An Interview With Roberto Restelli
EXPLORING THE ALFA DELTA HALLS
5 August 2022 • Written By Marius Pop
Meet Roberto Restelli. An ex aeronautical engineer, very much used to work at the highest, more rarefied level. His den, Alfa Delta, is one of Milan’s constellation of industrial gems, a place blessed with a fervour of activity centred around the creation and the maintenance of some very special cars bearing the sign of the Biscione. Roberto’s engine building skills flirt with alchemy, as proven by the countless race wins accumulated over the years. To get to learn more about what makes Roberto tick, we asked him our favourite set of questions.
What made you fall in love with Alfa in the first place?
‘The Alfa Romeo racing cars. I believe the GTAs and GTAMs of the ‘60s and ‘70s were among the best racing touring cars ever produced and their results in competitions can only confirm this. I was lucky enough to get to know them in details through the late and much regretted Angelo Renato Chiapparini, my mentor, whose cars which were among the best prepared and restored.’
What’s the first Alfa you would recommend somebody to buy?
‘Undoubtedly one of the 105 series. Giulia and the GT Sprint above all. Giulia is the most beautiful sedan ever produced. And they’re all Alfas that are easy to use as everyday cars even after 50 years!’
What’s your favorite car event / race?
‘Surely Alfa Revival Cup is the only championship in the world that allows our GTA / GTAM cars to race on the best Italian tracks and where the level of the participants is also very high. Seeing the photos of the start at Mugello with over 40 historic Alfa Romeos on the grid is something incredible. On an international level, track races such as Spa 6 hours and Le Mans Classic, or mixed road/track races such as Modena Cento Ore or Tour Auto are as evocative as it gets. The idea of reproposing the epic challenges of the ‘60s on the same stretches of asphalt, sometimes racing at night time is something truly exciting.’
