Red letter day for Alfa’s 33 Stradale

Alfa Romeo has declared March 3 as 33 Stradale Day and 2023 as the year of the 33 Stradale.

The 33 Stradale is a car that embodies all the values of one of the most iconic sports brands in the history of world motoring.

In case you haven’t worked it out, the third day of the third month represents the 33 in the name of the car, launched in its original form way back in October, 1967 at the Paris motor show.

The current version, an homage to the original, appeared last year with a choice of two powertrain options, either in electric form or with a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged 690T V6 engine — a development of the Giulia Quadrifoglio.

Made in only 33 exclusive units, for 33 of the brand’s fans, the new two-seater coupé combines heritage and the future, and is produced according to a unique artisanal process with the highest quality standards and obsessive attention to detail.

The 33 has become a leitmotif for the brand.

More a one-off than a rare coincidence, the number 33 can also be found in Alfa Romeo’s commercial results for 2023: globally, the brand grew by 33 per cent compared with 2022, a unique coincidence that seems to have been made specially to celebrate the relaunch of the 1960s icon.

But that’s not all. Moving back in time, the number 33 takes on further symbolic and celebratory value.

In June 2021 – 33 months ago – the 1929 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Super Sport won the historical re-enactment of the 1000 Miglia, an historic competition that Enzo Ferrari described as “the most beautiful car race in the world.”

Going further back into history: 1933 was a year of sporting glory for Alfa, when the brand dominated competition.

The famous pairing of Tazio Nuvolari and Decimo Compagnoni won the Mille Miglia in the high-performance 8C 2300.

In the same car, Antonio Brivio dominated the Targa Florio, the oldest endurance car race in the world.