AUBURN HILLS, Mich.,
May 24,
2024 /PRNewswire/ --
- Texan and entrepreneur Glynn
Bloomquist, one of the 33 passionate owners of the new Alfa
Romeo 33 Stradale, recently visited the Alfa Romeo History Museum
in Arese for an immersive brand experience
- Reveling in "Bottega Alfa Romeo," Bloomquist finalized
exclusive features of his car, including:
- Rosso Villa d'Este multilayer
exterior paint with a white stripe on the front
- No. 14 on the sides, in homage to his two favorite drivers
Enzo Ferrari and A.J. Foyt
- As a true Alfista, Bloomquist intends to fully experience the
pure emotional thrill only an Alfa Romeo can convey on the track
and along roads in his home state of Texas
- New Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is a result of skillfully combining
artisan processes, technological innovation and customer
specifications
- The 33 Stradale builds serve as an authentic "manifesto" of the
Italian brand's capabilities – now and in the future – in terms of
style and driving experience
With the rebirth of the custom-built 33 Stradale, Alfa Romeo's
new limited-edition supercar follows in the footsteps of the 1960s
icon and one of the most beautiful cars of all time — the Tipo 33.
Fittingly, the new Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale will be offered in only
33 personally specified units. Among the exclusive customers is
American Glynn Bloomquist of
Texas.
"I was born in a hospital on an Air Force base, maybe that's
where my love of speed and maximum performance comes from," said
Bloomquist while introducing himself a few weeks ago to the Alfa
Romeo team in Italy, where he
finalized in person the one-off configuration of his Alfa Romeo 33
Stradale. The meeting took place at the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese,
an iconic location where some of the most beautiful cars in the
world are kept, including the fascinating historic 33 Stradale that
inspired the new custom-built car.
After an exclusive visit to the museum, the Alfa Romeo team
welcomed Mr. Bloomquist to the Sala del Consiglio of the Museum in
Arese, where the design of the 33 Stradale was approved in 1967,
now the Bottega Alfa Romeo's headquarters. In this symbolic place,
the brand's designers, engineers and historians met and listened to
the 33 owners, then created alongside them what have become unique
works of art and an authentic "manifesto" of the Italian brand's
capabilities – now and in the future – in terms of style and
driving experience.
"Alfa Romeo created the new 33 Stradale, a tribute to the
legendary 1967 original, for the most passionate of Alfisti around
the world, including right here in America," said Larry Dominique, SVP, head of Alfa Romeo North
America. "A true Alfista, Glynn
Bloomquist will be representing the Alfa Romeo brand in the
most fitting way, by driving his 33 Stradale in the Lone Star state, on both streets and
racetracks, to experience the visceral thrill that only a
620-horspower mid-engine Alfa Romeo supercar can deliver."
With a production run of 33 exclusive units, the new two-seat
coupe combines heritage and the future, and is produced according
to a unique artisanal process with the highest quality standards
and attention to detail, similar to workshops of renowned Italian
coachbuilders in the 1960s. One of these was Carrozzeria Touring
Superleggera, which left its mark on some of the most beautiful
Alfa Romeos of all time and now plays a leading role in the
production of the new 33 Stradale.
Passion for American racing and discovery of Italian
motorsport
Growing up with a father who was passionate about American racing
and muscle cars, Glynn Bloomquist
quickly fell in love with U.S. motorsports, a passion that soon saw
him move to Indianapolis for work,
where his photography company sponsored the legendary Indianapolis 500, the greatest championship
for open-wheel cars in the U.S.
"I spent 10 years traveling the world sponsoring IndyCar," said
Bloomquist. "Some of my fondest memories of that time are of our
first driver, Jimmy Vasser. In 1992
as a rookie, he climbed the podium at Indianapolis after setting the speed record
for a rookie in Indy 500 history: over 222 mph."
Building on these experiences in racing, Bloomquist began to
shift his focus abroad to discover the sporting heritage of
European brands, especially in Italy. The ones that impressed him the most
were Alfa Romeo and Ferrari, two brands unique in the world for
their sporting history, made-in-Italy design and cutting-edge technology.
Reading a book about Enzo Ferrari,
Bloomquist discovered the unbreakable bond between the renowned
entrepreneur and the Alfa Romeo brand, a 20-year relationship
during which Enzo Ferrari acted as
tester, driver, commercial collaborator and, finally, director of
the legendary Alfa Romeo racing department.
From that moment on, Bloomquist's interest in Italian
motorsports evolved into a true passion that resulted in his
purchase of Italian cars. A recent addition to his collection is a
magnificent Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio 100th Anniversary
edition, which he had the privilege of driving on the F1 track at
the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, as the Alfa Romeo team's guest in
2023. That was when he met Cristiano
Fiorio, head of the 33 Stradale project, who offered him the
opportunity of a lifetime.
"It didn't take me long to accept the idea of becoming one of
the 33 customers of the new Alfa Romeo custom-built car, as long as
it was red and red alone," said Bloomquist with a smile. Fiorio
himself recounts, "from the first time we met in Austin, we had a special relationship with
Glynn. The human engagement he brought to the project, and the
passion in his and the team's approach to the configuration process
are truly something unique. No less unique is the wonderful model
he has passionately configured for the brand and for the history of
world motorsports."
Configuration inspired by its forerunner with a contemporary
flair
As per his request, Bloomquist's new 33 Stradale sports a
multilayer Rosso Villa d'Este livery
embellished with a horizontal white band in the front, quite a rare
design element in supercars. It revisits, with a contemporary
flair, the red and white color combination of the Tipo 33, a 1960s
motorsports legend and forerunner of the 1967 33 Stradale.
Likewise, he decided on the location of the legendary Quadrifoglio
and Autodelta logos, on special rear air intakes, as well as the
design of the new 20-inch "Progressive" alloy wheels in black with
carbon-fiber inserts.
With one eye on the iconic 1967 33 Stradale on display at the
Arese Museum, for the interior Bloomquist opted for the Tributo
configuration in two-tone slate and biscuit with trim in aluminum,
adding slate Alcantara upholstery for the dashboard and part of the
seats, door panels and central tunnel, combined with a specific,
very fine biscuit-colored leather. The Texan also requested the
inclusion of the No. 14 on the outside of the doors and in the
interior embroidered on the headrests in homage to two exceptional
drivers who used it on their racecars: Enzo
Ferrari on his 1920s Alfa Romeo and A.J. Foyt on his Foyt
Coyote. Choosing the number 14 is a tribute to Alfa Romeo's
sporting heritage and to the legendary American racer who won the
Indianapolis 500 four times and
USAC championship seven times. In short, the configuration of
Bloomquist's 33 Stradale is a veritable handbook of Italian and
U.S. automotive sportiness.
"I can't wait to get my hands on the steering wheel of my 33
Stradale and hear the sound of its 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine
with over 620 horsepower," said Bloomquist. "Of course, it won't
stay sitting in the garage. In and around central Texas, where I live, there are plenty of
fantastic streets and circuits where I track all my cars, and my
Alfa Romeo custom build will be no exception."
Alfa Romeo
Born in 1910 in Milan, Italy, Alfa
Romeo has designed and crafted some of the most stylish and sporty
cars in automotive history. That tradition lives on today as Alfa
Romeo continues to take a unique and innovative approach to
automobiles. The Alfa Romeo Stelvio sets a benchmark in
performance, style and technology in an SUV. The award-winning Alfa
Romeo Giulia delivers race-inspired performance, advanced
technologies and an exhilarating driving experience to the premium
midsize sedan segment. In early 2023, Alfa Romeo will offer its
first compact SUV with the all-new Tonale. The globally available
Tonale is part of a radical evolution taking place at Alfa Romeo,
which looks ahead to a new era of electrification and connectivity.
Alfa Romeo is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading
global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more
information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit
www.stellantis.com.
Follow Alfa Romeo brand news and video on:
Company blog: http://blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Media website: http://media.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Alfa Romeo newsroom:
https://media.stellantisnorthamerica.com/newsroom.do?id=292&mid=446
Consumer website: www.alfaromeousa.com and www.alfaromeo.com
Facebook: Alfa Romeo USA
Instagram: @alfaromeousa
Twitter: @alfaromeousa and @StellantisNA
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/StellantisNA
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SOURCE Stellantis