1971 Alfa Romeo GTV 1750

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1971 Alfa Romeo GTM 1750 Trans-Am
ID: 72BS04

(2) 1st place finishes in 1971 Trans-Am U2.5L championship, (5) podium finishes
1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishes in 1972 Trans-Am U2.5L championship
A fantastic and important racing icon for Alfa Romeo
Built and raced by Trans-Am champion Horst Kwech with Weston Racing
Class winner at the 2008 Amelia Island Concours after restoration
Engine recently overhauled by Rebello Racing with minimal racing hours
Signed by racer Horst Kwech and Lee Dykstra, founders of DeKon Engineering
Extensive spare parts and period documentation, photos, and logbooks
2.0L DOHC inline-four engine, 5-speed manual transmission
Eligible in many historic racing events nationwide

There are few historic racing cars that embody the phrase “big things come in small packages”, and few are as significant in American racing as this 1971 Alfa Romeo GTM 1750. The Alfa Romeo was delivered new as a body-in-white chassis and raced primarily in Trans-Am in 1971 and 1972 by Horst Kwech, an Austrian-born Australian and a co-founder of the legendary DeKon Engineering. Prepared by Kwech's AUSCA facility in Libertyville, Illinois, the car was extremely competitive and produced multiple 1st place finishes in 1971 and several high finishes in 1972. This particular car follows a lineage of Trans-Am successes of Alfa Romeo in America, and presents as an excellent prepared example, ready to race on any track.

Horst Kwech was born in Austria, but emigrated with his mother to Australia due to WWII. During his time in Australia, he found a fascination with racing and where his raw engineering talent manifested over time. In 1961 he moved to America and joined Knauz Continental Motors of Lake Forest, Illinois, where he was the lead mechanic. During this time he built his own innovative racecar with a tube-frame chassis, the AUSCA MK II, competed with it and won the SCCA Central Driving Championship. In 1965 he won the SCCA Central Driving Championship again but this time in an Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti Super, which began his long future relationship with the Italian auto manufacturer.

Horst's success with the Alfa Romeo did not go unnoticed, turning the attention of Alfa Romeo's head of USA racing, which resulted with Knauz Motors being given the opportunity to purchase an Autodelta-prepared GTA to race in the new SCCA Trans-Am series. In 1966 the team took the most points for a manufacturer and won the U2.0L Trans-Am Championship. Kwech and the team subsequently raced with Alfa Romeo vehicles for many years while taking a number of wins including the 1970 U2.0L Trans-Am Championship. Then, for the 1971 season, this 1971 Alfa Romeo GTM 1750 made its debut.

For the 1971 Trans-Am championship, the new rules allowed for engines under 2.5 liters, enabling more horsepower and more entries into the new U2.5L class. Horst Kwech's car, delivered as a plain body-in-white chassis and consistent with how factory GTM team cars were delivered in Europe, was prepared for competition at his AUSCA facility in Libertyville, Illinois. He had determined in their own testing that the GTM chassis with the 1750 engine was faster than the previous GTA 1600.

Campaigned under the Weston Racing banner, the “Mama's Pasta” Alfa Romeo with Kwech at the wheel won its debut race, taking 1st at Watkins Glen, 2nd place at Mid-Ohio, and 3rd place at Olathe and Road America, for a total of 5 podium finishes. It went on to finish 1st place at the championship-deciding epic dual with John Morton's BRE Datsun 510 at Laguna Seca, only to be disqualified due to a fuel capacity violation. It returned in 1972 with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishes before it was sold to its next owner who campaigned it in SCCA, AROSC, and IMSA competition through the 1970s and early 1980s.

Racing History

1971

05.08 - Lime Rock - 1st
05.31 - Bryar Motorsports Park - 4th
06.06 - Mid-Ohio - 2nd
06.20 - Edmonton - 4th
07.04 - Donnybrook - 10th (DNF)
07.25 - Olathe - 3rd
07.17 - Road America - 3rd
08.15 - Watkins Glen - 1st
10.03 - Riverside - 10th
10.16 - Laguna Seca - DSQ

1972

05.06 - Lime Rock - 19th (DNF)
05.29 - Bryar Motorsports Park - 17th (DNF)
06.04 - Mid-Ohio - 4th
06.17 - Watkins Glen - 3rd
07.04 - Donnybrooke - 1st
07.16 - Road America - 5th
08.19 - Road Atlanta - 15th (DNF)
10.15 - Laguna Seca - 2nd
10.28 - Riverside - 17th (DNF)

After its period racing, the Alfa Romeo was completely refurbished in the mid 1990s by marque specialist Roman Tucker, and subsequently won its class at the 2008 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance before being purchased by its most recent owner. During their ownership, the 2.0L inline-four engine was overhauled by Rebello Racing in 2016, with only one race weekend campaigned on the engine since its rebuild. During this process, the block was machined, the cylinder head was ported and polished, a billet crankshaft was added, forged Wiseco pistons installed, welded camshafts and stainless-steel valves were added, and titanium valve retainers were also added.

The Alfa Romeo currently employs dual sidedraft Weber 45 DCOE carburetors, a 5-speed manual transmission, an Autodelta sliding-block rear axle locator, double-adjustable Koni shock absorbers, ventilated disc brakes with an in-cockpit adjustment, staggered 15” Minilite wheels, a fuel cell, a roll cage, a period-correct Racemark fiberglass bucket seat, and a 5-point racing harness. A fire suppression system and electrical cutoff switch are also installed.

A unique part of his historic Alfa Romeo is its incredible amount of documents that have followed it throughout its life. This includes a complete collection of documents including historical articles and photos, a VSCDA logbook, and a copy of an SCCA logbook. It has been included in the Historic Trans American Sedan Registry, and features the signatures of Horst Kwech and Lee Dykstra on the dashboard, both founders of the famous DeKon Engineering racing outfit. Spare parts also accompany the Alfa Romeo, which includes a spare engine block, a specialized cylinder head, intake manifold, crankshaft, cylinder liners, pistons, camshafts, exhaust manifolds, and more.

Maintained over the 11 years to be in proper excellent racing condition, this 1971 Alfa Romeo GTM 1750 benefits from being not only an excellent race car, but also with a properly significant history for both Trans-Am and Alfa Romeo.