The Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA occupies a firm place in the touring car canon, celebrated for its aluminium-bodied, twin-cam engineering and a run of results across European circuits throughout the late 1960s. What makes this particular Spark Model release stand apart is its geography: not Monza or the Nürburgring, but the Thomson Road street circuit in Singapore, 1967, where Albert Poon ran the car under the Team Hong Kong banner wearing race number 66. It is a corner of GTA history that most collections have never addressed.
The Giulia GTA: Aluminium, Twin Plugs and 1570cc
Introduced in 1965, the Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA — Gran Turismo Alleggerita — was a homologation special built around the Giulia Sprint GT bodyshell. 'Alleggerita' was not a marketing term; it described an aluminium body that brought weight down to around 745 kg, roughly 200 kg less than the steel-bodied road car. The engine was a 1570cc twin-cam four-cylinder fitted with a twin-plug cylinder head, producing approximately 115 hp in road specification and up to 170 hp in full race tune. That combination of low mass and a free-revving twin-cam made the GTA immediately competitive in FIA touring car homologation classes.
Team Hong Kong on Thomson Road, 1967
The 1967 Singapore Grand Prix was held on the Thomson Road street circuit and formed a major fixture on the Asian motorsport calendar, bringing together formula and touring car entries across multiple classes. Albert Poon was one of the most active Hong Kong-based racing drivers of the 1960s, competing regularly across Southeast Asia in European GT and touring machinery. His Giulia GTA, entered as Team Hong Kong No. 66, represented one of the very few Hong Kong-flagged race cars of the era, and it raced on a circuit that no longer exists — Thomson Road was retired from motorsport use after the early 1970s.
Spark Model in 1:43 Resin
Spark Model is the reference name for resin 1:43 scale model cars in competition specification, and this release brings the Team Hong Kong GTA into a documented, three-dimensional form. Built in resin — the material of choice for low-volume, high-accuracy 1:43 subjects — the model captures the No. 66 race livery as raced at the 1967 Singapore GP. Spark's production method allows fine surface detail on a car whose real bodywork was hand-formed aluminium, and the compact 1:43 format suits the detailed livery of this particular entry.
In the Display Cabinet
This model sits logically alongside other Spark Model releases from the Thomson Road Singapore GP series, as well as the broader family of Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA resin pieces covering the European Touring Car Championship of 1966–1967. Collectors building a complete GTA racing history in 1:43 will find this the only piece to represent Asian competition; collectors focused on Southeast Asian or Hong Kong motorsport history will find it an anchor subject. Contemporary touring car rivals — BMW 1600, Ford Cortina Lotus — make natural neighbours on the same shelf.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly does this model represent?
It depicts the Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA entered by Team Hong Kong, race number 66, driven by Albert Poon at the 1967 Singapore Grand Prix on the Thomson Road street circuit.
Who was Albert Poon?
Albert Poon was a prominent Hong Kong racing driver active in regional Asian motorsport during the 1960s, regularly campaigning European GT and touring cars across Southeast Asia.
What is the Giulia GTA and why was it significant?
Introduced in 1965, the Giulia GTA was a homologation special with aluminium body panels weighing around 745 kg and a 1570cc twin-plug twin-cam engine producing up to 170 hp in race tune — purpose-built for FIA touring car competition.
What material is the Spark Model made from?
Spark Model produces their 1:43 scale model cars in resin, which allows precise surface detail and accurate livery reproduction on low-volume competition subjects.
