Alfa Romeo Grand Prix

**Alfa Romeo Grand Prix**
Constructor:	Giuseppe Merosi
Successor:	Alfa Romeo P1
Technical specifications
Engine:	4-cylinder in-line engine ; with 4458 cm³
Width:	1450 mm
Weight:	870 kg
Petrol:	petrol
statistics
Driver:	Antonio Ascari Giuseppe Campari Nino Franchini; ;
World Cup points:	-
Podiums:	-
Leadership laps:	-

Two 40-60s at the Targa Florio : Giuseppe Campari (at the wheel) and Giulio Ramponi on the left , Enzo Ferrari in the middle and Giuseppe Baldoni's 20-30 on the right

The ALFA 40-60 Grand Prix or GP (Grand Prix) was a racing car that was produced by ALFA (later Alfa Romeo ). Only one was built in 1914 and modified in 1921. The Alfa Romeo 40-60 HP served as the basis .

background

The results of the largely standard 40-60 HP at various motorsport events prompted the company to develop a special type that was suitable for participation in Grand Prix races and that would arouse more public interest than the usual endurance races . In 1914, Giuseppe Merosi was therefore commissioned to design a model suitable for this purpose, but using an existing car as a basis, as it would have been too expensive to build a new model from scratch. So in 1914 the ALFA Grand Prix was developed, which was derived from the 40-60 HP and was the first car designed by ALFA that was intended exclusively for competitions.

development

The model was primarily characterized by innovations in terms of engine technology: the ALFA Grand Prix already had two overhead camshafts ( DOHC ) and dual ignition . The powerplant was the first ALFA engine to exhibit these characteristics and was therefore the forerunner of the Alfa Romeo twin- shaft engine and twin-spark ignition system that were manufactured a few decades later. In terms of construction, the engine of the Grand Prix was a four-cylinder in - line engine with a long stroke , 4458 cm³ displacement, four valves per cylinder and an output of 88 hp at 2950 rpm. This engine brought the Grand Prix to a top speed of 140 km / h.

It is common to read that Alfa Romeo's DOHC engines were Vittorio Janos' developments, but the first was Merosi's ALFA GP. This type of engine construction was very innovative for the time and was based on a Peugeot from 1912/1913 designed by the Swiss engineer Ernest Henry . The origin of this type of engine is unclear as other dual overhead cam cars were also manufactured by Sunbeam , Delage and Humber at the time. It wasn't until the 1920s that DOHC engines were installed in Alfa Romeo road vehicles such as the Alfa Romeo 6C .

In the summer of 1914 , the development of the car was so far complete that it was planned to participate in the French Grand Prix , which took place in Lyon . The nomination was withdrawn at the last moment for reasons that were never officially disclosed. It is often said that Italy's delicate international position after the attack in Sarajevo was probably the cause. At the outbreak of World War I , the ALFA leadership decided to sell the 40-60 Grand Prix and suspend the sports program along with automobile production in order to begin manufacturing armaments .

The construction of automobiles began again in 1920 under the new brand name Alfa Romeo. The pre-war models, however, sold poorly because, on the one hand, the shape of the cars was outdated and, on the other hand, there was no advertising through participation in competitions.

The industrial development phase of the company was in full swing and it would have been inconceivable to develop a completely new racing car in a short time. Therefore, the company's new owner, Nicola Romeo , decided to buy back the 40-60 GP and let Merosi rework it so that it could take part in a few races before a new model was completed.

This new version, now called the Alfa Romeo Grand Prix due to the change of ownership , had an output of 102 hp and reached a top speed of almost 150 km / h. Between 1920 and 1921 the GP took part in numerous races with the drivers Nino Franchini , Antonio Ascari and Giuseppe Campari - u. a. with victories at the Parma Berceto hill climb in 1920 and at the Circuito del Mugello in 1921. At the Gran Premio Gentlemen 1921 in Brescia , Campari, who was in the lead from the 11th to the 24th lap, had to retire due to a leak in the radiator.

An "ALFA 40-60 HP tipo corsa" in the Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena

Web links

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

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d David Owen, Grandi Marche - Alfa Romeo, p. 12, Milano, Edizioni Acanthus, 1985,
↑ Maurizio Tabucchi, Alfa Romeo 1910–2010, p. 22, Milano, Giorgio Nada Editore, 2010, ISBN 978-88-7911-502-5
↑ ^a ^b Alessandro Sannia, Alfa Romeo - 100 anni di leggenda, p. 16, Milano, Gribaudo, 2010, ISBN 978-88-7906-972-4
↑ Alfa Romeo Australia | 1910-1920. February 19, 2007, accessed June 24, 2020 .

[:0-1] David Owen, Grandi Marche - Alfa Romeo, p. 12, Milano, Edizioni Acanthus, 1985,

[2] Maurizio Tabucchi, Alfa Romeo 1910–2010, p. 22, Milano, Giorgio Nada Editore, 2010, ISBN 978-88-7911-502-5

[:1-3] Alessandro Sannia, Alfa Romeo - 100 anni di leggenda, p. 16, Milano, Gribaudo, 2010, ISBN 978-88-7906-972-4

[4] Alfa Romeo Australia | 1910-1920. February 19, 2007, accessed June 24, 2020 .