20.08.2004 Italiaspeed officially launches Autodelta's AWESOME NEW 156 GTA 3.7 - the most exciting Alfa Romeo sedan in recent years

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	Autodelta's inspiration for the 156 GTA 3.7

The legendary Auto-Delta racing team of the 1960s was the source of inspiration when Jano Djelalian named his Alfa Romeo engineering firm in 1987.  

Founded on 5 March 1963, the aim of the original Auto-Delta company was to compete Alfa Romeo cars in international championships.  With the construction of the Giulia TZ1 and TZ2, Auto-Delta quickly established itself as a technological leader, and became Alfa Romeo's advanced experimentation department for over 20 years.  Whilst their work concentrated on all forms of car racing, including Formula 1, Auto-Delta also developed production car technology such as alcohol engines, the first Alfa Romeo diesel engine (a Perkins unit fitted to a Giulia), the Spica fuel injection pump and the use of a dry sump on mass-production engines.  Other inspiring developments included the first Alfa Romeo road cars with turbo-compressor engines (the 1983 Giulietta Turbodelta) and an SUV prototype based on an Alfasud Giardinetta platform.

One of Auto-Delta's most memorable racing cars was the Giulia Sprint GTA, launched in 1965.  By campaigning this car trackside, Auto-Delta provided the already appealing - and good value - Giulia Sprint road car with unforeseeable publicity.  From 1966, the advertising slogan "the car you drive to work is a champion" became a reality with the launch of the road-going Giulia Sprint GTA. It was quite literally the excitement surrounding this car which made the Gran Turismo Alleggerita badge.

After the Giulia Sprint, there was to be no production GTA until the limited-edition Zagato Alfa 155 GTAZ bowed in 1995.  Despite the considerable gap in time, the GTA name still reverberated strongly amongst car enthusiasts world-wide.  With the hallmark indications of success, Alfa Romeo pressed ahead with a new generation of V6-engined GTA production cars based on the 156 and 147 models.

Giorgetto Giugiaro's beautiful 156 redesign in 2003 gave high expectations for a fresh 156 GTA model, but Alfa decided against this.  Together with the stunning Alfa Romeo 156 GTAm concept from 2002, the aggressive new-look of the 2004-season 156 ETCC cars remained out-of-reach for the buying public.  It was undoubtedly this open invitation, which prompted Jano Djelalian, who incidentally, in a neat twist of fate undertook his thesis on Giugiaro whilst at university studying car design, to develop his own 156 GTA - the ultimate 156 GTA.