Description
Within 3 years of the introduction of Alfa Romeo’s Giulia Sprint GT, Autodelta had developed a lightweight performer destined for the European Touring Car Championship. Referred to as Giulia GT Alleggerita (lightweight), it benefited from a 200 kg weight reduction via thinning of the steel inner chassis and usage of lightweight constituents for the body, engine, transmission and suspension. More specifically, the GTA would feature aluminum in its outer body panels and rear suspension control arms, magnesium in its valve cover, sump, timing cover bell housing, as well as plastic in its side and rear windows. The ensuing total weight of 740kg would be propelled by tuning the 1. 6 lt twin cam via significant valve enlargement to permit an innovative ‘twin plug’ arrangement, high compression piston modification, Marelli electric distribution and twin 45mm Weber carburation. In accordance, a 1. 3 lt Junior version was developed for the 1300 class of the championship that lacked some of the lightweight characteristics of the 1. 6 lt GTA. After constructing 500 1. 6lt and 450 Junior cars for homologation purposes, Autodelta entered competition to race them into winning several titles including 3 European Title Championships. Via careful monitoring of the performance of each GTA, Autodelta concluded that the Giulia deserved a series of further developments that were to be incorporated into its ultimate evolution, the Giulia GTAm. Forty such cars were built by Autodelta over 2 years with 1750 US export Tipo 10551 version as basis; these cars retained the GTA’s lightweight characteristics but were built over a full thickness inner steel chassis to meet the structural demands of a very powerful performer. The 1750 engine capacity was enlarged to 1985cc and later to 1999 cc via omitting separate cylinder liners and inserting a monosleeve to render a massive power output increase to 210 bhp in early cars and 240 bhp in later ones or more if the US-stringent SPICA injection module was dropped in favor of Weber carburation. With ‘153’ chassis number prefix, 19 works and 21 private cars meeting Group 2 racing specifications were constructed, tested and delivered by Autodelta between 1969 and 1971 with an unknown number of survivors remaining to this day.
Chassis 1532099 was produced by Autodelta in May of 1971 to be delivered to Alfa Romeo’s official representative in Athens, Greece, namely Motor Hellas. The car would complete Motor Hellas’ racing team fleet of a pair of a yellow 1966 and a white 1969 GTAs driven by the younger, more spirited Mr. Ioannis Meimaridis and the older, wiser and Motor Hellas owner Mr. Pericles Fotiades. After finishing 4th at its debut in June of 1971 at Corfu City road race and blowing out its engine at Tatoi Airfield track in August, Mr Fotiades and his team felt the car deserved someone of more advanced skills . At the time a 27 year old driver that had only recently entered the competition scene seemed to display an unprecedented amount of talent. Up and coming Giorgos Moschous stood out from all competitors for displaying a strong personality in his driving style: vicious yet fair, explosive yet calculative, fearless yet effective. Despite ranking higher with every race, it was the way Giorgos would drift out of corners, fly over hills and handle competition that established his uncompromised character in the eyes of the Hellenic motorsports world. Notably, the press idolized him after winning a championship title race at Tatoi Airfield where he managed to defeat the Stingray-equipped ruling champion of the time in his misfiring, blown gasket engined BMW 2002. After an unfortunate accident of Mr. Meimaridis in his GTA, Mr. Fotiades and his team decided that no other driver but Giorgos had the talent, stamina and skills to unleash the GTAm’s potential. In early 1972 an agreement was reached and Giorgos was recruited to race the Motor Hellas white / Castrol livery decorated GTAm. On the 18th of March Giorgos did put the GTAm to the test at Tatoi Airfield race track where the structural limits of a front suspension wishbone postponed his first win to a month later at the same track. Soon Giorgos came under the watchful eye of Autodelta who offered him a position in their works team in Italy but he kindly refused for the love of his home country. Nevertheless, an unofficial partnership would follow as Autodelta prepared an Alfetta for him in 1974 to soon after be substituted by a P33T3 prototype. In spite of Giorgos winning the 1976 hillclimb championship in the P33T3, his deep connection to the GTAm would resurface in 1977 with two 1st overall wins at Tatoi Airfield race track. From 1978 to 1986 Giorgos raced with another rallying-oriented team to be awarded over 40 class wins and 8 championship titles in a row reaching the top at the Hellenic Hall of Fame as the most talented and beloved Greek driver in motorsport history. In a 1995 interview taken several years before his passing he confessed that no other car did he ever like more other that this GTAm..
In 1985 Motor Hellas would close down and all assets would be liquidated; all but the GTAm that was stored away for over two decades. In 2011 a private marque enthusiast and established historic motorcar collector who sought out to find the car, came in contact with Giorgos’ family and there on with Motor Hellas’ Pericles Fotiades himself from which he eventually bought the car. In the 8 years that followed the new owner conducted an exhaustive restoration of no shortcuts that entailed traveling to several countries to source dispersed parts that were original to the car. All others where bought from collectors and NOS suppliers, including the steering wheel from a collection in Australia and cylinder head from Italy. The car was finally assembled by Greece’s most experienced Alfisti craftsmen and mechanics of Zemberigkos Bros that may have once competed against but now honored Giorgos’ years of glory Notably, Mr. Kostas and Christos Zemberigkos did witness the GTAm when first delivered at Motor Hellas headquarters at the beginning of a six decade long career on 105 series. Once revived to its former state and tested, the car was presented to the public in March of 2020 at a special event at Megara Circuit where it was driven by Giorgos’ older son and rally and Formula 3 driver, Mr. Emanouil Moschous.
Vehicle racing history
1971, June, car #7, red / white, Kerkyra City Circuit, Corfu, Greece, Motor Hellas Team, driver Pericles Fotiades, 4th overall
1971, August, car #6, red / white, Tatoi Airfield race track, Athens, Greece, Motor Hellas Team, driver Pericles Fotiades, dnf/ blown engine
1971, October, car #6, red / white, Rhodes City Circuit, Rhodes, Greece, Motor Hellas Team, driver Pericles Fotiades, 1st overall
1972, March 18th, car #4, white / Castrol livery, Tatoi Airfield race track, Athens, Greece, Motor Hellas Team, driver Giorgos Moschous, broken wishbone, dnf
1972, April, car #6, white / Castrol livery, Tatoi Airfield race track, Athens, Greece, Motor Hellas Team, driver Giorgos Moschous, 1st overall
1972, June 11th, car #4, white / Castrol livery, Tatoi Airfield race track, Athens, Greece, Motor Hellas Team, driver Giorgos Moschous, track’s lap record, blown tire, 2nd overall
1972, July 9th, car #4, white / Castrol livery, Voula hillclimb tarmac race, Athens, Greece, Motor Hellas Team, driver Giorgos Moschous, 1st overall
1972, Chortiati hillclimb tarmac race, Thessaloniki, Greece, Motor Hellas Team, driver Giorgos Moschous, 2nd overall
1972, Ritsona hillclimb tarmac race, Evia, Greece, Motor Hellas Team, driver Giorgos Moschous, 2nd overall
1972, December 17th, Tatoi Airfield race track, Athens, Greece, Motor Hellas Team, driver Giorgos Moschous, dnf
1973, January, car#3, white / Castrol livery, Tatoi Airfield race track, Athens, Greece, Motor Hellas Team, driver Giorgos Moschous, 1st overall
1973, March 18th, car #5, white / Motor Hellas decals and stripes, Tatoi Airfield race track, Athens, Greece, Motor Hellas Team, driver Giorgos Moschous
1977, October, Tatoi Airfield race track, Athens, Greece, Motor Hellas Team, driver Giorgos Moschous, 1st overall
1977, November 27th, car#3, red / Goodyear livery Tatoi Airfield race track, Athens, Greece, Motor Hellas Team, driver Giorgos Moschous, 1st overall
1977, December 18th, car #3, red / Goodyear livery, Ritsona hillclimb tarmac race, wet conditions, Evia, Greece, Motor Hellas Team, driver Giorgos Moschous
Racing history of Mr. Giorgos Moschous:
1966 Voula hillclimb tarmac
1966 Attikovoiotias
1966 Tatoi Airfield
1967 Earino Rally, Spetses
1968 Kerkyra
1969 Kerkyra road race
1969 Tatoi Airfield race track
1970 Souli Korinthias hillclimb
1970 Parnitha hillclimb tarmac race, BMW 2002, April, 2nd overall,
1970 Parnitha hillclimb tarmac race, BMW 2002, June, 3rd overall
1970 Tatoi Airfield race track, BMW 2002, gasket blown yet 1st overall defeating then champion Mr Johnie Pesmatzoglou
1970 Rhodes City Circuit, Rhodes, Greece, BMW 2002, pole position, fastest lap, dnf/ electrics
1971 Nea Smyrni City Circuit
1971 Kerkyra City Circuit
1971 Rhodes City Circuit, Rhodes
1971 Tatoi Airfield race track
1972 19th Acropolis Rally
1972 Tatoi Airfield race track, Motor Hellas Team, Alfa Romeo GTAm, March, broken wishbone, dnf
1972 Tatoi Airfield race track, Motor Hellas Team, first race with Alfa Romeo GTAm, April, 1st overall
1972 Tatoi Airfield race track, Motor Hellas Team, Alfa Romeo GTAm, track’s lap record, June, 2nd overall after blown tire
1972 Tatoi Airfield race track, Motor Hellas Team, Alfa Romeo GTAm, December, dnf
1972 Chortiati hillclimb tarmac race, Motor Hellas Team, Alfa Romeo GTAm, 2nd overall
1972 Ritsona hillclimb tarmac race, Motor Hellas Team, Alfa Romeo GTAm, 2nd overall
1972 Voula hillclimb tarmac race, Motor Hellas Team, Alfa Romeo GTAm, 1st overall
1973 Tatoi Airfield race track, Motor Hellas Team, Alfa Romeo GTAm, January race:1st overall
1973 Tatoi Airfield race track, Motor Hellas Team, Alfa Romeo GTAm, March: race 1st overall
1973 Ellinotourkiko Rally,
1973 Peloponnesean Rally,
1973 20th Acropolis Rallyd
1974 Tatoi Airfield race track Motor Hellas Team, Alfa Romeo Alfetta, 3rd overall
1974 Tatoi Airfield race track, Motor Hellas Team, Alfa Romeo GT Veloce, 1st overall
1974 Tatoi Airfield race track, Motor Hellas Team, Alfa Romeo P33T3, 1st overall
1975 Voula hillclimb tarmac race, Motor Hellas Team, Alfa Romeo P33T3
1975 Tatoi Airfield race track, Motor Hellas Team, Alfa Romeo P33T3, track’s avg speed record, 2nd overall
1975 Omalos hillclimb rally, Motor Hellas Team, Alfa Romeo P33T3, 2nd overall
1975 22nd Acropolis Rally, Motor Hellas Team, Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT, 4th Greek, 7th overall
1976 23rd Acropolis Rally, Motor Hellas Team, Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT, 2nd Greek, 4th overall
1976 Voula Hillclimb race, Motor Hellas Team, Alfa Romeo P33T3, 1st overall, Championship Title Winner
1977 Attikovoiotias Rally, Motor Hellas Team, Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT, 14th overall
1977 Earino Rally, Motor Hellas Team, Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT, 2nd overall
1977 Scorpios Rally, Motor Hellas Team, Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT, dnf/ water pump
1977 Voula Hillclimb race, Motor Hellas Team, Alfa Romeo P33T3, 1st overall
1977 Achaios Rally
1977 Paladio Rally
1977 24th Acropolis Rally, Motor Hellas Team, Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT, retired
1977 Tatoi Airfield race track, Motor Hellas Team, Alfa Romeo GTAm, 1st overall
1977, November, Tatoi Airfield race track, Motor Hellas Team, Alfa Romeo GTAm, 1st overall
1977 Ritsona hillclimb Motor Hellas Team, Alfa Romeo GTAm, n/ a
1978 Peloponnesean Rally,
1978 Olympiaco Rally
1978 Earino Rally
1978 26th Acropolis Rally
1978 Halkidiki European Rally Championchip
1978 Mavro Rodo Rally
1978 Attikovoiotias Rally
1979 Earino Rally
1979 Olympiaco Rally,
1979 26th Acropolis Rally
1979 Lesvos International Rally
1979 Halkidiki ERC Rally
1979 D. E. Th. Rally
1979 Mavro Rodo Rally
1980 Rally Stereas Elladas
1980 Earino Rally
1980 27th Acropolis Rally
1980 Macedonia Rally,
1980 Halkidiki ERC Rally
1980 D. E. Th. Rally,
1980 Mavro Rodo Rally
1981 Earino Rally
1981 28th Acropolis Rally
1981 Halkidiki ERC Rally
1981 D. E. Th. Rally
1982 Peloponnesean Rally
1982 Earino Rally,
1982 Acropolis Rally
1982 Achaios Rally
1982 Attikovoiotias Rally,
1982 Halkidiki ERC Rally
1982 D. E. Th. Rally,
1982 Mavro Rodo Rally
1983 Peloponnesean Rally
1983 Macedonia Rally
1983 30th Acropolis Rally
1983 Achaios Rally
1983 Attikovoiotias
1983 Halkidiki ERC Rally
1983 D. E. Th. Rally
1983 Cyprus European Rally Championship
1983 Mavro Rodo Rally
1983 Scorpios Rally
1984 Peloponnesean Rally
1984 Rally Kenravros
1984 Earino Rally
1984 31st Acropolis Rally
1984 Achaios Rally
1984 Halkidiki ERC Rally
1984 D. E. Th. Rally
1985 Peloponnesean Rally
1985 Earino Rally
1985 32nd Acropolis Rally
1985 Achaios Rally
1985 Attikovoiotias Rally
1985 Halkidiki ERC Rally
1985 D. E. Th. Rally
1985 Sarajevo ERC Rally
1985 Mavro Rodo Rally
1986 Earino Rally
1986 Achaios Rally
1986 33rd Acropolis Rally
1986 Attikovoiotias Rally
1986 Halkidiki ERC Rally
1987 Paladio Rally
Total Panhellenic Championship Titles won: 9, 1 in 1976 plus 8 in a row from 1978 to 1986
Specifications
Year: 1971
Make: Alfa Romeo
Tipo: 10551
Model: 1750 GT Veloce USA
Version: 1750 GTAm
Homologation: 1576
Group: 2
Constructor: Autodelta
Total units produced: 40 (5 with hanging pedals)
Telaio: AR * 1532099*
Delivery date: May 10th, 1971
Dealer: Motor Hellas, Athens Greece
Body: full thickness steel monocoque, aluminum and plexiglass panels, safety and plastic windows with roll cage
Weight limit: 940 kg
Engine type: 1985cc, 4 cyl., in-line, 84. 5mm x 88. 5 mm, monosleeve, forged crankshaft, Twin Plug light alloy cylinder head, DOHC, 328 degree camshafts, 2 valves per cylinder, double chain control, dual ignition distributor beryllium valve seats, Otto cycle, 46 mm intake / 40 mm exhaust manifold, Weber 48DCO2SP carburettors, 240 bhp 230 Nm estimated output, 13. 0 to 1 compression, wet sump lubrication with enlarged magnesium 6 cooling fin oil pan
Transmission type: 5 speed, close ratio, dogleg
Drivetrain: lightweight flywheel with dry single-plate clutch, Autodelta progressive Coppia Frenata aluminum sliding block differential
Suspension: Autodelta sliding block, lightweight wishbones/ trailing arms/ spring pans
Brakes: F: dual circuit with booster, ATE 2 pot calipers with vented discs, R: single pot with solid discs
Wheels: magnesium Campagnolo wheels with 8. 2 front and 9. 2 rear / 22. 0 – 13 slick Avon tires
Parts suppliers:
- Alfa Romeo Milano warehouse
- Carillo
- dbilas
- Autodelta
- Colotti
- Alfaholics
- Facetti OKP
- ANSA
- ATE
Ownership history:
1971-2011: Mr. Pericles Fotiadis, owner of Motor Hellas Alfa Romeo, Athens, Greece
2011-present: private, Athens, Greece
Registry: Alfa BB: 1750 GTAm chassis numbers | Page 25 | Alfa Romeo Forums
Certification: Alfa Romeo Automobilismo Storico Centro Documentazione Certificate issued on April 2011
