Posted 30 June 2002 - 14:35
I think I have mentioned before that a German friend has been making a detailed study of South American Alfas (and Masers). He's been reading this thread, and its predecessors, and has asked me to post this on his behalf:
"very interesting to see the Argentinian pictures and to read about the South American GP Alfas in this other thread. Apparently I need to join TNF ... In the meantime, can you perhaps post my research results on the South American Alfas? You know I'm working on the topic myself since some time, so they may be of help for others and perhaps yield some comments and additions. Apart from the standard sources my conclusions are especially based on my study of the Portuguese magazine "O Volante", which covered the racing in fellow lusophone Brazil quite extensively!
GP Alfa Romeos in South America (excluding Monzas)
1) 2900A #412003 - raced in Brazil 1936 by Marinoni (Gávea) and Pintacuda (São Paulo), entered by SF. Sold to Carlos Arzani, raced 1936-1937. To Ricardo Carú, raced 1937, car heavily crashed. To Domingo Ochoteco, rebuild as a single-seater, raced 1938-1941. To Italo Bizio, a second time rebuild as a single-seater with different bodywork, raced 1946-1949 (Bizio crashed with it fatally). To Héctor Niemitz, raced 1950-?. Later restored; according to my info today in the United States.
2) 2900A #412004 - raced in Brazil 1936 by Pintacuda (Gávea) and Marinoni (São Paulo), entered by SF. Returned to Italy.
3) P3 #50009 - with a rounded bodywork like a 2900A/8C-35 (plus ifs) from its arrival at Argentina, looking very different to all other P3s! Sold to Italo de Lucca, raced for him by Vittorio Cóppoli, Ricardo Nasi and António Canziani 1937-1939. To Adriano Malusardi, raced 1941-1942. To Juan Gálvez, possibly on loan, raced 1947. Back to Malusardi, raced 1948-1949. Totally destroyed in Malusardi's fatal crash; few remains left over and later sold to UK. Said to be incorporated in Rodney Felton's replica car, who openly acknowledges the status of his car with the designation 50009R!
4) 12C-36 #? - raced at Gávea 1937 by Brivio, entered by SF. Returned to Italy.
5) 8C-35 #? - raced at Gávea 1937 by Pintacuda, entered by SF. Returned to Italy.
6) 8C-35 #50014 - Sold to Carlos Arzani, first raced by him at Naples 1937, then in South America 1937-1939. To Artur Nascimento Júnior, raced 1939-1940. To Oldemar da Silva Ramos, raced 1940-1942. To Pablo Pesatti, raced 1947-1948, in 1948 in much modified form. When Pesatti crashed fatally, it was further modified with a locally produced 2.5 Alfa Romeo Marine engine installed in it to comply with Argentinian Mecánica Nacional rules. Remains to Alberto Crespo, who constructed another Mecánica Nacional (Fuerza Limitada class) car out of it, raced c. 1950-?. Chassis and engine later reunited, with piles of spares apparently used to build TWO cars claiming to be the ex-Arzani 8C-35!!!
7) TWO P3s in Brazil #? and #? - the mystery cars! One was a slim first series car, as photographic evidence shows, the other apparently a second series car. In reports one is usually refered to as "2.9". Apparently it was first raced in South America at Gávea 1937 by Artur Nascimento Júnior. Probably also raced by him in later 1937 in Argentina, and in both 1938 Gávea races. To Geraldo Avellar, raced at Interlagos 1940 and in Argentina 1941. If the "2.9" was the first series car, it was also raced by Chico Landi at Gávea 1939 and Buenos Aires 1941, probably also at Gávea and Santa Fe in 1941. The "2.9" was definitely raced by Avellar in Brazil in 1946 and early 1947. Subsequent fate unknown. The early South American history of the second car, in reports usually refered to as "3.2", is not known, but by 1942 it was also owned by Geraldo Avellar, who gave it on loan to Pablo Pesatti for the Argentinian races. Definitely back to Brazil, to Oldemar da Silva Ramos, raced 1946, to Anuar de Gois, raced 1946-1947, then to António Parra, raced 1947-1951. Possibly to João Scafidi, raced 1952. Subsequent fate unknown. Both cars seem not to exist anymore; probably used in late 1950s to build Brazilian Mecânica Continental cars: Who knows any details about the various "Charutos" of Euclides Pinheiro, Camilo Cristófaro, Godofredo Viana or Ciro Cayres (for example) - all said to have included Alfa parts - and their race careers???
8) 308 #? - raced at Gávea 1938 by Carlo Pintacuda, entered by Alfa Corse. Returned to Italy.
9) 308 #? - raced at Gávea 1938 by Mario Tadini, entered by Alfa Corse. Returned to Italy.
10) 308 #50017 - Sold to Juan Bellini Caviglia, unraced, then Italo de Lucca, raced for him by Ricardo Nasi, Ricardo Carú and Antonio Canziani, 1939-1942. To Oscar Gálvez and friends, raced by Gálvez 1947-1949. To ACA/Juan Manuel Fangio, raced by Carlos Menditeguy, Manuel de Teffé, Adolfo Schwelm Cruz, Onofre Marimon (only entered), Alberto Crespo, Roberto Mieres, 1951-1953, later by others. Today in Fangio Museum, Balcarce.
11) 308 #? - Sold to Chico Landi, raced 1946-1948, to Henrique Casini, raced 1948-1949, to António Fernandes da Silva, whos crash in his first race with it at Belo Horizonte in August 1949 destroyed the car. In the 1950s parts of it where used to construct a Cadillac-engined Special, which was shortly tried in Brazilian Mecânica Continental, but later became a road-going sports-car. Since the 1960s, this car has disappeared.
12) 308 #? - The Scuderia Naphtra Course car, first raced in South America in the 1947 Argentinian/Brazilian Temporada for the team by Achille Varzi, after it's usual driver Jean-Pierre Wimille became ill. In the 1948 Argentinian/Brazilian Temporada with non standard radiator grille, raced for the team by Jean-Pierre Wimille, Achille Varzi (after problems with his V12) and patron "Raph" himself. Later sold in Brazil, raced by Jaime Neves at Interlagos 1949. Possibly the car raced by Gilberto Pereira do Valle, Nino Stefanini, Francisco Rosalvo Mansur 1950-1952 and even later. Subsequent fate unknown; also basis for a Brazilian Mecânica Continental car? - Julian Majzub claims his 308 is the ex-Landi car: in view of the above, has he perhaps this car?
13) V12 #51204 - A special car build for Achille Varzi to race in the 1948 Argentinian/Brazilian Temporada, combining a chassis of the 12C-37/312 range (but with a 16C plate) and a 4.6 litre engine. Sold to Clemar Bucci, raced in Argentina 1949-1953. Converted to sports-car, entered in 1956 Buenos Aires 1000 kms for Bucci/Suarez, but dns. Later converted back to single-seater, sold to Germany in the 1990s, today apparently with Neil Hadfield.
PS: Of course four 308s were build (the three mentioned above plus the one in the USA), so logically at least one of the 308s visiting Brazil in 1938 later returned to South America!
PS2: Doug Nye's Alfa pictures: Nothing to add about the identification of the V12, but #3 is definitely JP Wimille with the Naphtra Course 308 in 1948, easily recognized by the non-standard grille, and #28 is the same car in 1947, when it was raced by Achille Varzi - number 12 in the above list!"
