Giulia 1600 Prototipo Berlinetta ‘Vico’
With Autodelta now in Milan (it would become the Alfa Romeo Racing Department in 1966), Negotiations began for Alfa to buy all Chiti and Chizzola’s shares in the company. Chiti happily complied, moving to Milan to become General Manager at the new Autodelta. Chizzola, however stubbornly refused to sell, causing some rancour and it was only his friend, Chiti, who eventually convinced him to sell. With the development of the TZ’s successor the TZ2 continuing at Milan Chizzola completely ignored the existence of the Alfa TZ2. Instead he continued to develop the TZ in the way that he thought it should evolve. Chizzola made a prototype 1600cc car of quite radical design. Convinced that a car should have the lowest possible moment of inertia around the centre of gravity, he made the prototype with the front mounted engine as far back towards the driver as possible. The fibreglass body had gull wings and some clever technical solutions, which allowed the front, and back of the car to be laid completely bare. The prototype, named Vico, after its inventor, due to its innovative configuration was of wide, very low and short appearance. The TZ derivative was road tested by Chizzola on his test circuit and he claimed it lost a little in terms of top speed due to the larger front section with a Cx that was not as good as that of the TZ, but the car made up for this with better and more user friendly handling. Although the car would remain a prototype and never go into production, Chizzola was very proud of the car and loved to drive it. Having been inspected by an expert from the Alfa Romeo Factory, Chizzola’s TZ evolution prototype proves to be based on a heavily modified TZ chassis. The front is similar, but lower with most tubes at different pick up points. The front suspension is from a TZ, as is the steering box, radiator and windscreen. The engine is also from a TZ with the correct sump spacer and sump. The engine itself is mounted on a lower chassis rail with original engine mounts, although these are fitted upside down. Inside the cockpit, the chassis has been heavily modified, but original TZ pedals are used, as well as some instrumentation and an original TZ steering wheel. The gear change mechanism is TZ as is the petrol tank, which have both been modified. The differential, drive shafts, rear suspension and uprights are all original TZ parts. The engine of the prototype car is of single-plug configuration and when tested recently, performance was startling. The car remained with the Chizzola’s at Udine until 2000; during this time it was seen in public only once, in 1996, at an Autodelta reunion. The car was acquired at by a known and respected collector and now, having benefited from careful storage and maintenance during his ownership, this unique Alfa Romeo prototipo is for sale once again.
