The Alfa Romeo GTA is a coupé manufactured by Alfa Romeo from 1965 to 1971 in both racing (“Corsa”) and road (“Stradale”) versions. The added “A” stands for “Alleggerita”, Italian for lightweight, and the car was developed by Autodelta, Alfa’s racing division, from the Giulia Sprint GT.
Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA at a glance
| Production | 1965–1971, Corsa (racing) and Stradale (road) versions |
|---|---|
| Basis | Giulia Sprint GT (105 coupé, shortened Giulia floor pan, Bertone design) |
| Name | GTA: Gran Turismo Alleggerita (lightened) |
| Engine | 1.6 L (1,570 cc) from 1965; 1300 Junior version added later |
| Cylinder head | new twin-ignition head (first “twin plug”, “Twin Spark” in the 1980s) |
| Body | aluminium outer panels, thinner steel inner panels, bonded and pop-riveted |
| Weight savings | magnesium wheels, sump, valve cover, timing cover and bell housing, clear plastic side windows, aluminium rear control arms |
This page is based on English Wikipedia only, so the figures could not be cross-checked against a second source.
History of the Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA
In 1962 the Giulia, internally Tipo 105, replaced the popular Giulietta, and its coupé version, designed by Bertone, used the shortened floor pan of the saloon. At that time Alfa Romeo was very active in racing, and Autodelta developed a competition car that closely resembled the road model. These cars were named GTA, and the first one was produced in 1965 with the 1.6-litre engine; a 1300 Junior version was introduced later. The GTA came in racing and road versions.
Practically all GTAs made were used in competition: they were priced much higher than standard models and sold in much smaller numbers.
Design and features
- Lightweight body: aluminium outer panels instead of steel, with thinner steel inner panels, bonded and pop-riveted together.
- Other weight savings: magnesium alloy wheels, clear plastic side windows, aluminium upper control arms at the rear, a magnesium valve cover, sump, timing cover and bell housing, and different door handles and quarter-window mechanisms.
- Engine: a new twin-ignition cylinder head, first called “twin plug” and later “Twin Spark”.
Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA versions
- GTA 1600: the first car, 1,570 cc.
- GTA 1300 Junior: the smaller version introduced later.
- GTA Corsa and GTA Stradale: the racing and road versions.
- GTAm and later GTA: modern cars sharing the name, such as the 2022 Giulia GTA and GTAm.
More Alfa Romeo coupés are in our Alfa Romeo collection, for example the 105/115 coupés and the Giulia TZ2. Our older pages about GTA events and test drives are covered here.
Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA questions and answers
What does GTA mean?
Gran Turismo Alleggerita; “alleggerita” is Italian for lightened.
Who developed the GTA?
Autodelta, Alfa Romeo’s racing division.
What is it based on?
The Giulia Sprint GT coupé, on a shortened Giulia floor pan.
What made it lighter?
Aluminium outer panels, magnesium parts and clear plastic side windows.
Was it a road car?
Yes in the Stradale version, though practically all GTAs made were used in competition.
Sources
- Alfa Romeo GTA, English Wikipedia: design, lightweight measures, versions
