Birth of Alfa Romeo | The Bad Blonde Car History

The birth and pre-war history of Alfa-Romeo #alfaromeo #thebadblonde #8C2900 Founded in 1906 as the Società Anonima Italiana Darracq by French entrepreneur Alexandre Darracq with Italian investors in Milan Italy. Alexandre Darracq was an odd bird. At one point he was producing 10% of all automobiles coming out of France BUT he did not like even like cars or the driving or riding experience. He just liked manufacturing and money. Darracq didn’t think the factory was cranking out enough cars. He sold his part of the assets to his investors and then it would become known as A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili). We wouldn’t see Romeo added to it’s name till 1920. In 1915, the man who make the second half of Alfa Romeo, Nicola Romeo would step onto the scene and run ALFA during WWI producing war munitions, aircraft engines, and other military hardware for the war effort. In 1920, with the Torpedo 20-30hp the name was officially changed to Alfa-Romeo. Also in that same year Giuseppe Campari took first and Enzo Ferrari second at Mugello and Targa Florio respectively. Yes, the legendary cantankerous and talented automotive icon Enzo Ferrari. He had just left Fiat to drive for Alfa Romeo. Enzo was also the one that talked Vittorio Jano to jump ship from Fiat to Alfa Romeo as Chief Engineer in 1923. He would quickly design the P2 and the straight 8 engine that go into to it which would claim the 1925 world championship for GP cars. The p2 powerplant would go on to be the classic configuration for Alfa cars at the time. In 1928 Nicola Romeo left. In 1933 the government took over Alfa Romeo’s making it a national emblem for Mussolini’s Italy. The 1930s were years of beauty for Alfa Romeo, many of its cars were bespoke vehicles for the wealthy with bodies done by the most esteemed carozzeria’s of the time. Let’s talk a bit about the Alfa Romeo 8C, a range of sports, race, and road cars of the 1930s. 8C designating 8 cylinders, from the straight 8 engine configuration designed by Vittorio Jano. This engine was the primary racing engine from 1931-1939. The 8C2300 named in reference to the car’s 2.3L 2336cc engine. It was a car designed for race, and took victory at the Targa Florio and it was it’s victory at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza that gave it the nickname of Monza. Alfa thought, why not sport it up even more and debuted the 8C 2300 Le Mans and with that winning the 1931 Le Mans. (Pictured is one of eight A 1933 8C 2300 Le Mans, saw this at the Simeone Museum) Enzo’s Scuderia Ferrari was the acting race team of Alfa Romeo. The Alfa Romeo Bimotore built by Enzo and Luigi Bazzi was the first car to wear the Ferrari prancing horse badge. In 1935 we would see an unusual racer from Alfa, the Bimotore Scuderia Ferrari, it was powered by two 3.2 liter engines placed at the front and the rear connected by a separate driveshaft to a gear box with two input shafts and two angled output shafts so that each had its own driveshaft. Due to the uneneven weight distribution it handled poorly. It was also hard on petrol and tires. In 1935 we would see the introduction of the famed Alfa Romeo 8C 2900. The 8C2900 was a car designed for competition in particular Alfa had their sights on the Mille Miglia. The 8C 2900A was powered by the 8 cylinder 2.9 liter engine with two superchargers. A year after debuting at the London Motor Show, Scuderia Ferrari entered three 8C 2900s into the 1936 Mille Miglia and took all three pole positions. The following year, two 8C 2900 would take first and second. Only 10 ever made between 1935-1936. In 1937, the 8C 2900B would start production, with two chassis options the corto and lungo. Short and long. The 8C2900 (which I saw this one at the Alfa Museum) 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B Lungo with Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera body. This 8C 2900B Mille Miglia Roadster that won the 1938 Mille Miglia Roadster (Simeone Foundation Automitve Museum) And frankly, it was with the Alfa Romeo 2900B type 35 racers that Alfa peaked. In 1939, Enzo would have a disagreement and be dismissed by Alfa Romeo and we know what else happens in 1939? WWII. During the war Alfa turned to war efforts, producing the Machhi Folgore engines which were essentially the Daimler-Benz 600 series built under license).