Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale Named Design of the Year in Portugal

Alfa Romeo announced that the 33 Stradale won the Design of the Year award at Portugal’s Carro do Ano 2026, where the limited-series supercar was presented to the jury in Lisbon.

Alfa Romeo’s 33 Stradale has received the “Design of the Year” award at the 2026 edition of Portugal’s Carro do Ano: Troféu Volante de Cristal. The recognition highlights how the Italian marque’s latest supercar is being perceived not only as an engineering project but also as a work of automotive art.

The Carro do Ano award is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious automotive competitions in Portugal. Organized by media outlets of the Impresa group, including SIC Notícias and Expresso, the competition relies on a jury of leading automotive journalists who evaluate vehicles across several categories — from practicality and innovation to design. In this particular category, the 33 Stradale stood out clearly.

For the evaluation process, the car was brought to Portugal for a dedicated presentation to the jury, allowing experts to examine its architecture and styling in detail. Observers highlighted the sculptural proportions of the bodywork and the careful balance between form and function — a combination that has become a defining element of Alfa Romeo’s modern design philosophy.

The model was also showcased in a special exhibition at the Armando Martins Museum of Contemporary Art (MACAM) in Lisbon. Within the museum setting, the vehicle was presented as an artistic object in its own right, reinforcing the brand’s vision of the 33 Stradale as a true “work of art on wheels.”

The new Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale debuted in August 2023 and represents one of the brand’s most exclusive modern projects. The mid-engine two-seat coupe will be produced in a strictly limited run of just 33 cars. Each example is hand-built in collaboration with the Italian coachbuilder Touring Superleggera and allows for extensive individual customization by its owners.

The project serves as a contemporary tribute to the legendary 1967 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale — the road-going version of the Tipo 33 racing car. The original model is widely considered one of the most beautiful automobiles ever created, and the modern reinterpretation aims to carry that legacy forward by combining historic design cues with modern engineering.

Interest in the car in Portugal was further amplified by the short film “A Dream in Red”, produced by automotive media outlet Razão Automóvel. The film was nominated for the International Motor Film Awards 2025 and focuses on capturing the emotional dimension of Alfa Romeo’s bespoke supercar.

The design award therefore marks another milestone for Alfa Romeo, suggesting that the brand’s strategy of reconnecting with its historic values — aesthetics, engineering precision and emotional appeal — continues to resonate strongly within the automotive world.