A set of three volumes that tell all the facets of the historic Alfa Romeo car, "Alleggerita" is the masterful work of Tony Adriaensens, Patrick Dasse and Martin Übelher, published by Dingwort Verlag. Check it out here.
Don’t let the name fool you. The Italian term “alleggerita” may translate to “lightweight”, but the respect it demands in the racing world punches far beyond its weight class.
The Gran Turismo Alleggerita was introduced to the world in 1965, just two years after Autodelta SpA became the official competition department of Alfa Romeo.
The GTA was based on the 1963 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT, the sports version successor to the immensely popular Giulietta series.
The success of the “Alleggerita” was almost immediate, claiming places one through seven at Monza. In the following years, the GTA was a staple of podium finishes on both the European and American racing scene.
Through the high precision and performance of the GTA, she helped build the stock of a number of legendary drivers. Names like Andrea De Adamich, Ignazio Giunti, Nanni Galli, and Teo Zeccoli all raced behind the wheel.
But we’re not here today to tell you the full story of the Gran Turismo Alleggerita. We’ve already found three people who have done a far superior job in detail, imagery and dedication.
“Alleggerita” is a three volume, limited edition tome by Tony Adriaensens, Patrick Dasse, and Martin Übelher.
It may be lightweight in name, but not in nature. This work represents a true collector’s item for Alfa Romeo passionistas.
There are only 3,000 editions in English, and 1,500 in German with each one numbered. “Alleggerita” is limited edition after all.
And on top of this, just to make things more special, Books corresponding to edition numbers to the GTA / GTAJ / GTAm VIN numbers will be reserved for the owners of the cars!
Since first impressions count, here’s the first impression of “Alleggerita”: It’s beautiful.
Simple and minimalist on the outside, the three volume box-set of elegant white books comes in a cardboard, handled box for ease. It's simplicity at its finest really. No fuss, just effect.
With 1,456 total pages, and 1,700 images in both colour and black and white, these historians of racing have tunnelled the depths of the GTA story and emerged with a treasure trove of information, documentation and entertainment.
Volume One tells the story of the evolution of the GTA / GTAJ / GTAm and the race history of the cars, focusing on the above mentioned European Touring Car Challenge.
Volume Two is all about the little details. It includes all the technical documentation and homologation papers of the TZ / Giulia TI Super / GTA / GTJ / GTAJ / GTAm. On top of this there are the original Alfa Romeo documents (in English), detailing the technical characteristics of the GTA and the GTA 1300 Junior. In addition to this, the creators have added an extensive collection of photos of the original parts for these cars.
And finally there’s Volume Three, the detail of which blows us away. Simply titles “Alleggerita – Register”, it’s exactly what it says it is; a register of all known and verified GTA / GTJ / GTAJ / GTAm cars.
It’s a relief to us at SpeedHolics to know that out there, every single day, there are people like Tony Adriaensens, Patrick Dasse, and Martin Übelher.
Check out “Alleggerita” at publisher Dingwort Werlag: https://dingwort-verlag.de/en/alfa-romeo/4/alleggerita-english-edition
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