Marque1 contributor Nigel Matthews is an Alfa Romeo enthusiast. At the moment he has a collection of one, an Alfa 1750, but I'm sure he hopes to add another some day. On the other hand, he's a world renowned concours judge who regularly gets to see some of the most beautiful and superbly restored Alfa Romeos. Nigel also manages a rare Alfa for an Italian collector whenever the owner wishes to show it in America.
Given all that I wasn't surprised when my friend e-mailed to remind me of Alfa Romeo's participation at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed, July 11-14. This year Alfa Romeo celebrates the 50th anniversary of Autodelta, its official racing division established in March 1963, and the 90th anniversary of the 'Quadrifoglio Verde', the legendary symbol that has identified some of Alfa Romeo's sportiest models. It has chosen Goodwood for the UK debut of the exciting new Alfa 4C. Alongside the 4C, show-goers will be able to see several historic examples from the Alfa Romeo Museum.
Oldest, but one of the most remarkable because of its styling, performance, and racing history, is the 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Speciale tipo "Le Mans" (above). The car was designed and engineered for the 1938 Le Mans 24 hour endurance race, driven by Biondetti and Sommer, and led for a long time before retiring with a valve breakdown. The engine is the same as in the P3 single-seater, while the body represents Carrozzeria Touring at its pre-war best. Power comes from a 2905 cc twin-cam supercharged inline 8 developing 220 hp @ 5800 rpm. The beautiful aerodynamic body must surely have contributed to the top speed of 150 mph.
With that kind of performance the drivers probably paid little attention to what was happening behind, which excuses the charming but inadequate rear window.
Moving ahead almost three decades, Alfa Romeo introduced the 33 Stradale Prototipo ("sport prototype"). By now the factory and Autodelta had already been involved in a major racing program and together they produced this delectable sports car. There were no links to any production Alfa; it was a pure competition machine. The Stradale did, however, represent the return of the 8-cylinder engine layout for Alfa Romeo.
The 2-liter 90-degree twin-spark V-8 delivered 230 hp @ 8800 rpm, giving the car a top speed of 163 mph. Built by Autodelta in the factory of Settimo Milanese, it includes an advanced magnesium frame weighing a mere 54 kg. Credit for the Stradale's body design goes to Franco Scaglione and I should add that many people consider it to be the most beautiful racing sports car ever built. Rest assured it will never lose that title to the current LeMans prototypes.
Other historic Alfas appearing at the Goodwood Festival of Speed include a 1951 Gran Premio Tipo 159 Alfetta, 1954 2000 Sportiva, 1970 1750 GT Am, and a 1975 33 TT 12. Altogether a tasty dish for an Alfa Romeo enthusiast and I'm sure Nigel would like to be there, as would I. Three years ago I was privileged to attend the Goodwood Revival but the Festival of Speed is the one I really want to see.
[Nigel Matthews is the Sales Director of Hagerty Canada]
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