Stunning Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale marks the brand’s return to custom car building

It seems you’re not an authentic sports car manufacturer these days unless you can tap into the market for seven-figure limited editions. Typically these involve delving deep into heritage or – if there’s no archive of famous nameplates and evocative forms – deploying some kind of radically OTT new technology, like electrification.

Alfa Romeo has chosen both options. The Italian manufacturer, now part of Stellantis, has long been considered a volume brand, albeit an eccentric one. The company’s current line-up is eminently sensible, with only the pretty Giulia saloon making a meaningful nod to a past stuffed full of glorious racecars and beautiful road cars. Its other models, the Tonale and Stelvio SUVs, are classic examples of Stellantis’ badge-engineering strategy, sharing platforms with other companies in the group. 

It's true that the past two decades have seen two stunning, if flawed, special series cars, the 8C Competizione of 2007 and the 4C of 2013. Different in concept (one front-engined, the other mid-engined), but united by the passionate flourish of their designs, these two cars kept the Alfa flag flying in the hearts of its many enthusiasts (as well as other diversions like the beautiful Alfa Romeo Giulia SWB Zagato).

Now we have the newly announced Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale. The last time this name graced a car it was in 1967, on the Franco Scaglione-bodied mid-engined machine that’s often described as one of the earliest supercars. Just 18 cars were made, no two models the same, over a two-year period, with several more 33 Stradale chassis being re-clad as concept cars in the weird and wonderful wedge era of design. 

Drama meets modernity in Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale

There’s no doubt that this new 33 Stradale is one of the most striking Alfas of the modern era, carrying over the proportions and drama of the original (gull-wing doors, for example), but with scrupulously modern, lightweight materials. 

Potential customers were actually approached a year ago, leading to the entire run of 33 cars being sold out long before the finished car was unveiled. With a price tag of around £1.7m each, Alfa is now moving in the same circles as Aston Martin, Pininfarina, and Bentley, to name just three of the manufacturers tugging at the heartstrings (and wallets) of the moneyed car collecting class. 

Each of the 33 Stradales will be handcrafted at Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera’s facility in Milan, with the expected level of customisation available on tap (although Alfa’s classic red racing livery, tan interior and gold wheels, shown here, is hard to beat). 

As always with such bespoke cars, every detail far exceeds what can be achieved at cost on a conventional production line. From the striking LED lights and the aviation-inspired switchgear in the centre console and on the ceiling to the Poltrona Frau leather seats, everything is tactile and rewarding.

The dichotomy of limited-edition super series sports cars such as this is that they’re invariably bought to appreciate, fiscally, rather than aesthetically, and as a result they rarely get to stretch anywhere approaching their carefully engineered limits. Will this be the case with the 33 Stradale? 

Interestingly, Alfa is offering customers the choice of a conventional twin-turbo V6 engine (with 620hp), or a pure electric version that promises over 750hp. Although the future owners have presumably made their choice, the company is not forthcoming with details of the split. Which powertrain got the most votes? 

The original 33 Stradale cost around six times the price of the average car in 1967. This new edition comes in at over 42 times the price of the oft-cited contemporary UK average figure of £40k. Alfa Romeo once built some the greatest affordable sports cars of all time. Although the 33 Stradale might look the part, it’s sadly more likely to be an instant museum exhibit and concours queen than something you’ll ever see on the road. 

AlfaRomeo.com