• This Alfa Romeo is one of the greatest heroes of Trans-Am racing.
• Repainted in its original 1971 colors, this GTV won its last race, only to be subsequently disqualified.
• The Bring in Trailer auctions ends on February 3.
Great racing stories built on competition: Ford versus Ferrari, Hunt versus Lauda, Smokey Yunick versus the NASCAR rule book. For sale right now on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, was part of Hearst Autos—was half of the duel that defined compact car racing in the early 1970s. A 1971 Alfa Romeo GTV 1750 battled Brock Racing Enterprises Datsun 510 to the bitter end, achieving a brief victory after a fuel capacity technical turned Alfa’s fortunes around.
The 2.5 Series Sports Car Club of America Challenge is interesting if you’re a racer on a budget, unable to get your hands on a V-8 powered Chevy Camaro, Ford Mustang, or AMC Javelin. The 2.5 Challenge cars are small and boxy–510s, Alfas, and BMWs–but the competition is just as fierce in the ponycar field. If you like small and light street cars, the 2.5 Challenge is the place to be.
Staring at Alfa Romeo’s factory-backed team, you might imagine the Datsun as a scrappy underdog, but the BRE 510 has development money behind them. With famed Nissan president Yutaka Katayama (aka Mr. K) cheering from the sidelines, and with Peter Brock’s team setting up the chassis and engine, the BRE 510 was hard to beat.
This Alfa Romeo GTV 1750 is a racing machine that Horst Kwech campaigned for in the 1971 season. At that time, the 2.0-liter inline-four produced 205 horsepower. Series regulations meant Alfa received a 200-pound penalty to bring it closer to a BRE 510, but the Alfa team placed ballast to achieve a near-ideal 48/52 weight distribution.
Sporting 15-inch Minilite wheels wrapped in fat Hoosier tires, this classic little Alfa is an instant hit. The cockpit is simple: three pedals, the necessary instrumentation, a five-speed manual transmission and a well-worn leather steering wheel.
Despite the light amenities, this car is full of stories. In 1971, Horst and his Alfa went back and forth with John Morton and his BRE 510, exchanging wins like featherweight boxers exchange blows. The final race was held at Laguna Seca, with the national title on the line. The live-axle Alfa presents some oversteer followed by understeer, while the 510 is temperamental unless it’s driven recklessly. Although the regulations attempt to level the playing field, the vehicles could not have been driven in a more different way.
In the final round, Horst’s Alfa emerged victorious. However, suspicions arose when Datsun pitted while Alfa stayed out. Investigators went downstairs and found that the GTV’s fuel system held two gallons more than was legal, and the trophy was handed over to the Datsun team.
That season remains contentious with racing fans even now, but more than that, it remains memorable. Cars with this level of racing pedigree appear very rarely. On its own, this Alfa is an attractive and valuable vintage racing machine. The story–and the competition–add to its appeal.
