Alfa Romeo Tipo 512

Alfa Romeo Tipo 512

Constructor:	Wifredo Ricart Gioacchino Colombo
Technical specifications
Chassis:	Aluminum body, tubular steel frame
Engine:	180º V12, 1490 cc, Roots compressor
Length:	4320 mm
Width:	1500 mm
Height:	1050 mm
Wheelbase:	2450 mm
Weight:	710 kg
statistics
Starts Victories Poles SR - - - -
World Cup points:	k. A. / tba
Podiums:	-
Leadership laps:	k. A. / tba

The Alfa Romeo Tipo 512 was a single-seat racing car (" Monoposto "), which was intended as the successor to the Alfa Romeo 158 "Alfetta". The design came from Wifredo Ricart and was (after the Alfa Romeo Tipo 162 with V16 engine) his second work for Alfa Romeo. The Tipo 512 was the first mid-engined Alfa Romeo model .

backgrounds

In the second half of the 1930s, so-called “Voiturette racing” became increasingly popular. Voiturettes (Eng. "Wägelchen") were smaller Grand Prix racing cars. There was a 3 liter limit for the large vehicles and 1.5 liters for the Voiturettes. The rising costs in the 3-liter class and the dominance of Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union made the 1.5-liter class an interesting alternative for the financially weaker teams. The first Voiturette racing car from Alfa Romeo was the 158, which was nicknamed "Alfetta" (meaning "small Alfa" or "Alfachen") and was used from 1938.

Development and technology

When it became clear at the end of the 1930s that the Grand Prix races would no longer be held on the basis of the 3-liter formula, but rather according to the 1.5-liter regulations, Wifredo Ricart and Gioacchino Colombo began work to replace the 158th Inspired by the Auto Union racing cars, Alfa Romeo opted for a mid-engined design. This concept wasn't the only innovation for an Alfa Romeo; the engine was completely new too.

In order to shift the center of gravity of the 512 down as far as possible, a completely new, very flat 12-cylinder engine (a 180-degree V12) was designed. Its stroke of just 54.2 mm was the shortest that Alfa Romeo used in a pre-war Grand Prix racing car. With the help of two compressors, the 1490 cm³ engine developed 335 hp at 8600 rpm, which corresponds to over 200 hp per liter of displacement. The engine was directly connected to a five-speed gearbox and a DeDion rear axle . The front wheels had independent suspension . The car had large, hydraulically operated drum brakes on all wheels .

The potential of this machine cannot be clearly assessed because it was a prototype. The following data are published in the Museo storico Alfa Romeo in Arese : maximum power (estimated) 500 PS (373 kW) at 11,000 rpm and a top speed of over 350 km / h.

history

A first prototype of the Tipo 512 was completed in 1940 and tested on September 12, 1940 by Alfa Romeo's chief test driver Consalvo Sanesi . The engine was very powerful, but the handling was felt to be poor. On June 19, 1940, Alfa Romeo test driver Attilio Marinoni had a fatal accident while testing the 512 suspension in an Alfetta 158.

The development was interrupted by the Second World War. A second chassis was built, but the car was not used. After the war, Alfa Romeo started again with the 158 and won the first Formula 1 World Championship with this type, for which the 512 was originally developed. Wilfredo Ricart returned to Spain to start his own automotive company Pegaso . Colombo switched to Ferrari and designed a V12 engine that was used until the 1960s.

Only two prototypes of the Tipo 512 were built and are on display in the Museo storico Alfa Romeo and the National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci .

gallery

Recordings of the specimen exhibited in the National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci .

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Technical information

	Alfa Romeo Tipo 512
engine	180 V12 (block and heads light metal)
Displacement	1490 cc / 90.9 cu in
Bore × stroke	54.0 mm x 54.2 mm
Compression ratio	6.6: 1
Torque :	unknown
Power at 1 / min	335 hp (250 kW) at 8600 rpm
HP per liter of displacement:	225 hp
Valve control	two overhead camshafts / 2 valves per cylinder
Mixture preparation	Carburetor / Roots Compressor
cooling	water
transmission	5-speed gearbox (rear wheel drive)
Brakes	Drum brakes on all wheels
Front suspension	Wishbone , Längstorsionsstab , friction dampers , hydraulic shock absorbers
Rear suspension	De-Dion axle , longitudinal torsion bar, friction damper, telescopic shock absorber
Body and frame	Aluminum body, tubular steel frame
wheelbase	2450 mm
Track width front / rear	1320 mm / 1310 mm
Front tire size	unknown
Rear tire size	unknown
Dimensions L × W × H	4320 mm × 1500 mm × 1050 mm
Empty weight (without driver)	710 kg
Tank capacity	unknown
Fuel consumption	unknown
Top speed	over 350 km / h
Power-to-weight ratio (PS / kg)	0.47 hp / kg

Web links

Commons : Alfa Romeo Tipo 512  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Ultimatecarpage.com . Retrieved June 10, 2020
• Alfa Romeo information. Retrieved June 11, 2020
• Alfa Romeo GP Tipo 512 - 1940 "Walk around". On YouTube . Retrieved June 11, 2020
• Alfa Romeo Tipo 512 Information about Tipo 512. On YouTube . Retrieved June 11, 2020 (en)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ 1940 - 1941 Alfa Romeo 512 - Images, Specifications and Information. Retrieved June 10, 2020 . 
2. ^ Griffith Borgeson, (2002). The Alfa Romeo Tradition . Somerset, England: Haynes Publishing Group. 0-85429-875-4.
3. ↑ 8W - Why? - Rear-mounted engines. Retrieved June 11, 2020 . 
4. ↑ 1940 - 1941 Alfa Romeo 512 - Images, Specifications and Information. Retrieved June 11, 2020 . 
5. ↑ 8W - Why? - Rear-mounted engines. October 28, 2008, accessed June 11, 2020 . 
6. ↑ 1940 - 1941 Alfa Romeo 512 Specifications. Retrieved June 11, 2020 .