Goodwood Revival St Mary's Trophy entry 2024
1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA FIA Competition Saloon by Autodelta

• Delivered new to Denmark
• Restored and built to FIA Appendix K regulations in the 1990s
• New Alfaholics engine, gearbox and exhaust
• Prepared by Valley Motorsport
• Spare FIA engine and gearbox included

Introduced in 1965, the GTA (the 'A' stood for Alleggerita - lightened) was the official competition version of the Giulia Sprint GT and was produced in both road and race variants. The latter, as usual, was the responsibility of the factory's Autodelta competitions department.

Visually almost indistinguishable from the road-going Sprint GT, the GTA differed by virtue of its aluminium body panels, Plexiglas side and rear windows, and lightened interior fittings and trim. Alfa's classic twin-cam 1,570cc four underwent extensive modification for the GTA, the angle between the valves being reduced from 90 to 80 degrees and the valve sizes substantially increased; there no longer being room between them for a central spark plug, a change was made to twin-plug ignition. In road trim the revised engine produced 115bhp with up to 170 horsepower available in race tune.

The GTA made its racing debut on 20th March 1966 at Monza where Andrea de Adamich and Teodoro Zeccoli triumphed in the Jolly Club Four-Hour Race. From then on the Autodelta-prepared GTAs enjoyed outstanding success, winning the European Touring Car Championship three years running from 1966-68.

The GTA offered here, chassis number '613911', is one of a pair delivered by Autodelta in February 1967 to their agent in Denmark, Soren Tranberg of Kolding. '613911' had been ordered by Gunnar Henriksen, a well known competitor in Danish motor sports in the 1960s, who raced both single-seaters and saloons. He campaigned the GTA extensively at Danish national level before selling it to Peter Madsen, a partner in Skallebolle Autoverkstad, an automotive workshop in Vissenbjerg, Denmark. Madsen raced the Alfa in rallycross-type events and installed a V8 engine.

Circa 1989, the GTA was bought by a Swiss hotelier and imported into Switzerland (minus its front bulkhead) where it was eventually rebuilt and prepared for racing in the FIA's Appendix K Pre-65 category. FIA papers were obtained in 2000. Since then the car has belonged to a prominent European collector and more recently to a British racer. In 2022 the latter commissioned marque specialists Alfaholics to build a new engine, gearbox and exhaust, while Valley Motorsport developed the car in accordance with the requirements of today's Historic racing (bills on file). Accompanying documentation includes a quantity of invoices; a V5C Registration Certificate; HTP valid until 31st December 2032; and a Full Identity & Inspection Report (perusal essential).
Featuring dramatic 'Danish flag' livery, this Autodelta GTA is eligible for some of the most prestigious Historic race meetings and rallies, and has an entry into this year's St Mary's Trophy race at the Goodwood Revival meeting. A spare FIA-specification engine and gearbox are included in the sale.