It sounds like something out of a film noir, but it's real. A 1967 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, valued at almost 30 million euros, vanished into thin air after the death of its owner in Naples. Today, the Milan Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating alleged extortion and forgery, while the family has decided to offer a reward for the recovery of one of the world's rarest automotive treasures.
Important clarification: this is obviously not the neo-retro model presented in 2023 by Alfa Romeo, produced in 33 examples and estimated at around 3 million euros, but the absolute icon launched in 1967, produced in just 18 examples. At this level of rarity and value, there's no room for confusion.
A 1967 jewel turned ghost
The original Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is one of the pinnacles of Italian engineering. Derived directly from the Tipo 33 competition car, featuring a mid-mounted V8 and sculptural bodywork by Franco Scaglione, it is considered one of the most beautiful cars ever produced. Of the 18 examples assembled, each is identified, documented and tracked by collectors and auction houses. In other words, a disappearance of this kind immediately sends shivers through the microcosm of major international collections. And yet, for several weeks now, one of these models has been nowhere to be found.
Selling under pressure?
According to reports in the Italian press, including Cronache della Campania, the car had been kept for decades in the specialized garage of a relative of the owner. After the collector's death, however, the relationship of trust had broken down.
The heirs describe a veritable psychological siege: repeated calls, insistent pressure, threats of legal proceedings for staggering sums. In this tense climate, and at a time when the widow was in a fragile emotional state, the 33 Stradale was sold for a small sum. Today, the family is contesting the validity of this transaction. They claim that the signature was obtained under duress, in a context of extreme vulnerability. A complaint has been lodged and the Milan public prosecutor's office has opened an investigation for extortion and forgery.
Organized disappearance
What most intrigues the investigators is the speed with which the car left the Italian radar.
As soon as the sale was completed, the 33 Stradale was transferred to a newly incorporated company. Then, as a key element in the case, a declaration of loss of license plates was filed with the automobile registry. According to the family's lawyers, this maneuver facilitates the re-registration and export of a vehicle abroad.
The document was allegedly signed by a French collector well known in the trade. For the plaintiffs, this was no trivial administrative detail, but a central part of a mechanism designed to «clean» the car and make its traceability extremely complex. Since then, there has been no official trace. The supercar is believed to have left Italy and may now be sleeping in a private collection or secure bunker, beyond the reach of the authorities.
A reward to break the silence
Faced with what they see as a wall of silence, the heirs have decided to go on the media offensive. They are offering a financial reward of €100,000 to anyone who can provide concrete information to help locate and recover the vehicle.
The message is addressed directly to collectors, intermediaries and enthusiasts the world over. In a world as restricted as that of historic hypercars, a 33 Stradale cannot remain invisible forever. Over and above its estimated value of 30 million euros, a piece of Italian automotive heritage is at stake. If the facts are confirmed, the case could become one of the biggest recent scandals on the classic car market.
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