23 replies to this topic

[Repco von Brabham]

This is a Berta V8, builded in Argentina by Mr Oreste Berta "El Mago" (The Magician) in his "fortress" of the Alta Gracia, a small city in Cordoba, nearly the circuit "Oscar Cabalen", famous track by the close figths in F-2 within Carlos Reutemann-Ronnie Petersonn-Bob Wollek-Tim Schenken.. in the earlier 70's.



This engines was builded with the purpose to racing in the SP Championship 3 litres class with the Matra's and Alfa Romeo, for the argentine SP car "Berta LR"., but this car was equiped with a Cosworth DFV, and the engine Berta V8 was developed like a Formula 1 engine for the F-1 car Berta BA-01.



The begin was impressive, and the development was follow with great expectatives and hope.., because the test in the dynamometer was register a power of 410 BHP at 10.600 RPM., against the 425 HP of the DFV-Ford in this time..

Mr Oreste Berta builded aprox. 9 or 10 engines like this, betwen 1972 to 1974.

[rgsuspsa]

Beautifully constructed. Thanks for posting.

R. Sparks

[BRG]

And what happened next? Did they race, and if so how well? Where are the engines now? Why wasn't this a success?

[Muzza]

Originally posted by BRG
And what happened next? Did they race, and if so how well? Where are the engines now? Why wasn't this a success?

The development stopped due to lack of funds. My Argentinean friends are unanymous to say that this was a very promising engine (the Formula 1 chassis he built was too, by the way).

Berta is a motorsport genius, able to design (and build) engines, single seaters, sportscars, anything racing-related. Personally I rate him higher than Mauro Forghieri and other renowned Formula 1 names. Berta's Formula 2 cars were extremely fast - and strong, as they were often crash-tested in those crazy Sudamericano races of the 1980s.

Had he relocated to Europe - as he was several times invited - I would not be surprised if Berta would evolve to dominate Formula 1... Besides his amazing technical skills, he is a competent manager, and a good organizer. But he decided to stay based in Alta Gracia, where he is still active today.


Muzza

[marat]

more on Berta:
www.thef1.com/foro/historia/viewtopic.php?t=503&start=0

[Pablo Vignone]

He is no active anymore. He announced his retirement last month. His son, Oreste Berta Jr., took the running of the company, which at the moment is the Ford official outfit in the Argentinian TC 2000 Series. Berta retains his consultary role with Ford Motor Company.
Several years ago I talked with Berta about this engine. "If I should do this now -he told me- I will design it more compact". He regrets the fact that working in Alta Gracia, near Cordoba, 700 km from Buenos Aires, was not the best option to get all he needed, especially money.

[Repco von Brabham]

Driver: Néstor Jesús "Nene" García Veiga[/size]

Grand Prix Argentina - 1975 (not qualyfing)

Grand Prix de Interlagos - Brasil 1975







Berta BA-01 F-1 - Berta V8 engine

Builder: Oreste Berta - Córdoba Argentina






In this Time, only Ferrari and BRM build the car and the engine by herself.., and now the Berta F-1 was introduced in the circus..

[Repco von Brabham]

Another picture of the F-1 Argentine Car., the Berta BA-01 powered with a Berta V8 engine

This picture was taken during the intensive test in the December of 1974, the driver is Nestor Garcia Veiga, the champion of the Argentine Sport Prototypes Championship with a Chelco Mk II-Chevrolet.



This is a succesfull car of the "magician" Oreste Berta: The Berta F-5000.

Here, you can see the Berta F-5000 in the track of Laguna Seca, California, USA.
The driver is a very succesfull argentine driver Luis Ruben Di Palma., who finish the race in the 5º position.

The another Berta car drived by the american Rick Mears, LEAD THE RACE until two rounds to the finish., the gearbox was broken..

[Racer.Demon]

Outstanding stuff - especially on the Spanish forum!

There you claim that there are some errors in our story on Berta. Could you illuminate us further? Always eager to learn...

[fines]

Originally posted by Repco von Brabham

I'll have a Wiener Schnitzel and a glass of Pernod on that one Nice pictures

[Allen Brown]

Originally posted by Repco von Brabham
This is a succesfull car of the "magician" Oreste Berta: The Berta F-5000.

Here, you can see the Berta F-5000 in the track of Laguna Seca, California, USA.
The driver is a very succesfull argentine driver Luis Ruben Di Palma., who finish the race in the 5º position.

[b]The another Berta car drived by the american Rick Mears, LEAD THE RACE until two rounds to the finish., the gearbox was broken..

Really?

The F5000 version of the Berta appeared at the three Californian rounds of the 1975 US Championship: at the Long Beach Grand Prix on 28 September, the Monterey Grand Prix
at Laguna Seca on 12 October and the California Grand Prix at Riverside on 26 October. It failed to start any of those races and I'm not entirely clear who was driving it on every occasion as Wolfgang Klopfer has it being driven by Bill Simpson, rather than Luis Di Palma.

However, Simpson's mechanic says it was also raced in SCCA Regionals in California in 1975 and recalls it being driven by Mears on at least one occasion. This would fit with Repco von Brabham's story of Di Palma racing at Laguna Seca.

The picture here was probably taken at the Monterey Grand Prix event. The car in the background is Michael Brockman's J Levitt Talon MR1.

Can anyone confirm the date of Di Palma's or Mears races in the Berta?

Allen

[Repco von Brabham]

Can anyone confirm the date of Di Palma's or Mears races in the Berta?

Dear sir:

Click here for check the data of Rick Mears leading the race with the Berta F-5000:

http://8w.forix.com/berta.html

Bye

[Repco von Brabham]

Originally posted by Muzza


Berta is a motorsport genius, able to design (and build) engines, single seaters, sportscars, anything racing-related. Personally I rate him higher than Mauro Forghieri and other renowned Formula 1 names. Berta's Formula 2 cars were extremely fast - and strong, as they were often crash-tested in those crazy Sudamericano races of the 1980s.

Had he relocated to Europe - as he was several times invited - I would not be surprised if Berta would evolve to dominate Formula 1... Besides his amazing technical skills, he is a competent manager, and a good organizer. But he decided to stay based in Alta Gracia, where he is still active today.


Muzza

BIG, VERY BIG TRUE you sayd, mister Muzza..

[Repco von Brabham]

And rigth now, the legend continues, the Magician move on..

The NEW engine Berta V6, six cilynders in "V", 362 HP, for the Argentinian "DTM"., the Top Race Touring Championship..





Maybe, just maybe, for the future South American GP2 series??..

I don't tell that, I don't tell that..!, you never heard anything..!! Shhhhh.. Bernie is close..

[jadb1]

If they want to know but information on magician Oreste Berta I
recommend east very interesting Link, there are many data on the
motoring of the years 1970 of competitions of Sport
http://www.porsche917.com.ar/bertalr/

Greetings Alejandro

[Repco von Brabham]

Originally posted by jadb1
If they want to know but information on magician Oreste Berta I
recommend east very interesting Link, there are many data on the
motoring of the years 1970 of competitions of Sport
http://www.porsche917.com.ar/bertalr/

Greetings Alejandro

Má ver machito..

La idea es poner fotos INÉDITAS ., fotos que NO ESTÉN en la Internet.., catch me?

Como POR EJEMPLO, esas de arriba de todos que están en colores, del motor V8, que YO saqué en el Museo de La Industria en Córdoba..

Y viste?.. No le agregué esa mariconada de "Se prohibe levantar este material.." que vos le pones a tus fotos..

Por mí, que lo use el que QUIERA., como ya habras hecho vos..

bye chiquilin..

[Arturo Pereira]

Originally posted by Repco von Brabham


Má ver machito..

La idea es poner fotos INÉDITAS ., fotos que NO ESTÉN en la Internet.., catch me?

Como POR EJEMPLO, esas de arriba de todos que están en colores, del motor V8, que YO saqué en el Museo de La Industria en Córdoba..

Y viste?.. No le agregué esa mariconada de "Se prohibe levantar este material.." que vos le pones a tus fotos..

Por mí, que lo use el que QUIERA., como ya habras hecho vos..

bye chiquilin..

Show more respect to other posters There is no need to use hard language, not even in Spanish.

[Repco von Brabham]

¿"HARD LANGUAGE"..???

WHERE???

[Repco von Brabham]

Surprise!!

I find this..

[Cordobés]

Originally posted by Repco von Brabham


Má ver machito..

La idea es poner fotos INÉDITAS ., fotos que NO ESTÉN en la Internet.., catch me?

Como POR EJEMPLO, esas de arriba de todos que están en colores, del motor V8, que YO saqué en el Museo de La Industria en Córdoba..

bye chiquilin..

Aver, Sr. Enrique Benamo..., esas fotos SON MIAS , estaban posteadas originalmente por mi y Ud mismo aclaró que LAS COPIO en diversos foros de internet, en fecha LUNES 24 de MAyo del 2004 , pueden ver lo que digo aqui:

http://www.webdefiat...highlight=berta

Como yo soy el DUEÑO de las fotos, las tengo en el tamaño original (1600 x 1200 pixels y 24 bits de color), por lo que las posteo aqui a continuación para su LIBRE USO.


















Tambien les agrego fotos que saque ese mismo dia, del Torino de las 84 hs de Nurburgring y una de mi hijo Luciano, posando frente al Berta LR.






Les ofrezco mas fotografías detalladas del motor Berta LR, en 2048 x 1536 pixels, por ejemplo, del sistema de admisión, distribución, lubricación, etc, ya que resido a solo 2 km del museo y concurro a el habitualmente. Obviamente serán de publicación y copia LIBRE.




Creo que después de esto, Enrique Benamo, tu credibilidad va a tener el nivel que se merece, y recordá siempre esta frase: Benamo, people on this forum ARE NOT STUPID; therefore they don't deserve to be treated as stupids

Rodolfo.

Rodolfo_rojo@hotmail.com

[Cordobés]

Originally posted by Cordobés



To begin with, Mr Enrique Benamo, THOSE PICTURES ARE MINE, they were originally posted by me and YOU MADE CLEAR THAT YOU COPIED THEM FROM DIFFERENT INTERNET FORUMS, ON Monday MAY 24th, 2004. as you can read yourselves here:

http://www.webdefiat...highlight=berta

As I am the OWNER of those pictures, I have them in their original size (1600 x 1200 pixels, 24 bits color) as I post them here for their FREE DISTRIBUTION AND USE.


















I would also like to add some more pictures that I took that very day, to the Torino which raced on the 84 hs of Nurburgring, and one with my son Luciano, posing right in front of the Berta LR.







To end with, I'd like to offer you more pictures and more detailed ones of the Berta LR engine, Full res at 2048x1536 pixels, portraying the Intake system, distribution, lubrication, etc. as I live only 2 kilometers away from the museum and I assist there quite often. Obviously, they will be free for particular usage, distribution and linking.



I think that after this, Mr. Enrique Benamo, your credibility will have the level it desevers, and please, always remember this:

Benamo, people on this forum ARE NOT STUPID; therefore they don't deserve to be treated as stupids

Rodolfo.

Rodolfo_rojo@hotmail.com

[dretceterini]

And right now, the legend continues, the Magician move on..

The NEW engine Berta V6, six cilynders in "V", 362 HP, for the Argentinian "DTM"., the Top Race Touring Championship..



I would be very interested in information on this championship and whatever connection the photo of the white Alfa Romeo has to it...

[Pablo Vignone]

The Alfa Romeo is running in the 2005 Top Race V6 series, as you can see at www.top-race.com.ar. But it is not really an Alfa, but a silhouette car...

All chassis are made in Buenos Aires outskirts, they are all the same, derivated from a Turismo Carretera series chassis, with several bodies from high-style cars, as the 156, the Ford Mondeo, Renault Laguna, Chevy Vectra or Citroen C5, to mention some of the them.

The engines are all Berta-made, V6 derivated from a Jaguar version, I don't know exactly which one.

[Mekola]

Last week, it was announced that Berta developed another V8 engine, about 430-440 BHP, 7000 RPM.
The project was finished last year and it isn't in use, alas, they could offer it to potential clients.