1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B

The lineage of the Alfa Rome 8C 2900 stretches back to the 1920s with the competition-oriented P3 and forged from the numerous race victories achieved in the early to mid-1930s by the 8C 2300s. The 8C 2900 was modern, advanced, refined, and exciting; the pinnacle sports car of its era.

The 8C, first used on the 8C 2300 of 1931, was powered by a 2.3-liter eight-cylinder engine initially built as a racing car. In competition, Tazio Nuvolari drove an 8C 2300 Spider to victory in the 1931 and 1932 Targa Florio in Sicily. A victory in 1931 at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza earned the twin-seater GP car the name, 'Monza.' A Le Mans version was in honor of the 1931 Le Mans 24 Hour victory by Henry Birkin, a name that was further reinforced with three more victories in 1932, 1933, and 1934 by drives that included Luigi Chinetti.

The Vittorio Jano designed eight-cylinder engine would eventually grow to 2,905cc, primarily by increasing the stroke. Jano's career at Alfa Romeo began in the early 1920s when he designed an 8-cylinder engine to be used in the P2 Grand Prix car, which won Alfa Romeo the inaugural world championship for Grand Prix cars in 1925. He produced the P3 model in 1932 which earned Enzo Ferrari many victories and podium finished when he began Scuderia Ferrari in 1933.

The P2 engine would form the basis for a series of 4-, 6-, and 8-cylinder inline power plants of various displacement sizes. They used light-alloy construction, centrally located plugs, two rows of overhead valves per cylinder bank, dual overhead cams, and hemispherical combustion chambers. For the 8C, the engine was formed by mounting two alloy blocks of four-cylinders on a single crankcase. An alloy head with two camshafts rested on top of the two blocks. Additional power was sourced from the two Roots-Type superchargers. Stopping power was provided by hydraulic drum brakes.

An eight-cylinder Alfa Romeos enjoyed a dominant reign in Grand Prix competition during the 1930s until the well funded German Grand Prix teams began to dislodge the euphoria. With a tried-and-true potent engine, Alfa Romeo turned its attention on sportscar and road racing, including the Mille Miglia.

Alfa Romeo built six road racers, later dubbed the 8C 2900A, and outfitted similarly to the specifications of the Grand Prix racers. They received an all-round independent suspension, with swing-axles at the rear and wishbones in the front. The 2.9-liter eight-cylinder engine delivered 220 horsepower. Three examples were entered in 1936 Mille Miglia where they quickly assumed the top three positions, with the car driven by Brivio and Ongaro eventually finishing in first. A repeat victory was scored the following year.

Not resting on their laurels, Alfa Romeo offered a road-going customer version called the 8C 2900B powered by a slightly de-tuned engine that was better suited for road use. A 2800mm short wheelbase (Corto) and 3000 mm long wheelbase (Lungo) version were offered with most receiving coachwork by Touring in Roadster, Spyder, and Berlinetta body styles. The economic climate, forthcoming hostilities and onset of World War II, and its high price, the 8C 2900B was produced in very small numbers with just 10 Lungo and 20 Corto chassis built. Approximately 32 examples of the 2.9 chassis were built, with one being a Spider by Pinin Farina. Twelve were Touring Spiders built on the long chassis. They were often given curvaceous proportions, steeply raked windscreen and grille, with rear wheels often shaded by fitted spats. The back of the vehicle appeared to be tucked between the fenders, and upfront were long flowing pontoon fenders.

With racing in its DNA, the 8C 2900B scored a victory in 1938 and 1947 at the Mille Miglia.

With competition prowess and undeniable beauty, the 8C 2900 was a paragon of its era.

by Daniel Vaughan | May 2020