For the design of the Alfa 158 they had the designer of Gioacchino Colombo, who worked at the premises of Enzo Ferrari in Modena. The 158 mounted an 8-cylinder in-line engine supercharged with a turbocharger.
In principle, the 1,479 cm3 engine with double overhead camshaft delivered a power of 180 hp. By 1939 the power was increased to 225 hp and later, with two turbos and methanol feed, the Alfa developed impressive 425 horsepower.
In 1940, six Alfa 158C were built with those who defeated Mercedes in the Tripoli race, occupying the first three places. Then, to protect everything during the Second World War, these cars were hidden along with all the equipment in a village at the foot of the Alps.
After the war, in 1946 new rules were issued for Grand Prix races and the old Alpha 158 met the specified specifications. Without luck in their first race, the team would then gain a remarkable victory streak with riders Trossi, Varzi and Wimille that would run until 1948.
In 1950, the first Formula One World Championship was played. Alfa Romeo's mastery was absolute, winning all the races disputed. The Italian rider Giuseppe Farina reached the championship by winning three Grand Prix (England, Switzerland and Italy). Argentina's Juan Manuel Fangio was runner-up winning the other three races (Monaco, Belgium and France).
For the next season Ferrari cars appeared as a serious rival. Alfa Romeo improved the performance of his car, now known as 159. Although the regulation also imposed new restrictions, such as a maximum of 9,000 rpm.
Drum brakes improved and suspensions were optimized, using De Dion bridge for the rear axle. The car improved considerably, especially since its design dates back to the 1930s. The drivers Fangio and Farina marked with their enormous talent the differences that the car did not achieve on its own in front of Ferrari.
Fangio was champion of the 1951 season with the Alfa Romeo 159, in a titanic duel with compatriot Froilan González and Italian rider Alberto Ascari, both Ferrari drivers. Fangio won three races, being the most special in the Spanish Grand Prix, the last date of the championship and where Alfa Romeo withdrew his “Alfetta” from the F1 competitions.
In 1951 Ferrari won his first F1 win at Silverstone with the driver Froilán González, interrupting the following of victories for Alfa Romeo. Alfa's track record balances 26 consecutive wins and a total of 27 wins in Grand Prix races. All these achievements with a car created in the 1930s...
© Adrián Blanco 2007 - No full or partial reproduction of text and/or images without explicit written consent of the author. —
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