Car Description
Base model Giulia TI (105.14)
During the development of the sports model, the following changes were made to the base model Giulia TI (model year 1962):
Chassis
The chassis was lowered by different suspension springs both front and rear. The rear anti-roll bar had also been attached some competition versions.
In addition, the Giulia TI Super was equipped with alloy wheels made of electron from Campagnolo to reduce the unsprung mass.
Brakes
Up until 1963, the Giulia TI Super had three-jaw drum brakes, also known from the sports types of the 101 series (Giulietta Sprint Veloce, Sprint Speciale, Zagato).
In the course of 1964, these brakes were replaced by Dunlop disc brakes. Alternatively, the car could be equipped with a brake booster.
Engine
Although mentioned in some publications, the engine is not that of the Giulia SS. That engine was indeed used as a basis.
However, the Giulia TI Super engine came with significant changes, which also led to Alfa Romeo assigning their own engine identification (516). The most prominentdifferences, in terms of technical details, are as follows:
- Weber double carburetor type 45 DCOE 14
- Specific camshafts, depending on the intended use and pistons with higher compression
- On customer request, a special oil coolerwas available
- Exhaust with manifold and larger diameter
- Magnesium alloy intake bridge
In the competition trim, this engine was able to develop 140 hp.
engine of AR 595391
Transmission
Depending on the application, various gearbox gradations and rear axle ratios were available for the Giulia TI Super.
Interior
The changes inside the car are striking: the comfortable front seats of the Giulia TI were exchanged with individual racing seats in bucket form. These were manufactured at Zagato.
They were attractive in more than one aspect: beautiful and at the same time competitive in weight. The seating comfort as well as the very good lateral support convince until today.
The rear seat was also weight-optimized compared to the series in the Giulia TI without center armrest and much thinner upholstery of the backrest. The upholstery of the seats was kept in elegant grey velour.
The side and back surfaces were covered with burgundy leather. Alfa Romeo removed the armrests of the door panels and replaced them with simple pull-in handles.
The stick handbrake was replaced with a handbrake on the cardan tunnel, which was beneficial for the intended use in rallying. The band speedometer of the Giulia TI was replaced with the round instruments known from the Giulia SS / Giulia Spider.
The instrumentation was not only beautiful, but the driver could see all important information at once. The glove compartment flap was omitted, as was the sun visor for the front passenger. The floor of the car was covered with artificial leather.
Depending on the customer's wishes, the heating could also be left out. In addition, the side windows of the corsa variant were available in Perspex, and the crank mechanism of the rear side windows was omitted.
interior of AR 595391
Exterior
The interior headlights were replaced by a grille, which not only gave the car a sportier appearance, but was also designed for practical reasons.
In addition to the weight reduction, this aimed at increasing the fresh air supply in the intake area (with open carburetor funnels), as well as improving the cooling of the manifold on the outlet side.
Compared to the Giulia TI, the impact horns were omitted from the bumpers.
The chrome strip on the sill was also left out. Instead, the Giulia TI Super got the four-leaf clover on the front fenders and on the trunk lid and was thus recognizable.
The overall weight reduction was up to 100 kg compared to the Giulia TI.
In 1963 and 1964, a total of 501 units left the production plant in Arese. Of these, 499 were white (bianco spino), one was grey (grigio medio) and one was red (rosso alfa).
The registration for Group 2 of the Touring Car Championship did not take place until 13 Jan. 1964, although the required number of vehicles had not been built.
Probably, confirmation that sufficient spare parts were available was enough to obtain approval. Due to the late registration, Alfa Romeo was initially forced to bring the Giulia TI Super in the GT class up to 2.0l engine size to the start.
But even there it showed its phenomenal qualities and prevailed over pure-racy racing sports cars with bigger engines. In 1963, the Giulia TI Super achieved a sensational success at the 12th edition of the Tour de France Automobile.
In the class of GT up to 2.0l the car won class victory and in the overall classification was only defeated by three Ferrari 250 GT and arrived way ahead of other glorious GT cars like Ferrari or Jaguar.
From 1963 to 1966, the Giulia TI Super was successful in various races, both in touring car and rallying events (chapter Race Successes to be published soon here).
The further support for the racing operations was handed over to the new racing department of Alfa Romeo (Autodelta) in 1963.
There, work continued on refining and increasing the competitiveness of the car. The Giulia TI Super also served as a technology carrier for the successor model.
The Giulia GTA appeared in races for the first time in mid 1965 and continued the success over the following years.
