On the 15 of August in Rome Franco Angelini died. His name will be forever linked to Alfa Romeo

Yes because Franco never left Alfa. Even in the toughest years, Alfa was his passion, his benchmark. Even in the latest years of his activity when he tried uselessly to give inheritance to Alfa to save his technical know how.

Angelinis’ name and his creation will survive in the heart of Alfisti even in the new generations fascinated by his activity of tuner.

His activity embraced from Tourism car to Sport. From F2 F3 to motonautical. We cannot forget also his quality as a talent scout, he discovered pilots who made the history of the gran prix. One name above all: Ignazio Giunti, who started with GTA, then 33 Autodelta with Chiti and finally approached the Ferrari F1 with Enzo.

Angelini started his career in Mondial racing department where he was fascinated by the “bialbero” engines and by the motorcycle technique to reduce the internal frictions. Then He chose the cars and the most sophisticated bialbero engine: Alfa Romeo.

When he was very young opened an official Alfa Romeo workshop and he got very famous because of his motorcycle technique. His know how brought him victories in the Tourism categories through all the world, beating Alfa Romeo too.

Alfa Romeo valued him and in the same time feared Angelini: one of the best Alfa Romeo tester Bruno Bonini declared that in Alfa Angelini was deemed the best Alfa Romeo tuner. That’s why Alfa offered Angelini to make race his cars under the Autodelta Name, but Franco refused and that was - as himself declared - the greatest mistake of his life.

His activity between GTA, TZ and Giulietta kept on for 50 years, but Franco remained forever a passionate of engines and Alfa; he always accepted invites from friends or Alfa enthusiasts.

Recently he had accepted my invite to Vallelunga to attend an Italian tourism race; even if sick for disease he paid a lot of attention to what was going on the track and with the chronometer he immediately found the fastest pilots, like in the golden age of the GTA…

Luigi Giuliani

17 agosto 2012

GTA-ANGELINI OWNED BY GIUNTI - MODEL PROJECT K