Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 – Car Profile

Alfa’s Racing Ambition Reignited

Alfa Romeo began the post-war era on top of the racing world, claiming the first two Formula 1 World Championships in 1950 and 1951 with the legendary Alfetta 158/159. But with costs rising and the company shifting its focus to road cars, Alfa officially withdrew from frontline motorsport. Through the 1950s and early ’60s, the brand built spirited road cars and dabbled in smaller racing programs, but the glory days of Grand Prix dominance seemed a distant memory.

By the early 1960s, Alfa’s board wanted to return to serious international competition. To achieve this, they turned to Autodelta, a racing department founded by Carlo Chiti — the brilliant but mercurial engineer who had once been a chief designer at Ferrari. Autodelta quickly delivered results with cars like the TZ and Giulia GTA, cementing its reputation as Alfa’s competition arm. But Chiti’s ambitions stretched far beyond touring cars.

The FIA’s restructuring of racing classes in 1966 created an opportunity. At the top sat Group 6 Prototypes, unrestricted by production minimums and serving as the proving ground for cutting-edge sports racing machines. Alfa Romeo commissioned Autodelta to create a challenger for the fiercely contested two-litre category, where Porsche, Ferrari, and Alpine were already preparing their weapons. The project was code-named 105.33.

Birth of the Tipo 33

Development began in 1965, with the first muletto (mule car) secretly tested at Monza in early 1966. Initially fitted with TZ2 components, the real breakthrough came when Autodelta’s all-new 2.0-litre V8 was completed. Compact, high-revving, and mounted in a lightweight tubular chassis, the engine produced around 256–270 hp at 9,000 rpm — a jewel of Italian engineering.

The chassis was just as advanced: a spaceframe with aluminum side members that doubled as fuel tanks, magnesium subframes, fully independent suspension, and disc brakes. Wrapped in a curvaceous fiberglass body with clamshell openings, the car weighed only 580 kg. Its distinctive snorkel intake gave rise to its nickname, the Periscopa.

On paper, the Tipo 33 was state of the art. In reality, its early outings revealed just how fragile it was.

Specifications (Tipo 33/2 “Periscopa”)

• Engine: 2.0-litre, 90° V8, all-aluminum block and heads, DOHC per bank, Lucas fuel injection

• Displacement: 1995 cc

• Bore x Stroke: 78 mm × 52.2 mm

• Compression Ratio: 11.0:1

• Power Output: 256–270 hp at 9,000 rpm

• Lubrication: Dry sump

• Ignition: Twin-plug, four coils

• Transmission: 6-speed Colotti gearbox, ZF limited-slip differential

• Clutch: Hydraulic single-plate

• Chassis: Aluminum tubular spaceframe with integral fuel tanks; magnesium subframes

• Suspension (front/rear): Double wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bars; radius rods at rear

• Brakes: Ventilated discs (outboard front, inboard rear)

• Wheels/Tires: 13-inch magnesium, 8-inch front / 9-inch rear; Dunlop CR70

• Bodywork: Fiberglass, hinged clamshells front and rear

• Weight: ~580 kg (1,278 lbs)

• Top Speed: ~170 mph (273 km/h)

• Production: 8 chassis (VINs 750.33.001 to 750.33.008)

Baptism of Fire: The 1967 Season

The Tipo 33 made its competition debut at the Fléron Hillclimb in Belgium, March 1967. Teodoro Zeccoli piloted it to victory, hinting at the car’s potential. But when the team took on endurance races, promise turned to frustration.

At Sebring 12 Hours, both cars retired with ignition and suspension failures. At the Le Mans test days, the long-tail “Coda Lunga” prototype showed class-leading pace, only for tragedy to strike when Matra’s Roby Weber was killed in a rival car. Then came the Targa Florio, where Alfa entered four cars. They ran brilliantly at first, even challenging Porsche’s 910s, but repeated suspension failures wiped out three cars, leaving only one limping home outside classification.

The story repeated at the Nürburgring 1000 km: Alfa’s pace was competitive, but fragile front suspension betrayed them again. Still, Bussinello and Zeccoli coaxed one car to fifth overall, a small but vital finish that proved Alfa could last the distance. By season’s end, the Tipo 33 finally scored a win at Vallelunga, with Andrea de Adamich taking the flag. It was a symbolic breakthrough, but reliability remained Alfa’s Achilles’ heel.

Evolution: The 33/2 and the Stradale (1968)

For 1968, Autodelta introduced the 33/2, addressing many of the reliability gremlins. Its finest moment came at the 24 Hours of Daytona, where Nino Vaccarella and Udo Schütz drove to a class victory — earning the “Daytona” nickname. Wins followed at the Targa Florio and the Nürburgring 1000 km, and the 33/2 also spawned the exquisite 33 Stradale. This road-going derivative is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cars ever built, blending racing DNA with dramatic styling by Franco Scaglione.

Still, Porsche’s increasingly powerful prototypes overshadowed Alfa’s two-litre contender, and by the end of the season, Alfa finished third in the manufacturers’ championship.

Raising the Stakes: The 33/3 (1969–1971)

Recognizing that more power was essential, Alfa introduced the 33/3 in 1969, with a 3.0-litre V8 producing 400 hp and a stiffer monocoque chassis. Its debut at Sebring was disastrous, and tragedy struck when Lucien Bianchi died in a Le Mans testing crash. Results were thin that year, but persistence paid off.

By 1971, the 33/3 matured into a genuine contender. Wins at Brands Hatch, Watkins Glen, and the Targa Florio marked Alfa’s arrival as a true force in endurance racing. Though Porsche’s mighty 917s and Ferrari’s 512s still dominated outright, Alfa’s consistency delivered them second in the championship.

The Flat-12 Era: TT12 and SC12 (1973–1977)

The next great leap came with the 33 TT12 of 1973. Its 3.0-litre flat-12 engine, designed by Chiti, produced 500 hp and sang with a ferocious howl. Initially plagued by development woes, it blossomed in 1975 into a championship-winner. Alfa Romeo claimed seven victories from eight races, finally securing the World Championship for Makes.

In 1976, the car evolved into the 33 SC12, with a boxed chassis and 520 hp. By 1977, Alfa achieved perfection: the SC12 won every single race, clinching the championship in dominant style. A turbocharged 2.1-litre version appeared briefly, producing an astonishing 640 hp and foreshadowing the turbocharged Formula 1 era. Its technology even carried into Brabham’s F1 cars and Alfa’s own ill-fated Grand Prix return.

Legacy of the Tipo 33

From its fragile but beautiful 1967 debut to its crushing dominance a decade later, the Tipo 33 program embodied Alfa Romeo’s racing spirit. It bridged the gap between the company’s post-war struggles and its rebirth as a championship-winning marque. Along the way, it produced the immortal 33 Stradale, a masterpiece that ensured the Tipo 33 name lived not only on the track but also on the road.

The Tipo 33 story is one of evolution through adversity: a reminder that behind every great triumph in motorsport lies a trail of broken cars, fallen heroes, and relentless persistence. For Alfa Romeo, the Tipo 33 was more than a racing car — it was redemption.