From the archives, the cars of Pierre Duval and a mystery Stanguellini; Peter Darnall on Hans Ruesch; a Winter’s Night Rally in Amsterdam; Jonathan Sharp continues his series of articles on the National Motor Museum and Lord Montagu.
Hans Ruesch and the Alfa Tipo 8C35
Montage image from photographer Piergiorgio Bardi aka Häaden 2 Como, Italy
Story and Montage by Peter Darnall
Additional photos from the collection of Dale LaFollette
Alfa Romeo Tipo C #50013 . . . The Hans Ruesch Era
The 1936 racing season brought victories for the Tipo C Alfa Romeos against the German Silver Arrows at Penya Rhin, Milan, and Budapest. The new monoposto showed it could compete with the Teutonic rivals—at least on tight winding courses when pushed to the absolute limit by Tazio Nuvolari. Italian hopes were high as the cars lined up for the start of the Coppa Ciano on August 2, 1936. No one could have known at that time, but Nuvolari was about to put on a virtuoso performance which would rank as one of the greatest drives of all time. [Read more…] about Hans Ruesch and the Alfa Tipo 8C35
Pierre Duval: Engineer, Artisan and Racer
By Thomas Bromehead
Thanks to Pierre Abeillon for his help
First published in 2014 VeloceToday
Born in 1903, Pierre Duval was an engineer and as such, one the few privateers who built their own cars who could claim to have an engineer background. He started his career with Citroën and participated in the “Croisière Noire” of 1924, which was actually a cunning marketing exercise by André Citroën (who always had excellent advertising ideas to make his brand stand out) in which caterpillar tracks Citroën machinery crossed the Sahara on their way to the central colonies.
The National Museum at Beaulieu: Cars A-L
This 1903 single cylinder De Dion Bouton is still a regular entrant in the annual London to Brighton Veteran car run. The car was purchased by the Montagu family from a tenant on their estate in 1913 and was one of the five original cars that launched the Montagu Motor Museum in 1952 when the cars were displayed in the entrance hall of the family home.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
Last week we mentioned that we would discuss the founder of the National Motor Museum, Lord Montagu. Here then, Jonathan Sharp does so as a prefix to Part 2 of the National Museum articles which will cover cars from A-L. Part 3 will show cars from L-Z and motorcycles. Part 4 will deal with the Land Speed Record Cars at the Museum. Ed.
Let’s get the elephant in the corner out of the room. In 1953 Edward, 3rd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu, together with two other gentlemen, was convicted of the then crime of a homosexual act with two other consenting adults, who turned Queen’s evidence. Lord Montagu served 8 months in prison. Such was the public’s disquiet as what was perceived to be the unfair victimization of a public figure and the criminality of sexual acts between consenting adults, that a public inquiry was finally set up which ultimately led to the law on homosexuality being reformed. Ok that’s out of the way. [Read more…] about The National Museum at Beaulieu: Cars A-L
The 100 Miles of Amsterdam
Roland and Astrid Kok coming from underneath the Rijks Museum.
Story by Pete Vack
All photos by Wico Mulder
A few days before Christmas, the citizens of Haarlem and Amsterdam witnessed one of the most unusual rallies ever conceived, the 100 Miles of Amsterdam, open only to prewar classics. It was another brainstorm of rally wizard Bart Kleyn, a full time rally organizer who had previously studied Molecular Sciences at the Agricultural University of Wageningen and then obtained a PhD in Oncology/Hematology at the University of Virginia. [Read more…] about The 100 Miles of Amsterdam
VeloceToday for January 17, 2017
This week, Roberto Motta notes the debut of the new Abarth 124 Rally; we track the Alfa 8C35 serial numbers; Eric Davison concludes the Dale Powers story and Jonathan Sharp begins a series of articles on the UK’s National Motor Museum.
Alfa Romeo 8C35 Grand Prix Cars
The Editor Tracks the three 8C35 Alfas
Montage above by Peter Darnall
One might wonder why we are so interested in the Alfa 8C35 cars. An old saying goes that history is written by the survivors; and indeed, this is the case for the 8C35. But in addition to being survivors, the various and sundry 8C35s running today are examples of the only Grand Prix car to give the combined Silver Arrows a real run for the money. Given the might of the Mercedes and Auto-Union teams, the Alfa Romeo 8C35 had a brief but reasonably successful two seasons in Europe. Designed to be fitted with either a V12 engine, or an 8 cylinder, the 8C35 used a longer version of the famous Alfa 8C 2.3 engine, running almost concurrently with the initially unreliable V12 (12C36) while it was being developed. In 1936 Tazio Nuvolari drove the 8C35 to great victories at Coppa Ciano and the Hungarian GP. In our humble opinion, although Vittorio Jano’s V12 (actually designed by Bruno Trevisan) may have led to his downfall in October of 1937, the 8C and 12 C are underrated and much more successful contenders than results might render. And speaking of results, at the bottom of this article we’ve reproduced the Alfa racing results from the years 1935 to 1937 for your perusal.
As VeloceToday is currently publishing a series of short articles that often include these cars, (read A Most Unusual Meeting) we thought this an opportune time to provide a brief history of the 8C35 chassis known today.
Of the six 8C35s listed by Fusi, three can be determined to still exist in some form: [Read more…] about Alfa Romeo 8C35 Grand Prix Cars
The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu Part 1
Come on in, we are going to show you the neatest Museum in all of the British Isles.
Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp
It’s funny; I have driven, and flown hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles to visit various car museums, shows and race meetings around the world, and yet I had not visited the National Motor Museum (also known as the Beaulieu) less than two hours west of my home on England South Coast, for nearly 20 years.
The National Motor Museum is located in Beaulieu Hampshire deep in heart of the New Forest. The museum was founded by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu in 1952; I will tell you a little bit more about Lord Montagu in part two. I have dim memories of visiting Beaulieu with my parents during the late 1960s before holidaying on the nearby Isle of Wight. Those memories are rather less about the cars then on display and more of the monorail built around the grounds and the replica veteran London bus that one could take a ride on, both of which are still part of the Museum today. [Read more…] about The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu Part 1
Abarth 124 Rally Debuts at the Monte Carlo Rally
Abarth 124 Rally was introduced at the ‘Auto Moto Epoca 2016’.
Story by Roberto Motta and Pete Vack
Photos courtesy of FCA
The new Abarth 124 Rally to debut in the 85th Monte Carlo Rally
The racing career of the new Abarth 124 Rally will start with the debut in the 85th Monte Carlo Rally, the first race of the 2017 Rally World Championship to be staged this weekend, from January 19 to 22. And as the lead photo indicates, Abarth will try to recreate the success of the original Fiat Abarth 124 Rally. And of course therein lies a story we can sink our teeth into.
We hit the reference books for information; in this case, our own Abarth Buyer’s Guide, from which we quote here liberally. Seems that Carlo Abarth wasn’t too keen on rally cars and only prepared two models in the early 1960s for rally events. In 1962 a team of Fiat 1500S Rally Berlinas was readied for the Trieste Rally but as they did not fare well, Abarth lost interest. In 1963 Abarth entered the Monte Carlo Rally with 850 and 1000 TC Berlinas, but it was the day of the front drive Minis and Saabs; Abarth & C. did not pursue. [Read more…] about Abarth 124 Rally Debuts at the Monte Carlo Rally
VeloceToday for January 10, 2017
Here’s a great way to start to the New Year! Peter Darnall weaves a story about Professor Porsche and the development of the 8C35 Alfa Grand Prix car; Roberto Motta at the 40th Anniversary of the Alfa Museo Storico; Part 3 of the cars of Dale Powers and from the archives, Graham Gauld writes about Mike Sparken.
A Most Unusual Meeting
The Tipo C monoposto was a breakthrough design for Alfa Romeo. Giovanni Guidotti, a long-time employee of Alfa Romeo, remembered the initial test of the prototype and the bizarre events which followed. He originally told the story to a prominent member of the “Alfisti” more than thirty years ago. The story was recently passed on to me. Although possibly an apocryphal tale, this is Guidotti’s story.
Story and montage by Peter Darnall
Alfa Romeo was a major force in European racing during the early 1930s. Vittorio Jano’s innovative designs had made Alfas the cars to beat in both sports car and Grand Prix venues. However, the economic hardships of the Great Depression and the years which followed brought government control to Alfa Romeo with ever-increasing pressure to produce materiel for Mussolini’s military ambitions. Racing activities had been turned over to Scuderia Ferrari with an arrangement which allowed the Portello factory to design and build the cars while the Scuderia campaigned them.
The AIACR (Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus), which was the governing body for international motor racing, had decreed that beginning with the 1934 Grand Prix season, race cars would not weigh more than 750 kilograms (about 1650 pounds), minus the weight of tires, fluids and driver. Although Vittorio Jano’s masterpiece, the P3 monoposto, met the weight requirements of the new formula, the vintage Alfa racer could not expect to compete with the technologically superior German Mercedes Benz and Auto Union machines.
Dr. Porsche, meet Vittorio Jano.
Hoods Up at the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo
A sight one does not normally see in other museums.
Story and photos by Roberto Motta
It’s Hoods Up at the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo for the 40th Anniversary
Wander through the many automobile museums of the world (or just follow VeloceToday!) and you will quickly note that they all have one thing in common; the hoods are usually closed and if not, one can’t get close enough to study the mechanicals. This is unfortunate, for unlike today’s plastic-covered engines, many powerplants of the 20th century were hi tech engineering, awesome to look at, art in and of themselves, and designed to be easy to work on. Yet they are so often hidden under the hoods of museum pieces. Not so in Milan however!
Alfa Romeo, who has been creating technologically advanced engines for race cars and production cars since 1910, is one of the few firms left with a lengthy and glorious history of designing advanced engines. Engines are the essence of Alfa Romeo, and at the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo, they are not afraid to show it. On December 18 2016, the Museum in Arese celebrated its first 40 Year Anniversary with a special exhibition in which the hoods were open on about 300 cars for everyone to see and touch. And why not; engines are the sporting heart of Alfa Romeo; for years Alfa created only the chassis and engine, while the coachwork was completed by others such as Pininfarina, Zagato, and Bertone. Therefore, the ‘real essence’ of historic Alfas often lies beneath the coachwork.
Did we say “Forty years?” True, and it’s hard to believe that the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo first opened on December 18th 1976, born to commemorate and preserve the history of the Milanese brand.
Orazio Satta Puliga, head of design projects since the end of the Second World War, was a prime motivator for the construction of the Museum, and fortunately Satta found a great ally in President Giuseppe Luraghi. Subsequently, it was up to famous historian and engineer Luigi Fusi to assemble the collection and organize the exhibition in a new building.
A line up of 1976 Alfas owned by Alfisti visiting the 40th Anniversary.
In recent years, the museum was closed to the public for a complex renovation project by architect Benedetto Camerana. The museum re-opened its doors on 24 June 2015. Named ‘The Time Machine’ it is a modern structure that in its first year attracted more than 100 thousand visitors thanks to a fascinating exhibition that tells the history of Alfa Romeo. As such, the Museum is not only for the ‘Alfisti’, but also caters to a wider audience that includes the new generations. Still, the forty year celebration in December included a special event for the ‘Alfisti’… Alfa enthusiasts who drove an Alfa Romeo built during the ’76 model year participated in the parade on the test track next to the museum.
The museum is in Arese (Milan), Viale Alfa Romeo.
Opening Time: Open daily from 10 am to 18 pm. Closed on Tuesday.
For info: website www.museoalfaromeo.com Tel .: 02 4442 5511
Below, note that there are links in the captions to related articles.
Vittorio Jano’s GP Tipo P2 (1925)
Alfa Romeo GP Tipo P2 engine, 1925 (1987cc 155hp at 5500rpm) Read More
Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza (2336cc 165hp at 5400 rpm)