The original TZ, currently sometimes referenced as TZ1 to differ from later TZ2 was presented at the 1962 Turin Auto Show. It featured a 1,570 cc
twin cam engine and other mechanical components shared with the
Alfa Romeo Giulia and carried a 105 series chassis number, but was a purpose built
sports racing car, with a tubular
spaceframe chassis built in the province of
Perugia by
SAI Ambrosini and the light all-aluminium bodywork was made by
Zagato, final assembly was made Delta of Udine, with
Carlo Chiti initially on board as a consultant before becoming the project leader. The firm soon changed its name to
Auto-Delta and relocated to its current site in Settimo Milanese, on the outskirts of Milan, not far from the
Alfa Romeo Portello Plant. It has disc brakes and independent suspension. The result was a lightweight
coupé of only and top speed of . The TZ was built both for street and racing trim, with the latest racing versions producing up to . Alfa's twin-spark cylinder head, as also used in their
GTA, contributed to the speed of the TZ; the standard Giulia alloy block with wet steel liners was installed at an angle under the hood of the TZ to improve airflow. Aiding the TZ in its quest for performance was the treatment of the rear bodywork. Incorporating the research of Dr.
Wunibald Kamm, the TZ used a style called in Italian, meaning "short tail.", otherwise known as the
Kamm tail. The principle is that unless an aircraft-like extended tail is incorporated, which is not practical for an automobile, there is little, if any, increase in drag and a marked decrease in lift or even some downforce by simply chopping off a portion of the tail.
Zagato had previously proved the success of this tail treatment in their Sprint Zagato sports-racing cars, and it was a natural evolution to adapt this to the Giulia TZ. The car debuted at the 1963
FISA Monza Cup, where TZs took the first four places in the prototype category. At the beginning of 1964 the TZ was homologated (100 units were needed for homologation) to the Gran Turismo category. After homologation it started to take more class wins in Europe and North-America. Of the first TZ, 112 units were built between 1963 and 1965. Only built as limited amount these TZ models are highly collectable today, with listed prices around 150,000-200,000 US dollars.
Engine • 1,570 cc
straight-4 DOHC (78 mm x 82 mm) at 6500 rpm (road trim), (race trim) ==Giulia TZ2==