Alfa Romeo GTA sponsored by Jagermeister - Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft DRM 1973
Car scale model kit in 1/43 scale manufactured by Arena Modelli (ref. ARE1046)

Following the development of the Alfa Romeo TZ1 and TZ2, Alfa Romeo wanted to compete successfully in the European Touring Car Championship based on production models for Group 2 vehicles. Autodelta therefore began developing a lighter and more powerful variant of the Giulia Sprint GT: the Giulia Sprint Gran Turismo Alleggerita (GTA). In February 1965, at the Amsterdam Motor Show, the Giulia Sprint GTA was presented to the public. Carlo Chiti and his team replaced many of the Sprint GT’s steel body parts with aluminium alloy parts made from peraluman, whose main characteristics are its lightness, easy welding and high chemical resistance. In addition to the complete exterior bodywork (with the exception of the door sills), all of the following parts were made from peraluman: the outer door casing, bonnet, boot lid, air dam, dashboard support panel, spare wheel tray, rear inner panel, licence plate holder, holder for the optional oil cooler and, on special request (and on most vehicles prepared by Autodelta), also the front floor panels. All of this, plus the lightening of the interior, achieved a total dry weight of just 745 kg – 205 kg lighter than a standard Sprint GT!

Modifications were also carried out on the proven 1570 cc inline four-cylinder engine with dual ignition. The engine blocks were made from aluminium, while the valve cover, front cover, bell housing, rear gearbox cover and oil pan were made from Elektron, a magnesium alloy. The racing engines initially reached a maximum power of 160 hp, later rising to 175 hp. Autodelta cars were built entirely at the Alfa Romeo plant in Arese, then completely rebuilt at Autodelta's facilities in Settimo Milanese, where they were finally given the following specifications: balancing and polishing of all engine components, lightening of the flywheel, installation of a special steel crankshaft with eight counterweights, installation of an oil cooler and an oil collection tank, installation of a lowered oil sump, installation of a short exhaust system exiting on the left side under the driver's door, relocation of the battery to the trunk, installation of a lighter windscreen and installation of a rear axle with a ZF limited-slip differential made of a special steel.

Around 500 GTAs were built between 1965 and 1969, of which only about 28 were cars destined for the official Autodelta factory team. Of these, it is estimated that only half still exist today, with the most highly valued variants being the Giulia Gran Turismo Alleggerita.