News April 2 2007

Autodelta celebrates 20 years

2007 is shaping up to be an important year for UK Alfa tuning house Autodelta with the release of the new Autodelta Brera J5 3.2 C on 7th February, with a number of other bespoke models and high performance upgrades planned for the year.

To commemorate their 20th anniversary, Autodelta will be launching a special edition model during the year, which will be limited to just 20 units. The late spring will see the launch of the Autodelta 159 J4, a model that will complement the Brera J5 3.2 C, and at the same time the 2.2 JTS direct-injection engine will be commercialised with forced induction technology, meaning that Autodelta will then offer supercharging right across the new Alfa petrol model range.

This year will also see them launch high-performance options for the JTDM (1.9/2.4) engine range, allowing the many owners with turbo-diesels to experience Autodelta upgrades on their models for the first time. A great amount of time has been spent on research and development over the last year and they are very confident that they have products that will be a genuine market leader.

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A brief history of Autodelta

Back in 1987, a gifted young engineer with a deep-seated passion for Italian cars - in particular Alfa Romeo - achieved his ambition to open his very own tuning business in West London. That individual was Jano Djelalian, and the inspiration for the name of his new company came from the illustrious Alfa Romeo works racing team of the sixties - Autodelta.

Operating from small premises in Alperton, near Wembley, Jano rapidly earned a reputation for "going the extra mile", routinely maintaining and tweaking the Alfa Romeo models of the day, including Alfasud, GTV6, 33, 75, 164, Spider, and before long, the extraordinary SZ Zagato coupe. Around this time Jano began experimenting with ways and means to squeeze even more out of the existing Alfa Romeo power plants. Encouraged by a growing band of loyal and enthusiastic customers, he set about modifying pistons, valves and liners, exhaust manifolds, brakes, even boring the engines - all with phenomenal results.

Word soon spread that Jano and Autodelta were able to do things to an Alfa Romeo in terms of performance and handling that simply could not be ignored -- a fact that didn't escape the attention of the media. Writing in Italian Cars, motoring journalist Roberto Giordanelli was moved to quip "Autodelta has managed to turn the SZ from a thug into a terrorist."

Having initially concentrated on mechanical modifications, Jano next focused on the visual. Calling upon his early design training, he set about creating a variety of body kits intended to be aerodynamic as well as distinctive. Alfa Romeo drivers the world over seized upon this opportunity to personalise their cars Autodelta-style, so much so that a manufacturing division was set up dedicated to interpreting the concepts and producing these special parts, as well as a detachable hardtop for the Alfa Spider.

With all this activity, it didn't take long for Autodelta to outgrow its original location. Demand for Autodelta upgrades custom-made to Jano's exacting specifications, went far beyond the UK, necessitating the appointment of official Autodelta agents throughout Europe and the Far East. Inventory and warehousing of Autodelta products for domestic and export markets, plus the need to accommodate sophisticated equipment for research and development, and equally important, the means with which to carry out round-the-clock servicing and upgrades on site, determined that considerably larger facilities were called for.

By 1997, Autodelta's turnover had expanded at such a rate that it was necessary to transfer to its present purpose-built headquarters situated in Park Royal, within easy access to motorways M1, M4, M25 and M40, mainline railway and London Underground stations, and Heathrow Airport. They also introduced their first bespoke model, the GTV J10, which was followed by the J11 (156) and J12 (147). In 2003 Autodelta introduced their first model in a new-generation of bespoke models, the 328 bhp Autodelta 147 GTA AM, which heralded the arrival of a widening range of hand-crafted, individually-tailored models which soon spanned the Alfa 156 GTA AM, GT Coupé Super and now the Brera J5 3.2 C; while today bespoke versions of the Alfa 159, 159 Sportwagon and Spider are all in the pipeline. Last year Autodelta undertook an ambitious and significant step by opening a new styling studio in Italy, a project which will pave the way for their arrival of their full range products and models on the Italian market.

Photos show (in order from top):
1) 1997 - The first Autodelta GTV J10 (the first bespoke model to be developed by Autodelta)
2) Jano Djelalian upgrading an Alfa Montreal engine in 1988
3) Autodelta’s workshop in 1992 featuring an Alfa TZ2, an Alfa SZ & the unique Zagato-built Alfa Zeta 6

© italiancar.net 2/04/07