Hemmings Daily – The Lady is a Champ

Last week, Lyn St. James took a spin in a 1964 Alfa Romeo TZ 1 – talking about her past and present endeavors while behind the wheel.

Chronicled by writer, car collector and classic car broker William Hall, the article beautifully captures the spirit of the powerful little classic Italian GTO – while the two try and hold a conversation over the screaming engine.

Please click here to read the Hemmings Daily blog entry, an excerpt of which can be found here:

Lyn St. James climbs into the cramped cockpit of the 1964 Alfa Romeo TZ 1 and takes a few moments to familiarize herself with the instruments and switches. She wants to know everything; she explains that her learning process is visual as she methodically programs herself for driving. We are only going for an hour-long spin on desert roads in this borrowed race car, but the preparation is the same as if she were back on the grid at the Indy 500.

Of all the race cars she’s driven – GTPs, GTOs, Indy cars, Formula Atlantics, Le Mans, SCCA sedans – this is her first Alfa. First introduced in prototype form at the 1962 Turin Motor Show, it went on to homologation for Grand Touring racing. The drivetrain is an Autodelta-tuned version of the Giulia GTA engine and transmission, but that’s where the similarity ends. Legendary Milanese carrozzeria Zagato handled the rest, utilizing a custom lightweight chassis, independent rear suspension, and a Kamm-tailed aerodynamic body to dramatic effect.