Legacy Metrics

1968 Alfa Romeo T33/2 (2.5-liter engine variant)

AR 75033 015racingItaly
Engine
2.5L V8
Colour
Race livery as run at the 1968 Targa Florio (entry #220)

Alfa Romeo T33/2 chassis 015, one of roughly ten surviving examples from a production run of approximately 23 chassis, is notable as the first T33/2 to be fitted with the larger 2.5-litre engine, debuting that specification at the 1968 Targa Florio. The car was campaigned by Autodelta and subsequently the VDS team across major international events in 1968–69, before passing to Portugal and then Angola, where it raced extensively in the early 1970s. Rediscovered in Angola in the mid-1980s, it was eventually restored by former Autodelta mechanic Marcello Gambi and has since enjoyed an active historic racing career in Europe and North America.

Ownership

  1. Auction sale
  2. 1968 → 1968Factory delivery
    Autodelta (factory racing program)
    partial documentation

    Entered the car directly in period factory competition during the 1968 season, including Daytona and Targa Florio.

  3. 1968 → 1970Acquisition unknown
    Count Rudi van der Straten / VDS Racing Team
    partial documentation

    Belgian nobleman and Alfa Romeo client who entered the car from the 1968 Austrian GP onward and ran it through at least the 1969 season before selling it.

  4. 1970 →Private sale
    Antonio Peixinho
    partial documentation

    Portuguese driver who transported the car to Angola, where he competed successfully at local circuits during 1970 and 1971.

  5. 1972 →Acquisition unknown
    Santos Peras
    partial documentation

    Raced the car in Angola, recording a win at Circuito de Carmona in mid-1974.

  6. → 1994Private sale
    Jean Chambault
    partial documentation

    French business traveler and racing enthusiast who tracked down the car in Angola, negotiated its purchase from De Santos in Lisbon, and arranged an airlift out of the country before offering it for sale.

  7. 1994 → 2000Private sale
    Italian-based ownership group
    partial documentation

    A succession of Italian-based owners during which a former Autodelta mechanic, Marcello Gambi, carried out a restoration.

  8. 2000 → 2006Private sale
    European owner registered in Germany
    partial documentation

    Subsequent caretakers who had the car road-registered in Germany, freshened it, and campaigned it at the 2000 and 2004 Le Mans Classic.

  9. 2006 → 2012Private sale
    David Jacobs
    partial documentation

    Former competitive skier and skiwear entrepreneur based in Boulder, Colorado, who undertook further restoration and ran the car in multiple vintage events before selling it.

  10. 2012 →Private sale
    Consignor
    full documentation

    Invested heavily in two engine rebuilds by S. Jennings Racing (documented by invoices exceeding $115,000 combined) and campaigned the car at numerous historic venues through at least 2017.

  11. Date unknownAcquisition unknown
    Antonio De Santos
    partial documentation

    Portuguese national who stored the car in Angola alongside other significant period racing machinery; left the cars behind when he returned to Portugal as independence-war violence escalated.

Competition

  1. 1968
    1968 Daytona 24 Hours
    Driver: Lucien Bianchi5th in class, 6th overall

    Co-driven with Mario Andretti; one of three Autodelta T33/2 entries that finished consecutively 5th, 6th, and 7th overall. Car was equipped with a 2-liter engine for this event.

  2. 1968
    1968 Nürburgring 1000 KM
    Driver: Udo Schütz4th in class, 7th overall

    Co-driven with Lucien Bianchi; a recovery result for the 2.5-liter car after the Targa Florio retirement.

  3. 1968
    1968 Austrian Grand Prix
    Driver: Teddy Pilette3rd in class, 4th overall

    Entered by Count Rudi van der Straten's VDS team; co-driven with Gustave Gosselin.

  4. 1968-05-01
    1968 Targa Florio
    Driver: Nino VaccarellaDNF — contact with wall

    First T33/2 fitted with the 2.5-liter engine; Vaccarella held 2nd place early before handing over to co-driver Udo Schütz, who spun into a wall on loose gravel. Car entered as race number 220.

  5. 1969
    1969 Monza 1000 KM
    Driver: Teddy Pilette5th in class, 8th overall

    Run under VDS team management; co-driven with Rob Slotemaker.

  6. 1969-05-01
    1969 Spa 1000 KM
    Driver: Teddy Pilette5th in class, 6th overall

    Again co-driven with Rob Slotemaker under VDS entry.

  7. 1974-07-01
    1974 Circuito de Carmona
    Driver: Santos Peras1st
  8. 2000Le Mans Classic
    2000 Le Mans Classic

    Campaigned by the German-registered European owners after a period of refurbishment.

  9. 2004Le Mans Classic
    2004 Le Mans Classic
  10. 2008Le Mans Classic
    2008 Le Mans Classic
    Driver: David Jacobs

    Part of Jacobs' vintage racing campaign after he acquired the car in 2006.

  11. 2009
    2009 Monterey Historic
    Driver: David Jacobs
  12. 2010Le Mans Classic
    2010 Le Mans Classic
    Driver: David Jacobs
  13. 2017
    2017 Monterey Historic

    One of several historic venues where the consignor campaigned the car; others included Watkins Glen, Silverstone, Nürburgring, Zandvoort, and Spa.

  14. Malange circuit race
    Driver: Antonio PeixinhoVictory (one of at least five wins)

    Peixinho recorded at least five victories at Angolan circuits during the 1970 and 1971 seasons.

Maintenance & restoration

  1. 1994Restoration
    Marcello Gambi

    Comprehensive restoration carried out during Italian ownership by Marcello Gambi, a mechanic who had previously worked at Autodelta.

    Work took place during a short chain of Italian-based ownership following the car's acquisition from Jean Chambault.

  2. 2000
    Service

    Additional freshening and preparation undertaken by a European-based owner prior to Le Mans Classic participation; car also registered for German road use at this time.

  3. 2006
    Restoration

    Further restorative work carried out under David Jacobs' ownership in preparation for a vintage racing programme.

  4. 2013Engine rebuild
    S. Jennings Racing

    Full V-8 engine rebuild costing over $50,000 USD, documented by invoices; work encompassed the engine and associated components.

    Workshop was located in Tooele, Utah at the time; invoices retained on file.

  5. 2018Engine rebuild
    S. Jennings Racing

    Second full engine rebuild including ancillary components, undertaken after the V-8 accumulated significant running hours in competition; expenditure exceeded $65,000 USD as documented by invoices.

    Car was returned to S. Jennings Racing following the 2017 Monterey Historic; invoices on file.

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Each chassis record is compiled from public auction archives and links to its source material. Ownership, competition and maintenance entries are extracted from those catalogue listings by an LLM, which can make mistakes — please contact us with any corrections. The summary is Legacy Metrics’ own writing; we do not reproduce catalogue text.

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