CLARIFYING AND VALIDATING THE HISTORY OF AN EX-WORKS ALFA ROMEO 33 TT 3

STARTING POINT
Chassis 115.72.003 is one of the best-known Alfa Romeo 33 TT 3s, with a competition history generally accepted by collectors, historians and registries. However, despite the car's significance, several aspects of its early factory career remained uncertain. Conflicting sources attributed different race numbers, driver line-ups and results to the chassis, particularly regarding its participation in the 1972 24 Hours of Le Mans and other World Championship events. The common practice within factory racing teams of the period—where similar cars were often prepared, repaired, updated and deployed according to immediate racing requirements—made the precise identification of individual chassis especially challenging.

RESEARCH
Our work focused on investigating every available primary source and establishing direct contact with institutions, specialists and individuals connected with the car's history. Particular attention was given to documentary evidence capable of identifying the chassis beyond later interpretations and secondary publications. A significant breakthrough came through direct cooperation with the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), organizer of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and custodian of a comprehensive archive of race documentation. Through this collaboration, we obtained and examined the original entry records for the 1972 event, which identify chassis 115.72.003 as car no. 17. This evidence provides a level of certainty not previously available and differs from the attribution found in several later sources, including the RIAR homologation file and other published references, which associate the chassis with a different Le Mans entry and driver line-up. While the Le Mans chapter can now be supported by primary documentation, the attribution of other 1972 World Championship appearances—including Buenos Aires, the Targa Florio and Brands Hatch—remains under investigation. Regarding the second part of the car's racing career, further progress may result from contacts established with the family of Bruno Ottomano, the car's most significant later owner and competitor. Although the Italian competition career of the chassis is already substantially documented, access to personal memorabilia, photographs and surviving records may provide additional clarification, previously unpublished images and new insights into the car's history. This ongoing research is progressively transforming a generally accepted narrative into a documented and verifiable chronology, based on primary sources whenever available and on carefully cross-referenced evidence when direct documentation has not survived.