Alfa Romeo 16C Bimotore

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Alfa Romeo 16C Bimotore

Constructor: Luigi Bazzi
Arnaldo Roselli
Enrico Beltracchini
Technical specifications
Chassis: conventional lead frame
Engine: Two 8-cylinder in-line
engines with 2905 or 3165 cm³ each
installed in front of and behind
the cockpit
Length: 4200mm
Width: 1510 mm
Height: 1290 mm
Wheelbase: 2800 mm
Weight: 1030 kg
Petrol: petrol
statistics
Driver: Italy 1861Kingdom of Italy (1861-1946) Tazio Nuvolari Louis Chiron Raymond Summer
MonacoMonaco 
FranceFrance 
Starts Victories Poles SR
tba tba tba tba
World Cup points: -
Podiums: -
Leadership laps: k. A. / tba
Template: Infobox racing car / maintenance / old parameters

The Alfa Romeo 16C Bimotore was a single-seat racing car ( monoposto ) that was produced in two copies in 1935.

backgrounds

The "Bimotore" was born from an idea by Enzo Ferrari , who with his racing team Scuderia Ferrari had taken over the operations of the Alfa Romeo racing cars developed by the main plant since 1933. In order to be able to counter the technical superiority of the Mercedes-Benz W 25 and Auto Union Type B, at least on pure high-speed courses such as the Berlin Avus , the Monza racetrack , or the Mellaha racetrack in Tripoli, North Africa , the idea of ​​an over-motorized, but also overly heavy "Bahnrennwagen " (English Track Car ) picked up again, which had already been followed in a similar form during the "formulaless" period up to 1933, for example with the Alfa Romeo Tipo A. For use at the official International Grand Prix , for which a weight limit of 750 kg was set in the current Grand Prix racing formula, such a vehicle was out of the question from the outset.

The task of designing the new car was entrusted in January 1935 to Luigi Bazzi, the technical director of the team that had to design and build it in just four months in order to take part in the Tripoli Grand Prix and the AVUS in Berlin .

construction

Illustration from a contemporary newspaper article

By modifying a chassis of the old Alfa Romeo Tipo B ("P3") , two 8-cylinder engines could be installed, one in front of and one behind the driver. They were coupled with a long shaft and acted on a common clutch and gear . The power was transmitted to the rear wheels via bevel gears via two lateral shafts.

A first example with two engines of 2905 cm³ each was prepared for tests that were carried out on April 10, 1935 by Attilio Marinoni and Tazio Nuvolari on the Brescia-Bergamo motorway section and achieved speeds of more than 280 km / h.

Compared to the press, it was said that they were confident of being able to achieve 340 km / h with a few changes. However, the test drivers recognized the difficulties in power transmission and the distribution imbalance on the axles and reported them to the Scuderia's technology department.

As the project was under great time pressure, there was no time to find new solutions and to experiment with them. The second model under construction received engines with a displacement of 3165 cm³ each and with increased engine power. The total output was 540 hp.

The result was a powerful car with some new features that were required to transfer the power of the two motors to the rear wheels. One of the cars broke some speed records.

Racing history

Nuvolari and Bazzi in front of the AR 16C on June 16, 1935 in Altopascio along the Firenze-Mare motorway. Shortly before trying to set the speed record.

On May 12, 1935, the two "Bimotors" started at the Tripoli Grand Prix on the Mellaha race track. They were driven by Nuvolari and Luis Chiron , who came fourth and fifth with a clear gap to the Mercedes-Benz W 25 from Caracciola and Luigi Fagioli and the Auto Union Type B from Achille Varzi . The main problems were the instability of the cars when accelerating out of the corners because the power was difficult to control, a very restless behavior on the straights that did not allow the engines to be used to the full, and enormous tire consumption: during the race Nuvolari had to change the rear tires eight times. Ultimately, these tire problems also played a key role in ending the project.

After a few modifications to improve the setup, the two cars, driven again by Nuvolari and Chiron, were shown on May 26, 1935 at the “5th International Avus Race ”in Berlin. But the problems were not solved and despite the length of the AVUS straight, Fagioli's Mercedes W 25 B won the race, followed by Chiron's “Bimotore” with a clear gap of one minute and thirty-five seconds. Nuvolari couldn't finish the race.

Nuvolari told Ferrari and Bazzi that further development of the car would not make any real sense and that the "Bimotore" was not a car to compete in GP races. He suggested going back to the outdated "P3" until a new vehicle was (at rest) constructed and ready for use.

How correct he was with this prognosis, he impressively demonstrated with his victory at the VIII. German Grand Prix on July 28, 1935, when he left the German car and driver elite behind at one of the world's most famous motorsport events.

However, the “Bimotore” project could not be discontinued without losing face, without having achieved some valuable results. It was therefore decided to use one of the prototypes to attack the speed records over the "flying kilometer" and the "flying mile". These record attempts are not measured from the start from a standing start, but rather a distance traveled from the initial speed reached in a "start-up zone".

On the Firenze-Mare motorway, Nuvolari reached European records on June 15, 1935 with a speed of 321.428 km / h over the kilometer and 323.125 km / h over the mile. In a test carried out without distance restrictions, it even reached a speed of 364 km / h. Nuvolari had risked accidents twice because of the strong winds and the instability of the car. After reaching this project goal, the "Bimotore" was finally "put on record" in order to use all the energy for the project and the construction of the future "Alfetta".

Whereabouts

A British team bought one of the two "Bimotore"; after the Second World War the car was used as the "Aitken-Alfa-Romeo" with only one engine, mainly in national Formula 1 races in Great Britain. The other vehicle did not find a buyer and was scrapped.

The preserved specimen was rediscovered after various moves, resales and modifications in New Zealand and restored by an English collector in the 1990s. In the 1970s, Alfa Romeo made a replica of the "16C Bimotore" based on the original designs. The replica, which Giuseppe Luraghi commissioned mainly for exhibition purposes in the Museo storico Alfa Romeo , is characterized by a " didactic body " with transparent side panels through which the two engines can be seen.

The main difference between the two cars is the different logos on the grille and on the sides. The replica car bears the newer trademark Alfa Romeo, while the original car is the classic "Scudetto" of Scuderia Ferrari with a rearing horse on a yellow field. In fact, Enzo Ferrari had a closer relationship with both “Bimotore”, as he was able to develop and build them himself for the first time in his workshop in Modena with considerable personal responsibility. He therefore decided to put the cars with his team's trademark on the track and to replace the team name “Alfa Romeo” with “Scuderia Ferrari”. That did not raise any objections at Alfa Romeo at first, probably also in view of the poor results in the races. But when the car set some speed records, photos of Nuvolari in the cockpit of the "16C Bimotore" with the Ferrari logo were published in the international press, sparking strong protests from Alfa Romeo and a furious argument with Enzo Ferrari.

This detail has some historical significance as it is the first time that it depicts the Ferrari symbol as a brand of car and not as a mark of a sports team.

Alfa Romeo 16C Bimotore in the museum

  • The original vehicle with the Ferrari logos and the authentic red spoked wheels

  • The technically 1: 1 replica by Giuseppe Luraghi with insights into the technology

  • Rear view with a view of the second engine

  • Car Musée Enzo Ferrari 0051.JPG

Technical information

Alfa Romeo 16C Bimotore
engine Two 8-cylinder in-line engines, installed in front of and behind the cockpit
Displacement 3165 cm² / 193.1 cu in each
Bore × stroke 71.0 mm × 100.0 mm
Compression ratio 7.0: 1
Power at 1 / min 270 PS (201 kW) each at 5400 rpm
Valve control two overhead camshafts / 2 valves per cylinder
Mixture preparation 2 Weber carburettors each, 1 double Roots blower each
cooling water
transmission 3-speed gearbox, not synchronized (rear-wheel drive)
Brakes hydraulically operated drum brakes on all wheels
Front suspension Independent suspension on the crank arm with transverse leaf springs
Rear suspension  Rigid axle, two longitudinal semi-elliptical leaf springs
Body and frame Aluminum body on a ladder frame
wheelbase 2800 mm
Track width front / rear 1380 mm / 1380 mm
Front tire size -
Rear tire size -
Dimensions L × W × H 4200 mm × 1510 mm × 1290 mm
Empty weight (without driver) 1030 kg
Tank capacity 170 liters
Fuel consumption -
Top speed 321 km / h (199 mph)

Web links

Commons : Alfa Romeo Bimotore  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ 1935 Alfa Romeo Bimotore - Images, Specifications and Information. Retrieved June 2, 2020 .
  2. ↑ 1935 Alfa Romeo Bimotore - Images, Specifications and Information. Retrieved June 2, 2020 .
  3. ↑ 1935 Alfa Romeo Bimotore - Images, Specifications and Information. Retrieved June 2, 2020 .
  4. ↑ The impressive Alfa Romeo 16C Bimotore from 1935 as an exhibit at the “Passione Engadina” event. Retrieved on June 4, 2020 (German).
  5. ^ "Racing Car Development" - Article in MotorSport Magazine, April 1980 (English). Retrieved June 7, 2020 .
  6. ↑ Frank Liew: A TALE OF TWO MOTORS - Alfa Romeo'S 16C Bimotore. January 3, 2017, accessed June 4, 2020 .
  7. ↑ 1935 Alfa Romeo Bimotore Specifications. Retrieved June 4, 2020 .