One to Buy: ex-AUSCA 1971 Alfa Romeo Giulia 1750 GTV Gr.2
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Although perhaps best known for iconic top class muscle cars, the early days of Trans-Am racing also catered for under two-litre production-based Group 2 Touring Cars.
For 1971, new rules allowed engines of up to 2.5-litres in the junior class.
That season, this handsome little Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV was driven by Horst Kwech to victories at Lime Rock and Watkins Glen, second at Mid-Ohio plus a brace of other podium finishes (at Olathe and Road America). It also finished first on-track in the epic championship decider with John Morton’s BRE Datsun 510 at Laguna Seca, only to be disqualified owing to a fuel capacity violation.
Kwech’s car started life as a plain body-in-white which was assembled to full Group 2 trim at his AUSCA facility in Libertyville, Illinois.
Back in 1965, Kwech had won the SCCA Central Driving Championship in an Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti Super which got the attention of Alfa Romeo USA’s head of racing and resulted in the opportunity to purchase an Autodelta-prepared GTA to race in the inaugural Trans-Am series of 1966.
That year, Kwech’s team took the most points for a manufacturer and won the under two-litre Trans-Am Championship, a feat repeated in 1970. 1974 saw Kwech co-found the legendary DeKon Engineering.
After its impressive ten-race 1971 campaign, this GTV was wheeled out for nine more Trans-Am events in 1972. It most notably took victory at Donnybrooke, second at Laguna Seca, third at Watkins Glen and another two top five finishes.
In later years the car was restored to concours condition as evidenced by a class win at Amelia Island in 2008. More recently, the engine has been overhauled by Rebello Racing with minimal hours since.
Accompanied by an extensive spare parts, period documentation, photographs and logbooks.
