Would it have stood a chance? Alfa Romeo 155 GTA Stradale against M3 and Co
10/16/2018
In 1992, Alfa Romeo won the Italian Touring Car Championship with the all-wheel drive 155 touring car, and in 1993 the Italians became champions of the German DTM Touring Car Championship. Nicola Larini was at the wheel each time. The car became a legend.
The 1993 version for the DTM already had a V6 engine and technically had little to do with the road versions of the 155, whereas in 1992 it was still driven with technology closely based on the Lancia Delta HF Integrale.
The racing successes should also lead to commercial success on the road, thought the people in Milan, and they began developing a production version for the road, called the Alfa Romeo 155 GTA Stradale.
The 155 Q4, which was closely related to the road-going version of the Delta Integrale, was used as the basis. Abarth engineers boosted the engine to over 200 hp and the chassis was optimized for the purpose.
The body was given powerful widenings and spoilers at the front and rear. The interior was lined in black and fitted with anatomical sports seats.
The car was presented at the 1994 Bologna Auto Show and was also shown at the Monza Grand Prix of the same year, when racing doctor Sid Watkins was allowed to use it as a "company car" on the track.
However, series production did not take place, as the car was too expensive for the sales managers, who would have preferred to see a V6 under the hood, which did not fit in with the concept.
Too bad, the 155 GTA Stradale would have been an interesting competitor for the M3, AMG and co. A comparison on the road never took place. It remained a ready-to-drive prototype, which surprisingly survived and even covered around 40,000 km.
Now there is an opportunity to acquire this "holy grail" from Alfa Romeo, as Bonhams will be auctioning the car on October 27, 2018. The car has been estimated at EUR 180,000 to 220,000 (approximately CHF 210,000 to 250,000), which is how much this fabulous one-off should be worth.
