Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale and Japan, a story of passion

TURIN (ITALPRESS) – Live an unforgettable experience, suspended between the glorious past and the compelling future, in the name of the values ​​that make Alfa Romeo the authoritative ambassador of Italian beauty in the world. This is what Noriaki Uchino, the third generation of Japanese entrepreneurs and one of the 33 buyers of the new 33 Stradale, found a few days ago, a “manifesto” of what the Italian brand can do – and will do – in terms of style. and driving experience. A Japanese executive with a strong interest in Made in Italy, he loves Italian creativity in all its forms – from music to food, from art to design – and has a great passion for sports cars, especially Italian and the Alfa Romeo brand. Hence the decision to enter the small circle of enthusiastic owners of the new 33 Stradale, the new “two-seater” coupé that combines the heritage and the future of the brand, a symbol of Italian excellence.
Arriving in Milan in the middle of last month, the Japanese manager spent two exciting days between Milan and Arese, two famous locations of the brand, being welcomed with great enthusiasm by the Alfa Romeo team that lived with him in all stages of the configuration of his custom- built model, effectively making it a unique and unrepeatable work of art. This led to a meeting with great emotional involvement, where the customer told the Alfa Romeo team about himself. After all, the impressive Stradale 33 was born in the Alfa Romeo “Bottega” where designers, engineers and historians of the brand met, listened to the 33 owners and then created and configured their unique car with them, just as it was done in the workshops of the Renaissance. or in the workshops of famous Italian coachbuilders in the sixties.
On the first day, Noriaki Uchino dedicated himself to the historical and cultural beauty of Milan, the birthplace of the brand and the Italian capital of Design and Innovation, while the following day he experienced full immersion in the world of Alfa Romeo, making an exclusive visit to the The Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese where he was able to admire the fascinating historic 33 Stradale, which he believes – like many in the world – to be one of the most beautiful cars ever created. His love for this automotive icon is so great that his two Japanese Alfa Romeos – the stunning 4C Spider Italia Series and the Giulia GTAm he drives every day – have the number 33 on their license plates. The day continued in the Auditorium of the Arese Museum, where the 33 Stradale project was approved in 1967 and today is Bottega’s headquarters. Here, Noriaki Uchino met with experts from the Alfa Romeo team dedicated to the project which represents a new way of designing limited edition production. Project 33 is in fact a skillful combination of artistic processes, technological innovation and customer wishes, a bit like what happened at the beginning of the twentieth century when Alfa Romeo replicated its creations in collaboration with famous Italian coachbuilders, including the famous Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera , which yesterday. designed some of the most beautiful Alfa Romeos of all time and today plays a major role in the production of the new 33 Stradale.
The first request of the Japanese manager was an exclusive version of Royal Blue, an exciting color, already available on the 1967 33, a choice that is a tribute to the icon of Alfa Romeo and the fruit of his personal memory of Italian aviation. , which in his opinion is unique blue in the world. Additionally, for an exciting color match with the bodywork, he requested the headlight details be finished in red and the brake calipers painted red. All were more impressed by the beautiful Heritage alloy wheels in glossy black, the modern gold color variant given to these wheels which above all refers to the historic 33. Noriaki Uchino then chose two other aesthetic content: the front grill in the “Classic” version, that is, with the Biscione logo that is visible when you are close and disappears when you move, and the removal of the ventilation from the bonnet more abundantly. cleanliness of the back lines. Obviously the customization also involved the “Tributo” interior, a clear homage to the ’67 33 Stradale on display at the Arese Museum, which is primarily characterized by leather and aluminum, and in which a two-tone leather interior wall is visible “biscuit and slate” for seats, dashboard, door panels and center tunnel.
To make his car unique, Noriaki Uchino has chosen some unique customizations, such as the gray Alcantara roof and pillars; sports pedals and footrest in aluminum with dark satin finish; and the engraving identifying his car “28/33” on the right side spoke about the steering wheel. Finally, the Japanese manager requested a set of boxes branded “33 Stradale” and handcrafted by the famous luxury brand Schedoni.
The new 33 Stradale certainly can’t just be kept in storage or considered an investment. In fact, as befits a true Alfa driver, Noriaki Uchino is a gentleman driver who immediately expressed his desire to get into his 33 Stradale to fully experience all the feelings of Alfa Romeo sports cars which in this example are the result of a combination complete. between the most exhilarating driving experience and the immortal charm of an icon. A real work of art in motion, resulting from the perfect combination of beauty and technique, therefore, the new Alfa Romeo mechanical creation combines “art” and industrial product in something unique, a combination highly appreciated by the Japanese public since, to the second . half of the nineteenth century, in traditional Japanese culture the distinction between “art” and “craft” or “applied art” was obscured.

photo: Stellantis press office

(ITALPRESS).