Alfa Romeo in motorsport
Encyclopedia
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
has competed successfully in many different categories of motorsport, including Grand Prix motor racing
Grand Prix motor racing
Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
, Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
, sportscar racing, touring car racing
Touring car racing
Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. It is notably popular in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Scandinavia and Britain.-Characteristics of a touring car:...
and rallies
Rallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
. They have competed both as a constructor and an engine supplier, via works entries (usually under the name Alfa Corse
Alfa Corse
Alfa Corse is the name of Alfa Romeo's factory racing team. Throughout the years, Alfa Corse has competed in various forms of motorsport, from Grand Prix motor racing to touring car racing....
or Autodelta
Autodelta
Autodelta SpA was the name of Alfa Romeo's competition department. Established in 1961 as Auto-Delta, the company was started by Carlo Chiti, a former Alfa Romeo and Ferrari engineer, and Ludovico Chizzola, an official Alfa Romeo dealer. The team was officially made a department of Alfa Romeo on...
) and private entries. The first racing car was made in 1913, three years after the foundation of A.L.F.A., the 40-60HP
A.L.F.A 40/60 HP
The A.L.F.A 40/60 HP was a race and road car made by Italian car manufacturer A.L.F.A . This model was made between 1913 and 1922 and was designed by Giuseppe Merosi, just like all other Alfas at that time. The 40/60 HP has a 6082 cc straight-4 engine with overhead valves, which produced and its...
had 6 liter straight-4 engine. Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
quickly gained a good name in motorsport and gave a sporty image to the whole marque.
Pre-War
Early history
Alfa Romeo started motor racing almost immediately after it was founded. A.L.F.A. ventured into motor racing in 1911, with drivers Franchini and Ronzoni competing in the Targa Florio with two 24 HPA.L.F.A 24 HP
The A.L.F.A 24 HP came on the market in 1910. This was the first automobile created by A.L.F.A . Giuseppe Merosi was the man behind engineering. The car was used for the first time in car racing in the 1911 Targa Florio. This was first commercial success for the company and the timeline of the HP...
models. The marque's first success came in 1913 when Nino Franchini finished second in Parma-Poggio Berceto race with a 40-60HP
A.L.F.A 40/60 HP
The A.L.F.A 40/60 HP was a race and road car made by Italian car manufacturer A.L.F.A . This model was made between 1913 and 1922 and was designed by Giuseppe Merosi, just like all other Alfas at that time. The 40/60 HP has a 6082 cc straight-4 engine with overhead valves, which produced and its...
. Giuseppe Merosi
Giuseppe Merosi
Giuseppe Merosi was a famous Italian automobile engineer.Born in Piacenza, Merosi trained as a building surveyor, before he discovered his gift for the automotive engineering. He gained first experiences at Bianchi and the running department of Fiats...
built a very advanced racing car in 1914, which was named the Grand Prix
Alfa Romeo Grand Prix
A.L.F.A. 40/60 GP or GP was a fully working early racing car prototype made by the company now called Alfa Romeo. Only one example was built in 1914, which was later modified in 1921. This was creation of Giuseppe Merosi and was first Alfa Romeo DOHC engine. It had also four valves per cylinder,...
. In 1920 Giuseppe Campari
Giuseppe Campari
Giuseppe Campari was an Italian opera singer and Grand Prix motor racing driver.-Racing career:Born Giuseppe Campari near the city of Lodi southwest of Milan, as a teenager he went to work for the Alfa Romeo automobile company...
won the race at Mugello with a 40-60HP
A.L.F.A 40/60 HP
The A.L.F.A 40/60 HP was a race and road car made by Italian car manufacturer A.L.F.A . This model was made between 1913 and 1922 and was designed by Giuseppe Merosi, just like all other Alfas at that time. The 40/60 HP has a 6082 cc straight-4 engine with overhead valves, which produced and its...
, whilst Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Anselmo Ferrari Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian race car driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari car manufacturer...
was second in Targa Florio
Targa Florio
The Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973...
in the same year. A year later Giuseppe Campari won at Mugello again. Ugo Sivocci
Ugo Sivocci
Ugo Sivocci was an Italian race car driver.Born in Salerno, Sivocci started his racing career with bicycle racing. After World War I, he worked as an auto mechanic in Milan. Being a friend of Enzo Ferrari, he was hired by Alfa Romeo in 1920 to drive Alfa in three-man works team: with Antonio...
won the 1923 Targa Florio
Targa Florio
The Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973...
with an RL
Alfa Romeo RL
The Alfa Romeo RL was produced between 1922-1927. It was Alfa's first sport model after World War I. The car was designed in 1921 by Giuseppe Merosi. It had a straight-6 engine with overhead valves...
and Antonio Ascari
Antonio Ascari
Antonio Ascari was an Italian Grand Prix motor racing champion.Antonio Ascari was born near Mantua, in the Lombardy region of Italy, as the son of a corn dealer. He began racing cars at the top levels in Italy in 1919, using a modified 1914 Fiat...
took second. Sivocci's car was painted with the green cloverleaf on a white background that was to become Alfa's good luck token.
Grand Prix racing
In 1923 Vittorio JanoVittorio Jano
Vittorio Jano was an Italian automobile designer of Hungarian descent from the 1920s through 1960s.Jano was born Viktor János in San Giorgio Canavese, in Piedmont, to Hungarian immigrants, who arrived there several years before the birth of Jano. He began his career at the car and truck company...
was lured to Alfa from Fiat, designing the motors that gave Alfa racing success into the late 1930s. (When Alfa began to lose in the late 1930s Jano was promptly sacked.)
In 1925 Alfa Romeo won the first Automobile World Championship
World Manufacturers' Championship
The World Manufacturers' Championship was a competition organised by the AIACR between 1925 and 1927.-Scoring system:Unlike the modern Formula One points system, the championship awarded fewer points for higher finishes; the champion would be the manufacturer which ended the season on the lowest...
in the history of automobile racing. Over 4 rounds the Alfa Romeo P2
Alfa Romeo P2
The Alfa Romeo P2 won the inaugural Automobile World Championship in 1925, taking victory in two of the four championship rounds when Antonio Ascari drove it in the European Grand Prix at Spa and Gastone Brilli-Peri won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza after Ascari died while leading the intervening...
won the European Grand Prix
European Grand Prix
The European Grand Prix is a Formula One event that was reintroduced during the mid-1980s and has been held regularly since 1999. From 2008 it will take place for at least another 7 years...
at Spa
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours endurance race. It is also home to the all Volkswagen club event, 25 Hours of Spa, run by the Uniroyal Fun Cup. It is one of the most challenging race tracks in the world, mainly due to its...
and the Italian Grand Prix
Italian Grand Prix
The Italian Grand Prix is one of the longest running events on the motor racing calendar. The first Italian Grand Prix motor racing championship took place on 4 September 1921 at Brescia...
at Monza
Monza
Monza is a city and comune on the river Lambro, a tributary of the Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy some 15 km north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Monza and Brianza. It is best known for its Grand Prix motor racing circuit, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.On June...
, and hence incorporated the laurel wreath in their logo.
For 1932 Jano produced the sensational P3
Alfa Romeo P3
The Alfa Romeo P3, P3 monoposto or Tipo B was a classic Grand Prix car designed by Vittorio Jano, one of the Alfa Romeo 8C models. The P3 was first genuine single-seat Grand Prix racing car and Alfa Romeo's second monoposto after Tipo A monoposto . It was based on the earlier successful Alfa Romeo P2...
which won its first race driven by Tazio Nuvolari
Tazio Nuvolari
Tazio Giorgio Nuvolari was an Italian motorcycle and racecar driver, known as Il Mantovano Volante or Nivola. He was the 1932 European Champion in Grand Prix motor racing...
at the Italian Grand Prix
Italian Grand Prix
The Italian Grand Prix is one of the longest running events on the motor racing calendar. The first Italian Grand Prix motor racing championship took place on 4 September 1921 at Brescia...
, 5 more Grands Prix that year were shared by Nuvolari and Rudolf Caracciola
Rudolf Caracciola
Otto Wilhelm Rudolf Caracciola , more commonly Rudolf Caracciola , was a racing driver from Remagen, Germany. He won the European Drivers' Championship, the pre-1950 equivalent of the modern Formula One World Championship, an unsurpassed three times...
.
Alfa Corse closed for 1933 and locked the cars in the factory, but they eventually transferred them to Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Anselmo Ferrari Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian race car driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari car manufacturer...
's now privatised 'factory' team Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
. P3s then won six of the final 11 events of the season including the final 2 major Grands Prix in Italy and Spain.
In 1934 Louis Chiron
Louis Chiron
Louis Alexandre Chiron was a Grand Prix driver.-Career:As a teenager, Louis Chiron fell in love with cars and racing. He learned to drive at a young age and joined the Grand Prix circuit after World War I where he had been requisitioned from the artillery section to serve as a chauffeur...
won the French Grand Prix
French Grand Prix
The French Grand Prix was a race held as part of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One automobile racing championships....
in the P3
Alfa Romeo P3
The Alfa Romeo P3, P3 monoposto or Tipo B was a classic Grand Prix car designed by Vittorio Jano, one of the Alfa Romeo 8C models. The P3 was first genuine single-seat Grand Prix racing car and Alfa Romeo's second monoposto after Tipo A monoposto . It was based on the earlier successful Alfa Romeo P2...
whilst the German Silver Arrows
Silver Arrows
Silver Arrows was the name given by the press to Germany's dominant Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union Grand Prix motor racing cars between 1934 and 1939, and also later applied to the Mercedes-Benz Formula One and sports cars in 1954/55.For decades until the introduction of sponsorship liveries, each...
dominated the other 4 championship events. However the P3s won 18 of the 35 Grands Prix held throughout Europe. 1935 was even tougher, the P3 was simply outclassed by the remorseless Silver Arrows, but Tazio Nuvolari
Tazio Nuvolari
Tazio Giorgio Nuvolari was an Italian motorcycle and racecar driver, known as Il Mantovano Volante or Nivola. He was the 1932 European Champion in Grand Prix motor racing...
gave the P3
Alfa Romeo P3
The Alfa Romeo P3, P3 monoposto or Tipo B was a classic Grand Prix car designed by Vittorio Jano, one of the Alfa Romeo 8C models. The P3 was first genuine single-seat Grand Prix racing car and Alfa Romeo's second monoposto after Tipo A monoposto . It was based on the earlier successful Alfa Romeo P2...
one of the most legendary victories of all time by winning the 1935 German Grand Prix
1935 German Grand Prix
The 1935 German Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at the Nürburgring on July 28, 1935.- Race :- Starting grid positions :-Notes:*Ernst von Delius destroyed his car during practice, so shared Mays' car in the race....
at the Nürburgring
Nürburgring
The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about...
. The P3 managed 16 victories in 1935.
Sportscar racing
In the 1930s Tazio NuvolariTazio Nuvolari
Tazio Giorgio Nuvolari was an Italian motorcycle and racecar driver, known as Il Mantovano Volante or Nivola. He was the 1932 European Champion in Grand Prix motor racing...
won the Mille Miglia
Mille Miglia
The Mille Miglia was an open-road endurance race which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 ....
in a 6C 1750
Alfa Romeo 6C
The Alfa Romeo 6C name was used on road, race and sports cars made between 1925–1954 by Alfa Romeo. 6C refers to a straight 6 engine. Bodies for these cars were made by coachbuilders such as James Young, Zagato, Touring, Castagna, and Pininfarina...
, crossing the finishing line after having incredibly overtaken Achille Varzi
Achille Varzi
Achille Varzi , was an Italian Grand Prix driver.-Career:Born in Galliate, province of Novara , Achille Varzi was the son of a prosperous textile manufacturer...
without lights (at nighttime). Targa Florio was won six times in row in 1930s. Mille Miglia was won in every year between 1928 and 1938 except year 1931.
The 8C 2300
Alfa Romeo 8C
-1935 Monoposto 8C 35 Type C:Eight 3.8 litre versions, sharing no castings with the earlier blocks, were individually built for racing in five months, most being used in the Alfa Romeo Monoposto 8C 35 Type C, as raced by Scuderia Ferrari. The 3.8 produced at 5500 rpm, and had from...
won the Le Mans 24 Hours from 1931 to 1934, with Alfa Romeo withdrawing from racing in 1933 when the Italian government took over, and the racing of Alfas was then taken up by Scuderia Ferrari as Alfa's outsourced team. (Enzo Ferrari drove for Alfa before he went on to manage the team, and after that went on to manufacture his own cars.)
In 1935 Alfa Romeo won the German Grand Prix with Nuvolari.
In 1938 Biondetti won the Mille Miglia in an 8C 2900B Corto Spider, thereafter referred to as the "Mille Miglia" model.
Formula One
Alfa Romeo participated in Formula OneFormula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
, both as a constructor and engine supplier, from to .
The works Alfa Romeo team dominated the first two years of the Formula One World Championship, using the pre-war Alfetta
Alfa Romeo 158/159 Alfetta
The Alfa Romeo 158/159, also known as the Alfetta , is one of the most successful racing cars ever produced. The 158 and its derivative, the 159, took 47 wins from 54 Grands Prix entered. It was originally developed for the pre-World War II voiturette formula and has a 1.5 litre straight-8...
, but withdrew from Formula One at the end of .
During the 1960s, several minor F1 teams used Alfa Romeo straight-4
Straight-4
The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
engines and a V8 Alfa Romeo appeared in McLaren and March
March Engineering
March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from the United Kingdom. Although only moderately successful in Grand Prix competition, March racing cars enjoyed much better achievement in other categories of competition including Formula Two, Formula Three,...
cars in the early 1970s.
The Brabham team used Alfa Romeo engines from to , foreshadowing a return by Alfa Romeo as a constructor from to .
For the 1987 season, Alfa Romeo made a deal to supply engines to Ligier, but the deal was cancelled when Fiat took control of Alfa Romeo.
Alfa Romeo also supplied engines to the tiny and unsuccessful Italian Osella
Osella
Osella is an Italian racing car manufacturer and former Formula One team based in Volpiano near Turin, Italy. They participated in 132 Grands Prix between 1980 and 1990...
team from 1983 to 1988.
Formula Three
Alfa Romeo has also supplied engines to Formula ThreeFormula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
cars. Piercarlo Ghinzani
Piercarlo Ghinzani
Piercarlo Ghinzani is a former racing driver from Italy. He currently manages his own racing team, Team Ghinzani, which was created in 1992 and is currently involved in several Formula Three championships....
driving Euroracing March 793 with 2 litre Alfa engine won straight away its
first season in Italian F3 serie in 1979.
Michele Alboreto
Michele Alboreto
Michele Alboreto was an Italian racing driver. He is famous for finishing runner up to Alain Prost in the 1985 Formula One World Championship, as well as winning the 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans and 2001 12 Hours of Sebring sports car races...
won the European title in 1980 with March
March Engineering
March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from the United Kingdom. Although only moderately successful in Grand Prix competition, March racing cars enjoyed much better achievement in other categories of competition including Formula Two, Formula Three,...
Alfa Romeo.
Altogether Alfa Romeo engined cars took 5 consecutive wins between 1980-1984. Alfa Romeo's new Twin Spark Formula Three engine arrived in 1987 and it continued the success
and took five European titles, five European cups and about twenty national championships in Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Scandinavia.
Indycars
From 1989 to 1991, Alfa Romeo supplied engines to the IndyCar World SeriesChamp Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
. The 2648 cc, turbocharged V8 engine produced 720 bhp, and was partly developed from the unraced Ferrari 637
Ferrari 637
The Ferrari 637 was a Ferrari racing car designed to run in the American CART series. It was designed by Gustav Brunner and, although tested and unveiled to the press in 1986, it never raced.-Background:...
Indy car. The engine was mated to a chassis specially built by March
March Engineering
March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from the United Kingdom. Although only moderately successful in Grand Prix competition, March racing cars enjoyed much better achievement in other categories of competition including Formula Two, Formula Three,...
and prepared by Alex Morales Motorsports in 1989, with Roberto Guerrero
Roberto Guerrero
Roberto José Guerrero Isaza is a former racing driver from Colombia. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982...
at the wheel. Guerrero only managed a best of 8th place at Detroit, before both driver and engine moved onto Patrick Racing
Patrick Racing
Patrick Racing was an auto racing team in both Champ Car and the Indy Racing League.Patrick Racing was started by Pat Patrick with the formation of CART in 1978. Patrick Racing would win three Indianapolis 500s and two CART championships, making it one of the most successful CART teams ever.In...
for 1990, again with a March chassis. That season proved to be an improvement, as Guerrero finished 16th place in the points standings, with a best finish of 5th place. The next year would be Alfa's last. The team switched to a Lola chassis, and Danny Sullivan
Danny Sullivan
Daniel John "Danny" Sullivan III is a former racing driver from the United States. He is best known for winning the 1985 Indianapolis 500.-Before racing:...
took over the drive, finishing 11th in the points, with a best finish of 4th. In the end, Alfa Romeo would finish its Champ Car project without scoring a single podium, pole position or race win.
Rally
Alfa Romeo cars has been used in rallying also, mostly with private teams. In 1958 Alfa Romeo GiuliettaAlfa Romeo Giulietta
The Alfa Romeo Giulietta was a subcompact automobile manufactured by the Italian car maker Alfa Romeo from 1954 to 1965. The Giulietta was introduced at the Turin Motor Show in 1954 and almost 132,000 were built in the Portello factory in Milan.The first Giulietta model was a coupé, the Giulietta...
won the Rally Finland
Rally Finland
The Neste Oil Rally Finland is a rally event driven in the Jyväskylä area in Central Finland. It is the biggest annually organised public event in the Nordic countries, gathering over 500,000 spectators every year....
. Racing versions of the Alfetta GT and GTV were built by Autodelta in 1970s, initially with the normally aspirated engine from the earlier GTAm
Alfa Romeo GTA
The GTA 1300 Junior had a 1300 cc engine that was based on the 1600 engine but with a short stroke crankshaft. The GTA Junior in stradale form did not have many of the light weight features of the 1600 GTA, such as the plastic windows, magnesium engine components and alloy wheels. At start...
racer, for homologation under FIA Group 2. In this form they were rallied with moderate success in 1975, winning the Elba and Costa Brava rallies overall, as well as winning the Group 2 category in the World Rally Championship's Corsican event. In 1980 the Alfetta GTV Turbodelta was already homologated in FIA Group 4, since the required number
of production cars had been built. A racing version was campaigned in rallies, but once more the effort was abandoned after a single season, despite scoring a win at the Danube Rally. In 1986 Alfa Romeo GTV6 was one of the fastest Group A
Group A
In relation to motorsport governed by the FIA, Group A referred to a set of regulations providing production-derived vehicles for outright competition. In contrast to the short-lived Group B and Group C, the Group A referred to production-derived vehicles limited in terms of power, weight, allowed...
rally cars. However FIA put it to Group B
Group B
Group B was a set of regulations introduced in 1982 for competition vehicles in sportscar racing and rallying regulated by the FIA. The Group B regulations fostered some of the quickest, most powerful and sophisticated rally cars ever built. However, a series of major accidents, some fatal, were...
in the end of 1986, this made if from winner car to a car which was drawn away from rallying. The GTV6 placed 3rd in 1986 Tour de Corse
Tour de Corse
The Tour de Corse - Rallye de France is a rally first held in 1956 on the island of Corsica. It was part of the World Rally Championship from the inaugural 1973 season to 2008. The name "Tour de Corse" refers to the fact that in the early days it was run around the island; nowadays it only features...
.
Sportscars
On March 6, 1963, Alfa Romeo's racing department, Autodelta, was established, to run Alfa Romeo's sportscar programme, directed by ex-Alfa Romeo and Ferrari engineer, Carlo ChitiCarlo Chiti
Carlo Chiti was an Italian racing car and engine designer. Chiti is best known for his long association with Alfa Romeo's racing department....
. Competing with the Alfa Romeo TZ
Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ
The Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ was a small sports car manufactured by Alfa Romeo from 1963 to 1967. It replaced the Giulietta SZ.- TZ :...
, the team began to collect class wins, but faced strong competition from the Porsche 904
Porsche 904
The Porsche 904 is an automobile which was produced by Porsche in Germany in 1964 and 1965. It was officially called Porsche Carrera GTS due to the same naming rights problem that required renaming the Porsche 901 to Porsche 911.- History :...
and realised they would need a new design if they were to achieve outright victories. Carlo Chiti and the Audodelta team, designed a new 90 degree V8 engine for their Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 sportscar and ultimately a flat-12
Flat-12
A flat-12 is an internal combustion engine in a flat configuration, having 12 cylinders.The flat-12 is wider than a V12...
engine for the Alfa Romeo 33 TT 12. These cars were raced in the World Sportscar Championship
World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...
from 1967 to 1977, with the 3-litre TT 12, winning title in 1975 and SC 12 in 1977.
Touring cars
Alfa Romeo won many touring car series during the 1960s and 70s. The Alfa Romeo GTAAlfa Romeo GTA
The GTA 1300 Junior had a 1300 cc engine that was based on the 1600 engine but with a short stroke crankshaft. The GTA Junior in stradale form did not have many of the light weight features of the 1600 GTA, such as the plastic windows, magnesium engine components and alloy wheels. At start...
won European Touring Car Championship
European Touring Car Championship
The European Touring Car Championship was an international touring car racing series organised by the FIA. It had two incarnations, the first one between 1963 and 1988, and the second between 2000 and 2004...
(ETCC) in 1966, 1967 and 1968 and the later GTAm won titles in 1970 and 1971. Amongst other victories, the GTA won the inaugural Sports Car Club of America
Sports Car Club of America
The Sports Car Club of America is a club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional racers.-History:...
's Trans-Am
Trans-Am Series
The Trans-Am Series is an automobile racing series which was created in 1966 by Sports Car Club of America President John Bishop. Originally known as the Trans-American Sedan Championship it has evolved over time from its original format as a manufacturers championship for modified racing sedans...
championship in 1966 with Horst Kwech
Horst Kwech
Horst Kwech is a race car driver, race car constructor, engineer and inventor known primarily for his several wins and two championships in the early Trans-Am Series races of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1970s.-Biography:...
and Gaston Andrey at the wheel. The Alfetta GTV6 won four European Championship
European Touring Car Championship
The European Touring Car Championship was an international touring car racing series organised by the FIA. It had two incarnations, the first one between 1963 and 1988, and the second between 2000 and 2004...
titles between 1982-1985. The British Touring Car Championship
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
was won in
1983 by Andy Rouse
Andy Rouse
Andrew "Andy" Rouse is an English racing driver, most notably in the BTCC. He won the BTCC in 1975, 1983, 1984 and 1985....
driving with Alfa Romeo GTV6 and in 1994 by Gabriele Tarquini
Gabriele Tarquini
Gabriele Tarquini is a racing driver from Italy. He participated in 78 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on May 3, 1987. He scored 1 championship point, and holds the record for the most failed attempts to qualify...
with Alfa Romeo 155
Alfa Romeo 155
The Alfa Romeo 155 is a compact executive car produced under the Italian Alfa Romeo marque between 1992 and 1998.-Design:Built to replace the 75 and based on the parent Fiat Group's Type Three platform, the 155 was somewhat larger in dimension than the 75 but evolved its styling from that of its...
.
In 1993, the DTM
Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft
The Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft was a touring car racing series held from 1984 to 1996. Originally based in Germany, it held additional rounds elsewhere in Europe and later worldwide....
(Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft) series was won by Nicola Larini
Nicola Larini
Nicola Larini is a racing driver from Italy. He participated in 75 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on September 6, 1987. He finished second in the tragic 1994 San Marino Grand Prix on a substitute outing for Ferrari, but only scored points once more in his career...
with Alfa Romeo 155 V6 TI. The successor to the 155, the 156
Alfa Romeo 156
The Alfa Romeo 156 is a compact executive car introduced by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show as the replacement for the Alfa Romeo 155...
has won the European Touring Car Championship, four times in row from 2000 to 2003.
The Alfa Romeo 159
Alfa Romeo 159
The Alfa Romeo 159 is a compact executive car produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo between 2005 and 2011. The 159 was introduced in production form at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show as a replacement for the successful Alfa Romeo 156. The 159 uses the GM/Fiat Premium platform, shared with...
has also won at Bathurst on three consecutive occasions under the unique fuel category from 2007.
Major victories and championships
Alfa Romeo have won the following major victories and championships:- 5 World Championships (19251925 Grand Prix seasonThe 1925 Grand Prix season was the first AIACR World Manufacturers' Championship season. The championship was won by Alfa Romeo, utilising the P2 model.-World Championship Grands Prix:-Other Grands Prix:-Championship Final Standings:...
, 19501950 Formula One seasonThe 1950 Formula One season included the inaugural FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on May 13, 1950, and ended on September 3 after 7 races...
, 19511951 Formula One seasonThe 1951 Formula One season was the second season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1951 World Championship of Drivers, which commenced on May 27, 1951 and ended on October 28 after eight races...
, 19751975 World Sportscar Championship seasonThe 1975 World Sportscar Championship season was the 23rd season of FIA World Sportscar Championship motor racing. It featured the 1975 World Championship for Makes which was open to Group 5 Sports Cars and Group 4 Special GT Cars. It also included the FIA Cup for GT Cars and the FIA Cup for...
, 19771977 World Sportscar Championship seasonThe 1977 World Sports Car Championship season was part of the 25th FIA World Sportscar Championship. It was a series open-cockpit sports cars. It ran from April 17, 1977 to September 18, 1977, and comprised 8 races total.-World Championship of Makes:...
) - 11 Mille MigliaMille MigliaThe Mille Miglia was an open-road endurance race which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 ....
(1928,1929,1930,1932,1933,1934,1935,1936,1937,1938) - 10 Targa FlorioTarga FlorioThe Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973...
(1923,1930,1931,1932,1933,1934,1935,1950,1971,1975) - 4 24 Hours of Le Mans24 Hours of Le MansThe 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
(19311931 24 Hours of Le MansThe 1931 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 9th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 13 and 14 1931.-Official results:-Disqualified:* #31 failed to complete the final lap of the race in under 30 minutes and was disqualified....
, 19321932 24 Hours of Le MansThe 1932 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 10th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 18 and 19 1932.This race saw the shortening of the circuit to nearly 13.5 km following the creation of a new permanent race track between the pit stretch and Mulsanne, creating the famed Dunlop Curve,...
, 19331933 24 Hours of Le MansThe 1933 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 11th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 17 and 18 1933.The margin of victory for this race was estimated at being 9.5 seconds difference, or approximately 400 meters in terms of overall distance....
, 19341934 24 Hours of Le MansThe 1934 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 12th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 16 and 17 1934.-Official results:-Did Not Finish:-Statistics:* Fastest Lap – #9 Luigi Chinetti / Philippe Étancelin – 5:41* Distance – 2886.938 km...
) - 17 European Touring Car Championships
- 9 Makes Championship
- 4 Drivers' Championships
- 10 Italian F3 Championships
- 10 European F3 Championships
- 5 European F3 Cups
- 8 French F3 Championships
- 3 German F3 Championships
- 1 Giro d'Italia (1988)
- 1 Trans-AmTrans-Am SeriesThe Trans-Am Series is an automobile racing series which was created in 1966 by Sports Car Club of America President John Bishop. Originally known as the Trans-American Sedan Championship it has evolved over time from its original format as a manufacturers championship for modified racing sedans...
championship (1966) - 1 Deutsche Tourenwagen MeisterschaftDeutsche Tourenwagen MeisterschaftThe Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft was a touring car racing series held from 1984 to 1996. Originally based in Germany, it held additional rounds elsewhere in Europe and later worldwide....
(DTM) (1993) - 2 British Touring Car ChampionshipBritish Touring Car ChampionshipThe British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
(BTCC) (1983, 1994) - 5 Spanish Touring Car Championship (1988, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997)
- 2 French Touring Car Championship (1983, 1984)
- 6 Italian Superturismo ChampionshipItalian Superturismo ChampionshipThe Italian Superturismo Championship was Italy's national motorsport series for touring cars. It was established in 1987 and its drivers' title has been held by such notable drivers as Le Mans winner Emanuele Pirro and two-time Champ Car champion Alex Zanardi.-History:Established in 1987 the...
(1988, 1992, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004) - 7 European Historical Gran Turismo Championships
- 4 European Classic Touring Car Championships
- 3 Bathurst Unique Fuel Championships