Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale: the courage to dream

Powerful cars, aggressive lines, performances always at the limit in various eras, Alfa Romeos have always been the tangible demonstration that Italy has few rivals when it comes to charm, beauty, technology and innovation in the automotive field. Among the many legendary cars that have come out of the Alfa factories in over a century of history, there are some that have entered the hearts of enthusiasts more than others. One of these is certainly the 33 Stradale of 1967, a masterpiece of design and technology, so much so that it is considered one of the most beautiful cars ever made. It was, in fact, a custom-built car that combined the best of the technology and comfort of the time. It had a unique aerodynamic line and reached speeds of close to 300 kilometers per hour in an era in which even the most famous sports cars such as Ferraris traveled very close to 200 kilometers per hour. The 33 Stradale was a jewel and as such the price of the fifty examples produced was stratospheric for the late 1960s: almost ten million lire. An astronomical figure in an era when a Fiat 500 was priced at 475,000 lire and a Ferrari 275 GTB cost 6,500,000 lire.

As Lorenzo Ardizio, curator of the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese, near Milan, says: “Now far from the era and atmosphere that saw the birth of the first 33 Stradale, today it is possible to describe its charm, characteristics, and unique features that distilled its character and defined its historical and aesthetic value. For Alfa Romeo, it is a milestone and represents a great moment in its history. For the automotive world, it is the point of contact between racing and the road. It does so in substance, in the total absence of compromise. In the world of design, the 33 Stradale leaves a profound mark: it appears to be a formally perfect masterpiece and requires no explanation or interpretation. It is a beauty made of proportions, spontaneous emotions and timeless features. Finally, for classic car enthusiasts, today the 33 Stradale is a dream and – in very rare, fortunate cases – the point of arrival of a collection. Few cars can boast some of these characteristics. Perhaps only the 33 Stradale is able to summarize them all”.

For all these reasons, over half a century later, Alfa Romeo has chosen to rekindle the legend with the new 33 Stradale, the spiritual and technical heir of that timeless icon. The book Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale (Rizzoli, 2025, Euro 85.00, pp. 248) tells the story of the rebirth of a dream . An exclusive journey inside the project that gave life to one of the most ambitious and fascinating cars of recent years, built in just 33 examples, each customized according to the wishes of the collectors who purchased it even before it was produced. Through the words of the designers, engineers and project managers, the reader enters the creative and technological heart of Alfa Romeo: from the initial sketches in the Style Center to the creation of the prototype, up to the production of the models intended for customers all over the world, from Asia to Oceania. But it is not just the story of a two million euro supercar with a speed of over 330 kilometres per hour, but the manifesto of a vision that unites past and future, craftsmanship and innovation, beauty and performance. An unmissable work for fans of engines, design and extraordinary stories. A celebration of Italian excellence that enchanted figures such as Henry Ford who loved to repeat: “When I see an Alfa Romeo pass by I take off my hat”.