•Texan and entrepreneur Glynn Bloomquist, one of the 33 passionate owners of the new Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, recently visited the Alfa Romeo History Museum in Arese for an immersive brand experience
•Reveling in 'Bottega Alfa Romeo,' Bloomquist finalized exclusive features of his car, including: •Rosso Villa d'Este multilayer exterior paint with a white stripe on the front
•No. 14 on the sides, in homage to his two favorite drivers Enzo Ferrari and A.J. Foyt
•As a true Alfista, Bloomquist intends to fully experience the pure emotional thrill only an Alfa Romeo can convey on the track and along roads in his home state of Texas
•New Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is a result of skillfully combining artisan processes, technological innovation and customer specifications
•The 33 Stradale builds serve as an authentic 'manifesto' of the Italian brand's capabilities – now and in the future – in terms of style and driving experience
With the rebirth of the custom-built 33 Stradale, Alfa Romeo's new limited-edition supercar follows in the footsteps of the 1960s icon and one of the most beautiful cars of all time — the Tipo 33. Fittingly, the new Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale will be offered in only 33 personally specified units. Among the exclusive customers is American Glynn Bloomquist of Texas.
'I was born in a hospital on an Air Force base, maybe that's where my love of speed and maximum performance comes from,' said Bloomquist while introducing himself a few weeks ago to the Alfa Romeo team in Italy, where he finalized in person the one-off configuration of his Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale. The meeting took place at the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese, an iconic location where some of the most beautiful cars in the world are kept, including the fascinating historic 33 Stradale that inspired the new custom-built car.
After an exclusive visit to the museum, the Alfa Romeo team welcomed Mr. Bloomquist to the Sala del Consiglio of the Museum in Arese, where the design of the 33 Stradale was approved in 1967, now the Bottega Alfa Romeo's headquarters. In this symbolic place, the brand's designers, engineers and historians met and listened to the 33 owners, then created alongside them what have become unique works of art and an authentic 'manifesto' of the Italian brand's capabilities – now and in the future – in terms of style and driving experience.
'Alfa Romeo created the new 33 Stradale, a tribute to the legendary 1967 original, for the most passionate of Alfisti around the world, including right here in America,' said Larry Dominique, SVP, head of Alfa Romeo North America. 'A true Alfista, Glynn Bloomquist will be representing the Alfa Romeo brand in the most fitting way, by driving his 33 Stradale in the Lone Star state, on both streets and racetracks, to experience the visceral thrill that only a 620-horspower mid-engine Alfa Romeo supercar can deliver.'
With a production run of 33 exclusive units, the new two-seat coupe combines heritage and the future, and is produced according to a unique artisanal process with the highest quality standards and attention to detail, similar to workshops of renowned Italian coachbuilders in the 1960s. One of these was Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera, which left its mark on some of the most beautiful Alfa Romeos of all time and now plays a leading role in the production of the new 33 Stradale.
Passion for American racing and discovery of Italian motorsport
Growing up with a father who was passionate about American racing and muscle cars, Glynn Bloomquist quickly fell in love with U.S. motorsports, a passion that soon saw him move to Indianapolis for work, where his photography company sponsored the legendary Indianapolis 500, the greatest championship for open-wheel cars in the U.S.
'I spent 10 years traveling the world sponsoring IndyCar,' said Bloomquist. 'Some of my fondest memories of that time are of our first driver, Jimmy Vasser. In 1992 as a rookie, he climbed the podium at Indianapolis after setting the speed record for a rookie in Indy 500 history: over 222 mph.'
Building on these experiences in racing, Bloomquist began to shift his focus abroad to discover the sporting heritage of European brands, especially in Italy. The ones that impressed him the most were Alfa Romeo and Ferrari, two brands unique in the world for their sporting history, made-in-Italy design and cutting-edge technology. Reading a book about Enzo Ferrari, Bloomquist discovered the unbreakable bond between the renowned entrepreneur and the Alfa Romeo brand, a 20-year relationship during which Enzo Ferrari acted as tester, driver, commercial collaborator and, finally, director of the legendary Alfa Romeo racing department.
From that moment on, Bloomquist's interest in Italian motorsports evolved into a true passion that resulted in his purchase of Italian cars. A recent addition to his collection is a magnificent Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio 100th Anniversary edition, which he had the privilege of driving on the F1 track at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, as the Alfa Romeo team's guest in 2023. That was when he met Cristiano Fiorio, head of the 33 Stradale project, who offered him the opportunity of a lifetime.
'It didn't take me long to accept the idea of becoming one of the 33 customers of the new Alfa Romeo custom-built car, as long as it was red and red alone,' said Bloomquist with a smile. Fiorio himself recounts, 'from the first time we met in Austin, we had a special relationship with Glynn. The human engagement he brought to the project, and the passion in his and the team's approach to the configuration process are truly something unique. No less unique is the wonderful model he has passionately configured for the brand and for the history of world motorsports.'
Configuration inspired by its forerunner with a contemporary flair
As per his request, Bloomquist's new 33 Stradale sports a multilayer Rosso Villa d'Este livery embellished with a horizontal white band in the front, quite a rare design element in supercars. It revisits, with a contemporary flair, the red and white color combination of the Tipo 33, a 1960s motorsports legend and forerunner of the 1967 33 Stradale. Likewise, he decided on the location of the legendary Quadrifoglio and Autodelta logos, on special rear air intakes, as well as the design of the new 20-inch 'Progressive' alloy wheels in black with carbon-fiber inserts.
With one eye on the iconic 1967 33 Stradale on display at the Arese Museum, for the interior Bloomquist opted for the Tributo configuration in two-tone slate and biscuit with trim in aluminum, adding slate Alcantara upholstery for the dashboard and part of the seats, door panels and central tunnel, combined with a specific, very fine biscuit-colored leather. The Texan also requested the inclusion of the No. 14 on the outside of the doors and in the interior embroidered on the headrests in homage to two exceptional drivers who used it on their racecars: Enzo Ferrari on his 1920s Alfa Romeo and A.J. Foyt on his Foyt Coyote. Choosing the number 14 is a tribute to Alfa Romeo's sporting heritage and to the legendary American racer who won the Indianapolis 500 four times and USAC championship seven times. In short, the configuration of Bloomquist's 33 Stradale is a veritable handbook of Italian and U.S. automotive sportiness.
'I can't wait to get my hands on the steering wheel of my 33 Stradale and hear the sound of its 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine with over 620 horsepower,' said Bloomquist. 'Of course, it won't stay sitting in the garage. In and around central Texas, where I live, there are plenty of fantastic streets and circuits where I track all my cars, and my Alfa Romeo custom build will be no exception.'
Photo credit: Alfa Romeo posted on conceptcarz.com
