Description
“Arese’s Violin”
1983 Alfa Romeo GTV6 Group A ETCC car
Original Autodelta car delivered to Scuderia Autolodi Corse
Unique opportunity to buy a real Group A car
In the mid-1970s, Italdesign’s Giorgetto Giugiaro drew up the Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT. Based on the Alfetta, Italy’s dependable, everyday saloon car, Giugiaro’s new design was a two-door fastback coupé. With design inspired by Alfa’s charismatic but flawed Montreal sports car, it gave the Alfetta GT a touch more flair compared to its more conventional sibling. In 1980, six years into its lifecycle, the Alfetta name tag was dropped altogether, and the car simply became known as the GTV. However, it was the car’s more powerful variant that would go on to become the icon of a generation. Known as the GTV6, this version was born when Alfa Romeo installed its 2, 5-liter, 12V SOHC V6 from the Alfa 6 sedan. Known affectionately as the “Busso” V6 (after its designer Giuseppe Busso), it remains widely regarded as one of the greatest production engines ever made. Its performance earned it critical acclaim, while the distinctive and beloved soundtrack resulted in the nickname “The Violin of Arese.”
While the original Alfetta GT was already a capable racing car, notably finishing second overall in the 1976 24 Hours of Spa, the addition of the V6 engine turned an adequate platform into a world beater. As part of the newly introduced Group A regulations, the Alfa GTV6 dominated the European Touring Car Championship scene with four back-to-back titles between 1982 and 1985.
This particular car was first owned by Autodelta (documentation included) and one of two cars delivered to Mauro Nocentini of the Italian Scuderia Autolodi Corse team for participation in the 1983 and 1984 European Touring Car Championship. Soon Nocentini and Autolodi proved they could hang with the best and regularly featured towards the front of their class. A high note came during the 1983 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. Not only did the trio of Rinaldo Drovandi, Emilio Zapico and Gianfranco Brancatelli start from pole and finish (something the factory-backed pair of Jaguar XJ S entries and a significant number of BMW 635CSi’s failed to do), a sixth place overall meant a Division 2 class victory for the Alfa GTV6. It was one of five class victories Autolodi would pick up across 1983 and 1984. One of those wins came in the renowned RAC Tourist Trophy - Britain’s oldest motor race. Drovandi and Zapico came out on top at a rain-affected Silverstone. After leaving the Alfa stable, Banccatelli joined Eggenberger Motorsport to win the 1985 title in a Volvo 240T. Four years later, he was part of Sauber-Mercedes’ memorable one-two finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, joining Kenny Acheson and Mauro Baldi to finish second overall behind the wheel of the fearsome Sauber C9.
After it’s active racing life with Autolodi the car was sold to an Athens based race-team where it still resides to date and where it was used in some Hill Climbs and Airport tracks. The engine was rebuilt by Autolodi in the nineties and has covered some 50 hours since.
The car will need re-commissioning after which it will be eligible for many Historic Races like the Peter Auto HTC and many other historic races.
We see a unique opportunity to own and race a factory backed, original, class winning Group A race car.
Comes with a set of spare wheels.
