Stellantis Heritage at Milano AutoClassica: debut of Fiat Multipla 6x6 and tribute to Autodelta

• The prestigious and ultra-modern Fiera Milano-Rho is due to host the 13^th Milano AutoClassica show (November 17-19)
• One of the big names at the event, and now a point of reference for classic and sports car enthusiasts, Stellantis Heritage shines out with three cars
• An unusual juxtaposition of a Fiat Multipla – appealingly named “6x6” – customized by Head of Stellantis Heritage Roberto Giolito, and two Alfa Romeos: a rare Giulia TZ and a prototype Alfasud Sprint with mid-engine. Both models were made by Autodelta, the Alfa Romeo racing department, this year celebrating its 60^th anniversary (1963-2023)
• By taking part this way, Stellantis Heritage reaffirms its mission to protect and disseminate the timeless values of Italian car brands. It houses a collection of over 300 vintage cars, open to the public at its Turin headquarters (Heritage Hub) and at the Alfa Romeo history museum in Arese (Milan)
• A special promotion is available for all visitors to Milano AutoClassica, with a discount on tickets for the Heritage Hub
   

TURIN, November 16th, 2023 – The Milano AutoClassica show has turned 13, confirming its position as a point of reference for enthusiasts, collectors, museums, and clubs in the vintage motoring sector. An essential inclusion at this prestigious event at Fiera Milano-Rho (November 17-19) had to be Stellantis Heritage, custodian of the timeless values of the Italian car brands Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Lancia.

One of the main topics to be addressed by Stellantis Heritage at its stand at Milano AutoClassica is undoubtedly the Heritage Hub:  the exhibition space on Via Plava, Turin, which houses a collection of over 300 vintage cars, all having written important chapters in the history of Italian and world motoring. But that’s not all. There will also be one-of-a-kind prototypes, show cars, an exhibition dedicated to vintage engines, and much more.  A special promo will also be available for all visitors to Milano AutoClassica, with a 20% discount on a ticket for the Heritage Hub between November 20 and December 5, 2023.

The second theme will be Reloaded by Creators, the Heritage project that involves the sale of a limited number of classic cars from the Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Lancia and Abarth brands: historic models, with certified authenticity, restored to their original beauty directly by the parent company. As part of this project, 25 years since its debut in Frankfurt, Heritage has created an exclusive Fiat Multipla 6x6 collector's item, due to go on show for the first time at Milano AutoClassica. A One-Off for sale that bears the signature of designer Roberto Giolito, now Head of Stellantis Heritage, “father” of the 1998 model.

And, last but not least, the stand will also be hosting two Alfa Romeos produced by Autodelta, this year celebrating its 60^th anniversary (1963-2023): a 1963 Giulia TZ (“Tubolare Zagato”), and a 1983 Alfasud Sprint 6C prototype. Let’s have a closer look at these three vintage gems.
 

Fiat Multipla “6x6” (1998)
A world first. Actually a used car, it was recovered by Stellantis Heritage and refurbished at the Officine Classiche in Turin, where the Stellantis Heritage team is dedicated to Certification of Authenticity and Restoration services. A project created by the fervent mind of Roberto Giolito, now Head of Stellantis Heritage, but also the “father” of both the model unveiled at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show, and the six characters invented to pleasantly and unconventionally tell the story of the experience onboard the revolutionary Fiat model, the first in its segment to provide space for six passengers in two rows of three seats. The designer stated: “These six characters, these six ways of seeing a car, are brought back to life inside and outside the first collector's Multipla. They result in a joyful tribute, in true Fiat style, to a model that 25 years later continues to enthrall the world and to suggest new ways of transporting and accommodating people. That's how six characters, curious about six different ways of experiencing it, have brought to life the Multipla 6x6.”

These comic strips ended up on the t-shirts and puzzles of the model's accessories line, making their way into people's hearts: from the explorer to the child driver with a helmet, from the attractive lady insisting on putting on her make-up to the stylish manager with a laptop, from the friar to the young rebel of the 1970s. Each in their own way, all these characters represented the freedom to express our own inclinations, in a revolutionary car with an unmistakable and friendly design, tangible proof of how his ingenious solutions could genuinely improve in-car quality of life.

The Turchese Bio (‘Organic Turquoise’) livery of this unit, to recall the outdoors and the sea, serves as a backdrop to the motif of all six characters together on the bonnet and sides, with each individual one of them appearing on the seats. The blue upper part is in elegant contrast with the Gray White color scheme for the lower section of the car, more specifically on its moldings, wheels, and bumpers.

The car on display is for sale, as part of the "Reloaded by Creators" project: for more information, send an email to this address, go to the website, or talk to the Heritage team at the Milano AutoClassica Motor Show.
 

Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ (1963)
One of the most successful models in Alfa Romeo's glorious sporting history, the first ever to be assigned to Autodelta, which celebrates its 60^th anniversary this year.  This facility, originally set up in 1963 near Udine, was transferred in 1965 to Settimo Milanese to manage Alfa Romeo's racing activities, in a location physically detached from the production plant and with sufficient discretion to make quick technical and sporting decisions. The Chairman Giuseppe Luraghi gave the engineer Carlo Chiti responsibility for managing Alfa Romeo's official return to international competitions and the Giulia TZ immediately proved he had made the right decision: it made its debut on the track at Monza, at the “Coppa Fisa” in October 1963, where the four cars that had been entered took the four top spots.
The Giulia TZ, with its tubular chassis (hence its name, “Tubolare Zagato”), its engine from the “Giulia” – a 1570-cc four-cylinder aluminum twin-cam, and bodywork designed by Zagato, immediately became a big name. In the next few years, it won the “Coupe des Alpes” and “Tour de Corse”, and came first in its class at the “24 Hours of Le Mans”, “Targa Florio” and “Tour de France Auto”, as well as in numerous other competitions.
The 1965 “TZ2”, considered one of the most beautiful racing cars ever made, developed the concepts embodied in the previous Giulia TZ: its performance was increased considerably, as were its aerodynamic yield and mechanical sophistication.
The car on show forms part of the Stellantis Heritage collection and is on display at the Alfa Romeo history museum in Arese.
 

Alfasud Sprint 6C (1983)
As part of its work in research and development in relation to competitions, in 1982 Autodelta built an initial prototype of an Alfasud Sprint, equipped with a 2.5-liter “V6” engine (the same as in the GTV 6) with 158 hp, located in a central rear longitudinal position. The car was named the “Sprint 6C" and, partly thanks to its weight of only 990 kg, “flew” at a top speed of 215 km/h.

The front suspension remained unchanged, while the rear adopted an independent wheel scheme, the wheel tracks were widened, and the space was limited to only two seats. The dashboard and instrument panel were taken from the Alfasud Sprint, embellished with fine finishes. Some of the aesthetics in the bodywork anticipated the new “Sprint” line-up unveiled in 1983: front and rear light clusters, grille, bumpers, and rearview mirrors.

A second prototype Sprint 6C was then built, very similar to the first, with a platform designed to accommodate the four-wheel drive transmission shaft for possible competitive use in Group B rallying. Alfa Romeo decided, however, to maintain its focus on track competitions, and the second Sprint 6C remained a technical exercise.