Alfa Romeo 12C-36 Tipo C.

Alfa Romeo 12C-36 Tipo C.

Constructor:	Vittorio Jano
Predecessor:	Alfa Romeo 8C-35 Type C.
Successor:	Alfa Romeo Tipo 308
Technical specifications
Chassis:	conventional lead frame
Engine:	• AR V12 60 °, 4064 cm³ with Roots compressor • AR V12 60 °, 4475 cm³ with Roots compressor
Wheelbase:	• 12C-36: 2750 mm • 12C-37: 2850 mm
Weight:	• 12C-36: 818 kg • 12C-37: 808 kg
Tires:	Pirelli
Petrol:	petrol
statistics
Driver:	Tazio Nuvolari Carlo Felice Trossi Antonio Brivio
Starts Victories Poles SR tba tba tba tba
World Cup points:	-
Podiums:	-
Leadership laps:	k. A. / tba

The Alfa Romeo 12C or " Tipo C " was a Grand Prix racing car with a twelve-cylinder engine from the Italian car manufacturer Alfa Romeo , which was produced in ten copies from 1936 to 1937 (six versions 12C-36 and four versions 12C-37).

backgrounds

With the appearance of the German Grand Prix teams from Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union supported by the Nazi regime , Alfa Romeo's dominance gradually began to wane. In the sports car and GP series, Vittorio Janos' outstanding eight-cylinder engine had dominated in the early 1930s, resulting in four Le Mans victories in a row for the 8C 2300 and many Grand Prix victories for the Tipo B "P3" led. At the end of 1934 the situation had finally turned: Mercedes-Benz W 25 and Auto Union Type B now dominated the field. While the Alfa Romeo drivers continued to fight in 1935, the factory was busy building a new chassis and engine.

Racing history

The 12C-36 made its debut at the Gran Premio di Tripoli in 1936 and the 12C-37 at the Coppa Acerbo in 1937 . The 12C-36 was equipped with the new V12 engine instead of the 3.8-liter eight-cylinder in- line engine of the previous 8C-35 model . The 12C-37 was a newly developed car with a lower chassis and an engine whose displacement had been expanded to 4475 cc. The engine now had roller bearings instead of plain bearings and two smaller compressors instead of a single large one.

The car suffered from poor handling that could not be improved in time for the 1937 Italian Grand Prix and was therefore unsuccessful. That was also the reason for the resignation of chief designer Vittorio Jano at Alfa Romeo at the end of 1937.

Whereabouts

The 12C-36 was built on the existing six Tipo-C chassis of the previous model. Four new chassis for the 12C-37 were created, although only two were actually used for the Coppa Acerbo and the Italian Grand Prix of 1937. At the beginning of 1938 the remaining Tipo-C chassis (8C-35, 12C-36) were converted into vehicles of the Tipo 308 , with the eight-cylinder engine placed deeper in the chassis, the body being completely new. The four still available 12C-37 chassis were converted into Formula racing cars as Tipo 312 (V12 reduced to 3 liters) and Tipo 316 (V16, composed of two 158 engines with a common crankcase).

successes

year	run	route	driver
1936	Gran Premio de Penya Rhin	Circuit de Montjuïc	Tazio Nuvolari
	Gran Premio di Milano	Parco Sempione	Tazio Nuvolari
	Gran Premio di Modena	Circuito di Modena	Tazio Nuvolari
	Vanderbilt Cup	Roosevelt Raceway	Tazio Nuvolari
1937	Gran Premio di Milano	Parco Sempione	Tazio Nuvolari
	Gran Premio del Valentino	Parco del Valentino	Antonio Brivio
	Gran Premio di Napoli	Circuito di Napoli	Giuseppe Farina
	Mountain race Parma – Poggio di Berceto	Parma - Berceto	Mario Tadini
	Gran Premio della Superba	Circuito della Superba	Carlo Felice Trossi

All wins with the 12C-36

Technical information

The table below lists the main differences and similarities between the two versions.

	Alfa Romeo 12C-36	Alfa Romeo 12C-37
engine	12-cylinder V-engine 60º	12-cylinder V-engine 60º
Displacement	4064 cc / 248 cu in	4495 cc / 274.3 cu in
Bore × stroke	70.0 mm × 88.0 mm	72.0 mm × 92.0 mm
Compression ratio	7.1: 1	7.3: 1
Power at 1 / min	370 PS (276 kW) at 5800 rpm	430 PS (321 kW) at 5800 rpm
Valve control	two overhead camshafts / 2 valves per cylinder	two overhead camshafts / 2 valves per cylinder
Mixture preparation	2 Weber-50-DCO carburettors , Roots blower	2 Weber carburettors , double Roots blowers
cooling	water
transmission	4-speed gearbox, not synchronized (rear-wheel drive)
Brakes	hydraulically operated drum brakes on all wheels
Front suspension	Crank arm axle , coil springs, hydraulic shock absorbers	Cross arms, coil springs, hydraulic dampers
Rear suspension	Pendulum axle , transverse leaf spring, friction and hydraulic dampers	Pendulum axle , semi-elliptical transverse leaf springs, hydraulic telescopic dampers, friction dampers
Body and frame	Aluminum body on a ladder frame
wheelbase	2750 mm	2800 mm
Track width front / rear	1350 mm / 1350 mm	1370 mm / 1430 mm
Front tire size	6.5 × 18	-
Rear tire size	6.5 × 19	-
Dimensions L × W × H	4200 mm × 1520 mm × 1215 mm	4240 mm × k. A. × 1130 mm
Empty weight (without driver)	820 kg	810 kg
Tank capacity	170 liters	-
Fuel consumption	-	-
Top speed	290 km / h (180 mph)	310 km / h (193 mph)

Web links

Commons : Alfa Romeo 12C  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Ultimatecarpage.com information on type 12C-36. Accessed June 1, 2020
• Ultimatecarpage.com information on type 12C-37. Accessed June 1, 2020
• 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Grand Prix - First and Third Alfa Romeo 12C Original report on YouTube . Accessed June 1, 2020
• Alfa Romeo 12C de 1936 - Autosital report on the type 12C-36. On YouTube . Accessed June 1, 2020 (French)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ 1936 Alfa Romeo 12C 36 - Images, Specifications and Information. Retrieved June 1, 2020 . 
2. ↑ CARS (PART 1) ALFA ROMEO. April 19, 2007, accessed June 1, 2020 . 
3. ↑ 1936 Alfa Romeo 12C 36 Specifications. Retrieved June 1, 2020 . 
4. ↑ 1937 Alfa Romeo 12C 37 Specifications. Retrieved June 1, 2020 .