1968 | Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA 1300 Junior

It was the new beast from Alfa in 1968: after the 1600, the 1300 also acquired those three magical letters, GTA. Mr. Bobbio was bewitched by that livery with the “Biscione” (snake) clearly visible on the bonnet and in mid-June '68 he purchased an example to run some hillclimb races at the renowned Monzeglio dealership in Turin. It was a very large structure which, in addition to sales, the workshop and the body shop, had the racing department specifically to follow those customers who raced with the various GTs, GTAs (then with the GTAms) in the various races. 

  Bobbio took part in three hill climbs that year, the Trento-Bondone, the Garessio-San Bernardo and the Ampus climb in France, then sold the GTA to Monzeglio in exchange for a Porsche 911.

Listening to the testimonies of Mr. Bobbio's nephew - now a well-known mechanic in Turin who at the time worked at Monzeglio - subsequent customers also continued to have the car followed by that workshop. We found further evidence of races in 1976 when the GTA Junior took part in the Giro d'Italia with Fogliatti-Pusceddu for the Scuderia dei Rododendri, finishing 39' overall and winning the class.

In 1977 Fogliatti took part in a race in Varano then it seems he sold the car to Mauro Ramella who raced again in Varano, then in Monza, in 1978, to attend the 4 hours.

From some photographs from the 1980s we see the car always in racing configuration during the ownership of Teresio Zola (Biella), who was followed by two further owners, Travajin and Ammendola, who used the car for numerous events, including the Modena 100 hours Classic, the Caprino-Spiazzi, the Bologna Raticosa, the Tour de espana, the Cesana Sestriere, the tour de Espana.

Over time the car was updated according to the regulations and today it is prepared as Group 2, with riveted tailpieces, suitable for racing in the Italian and European championships or in the Alfa Revival Cup. The 1300 carbs engine (in the past it was also fitted the injection) and narrow head (“Testa stretta”) was recently redone by the expert hands of Giuliano Facetti; there is also a second 1600 engine (prepared by Alfa Delta) again with narrow head and carbs. HTP FIA present to race both in the 1300 class and in the superior 1600 class. The chassis and all the mechanical have been recently overhauled and the car attended the last races of the Alfa Revival Cup. 

Winning car, with a beautiful documented history, registered with Turin license plates (original ones), ready to give emotions on the track or hillclimb.

Visible by appointment in Reggio Emilia.

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Historical notes (from "Alfa Romeo - Le vetture di produzione"; Tabucchi, d'Amico):

Just two years after the presentation of the GT 1300 Junior, Alfa took the logical step of repeating the operation performed in 1965 with the GTA. The 1300 cc class of the Touring category was very closely contested and Alfa Romeo lacked a truly competitive car.

Autodelta had prepared a number of GT 1300 Juniors equipped with the standard steel bodywork, achieving magnificent results, but the weight of the car, which the regulations prevented from being reduced beyond a certain point, was major shortco-ming. The GIA design of 1965 was thus modified to render the car identical in appearance to the GT 1300 Junior: the rear wheelarch was raised and allowed the competition version to mount 7" Campagnolo magnesium wheels without them fouling the bodywork as they did on the 1600. The bulkhead in light alloy separating the boot from the cabin was modified to bring it into line with the GT Junior characteristics. The most interesting aspect of the car was its completely redesigned oversquare engine fitted, of course, with the twin-spark cylinder head. The cylinder bore was the same as the 1600 cc version at 78 mm, but the stroke was reduced to just 67.5 mm against the 82 mm of the earlier car. As excessive piston velocity was thus avoided; this modification allowed the maximum engine speed to be raised considerably without compromising reliability.

Two Weber 45 DCOE 18 carburettors were fitted, as with the 1600, the body was panelled in Peraluman 25; the standard version was fitted with steel wheels and

165 SR-14 tures. An ATE braking system was fitted. The suspension layout was identical to that of the GT Junior but the rear axle casing was prepared to accept the so-called "slitta" supplementary location sustem used in competition. The cabin was fitted with the same dashboard as the GT Junior with the vertical face trimmed in imitation wood. The seats were ver similar to those of the 1750 TV but lacked the rake adjustment device and height-adjusta-ble head restraints in order to save weight.

In contrast with the sober appearance of the 1600, the GTA Junior was finished in a verv eve-catching livery: a huge serpent on the bonnet, lateral stripes, a four-leaf clover on the front wings and signwriting on the bootlid. As with the 1600, two colours were offered, red or white, in this case with white or green decoration respectively. The Autodelta tuned version, which did not appear in the official Alfa catalogue, developed 160 hp, had a top speed of 210 kh and cost L. 3,148,000.

This version was subsequently subiected to a remarkable development programme culminating in the fitting of a new cylinder head equipped with fuel injection, 13" diameter wheels with 9" wells, flared glassfibre wheel-arches and a special rear axle location. As prepared by Autodelta and other outside firms, the new car proved to be very competitive, perhaps even more than its big sister, and played a leading role in motor sport up to the mid-Seventies. Due to its significant commercial success, this model was produced until 1975.