The Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale is considered, by many, to be one of the most beautiful cars ever made. A limited production run and proper sporting history cement its place in the annals of sportscar history. A British firm by the name Pristine Panel Work is now offering 33 people the chance to own a PPW 33, a completely modern take on the iconic Alfa.

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Road Racer

The Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale was a road-going version of the highly successful Tipo 33 racecar. The latter claimed victory in numerous sportscar races in the late 1960s and early ’70s. This included a 1-2-3 finish in the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1968 and eight out of nine victories in the World Sportscar Championship (a precursor to WEC) in 1971. The Tipo 33 also delivered multiple World Championship for Makes to the Italian team.

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Stradale

Stradale is commonly used to refer to a road-going version of a car. This was the case with the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale. Just 18 examples were built in 1967. As a result it is one of the rarest road-going Alfas of all time. The car is often hailed as the most beautiful made by the Milanese firm. Alfa Romeo has even made its own modern-day version of the 33, which you can read about at this link.

The PPW R33 is not a modern reinterpretation of the idea, but a completely new car that is as close to the original as one can get. The new car is based on a bespoke platform, which mirrors the dimension of the original. As a result the PPW R33 is under four metres long. It also features a body that is handcrafted from aluminium ‘complemented by state-of-the-art construction techniques.’ Part of the new car’s appeal will, in part, be those dramatic butterfly doors.

Each car is coach-built with hand-formed aluminium bodywork and tailored to its owner – no two are the same. It’s a driver’s car, made for collectors who value feel over frills – PPW

V8 Power

The original car was powered by a V8, and so is the R33. Although the newer car takes its powertrain from a Maserati-Ferrari V8. This powerplant was used in the likes of the Quattroporte and F430. The 4,2-litre naturally aspirated unit will breathe through individual throttle bodies and send all of its 280 kW to the rear axle. A six-speed manual, with open shift pattern, is the only transmission on offer. The power figure may not sound impressive in era where 2 000 hp hypercars are the norm, but this R33 weighs just 1 000 kg.

Click here to read about an Alfa Romeo series 105 that is powered by a Ferrari V8.

The PPW R33 was made for those who prefer the art of driving, rather than chasing performance stats. This ‘purist’s dream’ has no ABS, no traction control, power steering or assistance for the brake servo. The cabin features leather and aluminium. In addition there are analogue dials and a large rev-counter ahead of the driver. There is not a digital screen in sight. This sounds very much like a car that we’d like to get our hands on to drive down the Italian Riveria, stopping along the way for an Aperol Spritz to watch the sun go down. Ah, la dolce vita…

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