ALFA ROMEO 8C 2900

1937 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900

In the first half of the 1930s in Mussolini’s Italy a healthy industry had high priority, and so did prestige. At this time Alfa Romeo was in trouble financially but money pumped in by a government agency kept the company afloat. Although priorities were changed to concentrate on aero engines, some effort was spared to develop prestige cars for the late 1930s.

The result was the most brilliant of Alfa Romeos – fast and sleek thoroughbreds which embodied all the company stood for in the world of performance cars. Only a handful were built, and in competitions their performance was matched, or eclipsed, by some less ambitious cars, in part because times were changing.

Introduced in 1935, the first of these used the chassis of the 8C 35 racing car and its independent front suspension, and for a power unit the proven straight eight used in the P3 Grand Prix cars. This was mildly detuned, and in its 2905 cc form it delivered a useful 164 kW at 5300 rpm.

It drove through a normal single propeller shaft with a straightforward differential and half shafts arrangement. The car’s dimensions were exactly the same as the GP single-seater, and in the two-seater the driver was on the right, as was customary for both competition sports cars and high quality cars of the period. In this form, the 2900 was capable of 225 km/h. Six were built in 1935 and a further five sports-racing bodied 2900As were built in 1936.

In 1937 a longer series of 2900Bs was introduced, in two forms: the Corto, a short wheelbase version, and the more spacious Lungo. The engine was detuned again for the production car and power dropped to 134 kW at 5200 rpm. This reduced the top speed to 185 km/h, still highly creditable for a road-going sports car of the 1930s. The Lungo version had a chassis which was 20 cm longer and weighed another 100kg in road trim, but thanks to its magnificent long straight eight engine with the twin blowers driving its rear-mounted four-speed gearbox it could still manage a top speed of almost 177 km/h and carry a variety of sumptuously styled bodies.

The 2900 summed up the unmatchable Alfa blend of performance and style, perhaps better than any other car the company ever made and although only 10 long-wheelbase versions of the 2900B were made, coachbuilt in open, closed and cabriolet bodies by Pininfarina and Touring they rightly earned classic status.