Cars and Tuning

Normally, the story of an automobile factory is its models, technological advances and their sporting achievements.

The case in point is Alfa Romeo apart. If traces the history of racing formula, this would mark there filling this important chapters, and if we talk about cars sport the same thing happen; if we biographies of the great pilots, the majority have sat at the wheel of an Alfa if talking about designs that marked times it is the same, why is not unreasonable to assert that the history of motor racing is condensed in the history of this brand.

The size of the staff he addressed human and designed Alfa Romeo, is the highest since Giusseppe Merosi, without forgetting Vittorio Gano, Enzo Ferrari, Giacchino Colombo, until Spanish Wilfredo P. Ricart, Rodolfo Hruska, Carlo Chiti, and many more.

There had been more than 45 years since the king Victor Manuel II carry out the dream of Italian unity as a nation (13-3-1861), when the corporation was founded Italian Darrach (Darrach was a French company), which born in the 1910 Fabrica Automobili Anonima Lombarda (ALFA), taking advantage of the facilities of the primitive society at Portello (name coming to the square where he was the entrance gate which gave Milan the path of Simplon).

In 1909 Ugo Stella (former administrator of the French company), was the creator legal ALFA and Giusseppe Merosi its first designer, the 24 HP was the first fruit from the beginning and set the tone for what would make this mark, passenger cars sport.

In 1914 the first model was constructed Grand Prix that conformed to the new formula for this year, with a maximum cylinder capacity of 4,500 cc and a weight that does not exceed 1,100 kg. This Grand Prix was a tetracilindro derived from the victorious 40/60; this model evolved until 1921.

The engineer Neapolitan Nicolo Romeo was done with the majority of the shares in 1915 and changed the name again by SA Italian Eng. Nicholas Romeo and C meetings., Becoming the brand name of the brand Alfa Romeo finally, its first model with this new appointment six cylinders RL.

One year after the departure of Benito Mussolini and his black shirts on Rome in 1923, Alfa Romeo presents its Q1, with the final step to penetrate at the highest level within the sports car racing. Already with their cars Sport and the three musketeers, Antonio Ascari, Giuseppe Campari and ugo Sivocci, Alfa Romeo won numerous laurels.

The P1 was designed according to the new formula of two litres. The engine was a 6-cylinder, dual cams tree in butt, hemispherical combustion chamber and dual ignition. In his version atmospheric reported 95 hp a5.000 rpm and 115 hp compressor with the same regime.

In view of the results obtained in 1923 with cars equipped with a compressor, began designing a new two liters to compete in the next season. Vittorio Game, which had already developed the compressor on the P1, finally came into the mark and undertook the design and evolution of Q2. This 8-cylinder vehicle in line, wins the first world championship for Alfa in 1925 between 1924 and 1930 winning many successes.

In 1927 he was presented the 1500 version 6 C Sport and Super Sport, it stemmed the 6 C 1750 (1929-1933), for many the best sports car of the thirties. This wonderful sport evolved in its different versions reaching 6 C 1750 Gran Sport 6 th series. There were several different engines in the series, but always with the same levels and cylinder capacity. There was even a version with fixed engine block and cylinder head with an adjustment in 1931 for aviation uses.

Another Sport-memorable races of this decade was 8 C 2300 that kept the same measures as the 6 C 1750, but with two more cylinders. This model harvest countless triumphs, manufactured 352 units of the three sets that were produced. His eight-cylinder engine, always with double tree cams and compressor, delivered 165 hp, reaching 200 mph with his body two-seater. With this model ran races formula despite being a career-Sport.

As the old P 2 and of course the sport 8 C 2300 were not living up to the new formulas, is constructed P3A; has two engines of 6 C 1750 SS Parallel mounted on the front with two gearboxes, two transmissions and two differential on the same rear axle; pays 225 hp at 5,600 rpm reaching 235 mph, but their mechanical complexity, especially in the transmission, is excessive and makes it dangerous to handle. Anyway, Campari win the cup Acerbo.

Nineteen thirty-two is the year of the Alfa Romeo P3B, another design Vittorio Gano. It has been called the racing car par excellence, and certainly is one of the engineering marvels of his day (along with the Bugatti 35B). They were not the strongest or the fastest, but the most harmonious and balanced. Its engine was an eight-cylinder in-line biárbol, commanded by cascade pinions placed between the 4 th and 5 th cylinder. Thanks to two compressors Roots in parallel, it got to 2,654 cc, 215 hp at 5,600 rpm. Its transmission was very curious: the departure of change appeared two trees forming a V transmission, thereby attacking two differential located on the same axle rigid later.

Many hypotheses have been advanced on this complex concept, since he was to lay low the pilot, something somewhat strange, since the latest version was with a single shaft, even if it were to seize bridges rear of the surplus P3A. Hare 232 km / h and weighs 700 kg. Win all G.P. Running in 1932.

While Enzo Ferrari became a partner in Alfa Romeo in 1930, was in 1933 when really took over the department career, first as sports and commercial counselor and later as director of the department of counselor competition (Alfa Corse). It was during this period in 1937 to be exact, when he had the idea of building a car racing itself in Modena. This was the one that later became known as the Alfa 158, which a decade later, during 4 seasons won 31 of the 35 major awards in which participated, a record of all times. The car designed Gioacchino Colombo, an engineer at Alfa Romeo.

The following year he sold the car to 1,500 cc Alfa, who buy the models that had already run and material to build another four that Enzo himself would produce.

The crisis of conscience that led to Enzo Ferrari to leave Alfa Romeo was caused by the arrival of the Spanish engineer Wilfredo P. Ricart. For this man competition not only meant winning races, a car Grand Prix should be first and foremost an embodiment of the highest technical each department of a company was able to develop. At Enzo Ferrari did not grace any changes in the system of work, and was not an engineer, nor had accommodated within that team. Broke with Alfa Romeo and devoted himself to say nonsense senseless on the Spanish.

Wilfredo Ricart designed and created the Alfas competition more elaborate and advanced for their time. From his board left some cars portentosos competition, as were the Alfa Romeo 162 and 163 three litres. The first was a Grand Prix car to challenge its supremacy in the German circuits, and the second should run in the Sport category. Both 16-cylinder engines used in V. The 162 was supercharged by two compressors operating one after the other, much like a technical Ricart. Its chassis was a true work of goldsmiths.

In 1940, the 512 was another of his works. He had a 12-cylinder engine bóxer central position in post, 1500 cc and overfeeding in two phases, a car that is technically ahead thirty years to competition and that clearly exceeded the Mercedes Benz W 165, the absolute reference in those days but the arrival of the war cut the level of development of this interesting vehicle.

When resume production, once the world conflagration, he had to completely rebuild the factory Portello and adapt to the production chain (with a consequent increase in productivity) in maintaining its workforce technicians exceptional value.

While beginning to slow production of veteran 6C 2500, a team of engineers was in charge of the racing car (Alfetta 158) and another group developed a new saloon (the first monohull Alfa), Alfetta call in the first phase and finally called 1900. This cuajó in 1950 when Nino Farina won the first world championship of Formula 1 with the Alfetta 158 and was presented at the Hall of Turin the first Alfa Romeo 1900.

This initial version was accompanied from 1952 to 1900 the IT, an alternative faster (100 hp and 170 km / h). The latter were also sent platforms to complete its transformation into a coupé different coach working with the House, which ended in 1953 with the presentation of the light produced by coupé Sprint Touring.

With the advent of the 1900 Super early 1954, the full range is now available almost two liter engine and, in the case of TI Super, 115 hp. From then until the end of its production in the 1959 model had a americanizante process similar to the 1400 Seat: increasing numbers of ornaments and chrome possibility of choosing paint bicolor.

There was a variety of special bodywork for this model too, but the best achieved were primitive and Touring versions of Zagato competition. Pininfarina made some nice lines convertible and coupé Bertone achieved some highly original, but of questionable aesthetics as Bat No 7. In total, were constructed between 1796 coupés Super Sprint and Sprint.

In 1954 in Europe has been normalized life, the economy begins to take off, the Marshall Plan is a reality, it is the time of the Vespa, and Fiat is preparing to launch a new utility model, the 600. In Alfa has been rebuilt and modernized the plant and expanded its production capacity. This year presents its new 1,300 cc sport and the Giulietta Sprint announced a version Sedan (1955) that irrumpía in the field of medium category. The Giulietta was a practical car, easy to drive and great benefits for its category. As beautiful coupé design by Bertone joined him soon cabriolet versions, the Spider, designed by Pininfarina (1955) and, finally, a year later increased the engine power appearing Veloce versions of both models (90 against HP 80 HP of the normal version) resulting from an increase in compression and the use of two horizontal carburetors. The Super Giulietta Sprint (designed by Bertone) and SZ (bodywork by Zagato) were submitted in 1957, were purely sporting versions, with 100 HP and light and aerodynamic bodywork. There were only 1,366 SS and 200 SZ. In 1962 appeared Giulia and these models are introduced, one year later mechanics of the new 1,570 cc and 92 HP power at its normal implementation, change speeds and 5 drum brakes, but at the end of the series were replaced by disks on the bridge front. In 1964 ceased production of Sprint sobreviviéndole one year version Spider and Spider Veloce (112 HP).

In 1963 it appeared that a plan would be the most competitive development of the Alpha-middle class, RZ (Tubolare Zagato). It was a tubular chassis with a body Zagato. The civilized version, the TZ 1 incorporating the engine of Giulias Veloce (112 HP), while the TZ 2 was preparing Autodelta with plastic bodywork and a 170 HP engine (only built 12).

It also presented what they call the second generation of sports alpha, after the Second World War. The Giulias Sprint GT had a body designed by Bertone with a capacity for four persons and lines that are still in force, which repeated in small lines of 2000 Sprint (60-62) with lighthouses included in the front grille, large windshield and inclined, large glass surfaces, etc.. Built a convertible called GTC virtually reproduced lines coupé. Only occurred during two years (65-66) 1,000 units.

In 1965 it was replaced by another convertible, a two-seater, the 1600 Spider (Duetto), designed by Pininfarina, with a long, curved back (duck tail).

That year appeared a version of the Sprint GT competition and cheaper than the sophisticated TZ 1 and 2, who were the GTA. There were three models: the standard, which was built half a million, with the engine of 115 HP and lightened the body (which was indicated by the A, his weight was 745 kg from 950 kg GT), the Corsa engine 170 HP dual ignition and even less weight, 700 kg and lastly, SA (supercharged). The group supercharger was made by Alpha and consisted of two centrifugal compressors driven by a centrifugal pumps coax mandated by a chain from the engine. The power was 200 HP and the weight was 780 kilograms. Only 10 units were manufactured.

It redesigned the front of a little Giulia GT with the incorporation of optical double, and the engine came to 1,779 cc born and the GT 1750 which was manufactured from 1967 to 1972, closing this model range of Alfa in this time period chosen. There was a Sprint GT engine with 1300 (66-72) was the body of Sprint GT with the smaller 1,290 cc engine and was named 1300 GT Junior.

Retrocediendo time in detail the line of Alpha in the high category, represented by Spider 2000 designed by Touring, a 2 +2 convertible lines very harmonious (1958-61). Two years later appeared coupé Bertone of that mark by nearly 25 years designing coupés Alfa. In 1962 the four-cylinder engine was replaced by a 6 to 2,584 cc and the body remained virtually unchanged. In 1965 Spider and a year later the Sprint ceased to manufacture, and disappearing without penalty or glory market high cylinder capacity of the Alfa Romeo for a few years.

GTV

The Alfa Romeo GTV 2.5 6 was introduced during the year 1980 as a top-end version of GTV 2.0, born four years earlier. It was the genuine Gran Turismo of 80 years, a genuine sporting 160 hp and rear traction that combines the highest perfection benefits first and consumption adjusted to the practicality of an interior room and a good boot.

He was elected in 1981 and Best Sports GT One of the 10 best cars of the 80′s for Road & Track, Yankee flagship publication, which won in the first six categories (engine, gearbox, address, and driving behavior), ahead the Datsun 280 ZX Turbo 180 hp and the Porsche 924 Turbo 177 hp. Alfa GTV 2.5 6 was also piropeado by other foreign magazines, such as What Car, which made a comparison with the 2000 Sapporo Mitsubishi Colt Turbo 170 hp and the Toyota Celica Supra 2.8 to 168 HP, in which the Alpha was the best all three. The British Car also ventured, nothing more or less, to confront against a BMW 535i-216 1983, and the logically that the German won with regard to benefits.

It was manufactured until almost 1987, after two series and an amendment in 1986, when it redesigned afondo forwarding change, time that was manufactured just over 22,000 units.