.
 

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#36 · (Edited)
I will accept that variations in homologations may be treated differently to the original homologation.
The steps of homologation were the factory produce the 1000 quantity and then got homologation, this is a 'fact' and is backed up by Fusi's numbers.
31st July 1969 Alfa Factory claimed 1000 cars produced for FIA 1576 Group 2 Turismo.
Production figures 1750 GT Veloce as per Fusi, pages 843..
1967 qty 919
1968 qty 146
1969 qty 639 subtotal for 1967+ 68+ half 1969 = 919+146 + 320 = 1385 cars even more than 1000 cars the factory claimed!
You could use 1967 and 68 production figures and you had 1065 cars, still over 1000 cars.

This leaves
At the end of
1970 qty 518
1971 qty 1150
1972 qty 17
Total of 3389 cars
Back to the original document FIA 1576 Group 2
not a complete list of items
Variations 'V'
Date 1.1.70 2/1V : ZF steering box
Date 1.1.70 3/2V : Alloy doors and trunk, 100L fuel tank, brakes, motor, injection.
Date 1.4.70 5/3V : Plastic bumper bars
Date 1.10.70 6/4V : ?
Date 1.1.71 7/5V : Piston rods
Date 1.7.71 8/6V : Brake discs
Evolution 'E'
Date 1.1.70 1/1E : Wide bodied flairs
Date 1.4.70 4/2E : Tandem brakes

It's not clear if variation V or evolution E meant another 1000 cars or a total of 1000 cars with the features.

'ARGTAReg' Existence of homologated parts was not connected in any way to production version and you were obliged to buy and fix yourself desired part if you wanted it.
So what are you saying? If I wanted the seats as shown in the previous photo I have to what go and get them from Autodelta, I don't thinks so.

I am asking where are the documents you are using what do the words means 'variation' 'evolution' to get an idea of what happened.
I still think you could order a GTV 1750 with alloy doors and bootlid (and those nice seats!) from the factory, and drive out the show room floor.
With safety aspects of racing taking on more momentum in 1972, roll cages were required. The fibre glass doors were no longer allowed from 1.1.1972, by that time it did not matter for the GTV 1750 as it was over only 17 cars were made in 1972
Cheers Steve
 
#37 · (Edited)
I still think you could order a GTV 1750 with alloy doors and bootlid (and those nice seats!) from the factory, and drive out the show room floor.
Cheers Steve
Yes I accept this but what would have happened is your dealer would have ordered a completely steel 1750 GTV, and 2 alloy doors, and a boot lid. He would have sent the brand new doors and boot lid down the road to his trusted car painter and got them painted to match your brand new car and then had one of mechanics remove the steel doors and boot lid, bolt on the alloy stuff and rung you up and said "your car is ready".

Alfa Romeo did not produce the car like this, other than the rear seat, which is what all 1750 GTV rear seats look like, i.e. it was not just a racing change but a change made to the 105 series with the 1750 model so there was slightly more leg room in the back. This change was not so people with legs could sit in the back but to move the 1750 GTV into a different racing class. I'm sure other manufacturers occasionally do things like this too, but it is part of the Alfa story, i.e. basically the GTA was being given a decisive beating by the 911 Porsche so lets make the current GTV a proper 4 seater so not in the same class. Cheaper than producing TZ2s in GTA quantities :)

So again the alloy parts were variations to the signed FIA homologation for the 1750 GTV, and we all agree that Alfa Romeo never ever produced a run of 1000, or even 10, or heck even a single 1 with these parts already attached as it left the Milano or Paris factory.
Pete
ps: I wonder what happened to all those steel doors and boot lids originally hanging on GTAm's that were removed ... probably sitting in the back of Autodelta's old workshop somewhere in perfect condition ...
 
#39 · (Edited)
Pete
If GTA's are going down the production line at Arese, why are you telling me GTV's with alloy doors and boot lid were not also going down the production line?
Where were the alloy parts? At the factory so they can be installed. Where is the car painted correctly ? at the factory with the alloy parts all ready on it!
As I mentioned before the FIA homologation of 1750 GTAm group 2 is still valid. May be FIA can enlighten us.
Cheers Steve
 
#47 ·
Steve, you have idealized idea of car production in those years. Yes, GTA was produced at Arese but ONLY in its Stradale (street legal) version, and it existed in every price list available at any AR dealer worldwide, absolutely identic among them and produced with same parts and standards. NOTHING out of existing, standard list could be obtained in dealers shop as ‘keys in hands’ product. In other words, again yes, you had to buy separately the homologated peace and fix it yourself or with qualified help, but not departure out of the factory shop with racing seat, roll cage or anything else already not included in price. Everything considered tuning or particular preparation was at Autodelta pertinence where you could demand ‘personal’ differences and got them paying the right price.
For PsK; Shells destined for official agonistic activity, arrived (officially sold) in their already lightened form to Autodelta. In the factory backyard you could see only joyful dogs playing in their shelters made often with racing body parts, id significant disorder. To understand the atmosphere there, take a look at ‘Autodelta Golden Years’ site by Robert Little. It could clear your ideas.
 
#41 · (Edited)
Hi Vin,
That is great you are aware of most.
What I said was
'There was an alloy looking 1750 GTV here in Australia by using a GTA as a start point. Technically the Australian modified car could have been a group 5 or 6 GTV 1750 car.'
I could have phrased it a bit better.
There was an alloy looking 1750 GTV that was converted /made up by consuming / using a GTA as a start point, the alloy 1750 GTV looking car was then made to look like a wide bodied GTAm here in Australia, and such a car could have been a Group 5 or 6 car under FIA.
check it out https://primotipo.com/tag/brian-foley/
Regards Steve
 
#45 ·
Only need a picture of a 1750 GTV/Am on the production line with the hole on the alloy doors as per GTA style door button, just before it goes into the paint dip bath.

Geez Steve you are being optimistic! The few early 1750 GTAms with alloy doors would have had them fitted at the Autodelta workshop after the car was delivered there for conversion, as were any other lightweight panels & special parts.
I know you live in hope & bought that hand made alloy smooth nose panel from Malaysia a while back. I was standing in the workshop where your alloy roof skin was made last year admiring it, and I guess by now you've also bought the full set of other GTA repro panels you were inquiring & costing as well....
Just build your ultimate fantasy lightweight 1750 & enjoy it. You don't have to justify it to the world; unless you are looking for a suitable barn!
 
#48 · (Edited)
The original question was were there GTVs with alloy parts doors, bonnet and rear deck lid from the factory.
Even though the definition of factory tends to be the Alfa factory at Arese, there was also the Autodelta factory, which was acquired by Alfa Romeo in 1964, so from 1965 it too was part of Alfa, with it's own production line.

The 1750 GTV was allowed to have alloy doors and a boot lid in one of two main ways

First way was use any 1750 GTV LHD(AR1350001) or RHD (AR1450001) and then use homologation FIA 1565 Group 2 plus the FIA rules of 1st Jan 1970 and have them installed by a dealer or at the Auto Delta factory or by a private individual or by a race team to run in Group 2 in 1970/71.

The second way was use any 1750 GTV USA LHD (1350001) car that had been homologated as a GTAm and this time use the homologation FIA 1576 G2 variation 3/2V and have them installed by a dealer or at the Auto Delta factory, or by a private individual or a by a race team to run in Group 2 in 1970/71. (Side note: The twin spark engine for the GTAm was first homoligated also using FIA 1576 G2 variation 3/2V 1st Jan 1970)

A supplement to the above two would be if the Auto Delta factory, or a private individual or a team continued and built up a group 6 car full alloy car as per FIA rules.
Unfortunately FIA rules meant Autodelta could not campaign at the same time group 1 and 2 as well as group 5 and 6 using the same body shell design. (But could have built one up for you!)

What I am saying is after 50 years these things could have happened given the rules existed that made it possible to give you a car that had alloy doors and boot lid and possibly a full alloy car.

Bring yourself into 2019 and you will notice that FIA rules still allow you to race in Group 2 your 1750 GTV RHD or 1750 GTV LHD(GTAm).
38023 31/12/2025 CH-5794 Alfa Romeo 1750 GT Veloce 1565 G2 CT19
44746 31/12/2028 D-6171 Alfa Romeo 1750 GTAm 1576 G2 CT19
In attempting to give a clear answer we have found there probably is not one but many ways to answer and not all of us agree all the time which is great. I think this question has merit as it gives all owners of 1750 GTVs an important insight into their car.
As always my opinions
Cheers Steve
 
#52 ·
The original question was were there GTVs with alloy parts doors, bonnet and rear deck lid from the factory.......
....What I am saying is after 50 years these things could have happened given the rules existed that made it possible to give you a car that had alloy doors and boot lid and possibly a full alloy car........
........I think this question has merit as it gives all owners of 1750 GTVs an important insight into their car.
Cheers Steve
Hi Steve,
You could also draw the same improbable conclusions for almost any model based on homologated racing options and if, buts & maybes. I doubt that it is any sort of important insight for 1750 owners, other than there was a huge list of race options that could fit across just about any Giulia model platform.
If you really want an all alloy 1750 GTV, just put all your collected alloy body parts onto one of your many cars. It would be a great special project & perhaps you could top it off with your GTA cylinder head & close ratio gearbox from your other white car. That would make it quite something. But alas, not something that might have been coming off the end of the Arese production line back in the day. It almost sounds like the sort of argument of someone who might be trying to convince Historic Racing Officials or classic car market of some unicorn model :)
Vince.
 
#51 ·
Steve,

Autodelta was not a factory, it did not have a production line.

It was a racing shop and by the modern standards, full of disorder and dogs from across Milano.
By the 60s early 70s standards it was a very efficient racing shop which could assemble some racing cars (approximately 2 per week) from ready components. Autodelta assembled engines as well.
They were so busy with racing cars that could not afford to borrow their test pilots to Alfa Romeo.

Please read some books about Autodelta, how it was organized, what they did. There were no any chances that Autodelta assembled regular 1750GTV/Am with light alloy body parts for distribution network.
There are no evidences of this. I have some books about Autodelta, Chiti has never mentioned that they assembled 1750 GTV/Am road cars, even in 70s magazines.


Sent from my Z957 using Tapatalk
 
#55 ·
Steve, FIA Appendix J provides to a manufacturer the info how NOT to build racing cars on the production line. Appendix J does not prohibit a maximum quantities or build a racing car on the main production plant.

Your logic is correct, Alfa Romeo could make 1000+ light weighted GTV cars in Arese/Autodelta. The problem is it never happened, because it is just stupid wasting of money.
 
#56 ·
To remind everyone of where this started, it was the first post by Ladislas asking about alloy body parts & other GTA components for a personal custom build he is doing on a smooth nose 1300 GTJunior with any or as many special parts as he can get. See some of his other postings.
He says that his car has never had any racing history of any kind & prior to the start of custom build is just a stock standard 1300GTJnr....then the thread expanded into improbable speculation (not by Lasidlas). As you said PSK, a little bit of information....
I helped Ladsilas out with some old genuine GTA doors for his project.
I'm sure it will be a very nice personal statement & an exciting car to drive when it is finished.
I think this thread has just about done now. I do wonder why it is even in GTA/GTAm section anyway?
Cheers,
Vince.
 
#57 ·
what a minute, stop press!

you are telling me it had an IRS in the back off a TZ2? i would luv to see this any why hasnt any tried to reproduce a portion of this car sans the complicated steampunk driven superchargers?

sounds like a dream 105 to me...

could it be possible the sliding block was mistaken for IRS type links by the reporter?

Davbert, your dream car really existed
Strange note this one about GTA with independent rear suspension. As a matter of facts, similar car was tested by Servizio Esperienze Speciali in ’66, but it was not turbocharged engine and assertion about its power and weight are not true either. The example produced entirely at Servizio Esperienze, without involvement of Autodelta, was supplied with TZ like rear suspension and was developed over steel body GT but with all other GTA components. It was intensively tested at Mugello by Bruno Bonini that left detailed attestation about that car, described in superlative words. It was the price too high for re-elaboration of 105.32 rear suspension project, to stop its further development. Bonini described the car’s behaviour as absolutely neutral without understeering tendency that was present in other GT models. My only objection is that it is not likely that any mortal except Bonini ever tried that car, left in disuse and without engine in old Portello deposit.
 
#60 ·
Darn Guys. I'm almost afraid to ask if Carbon Fibre body panels were homologated . (Ha! Ha!) You all may think I'm a "Trouble Causer". Now let's see; Are Alfaholic's aluminum body panels viable replacement panels for my "missing" Autodelta homologated panels?
 
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