One of the great Italian car designs of the sixties

You may still remember the Alfa Romeo TZ or Tubolare Zagato which was also discussed in our previous article. Well here is another example of the car that was executed in the name of Alfa Romeo Canguro that received coachwork of Bertone made in 1964 as a racing interpretation of the Giulia TZ. 

1964 Alfa Romeo Canguro, one of the great Italian car designs of the sixties. (Picture from: https://pin.it/3D7zSm2)

This car was built around chassis 101 during the autumn of 1964, this prototype tubular steel spaceframe was mounted a drastic six inches lower than the original TZ. Then its legs use magnesium Campagnolo unique forged thirteen-inch sized wheels.

It is unknown whether the Canguro really uses what will be an experimental TZ2 engine at this time. Considering that for all intents and purposes a road car, Alfa’s 130bhp unit from the original TZ would probably have sufficed.

1964 Alfa Romeo Canguro bodied by Stilo Bertone and made entirely of aluminum although the production version is almost certain to have been produced with glass fiber shells. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2XTBBlv)

For certain though is that Giorgetto Giugiaro (when he was worked in Bertone) succeeded in producing one of the most extraordinarily curvaceous designs of the 1960s for this car. This can be seen from its physical appearance, covered headlights, doors curving into the roofline and a wraparound rear windscreen were the most striking details, then Bertone affording the Canguro little in the way of impact protection. 

1964 Alfa Romeo Canguro has two fiberglass bucket seats chanelled below the floorpan to accommodate its driver who has a height of six feet plus. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2XTBBlv)

The bodywork is made entirely of aluminum although the production version is almost certain to have been produced with glass fiber shells, nice touches including an external fuel filler and Quadrifoglio-shaped cabin vents mounted on both sides of the roll hoop. Other details emerged later in the Montreal 1967 V8-engined Montreal, most obviously the prominent bank of horizontal engine cooling vents carved out from the front wings.

Then in the cabin mounted fiberglass bucket seats chanelled below the floorpan to accommodate its driver who has a height of six feet plus, Bertone trimming the bolsters in vinyl and the perforated centres in woven cloth. Black vinyl is also used on dashboards, transmission tunnels, and doors, simple rubber mats that cover the floor and belying the good deal of soundproofing.

1964 Alfa Romeo Canguro made a triumphant return to show circuits at the 2005 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este at Lake Como, Italy. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/34XvhLe)

After the construction was completed, the car made its debut at the Paris Salon in October 1964 and displayed beautifully at the Bertone stand. At that time Canguro aroused great interest before being handed over to the factory for evaluation in December. 

Tragically, shortly after its debut the one-off concept was crashed. And Alfa Romeo then chose not to put the car into a limited production line for some reasons, but its influence was felt for years in the developments of Alfa Romeo brand identity.

And after nearly 30 years in pieces, a Japanese collector named Shiro Kosaka finished a restoration process which began in the early seventies. The Canguro made a triumphant return to show circuits at the 2005 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este at Lake Como, Italy. *** [EKA | DARI BERBAGAI SUMBER | SUPERCAR | ALL CAR INDEX]

Note: This blog  can be accessed via your smart phone

Kindly Bookmark and Share it: