Stellantis Heritage features at the Salone Auto e Moto d’Epoca: guest of honor, the new Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale
An exhibition space of 115,000 m across 11 pavilions, 1,600 exhibitors displaying 5,000 cars and visitor numbers of 130,000 visitors: these figures have made “Auto e Moto d'Epoca” the leading European event for classic cars.
With its 40 edition held in as prestigious a location as Bologna – the heart of Italy's Motor Valley, the Stellantis Heritage department was an essential inclusion. Since it was founded, it has pursued the mission of retrieving, at the same time keeping their intrinsic values alive and current.
To do so, Heritage presents one of the largest stands at the entire event, featuring as many as six fascinating vintage cars: Fiat Abarth 595 (1963) – Fiat Panda 4x4 (2002) – Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT (1963) – Alfa Romeo 155 V6 Ti “DTM” (1993) – Lancia Stratos (1973) – Alfa Romeo 4C (2013). They will be joined by the latest Abarth 500e and the new Alfa Romeo 33 custom-built car, offering a glimpse into the evolution of the Stellantis range.
As well as appreciating the style and technical specifications of the cars on show, visitors will be able to meet experts from the services Heritage dedicates to historic motoring enthusiasts.
The most relevant of these services at the moment are the ones relating to the history and originality of vintage cars:
the Certificate of Origin, is based on the chassis number and offers certification of the car’s year of manufacture and original configuration – model specifications, engine serial number, original internal and external details.
Alternatively, Certification of Authenticity consists of a thorough examination of the individual car, to verify the extent to which it matches its original specifications when it left the factory. For the Alfa Romeo and Lancia brands, the service has recently been implemented with direct brand support to a committee involving the CEO, who plays a part in the final decision and personally signs off the certification himself.
For the 40th anniversary of Auto e Moto d'Epoca, anyone who requests Certification of Authenticity at the Heritage stand for their Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Lancia or Abarth car will receive a special 15% discount on the cost of the service.
As well as the services provided by the Heritage team, a final mention must go to the meticulous restoration and repair work done directly by the specialist technicians at the Officine Classiche workshops within the Mirafiori plant in Turin.
Last but not least, the Heritage department’s “Reloaded by Creators” project puts selected cars back into the market for vintage collector’s items. It refurbishes these classics and returns them to their original beauty, as was the case with the Alfa Romeo 4C and Panda 4x4 on show at the stand.
Now, let's go into the cars on display in more detail, several of which are celebrating a major milestone in their history.
Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale (2023)
The new Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale constitutes a veritable “manifesto” of the Milan-based brand, in terms of style and driving experience. Made in only 33 exclusive units, according to a unique artisan process, the new “two-seater” coupé combines the brand’s heritage and future as the symbol of noble Italian sportsmanship. Its goal is to provide the most exciting driving experience and the immortal charm of an icon to a very small circle of enthusiasts, who have believed in the project ever since the outset. The new 33 Stradale was created at the newly founded Alfa Romeo “Bottega”, where the brand’s designers, engineers and historians first listened to potential buyers, then produced the car together, exactly the same way as in Renaissance artisan boutiques and in the 1960s ateliers of renowned Italian coachbuilders.
They achieved an unprecedented level of customization. Every car is a one-off, taking as a starting point the registration procedure whereby customers can personally ‘sign’ their chassis number. To officially endorse their uniqueness, each 33 Stradale will have a Certification of Authenticity, further evidence of its absolute originality and exclusivity guaranteed by the manufacturer. A service that all owners of historic Alfa Romeo cars can benefit from to enhance their own vehicle. To find out more about all the Alfa Romeo Classiche services, visit the Heritage website.
Alfa Romeo 4C (2013 / 2023)
Since its launch in 2013, the Alfa Romeo 4C has won the hearts of sports car enthusiasts the world over. To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the Heritage Department has designed a unique specimen of this mechanical gem: the “Alfa Romeo 4C Designer's Cut”. Customized by Alessandro Maccolini at the Alfa Romeo Centro Stile (who also designed the model), this car pays tribute to the authentic Italian style and driving pleasure embodied by the original 4C, named by the same designer as “4C Unica”.
The 4C Designer's Cut project forms part of the Heritage "Reloaded by Creators" program and has engaged the Alfa Romeo community, by inviting enthusiasts to choose from the aesthetic proposals made by Maccolini, via the brand's communication channels.
The one-off 4C Designer's Cut will be available for sale, enabling passionate collectors to purchase an important piece in the history of this iconic model, which remains to this day an “instant classic” on the market.
Alfa Romeo 155 V6 Ti “DTM” (1993)
The Alfa Romeo 155 V6 Ti “DTM” entered into the seemingly never-ending sports competition between Italy and Germany, which began with the semi-final of the 1970 Football World Cup. This is why it was exactly 30 years ago that Alfa Romeo became the only non-German brand to win the DTM Championship.
In 1993, the Alfa Corse, the sports department of the Alfa Romeo Casa del Biscione, intensified its efforts in the Tourism category by introducing different evolutionary models of the Alfa 155: a very exaggerated one for the German championship, the other compliant with the less permissive rules of the new, international "D2" category. The 155 V6 TI developed for DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft) kept the four-wheel drive like the 1992 155 GTA (SuperTurismo Italiano). However, the mechanical layout was produced within the restrictions set by the rules of the German Championship: the engine – the famous 24-valve 2.5-liter V6-60° (2,498 cc) – was longitudinally installed as a counterbalance, with some of the bodywork components made of carbon fiber. The aerodynamics were "free" beneath the imaginary perimeter line connecting the wheel hubs, the rear wing was regulated, and the road weight was 1,100 kg.
In 1993, the V6 ranged in power from 400 to 420 hp at 11,500 rpm, the engine and vehicle electronics were not exaggerated, and the six-speed gearbox became sequential halfway through the season.
During the race, the experienced competition was beaten in 12 of the 20 races scheduled, thanks to the invincible pairing of, Alessandro Nannini and Nicola Larini, who won the championship, not forgetting the contribution of the brilliant rankings of Francia and Danner.
Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT (1963)
Introduced on September 9th, 1963, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Sport GT is now 60 years old and stands out as the first vehicle manufactured – and “unveiled” – at the brand-new Arese plant, built to replace the original factory in Milan's Portello district. The same year saw the creation of Autodelta, which became Alfa Romeo's new Racing Department, marking the official return to competitions of the Biscione brand.
The Giulia Sprint GT replaced the Giulietta and was introduced as a coupé designed by Bertone (it was actually created by Giugiaro, a young employee of the Turin coachbuilder). It was equipped with the Giulia's 1.6 engine (1,570 cc) with a light alloy twin camshaft, followed by a 1.3 (1,290 cc, "GT 1300 Junior"), then by a 1,750 (1,779 cc, "1750 GT Veloce") and lastly by the 2-liter (1,962 cc, "2000 GT Veloce").
The 4-seater with a clean, compact line featured round headlights with aggressive eyebrows and, what's more, the typical "front lip" of the bonnet, a design element that disappeared as the model evolved its design. The Giulia GT lived up to the expectations of a sportier clientele: as in all Alfa Romeo vehicles, performance was top-quality with excellent driver handling and road holding.
The model exhibited in Bologna is a 1967 "GT 1300 Junior", which was awarded a Certificate of Authenticity after close examination by the FCA Heritage experts.
Fiat Panda 4x4 (2001)
Forty years old, and not feeling it at all. In 1980, Fiat launched the Panda, considered alongside the 500 as the quintessential Italian hatchback, and still selling in record numbers. Designed by Giorgietto Giugiaro, the Panda is a compact hatchback saloon car, with two doors, tailgate, and front-wheel drive. Technically simple, but devoted to functionality and plenty of space, the Fiat Panda features large wraparound bumpers, a broad protective strip on the sides and large windows, ensuring great brightness in the passenger compartment.
In the space of three years, the Panda models enhanced their trim levels, but their greatest success came in 1983 with the launch of the 4x4 model, manufactured in collaboration with the Austrian company Steyr-Puch. This transformation turned the versatile utility car made in Turin into an unstoppable, small and lightweight off-road vehicle. It soon became a favorite among fans of the great outdoors and sports enthusiasts. The first transverse-engine small car to feature a 4WD system, the Panda 4x4 was equipped with a 965-cm³ powertrain with 48 hp, subsequently increased in displacement to 1108 cm³ in later versions.
The car on display is one of these later versions, dating to 2001. This Panda never left the factory and was only used for internal travel; it is now in a remarkable state of preservation for its age. After conservative restoration, it was included in the “Reloaded by Creators” project and will be offered up for sale. Minor “Heritage” visual signs testify to the uniqueness of this car.
Fiat-Abarth 595 (1963)
Sixty years of the “small, but wicked” car later, to this day the Fiat-Abarth 595 still fully embodies the brand's two souls, performance and style. Unveiled at the 1963 Turin Motor Show, the Fiat-Abarth 595 was based on the 500 D and lent itself to a wide range of customizations aimed purely at sport, but was also appreciated in everyday use. These features have been maintained in the later evolutions in the Abarth range, all the way to the present day.
The model had a wide range of clearly evident “bold” features: a striking 850TC-type perforated front grille in front of the horn, the wording “Fiat Abarth 595” in polished metal on the rear and bonnet, with the proud statement “Campione del mondo” (‘world champion’) standing out on the right side, partly referring to the many records held by the creations of the workshops on Corso Marche. Last but not least, the left side bore the Scorpion brand’s logo, crossed by a bolt of lightning in the colors of the Italian flag. To further emphasize the model's racing connotation, it also had an oversized aluminum oil sump that protruded below the rear fascia, as well as a “Record Monza”-type dual-exit sports muffler.
There were just as many differences from the 500 D in the car's body: displacement increased to 593.7 cc, special cast-iron cylinders cast as a single unit, pistons with raised tops for higher compression, a more powerful camshaft, and a Solex vertical carburetor. All this resulted in performance: 30% more power than the original version, with 27 hp at 5,000 rpm and a top speed of 120 km/h. Positioned at a base price of 595,000 Italian lire, the Fiat-Abarth 595 started off with production of 70 units per month, which was soon increased to 250 to meet growing demand.
Abarth 500e (2022)
The new Abarth 500e is “More Abarth than Ever,” courtesy of its electric architecture, improved weight distribution, optimized torque and wider wheelbase. It is also faster and more exciting than the petrol version, when driving both in and out of the city.
Equipped with a powerful 42-kWh battery, paired with an impressive electric motor for a total of 113.7 kW/155 hp, it combines the Scorpion brand's performance with the innovation of electric mobility. It goes from 0 to 100 km/h in just 7 seconds.
The Abarth 500e features a bold and irreverent design, inspired by the inclusion of the Scorpion logo to highlight its power, lightness and aerodynamic strength. When studying the design of the Abarth 500e, the Centro Stile car designers attempted to weave the essence of the creature into the interior and exterior of the Scorpion brand's modern electrified model. The bold look is also emphasized by the external sports details, such as the dedicated new sports front bumper and side skirts. Inside, sportiness and style are epitomized by the dark environment, Alcantara accents in the dashboard, sports seats and steering wheel.
The New Abarth 500e is also the only model in its segment to offer the Sound Generator, which reproduces the legendary Abarth engine sound, long a synonym for power and performance.
Lancia Stratos Stradale (1973)
In turn, the Lancia Stratos has now turned 50. The model that formed the basis for the legendary Lancia Stratos HF – which dominated the rallying scene in the 1970s – was designed by Marcello Gandini (creator of cars such as the Fiat X1/9 and Lamborghini Countach) for Bertone, the prototype for which (the Strato's Zero) was unveiled at the 1970 Turin Motor Show; a mid-engine sports car design, futuristic in concept for its times. Cesare Fiorio, the head of the Lancia HF racing team, believed that this prototype could replace the aging Fulvia Coupé 1600 HF and asked Nuccio Bertone to design and produce a car less futuristic than the "Zero" that was suitable for mass production, albeit to a limited extent. The partnership between Carrozzeria Bertone and Lancia resulted in the partly definitive prototype Stratos HF (High Fidelity), later fitted with Ferrari’s V6 Dino engine. It was a short two-seater coupé with a steel body and subframe, fiberglass bodywork, mid-rear engine for optimum weight distribution and rear-wheel drive for improved traction. Taking this outstanding basis as a starting point, Lancia's engineers created a car with a very strong sporting connotation in 1973: the cabin was designed as a steel safety cell, to which two chassis with square steel tubes were welded, to support the powertrain and suspension. Rear MacPherson suspension with a sturdy anti-roll bar, suitable for tires of various sizes and easily adjustable to different heights, with very precise and direct rack-and-pinion steering for great handling. However, Lancia marketing saw the road version as more of a comfortable grand tourer than just another sports car, so they replaced the suspension with more comfortable silentblocks and demanded equal rims on all four wheels. These modifications changed the behavior of the car so much that it became much more inaccurate and less effective on corners.
Like the bodywork, the doors were made from a single piece of fiberglass, so they could be opened quickly, and removed if necessary. The mechanical components were therefore highly accessible, an essential factor during servicing at rallies. The line was also completely redesigned by Gandini and, while maintaining an extreme wedge design, shared none of its panels with the original Strato’s Zero prototype. As a result, the Lancia Stratos Stradale became the first car specifically designed for rallying and then to be mass-produced, albeit in very limited numbers, maybe fewer than the 515 models the brand had originally stated.
So let's meet up in Bologna from October 26th through 29th to enjoy these icons of classic motoring together, some of which are on permanent display at the Heritage Hub at Via Plava, 80 in Turin, where more than 300 vintage cars owned by Stellantis are on show. This unrivaled collection is open to the public – by appointment only – on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with tickets for tours available online.
