Autodelta
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Autodelta SpA was the name of Alfa Romeo's competition department. Established in 1961 as Auto-Delta, the company was started by Carlo Chiti, a former Alfa Romeo and Ferrari engineer, and Ludovico Chizzola, an official Alfa Romeo dealer. The team was officially made a department of Alfa Romeo on March 5, 1963.[1] The team was originally based in Feletto Umberto, Udine, before moving closer to Alfa Romeo's facilities in Settimo Milanese in 1964 and officially becoming Autodelta SpA. This allowed Autodelta to use the Balocco test track for new racing cars and prototypes.
The purpose of the company was bringing Alfa Romeo back to the top level of motor racing after Alfa Romeo's success in the 1950s. The first car developed together with Alfa Romeo and Autodelta was the Giulia TZ introduced in June 1962.[2] The TZ was updated to to TZ2 in 1965, with both cars taking many wins in various championships. Alfa Romeo and Autodelta would later introduce the GTA to even more success.
After success in grand tourer racing, Chiti convinced Alfa Romeo to purpose-built sportscars for the World Sportscar Championship. Alfa Romeo built a new flat-12 engine for what would become the Tipo 33 racing car. This racing program led to Alfa Romeo winning the constructors championships in 1975 and 1977.
After winning the sportscars championships, Alfa Romeo turned to supplying engines to the Brabham Formula One team[3] and eventually returned to the sport with a factory team in 1979, run by Autodelta. The team also prepared Alfa Romeo rally cars such as the Alfetta GTVs.
Although the division was eventually phased out, Alfa Romeo used the Autodelta name again for their AutoDelta Squadra Corse team in the European Touring Car Championship in the early 21st century. Since the group's original demise, the Autodelta name had come to be used by independent British Alfa Romeo tuner Jano Djelalian in 1987 and continues today.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Pat Braden. Alfa Corse/Autodelta History. velocissima.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-31.
- ^ Autodelta - a history. italiancar.net. Retrieved on 2007-08-31.
- ^ Carlo Chiti. historicracing.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-31.
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