Like Ferrari's 250 GTO, the TZ2 was Alfa Romeo's last purpose-built GT racer before the Milanese firm shifted their focus to crack sports prototypes with which to contest endurance events around the globe. Opinion varies between whether 12 or 14 were ever manufactured, all of which were built up by Alfa's newly formed racing division, Autodelta. Run by Carlo Chiti, himself famous for a love of stray dogs, Autodelta's TZ2 programme was conceptualised strictly as a works project, Alfa having no intention to supply cars to privateer teams. The chassis was developed from the original TZ's steel-tubed spaceframe although suspensions were mounted lower than before and came more fully adjustable. A lowered steering column and new 13-inch Campagnolo wheels were also fitted, these cars weighing in at 620kg - around 100kg less than their predecessors. Mechanically, Alfa's emphasis once again lay with evolution rather than revolution, all TZ2 engines being specially prepared by Virgilio Conrero's famed Autotecnica Conrero speed shop in Torino.

Developed from Alfa's dual overhead camshaft four, displacement was unchanged from its predecessor with 1570cc thanks to a bore and stroke of 78 x 82mm respectively. However, with a set of hot camshafts, larger valves, magnesium casings and a twin plug head from the GTA, output was up from 130 to 170bhp at 7500rpm - reputedly good enough for around 160mph! This unit was also dry sumped to facilitate a lower hood line and provide the car with minimal ground clearance, Conrero fitting two sidedraught Weber carburettors and canting the entire engine over to the right. Perhaps the TZ2's most striking element was its stunning bodywork, designed over the spring of 1964 by Ercole Spada for Zagatao in Milan. Markedly lower than the original, Spada's creation stood just 41-inches high and applied all the latest aerodynamic undersanding of the day with covered headlights, bulbous wings, a rakish fastback cabin and sharply cut-off Kamm tail. After experimenting with glassfibre on some of the last TZ's, it came as no surprise to find that with the exception of the prototype which had an all-alloy shell (from which a set of initial moulds were taken), every subsequent TZ2 was manufactured from GRP.

This didn't mean that production cars were identical though, ducts and vents varying from one to another. Inside, bare aluminium contrasted with a matt black dash that featured beautifully cowled instrument binnacles, sundry dials being scattered between them. Black vinyl covered the steeply raked figure-hugging bucket seats, all-round visibility proving surprisingly good thanks to the glassy cabin and new one-piece, all-enveloping rear window that replaced the originals three-piece arrangement. Launched at the Geneva Salon during March 1965, a maximum of 14 were constructed.

All were made between that spring of 1965 and the summer of 1967, some of which were scratch built (and carry a single serial number on the drivers side engine bulkhead), others being factory upgraded TZ's (which carry their original number on the drivers side bulkhead in addition to their new TZ2 number on the passenger side). Chassis numbers continued on from the original TZ and used 105 11 AR 750 designations followed by individual car numbers ranging from 104 to 117 (although Bertone's one-off Canguro, built up to assess the feasability of a road version, was manufactured on chassis 101 in 1964). Bertone were not the only carrozzeria to work their magic on a TZ2, Pininfarina designing their own version on chassis 114 in 1966. More information on these two cars can be found in Part 3. Unfortunately, because Autodelta was run in a notoriously haphazard manner throughout the course of its existence, there's an almost complete absence of chassis records and it's often very difficult to establish accurate individual histories. But this doesn't stop us documenting the TZ2's impressive contemporary race record which inauspicially began at Le Mans '65 with all three Autodelta cars retiring.

TZ2's weren't seen again until 1966 when they won the 1.6-litre GT class on every occasion they ran, but even such total domination couldn't stop the programme from being dropped. Autodelta, somewhat overwhelmed by the scale of operations being undertaken, were forced to focus on the GTA and forthcoming Tipo 33 after just 18 months with the TZ2. Most of the firms existing cars were sold off to privateer teams and a handful of additional ones built, the Jolly Club, Jean Rolland, Alan Day and Count van der Straten all continuing to race them successfully.