After retiring from racing at the end of the victorious 1951 season, a year in which the 'Alfetta 159' powered Juan Manuel Fangio to win the world title, Alfa Romeo returned to Formula One in early 1970 as a sole supplier of engines to several teams.
The eventual return of Alfa Romeo to F1 racing took place in 1969 thanks to the interest of President Luraghi who wanted McLaren Cars to adopt the 33-3 sport engine for their new M14D.
It was Dr. Luraghi, a bright and strong manager from IRI, the real architect of the return... the true 'motive force' of the 105.33 project... that launched Alfa Romeo back into racing competitions.
Dr. Luraghi, as CEO of Alfa Romeo S.p.A. at Portello had the unenviable task of reversing the financial and economic situation of Alfa Romeo. He firmly believed that victories in racing were very important to sell the company's “family cars that win the races” theme. His dream was to put the “red fireball racing cars” with the “Quadrifoglio” back at the top of the most important challenges.
Alfa Romeo already had his own “Dream Team”; it was the ”Servizio Esperienze Speciali”, directed by Ing. Orazio Satta Puliga and Ing. Giuseppe Busso.
Dr. Luraghi, considering the past experience and the current world of racing cars, decided that the goal to reach was the championship in the 2-liter Sports category. But he decided to support the team “Servizio Esperienze Speciali” with an ad-hoc external structure....to be called "Autodelta".
In order to maintain a sense of autonomy while at the same time enjoying the special handling required in world class racing, Luraghi decided to adopt "Autodelta", the small factory in Udine into the Alfa Romeo S.p.A. sphere of influence.
Autodelta back then was a short drive north of Venice. Originated by Ing. Carlo Chitiwith his friend Ludovico Chizzola back in 1963, Autodelta in 1970 was able to supply 8-cylinder 90 ° V-8 engines to the McLaren M14D of Andrea de Adamich and, later in 1971 to the March 711 of Nanni Galli and Ronnie Peterson.
Photographer unknown
1970 Espagna GP- McLaren-Alfa Romeo MD-1 driver Andrea de Adamich
Photographer unknown
Courtesy Archives of Estate of Rey Paolini
1970 Dutch Grand Prix McLaren-Alfa Romeo M7D-1 Driver:Andrea de Adamich
Photographer unknown
1970 McLaren-Alfa Romeo V-8 M7D-1
The Autodelta V-8 engine supplied to both McLaren Cars and later to March was the design of Ing. Carlo Chiti following the transfer/assignment of Alfa Romeo racing activities from the factory's Servizio Esperienze Speciali” department under Ing. Busso to the newly-formed "Autodelta S.p.A." company in 1965.
There remains some conjecture about the true historical origin of this engine... with some historians and archive researchers claiming that the unfinished and unsorted V-8 of Ing. Busso was uncerimoniously given to Ing. Chiti who in turn was ordered to produce a winning prototype chassis for the engine.
During the development of the project, different stories about the fatherhood of the project arose.
Two different versions of the birth of the project were born from the research contained in two important books.
In the autobiography by Ing. Busso: “Nel Cuore dell'Alfa”, speaking about the T-33 Ing. Busso wrote:
"...at the beginning of 1966, the prototype chassis was delivered to Autodelta along with the new incomplete 8 cylinder engine, designed and built in our workshop by Alfa Romeo. The new engine began to run on the test bench on the 25th of February 1965 and and was installed in the car and testing on the 28th of May 1965 at Balocco".
On the other hand, in Oscar Orefici's book: “Carlo Chiti, Sinfonia ruggente”, Chiti remembers that at the beginning of 1965, Dr. Luraghi, during the famous working lunch, laid the foundation of the T-33 project and asked him (Chiti) to have the car in a reasonable time.
The supporters of Ing. Busso on one side and the supporters of Ing. Chiti on the other, quoting one of the two books, claimed the fatherhood of the project to either Ing. Busso or to Ing. Chiti.
For more information about this historical dispute, please turn to the "T-33 Chrono"section of this site.
Chiti's engine was this 90 ° V-engine with bore and stroke measurements of 86 and 64.4 mm (2993 cc). It was equipped with an aluminum crankcase and aluminum cylinder heads with 4 valves per cylinder and 2 camshafts per cylinder. and a crankshaft which rotated on 5 main bearings.
Robust and compact, the Milanese V-8 had a design quite similar to that of the Ford-Cosworth DFV (four cam/four valve). Powered by a Spica indirect mechanical injection system, the version furnished to Bruce McLaren delivered an initial power of 403 hp at 9,400 rpm, which was soon increased to 420-425 hp at 9,500 rpm.
In 1971, passing on the application of the V-8 to the March 711 chassis, the Milanese V-8 was capable of delivering about 440 hp at 10,000 rpm, a power level that was similar to that delivered by the Cosworth V-8's.
1971-1972 March - Alfa Romeo Formula 1
Courtesy of Centro Documentazione Alfa Romeo, Arese
1971 March-Alfa Romeo 711-1
Courtesy of Centro Documentazione Alfa Romeo, Arese
1971 March-Alfa Romeo 711-1
Brabham - Alfa Romeo 1974-1978
Text by Roberto Motta with Robert Little
Copyright Robert B. Little 2021
In June of 1974 Bernie Ecclestone had contacted Ing. Carlo Chiti to explore the possibility of using the relatively new Autodelta 12 cylinder boxer engine.
According to historical accounts, Ing. Chiti had dreamed of Alfa Romeo S.p.A. returning to full participation in Formula 1 since the withdrawal of the firm from Formula 1 back in 1951 due largely to economic difficulties. Besides the unrelenting demands upon him to raise the power output of his V-8 for his T-33 series cars, Chiti pushed himself and his small engineering team to design in 1971 his own flat 12 cylinder for the day when the firm would return to Formula 1 racing.
The agreement with Brabham was merely a stopping off point among his hidden plans to become a true constructor of Formula 1 cars supplying its own chassis and engines...
According to Ing. Chiti:
"It was Andrea de Adamich once again who helped the operation to take place. He had retired finally from racing in 1974, but had continued to enjoy excellent relations with Bernie Ecclestone, the patron for whom he had raced in 1973. Ecclestone was a very different man from the one we know today..."
(Chiti was speaking early in the year 1991, three and one half years before his untimely passing following a heart attack in June of 1994).
Ing. Chiti continued...
"He was taking his first steps in Formula 1, but he had immediately showed his ability by gaining a generous and prestigious sponsor in Martini. He had also realized that the backing of a major firm would assist the return to the top rank of the team of which he had just become the owner. And not just that - - it had become clear to him that his Brabham fitted with the classic 8 cylinder Ford Cosworth, could not hope to do much against the 12 cylinder boxer of Ferrari".
The engine that Ecclestone wanted to make that clear distinction with was the new Autodelta 12 cylinder. It had just recently made it's debut at the Targa Florio in 1973 and had won its first championship race at Monza the following year. Ecclestone had taken notice when de Adamich proposed the collaboration sometime thereafter.
"Ecclestone wanted his team to be different from the others, and it didn't take much to convince de Adamich that the agreement with Alfa would enable him to make the necessary leap in quality."
The brilliant designer Gordon Murray had succeeded in creating a first class BT44B car using the Cosworth powerplant. But when the agreement was reached between Chiti and Ecclestone in June of 1975, the parties found that it was necessary to completely revise the BT44 chassis to enclose the flat 12 cylinder with all of the unknown variables between the chassis, the engine, the transmission, the team cultures and the language difficulties that all came into play.
- Robert Little
By 1976, after more than twenty years from its retirement from Grand Prix racing, the Casa del Portello finally returned to F1 motor racing providing Brabham with its own Alfa Romeo 12-cylinder boxer engine.
This event signalled their return to the highest motor racing formula that ultimately culminated with the return of an all-Alfa Romeo single-seat Formula 1 car in 1979.
By the end of 1975, the Casa del Portello won the World Championship for Makes campaign with their 33TT12 powered by the 'Tipo 105-12' boxer engine. The reliability and power of the engine allowed the 33TT12 to win most of the scheduled races and by doing so attracted the notice of Brabham team owner Bernie Ecclestone.
He requested the engine for his Formula 1 team along with the collaboration of Alfa Romeo driver Andrea de Adamich.
Mr. de Adamich, who had retired from active participation from the racing world in 1974, had maintained a good relationship with both the Alfa Romeo organization and with Bernie Ecclestone for whom he competed in 1973 with the BT42.
Brabham was a small team that had achieved good success in the 1974 championship series, taking 2nd place in the constructors standings and allowing Carlos Reutemann to take 3rd place in the drivers' standings.
Ecclestone was aware that his cars, powered by the Ford Cosworth V-8 engine were unable to compete against the Ferrari-powered cars with their 12-cylinder boxer engines. Furthermore, he was looking for something that would allow his team to stand out from other British teams. de Adamich did not have to struggle to convince Eccelstone that the agreement with Alfa Romeo had the potential to allow a much sought-after leap in quality and performance.
After brief negotiations, Ecclestone signed an agreement with Alfa Romeo which undertook to supply him with the engines and follow their development.
The BT45 is born.
Once the agreement had been reached, the British engineers led by designer and aerodynamicist Gordon Murray modified a Brabham BT44 chassis to accommodate the Milanese engine and initiate the first feasibility tests.
On October 13, 1975, on the Silverstone track, the first Brabham-Alfa Romeo made its track debut.
The results were not encouraging. The Brabham and Alfa Romeo technicians, who had imagined up front that their collaboration would not be easy quickly faced its first problem: the Alfa Romeo 'boxer' required a specialized chassis.
The flat twelve cylinder allowed the car's center of gravity to be lower and to deliver more power than the V-8 Cosworth, but it was heavier, had larger overall dimensions and higher fuel consumption. To solve the frame problems, Murray then designed a new car which was called BT45.
Courtesy of Centro Documentazione Alfa Romeo, Arese
Courtesy of Centro Documentazione Alfa Romeo, Arese
Here are the images above from the BT45 presentation of October 26th, 1975.
Below is shown the first version of the BT45-001.
Courtesy of Manuel Lara
The Brabham-Alfa Romeo BT45 shown here competed in the 1976 Canadian Grand Prix with Larry Perkins. Notice the variation in air intake designs shown between the BT45s in photo above and below.
Copyright Eric Hautekeete
1977 Brabham-Alfa Romeo 45B with John Watson
Courtesy of Roberto F. Motta.
The Technique
The new car from the outer design standpoint was the natural evolution of the BT44. It maintained the shape of the front with the water radiators placed in front of the front wheels, while the car body had more of the same square and massive shapes.
The aerodynamics, however, were somewhat different, with the rear completely flaired and two striking vertical air intakes, which had the task of diverting the 'clean' air from the rear tires to the channel towards the rear wing, while simultaneously conveying more fresh air towards the trumpet intakes of the engine.
Heavily reinforcing the chassis, Murray re-designed the front suspension with a scheme already tested... with the shock absorber spring assemblies packaged inside the car compressed from the bottom upwards thanks to an aluminum balance wheel put in traction by a tie rod. The rear suspension consisted of a shock absorber spring assembly, transverse arms and longitudinal linkage.
Both axles were equipped with a stabilizer bar.
The braking system used self-ventilating discs with 4-piston calipers. The front discs were mounted to the wheels, while the rear discs were mounted in-board to the sides of the transmission.
The BT45 had its initial shake down session in mid-October when, driven on the track by Reutemann, it made only one lap at a reduced pace due to engine lubrication problems.
The BT45 was therefore forced to return to the workshops to adopt a new larger oil tank, and to replace the recovery pumps of the lubricant circuit.
On 26 October, the BT45, distinguished by a white livery and the brand of the sponsor Martini, was officially presented on the Balocco circuit in the presence of Moro, Chiti, Ecclestone, Cortesi, Vittorio Rossi and the drivers Pace and Reutemann.
During the meeting with the press, the Milanese manufacturer announced its future sporting program schedule which included the abandonment of the 1976 World Championship for Makes competition, and the total involvement of Autodelta in the preparation of 'boxer' engines for Brabham.
During the day in front of the corporate leaders, the car safely covered only a few laps of the track. During the following days, it was subjected to an intense development program were problems of undersizing the chassis and the anomalous functioning of the engine were highlighted.
Recall that the Milanese boxer was derived from the unit mounted on the 33TT12 and that its use on sports cars allowed the use of an oil tank with a capacity of about 30 liters... while on the BT45 the oil tank had a capacity of only 8 liters. Furthermore, the characteristics required of an engine used in endurance races, where it was subjected to prolonged stresses over long time periods were aimed at the durability and solidity of the structure, rather than the absolute containment of weight.
Autodelta technicians were thus forced to develop the engine to improve its lubrication and reduce its weight.
This 12 cylinder boxer 180 degree 2993 cc 520 horsepower 12 cylinder car was introduced on October 26, 1975 at the Alfa Romeo private testing facility at Balocco. Chassis BT45-001
Courtesy of Roberto F. Motta.
Courtesy of Roberto F. Motta.
The BT45 in Competition
The Martini Racing Brabham-Alfa Romeo Team made its race debut on January 23, 1976 in the Argentine Grand Prix at the Buenos Aires track, where the BT45 appeared with the new Alfa Romeo red livery. The debut on the track was not the most comforting: in qualifying the new car obtained the 10th and 15th fastest qualifying times with Pace and Reutemann, and finished the race in 10th place with Pace, and in 12th with Reutemann.
Race after race, the Brabham-Alfa Romeo cars continued to lead races but without notable results. In July, Pace's BT45 took 4th place in the French Grand Prix, a result that was confirmed in the German Grand Prix on the Nürburgring track where Pace qualified 7th and Reuttemann qualified 10th.
The Nürburgring race was marred by the serious accident that occurred to Niki Lauda, who was seriously injured in the burning of his Ferrari.
At the end of this competition, once again Reutemann did not withhold criticism of the BT45 chassis and engine. After being contacted by Ferrari who did not believe in Lauda's eventual recovery, he decided to pay a heavy economic penalty to terminate his contract that bound him to the Anglo-Italian team.
Reutemann raced his last race with the BT45 at the Dutch Grand Prix.
On 12th of September 1978, Lauda amazed the fans by returning to the wheel of the 312 T2, in the tests of the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. In the same race Reutemann made his debut with a third car fielded by Ferrari, while the BT45 left free by the Argentine driver, was entrusted to Rolf Stommelen and Larry Perkins, respectively in the Grand Prix of Italy, and in the subsequent Grand Prix of Canada, USA-East and Japan.
The Brabham-Alfa Romeo Team finished the championship by winning 9th position in the Constructors' Cup, an unsatisfactory result which highlighted the constant clash between the English and Italian technicians who accused each other of the failure.
One of the destabilizing elements of the team was Reutemann who, in addition to criticizing the technicians, did not actively participate in the development of the car, leaving Carlos Pace to undertake most of the tests.
For his part, Pace proved to be a mature and motivated driver. Chiti speaking for himself, in Oscar Orefici's book “Carlo Chiti:Sinfonia ruggente ”, tells of having achieved an excellent relationship with the driver precisely because by working closely together in the development tests of the car, they had learned to know and respect each other.
The harmony between the two men was also evident in the development of the engine, so much so that they decided together not to use an identification for the changes made, but to identify each evolution of the engine with a name.
Thus the 'tiger', 'super tiger' and 'lion' engine designations was born, to which was added, jokingly, the 'Bernie', the less powerful engine.
Courtesy of Roberto F. Motta
Courtesy of Roberto F. Motta.
Courtesy of Roberto F. Motta.
Copyright Eric Hautekeete
1977 Canadian Grand Prix Brabham-Alfa Romeo BT45 Driver: Hans-Joachim, Stuck, Jr.
Notice the variation in air intake designs between those two BT45's in photos above and below.
Discussion and Commentary
“It was difficult..." Ing. Chiti said, "... and Ecclestone and I knew that very well. But the important thing was not to be too discouraged by the early poor results. The Brabham men had to learn to suffer, to forget what they’d achieved in the previous seasons, just as we people from Alfa had to learn to work in perfect harmony with the English team.”
According to an account written by noted historian Doug Nye in his book “The Grand Prix Car 1966 –1985”, Mr. Nye wrote that the collaboration between Brabham and Autodelta was filled with difficulties.
"Initially, communication with Autodelta was poor; without warning such vital items as engine mountings could vary by as much as one-half inch from an engine to another causing nightmares in assembly and preparation."
The first season was difficult not only for the team but especially for Carlos Pace and Carlos Reutemann...in their first season with the new BT45 car...two drivers of South American extraction with easily depressed attitudes when faced with adversity.
At their introductory race at the Brazilian Grand Prix qualifying held on Friday January 23, 1976 the two cars could only manage to place 10th and 15th on the grid.
And throughout the entire season mediority plagued the team. Tension developed to the point that Reutemann quit the team by the 12th race of the season and was replaced immediately by Irishman John Watson.
The public began to question the wisdom of the match-up between the two organizations...reliability problems with the engine and powertrain continued to plague the team with Carlos Pace relegated to 14th place in the final season championship ranking.
Copyright Eric Hautekeete
1977 Brabham BT45B Alfa Romeo with Hans-Joachim Stuck, Jr.
Courtesy of Eric Hautekeete
1977 Brabham BT45B Alfa Romeo with designer Gordon Murray (L) and driver John Watson
The BT45B
In the winter of 1976 - 1977, Murray and Ing. Chiti worked to improve the car. The designers anticipated the BT45B's race debut to be at the South African Grand Prix. The car had a new rear suspension, engine mounts and a new gearbox, while further changes were made to the air intakes to allow the 12-cylinder boxer to breathe deeply and deliver power of around 530 hp.
Like every year, the championship kicked off with the Argentine Grand Prix. The BT45 performed very well and allowed Watson and Pace to record 2nd and 6th fastest times. On race day, the two BT45s took turns in command, until Watson's car was forced to retire due to a broken drive shaft, while Pace's car took a sweaty 2nd place due to a physical ailment of the driver.
In Brazil the BT45s started very fast, but already on lap 7 Pace's car was betrayed by the impetuousness of its driver and ended the race after a off-road excursion. Watson's car had the same fate and he abandoned the race on lap 30.
Finally, in South Africa, the BT45B made its debut, obtaining the 2nd fastest qualifying time in qualifying with Carlos Pace. In the race, Watson's car was the fastest among the two and took the first points with 6th place.
A few days later, Carlos Pace was the victim of a plane crash that cost him his life. The Anglo-Italian team was forced to hire a substitute to face the rest of the championship; the choice fell on Hans- Joachim Stuck, Jr., son of the legendary driver of the thirties.
At Long Beach Watson's car triggered an accident at the first braking point and was disqualified, while Stuck's car abandoned the race on lap 53 due to broken brakes.
In the subsequent Grand Prix of Monte Carlo, Watson's BT45B set the fastest time, but at the start its wheels skated on a painted pedestrian crossing and was passed by Scheckter's Wolf. After more than halfway through the race in 2nd position he retired with gearbox problems.
During the summer season, Lauda set out to win his second World Championship with Ferrari... at the same time the expiration of his contract was fast approaching.
After serious contractual misunderstandings with Ferrari, Lauda decided to accept Bernie Ecclestone's proposals, and at Zandvort he signed the contract with the Anglo-Italian team for the 1978 season.
Before the end of the season, after mathematically winning the Drivers' World Championship, Ferrari let go of the Austrian driver and replaced him with the young Gilles Villeneuve.
Throughout the season, the BT45B, which faced its last race in the Japanese Grand Prix, continued to achieve excellent times in practice, particularly with Watson...but failed to clinch the much-desired race victory. Among the results obtained was 2nd place of Watson in France and the two podiums in Germany and Austria with Stuck.
The new 1978 season began in Buenos Aires with newcomer John Watson sharing the front row in qualifying with James Hunt.
The revised BT45B began the season with new, more angular and efficient bodywork and engine breathing configuration, newly designed suspension components and a lighter engine weight.
Irrespective of the improvements noted, the team failed to win a single race within its first three years of existence and had suffered its greatest loss with the death of Carlos Pace on March 18, 1977 before the 4th race in a light plane crash.
Courtesy of Robert Murphy
The Brabham-Alfa Romeo BT45C of Niki Lauda in 1978 trim with Alfa Romeo V-12 "1260" engine.
Lauda arrives.
In October 1977, the BT45B allowed Lauda to face his first real test with Brabham at the Vallelunga circuit. It was the beginning of a new era.
The test was full of meanings.
Thanks to the financial contribution of Parmalat, the Brabham-Alfa Romeo team was betting everything on the Austrian champion who, for his part, wanted to prove that he was able to win even without Ferrari.
The 1977 season ended miserably with a sixth place overall finish in the standings. After the arrival of Lauda, the Arese manufacturer was ever closer to making the decision to tackle the championship with a car completely designed and built by Autodelta, which it entrusted exclusively to the design of Ing. Chiti.
He then began the Alfa Romeo 'Tipo 177' project. On January 15,1978 the Brabham BT45C, enriched by the number 1 carried by Lauda, made its debut in the Argentine Grand Prix. Starting from 5th position on the starting grid, he finished the race in 2nd place, behind Andretti's Lotus, while Watson's car was forced to retire due to engine failure.
The BT45C disputed its last race at the Brazilian Grand Prix where it took 3rd place on the podium with Lauda and 8th place with Watson.
The post-BT45 Brabham period.
In subsequent races, the season saw the confrontation between Ferrari and Lotus which proved increasingly competitive thanks to the first ground effect car in F1 history. The behavior of the BT46, which debuted in the South African Grand Prix, was fluctuating.
The only noteworthy results were the 2nd place finishing position achieved with Lauda in the Monte Carlo Grand Prix, the victory at Monza obtained thanks to the one-minute penalty of the Ferrari of Villeneuve and of the Lotus of Andretti who was penalized for an early start.
The lack of results caused a elevation of friction within the Brabham-Alfa Romeo team, which became nearly impossible to circumvent when Lauda declared his opposition to the construction of a new Alfa Romeo car.
In the winter of 1978, while Brabham was busy testing the BT48 with the new V 12 'Tipo 1260' engine designed to allow the exploitation of the ground effect, Autodelta began its studies for the construction of the '179', and continued to accumulate experience with the '177'.
The die was now cast: in 1979 Alfa Romeo brought the long-awaited 'Alfa Romeo F1' to its debut. After a year of tests, first secretly on the Brands Hatch circuit and then evident to the Italian paparazzi on the private Balocco circuit and elsewhere, Alfa Romeo prepared for the big jump, and on May 13, 1979, on the occasion of the 6th race of the championship held on the Belgian circuit of Zolder, the 'Tipo 177' led by Bruno Giacomelli made its formal debut.
Four months later, the 'Tipo 179' made its debut in the Italian Grand Prix. It was the end of the partnership with the English company. In the subsequent Montreal Grand Prix, the collaboration between Brabham and Alfa Romeo officially ended.
From the first day of testing in Canada, the British cars kept the red Alfa Romeo livery, but under the hood they were fitted with the more traditional Ford Cosworth engine to replace the Alfa Romeo 1260 V 12. The Brabham-Alfa Romeo era was thus definitively over.
Alfa Romeo 'Type 1260'
The Alfa Romeo 'Type 1260' engine, i.e. 12 cylinders in 60 ° V, characterized by bore and stroke measurements of 77.0 and 53.60 mm (2995 cc), exploited all of the experiences of the previous boxer, of which it maintained some details such as the crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons and cylinder heads.
Designed by the Autodelta staff directed by engineer Carlo Chiti and built in just four and a half months, this engine, due to its narrow 60 ° V architecture, was built according to its use on a 'Ground Effects' chassis configuration
With its granite appearance, its structure was characterized by narrow and high cylinder banks, which gave it a sense of solidity and great power. Each group of 3 cylinders was placed next to each other with an identical ignition interval. The separate exhaust manifolds merged with a Type 3 system into one and then flowed into a single exhaust.
The 12 cylinder Alfa also stood out for its tremendous noise, typical of very fractionated constructions.
The V 1260 engine made it possible to create internal wings that were 40 cm wider and owing to the lateral venturi, they gave a downforce estimated at several hundred kilograms weighing on the wheels.
At the time of its track debut which took place on Lauda's BT48 in December 1978, it had an output of 525 hp at 12,200 rpm.
In 1981 the 1260 type changed bore and stroke measurements which took the values of 78.5 and 51.5 mm (2,991 cc).
Over the years it has always maintained a high standard of reliability and power, reaching in its latest versions 540 horsepower at 12,300 rpm and a torque of over 35 kgm at 9,000-9,500 rpm.
Thanks to the British Broadcasting Corporation, we present an unusual video featuring the background and creation of the famous Brabham BT46C 'Fan-car'.
This short video presentation features remarks made by Chief Designer Gordon Murray, team principal Bernie Ecclestone and other executives of Brabham and of the Formula One Constructors Association...including a few remarks by then-competitor Mario Andretti who himself raced the first ground-effects car designed by Colin Chapman of Lotus Cars.
Here is the link provided especially for our use by the BBC:
Owing to the lack of public availability of true factory chassis photographs without covers obscuring the mechanicals, master modeller Calvin Sallee of California has come to assist us in understanding what the true appearance of the car looked like.
He prepared hundreds of components of this BT46 kit from Japan, painted each piece and carefully assembled them. This model presentation is an exception to the historical policy of Autodelta Golden Years.com site but nevertheless it is the only way we know of to see what is underneath.
Courtesy of Calvin Sallee
Courtesy of Calvin Sallee
Courtesy of Calvin Sallee
The winner of the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix...the Brabham Alfa BT45 12 cylinder. This revolutionary design by Gordon Murray was challenged on a number of different grounds and was quickly and permanently excluded from further Formula 1 competition.
Year later Carlo Chiti, looked back on his Brabham-Alfa Romeo days and told his memoir writer and friend Oscar Orefici:
"This was the beginning of our troubles- and it was Lauda's fault. Eccelstone had ordered that our drivers should not try to win, because he was afraid that if the new car triumphed on its first appearance, it might create problems in the world of sporting politics. But Niki turned a deaf ear ...he was after fame and glory."
Bernie Ecclestone went so far as to require the car to run all qualifying sessions on a full tank of fuel.
Copyright Eric Hautekeete
1978 Brabhsam-Alfa Romeo BT45C
It was a cold rainy Friday afternoon in May of 1978 on the Cote d'Azur...only a few yards from the workshop where the Brabham team was busily preparing for the weekend Monte Carlo Formula 1 trials...
This is where Ing. Chiti chose to carefully and somewhat vaguely confirm what the automobile racing press had been whispering about for months....that Autodelta would be testing a new "Alfa-Alfa" car for the first time at Balocco within several months.
Chiti knew that his word would be dutifully published the next day in the Italian Gazette newspaper and read by Ecclestone. Needless to say, Ecclestone was beyond furious...
Chiti did not deny the story... trying to take advantage of some language difficulties, but nevertheless attempted to wriggle out of the vorcerious anger of his partner Bernie Ecclestone.
Looking back over his long and lusterous career, Ing. Chiti explained:
"My intention was to create a Formula 1 team for us , and at the same time to continue to provide engines for Brabham. This policy was actually put into effect by Renault, for one, later on, but Massacesi, our Chairman, wouldn't have it; he was convinced that it was damaging to Alfa Romeo's name to go on being associated with a controversial and difficult personality like Bernie Ecclestone."
The fact remained for the past three years the Brabham - Alfa Romeo collaboration had failed to achieve much more than a couple of pole positions and a few high non-podium finishes. The car never won a Grand Prix race up to the middle of the third season and had to be content with a couple of 4th place finishes and a second place fuel-starved finish in 1977 by the Irishman John Watson.
The rising volume of disputes and inter-company bickering continued to rage between Ecclestone and Chiti over their failure to achieve anything remotely successful between their two powerful organizations.
To Ecclestone's way of thinking the Alfa Romeo 12 cylinder engine and drivetrain was totally to blame for a vast majority of the substandard outcomes.
In near total secrecy, and in true Machiavellian fashion long dreamed about by the Ingegnere a decade prior ...behind the walls of Autodelta in Settimo Milanese an experimental Formula 1 car named the Alfa "T" (for Total Alfa Romeo components or Totale) had been designed and was being constructed. ..with the full support and backing of Alfa Romeo S.p.A. ..unbeknownst to its Brabham team partner. The true design of the new Formula 1 car had been initated in 1976.
"The break was entirely Massacesi's fault" Ing. Chiti had said.
A decisive meeting took place in August, at Malpensa airport in Milan. "We had made an appointment there with Ecclestone to discuss the future. While we were waiting for him to arrive, the Chairman said to me: 'Alfa can't run itself by association with a type like Ecclestone'.
By the time the Canadian Grand Prix was held, the Brabham team returned to their familiar Cosworth V-8 engine while Autodelta proceeded on its own way with an "Alfa-Alfa" all Italian philosophy.
In 1978 Eccelstone was able to secure the massive financial support of the Italian daily products conglomerate Parmalat and with it the ability to hire away World Champion Niki Lauda from his massive annual salary with Ferrari.
According to Giancarlo Cervini writing in the May / June 1978 issue # 27 of Auto Italiana, Cervini revealed "The Alfa T...made its first rounds at Balocco, driven by Brambilla. The car, entirely designed and devised by Carlo Chiti in Autodelta, without anyone in the Alfa Experimental Workshop laying hands on it, is a single-seater which seem even too traditional."
The Alfa Romeo (T) Years
1978-1985
Courtesy of Robert Murphy
1979 Alfa Romeo 177 12 cylinder boxer 3000 cc
Alfa Romeo 177: Back To The Future
Text and photos courtesy of Roberto Motta
Copyright Robert B. Little 2021
Little known to non-Alfisti's, the Alfa Romeo "Typo 177" was one of the most popular cars and important cars in the history of Alfa Romeo in competitions. After a long development period the 177 participated in only four races without reporting significant results, but it allowed the 'Biscione' to return to the world of Formula 1 with a real project.
An all-Italian car.... The chassis... The engine... and of course... The driver.
In 1951, after winning the World Championship with Nino Farina in 1950 and with Juan Manuel Fangio in 1951 driving the famous 'Alfetta', the Alfa Romeo company retired from the world of Grand Prix.
Then, over the next few years and with the growing number of victories in the categories reserved for GT cars and in the Sport Prototype category, the management of the Milanese manufacturer was then tempted to return to Formula 1 with one all-Italian single-seater and those thoughts became more than an insistent proccupation.
So much so that in the period 1970-1972, Alfa Romeo S.p.A. returned to the world of Grand Prix racing by supplying its V-8 engines to McLaren and March.
A few years later in 1976, after winning the World Championship for Makes title with the 33TT12, the Milanese manufacturer began a collaboration with the English team Brabham to supply its famous flat-twelve 'boxer' engine.
Unfortunately the results were slow to arrive and the relationship between the Italian technicians and their English colleagues deteriorated, so much so that in 1977, Ettore Massacesi, then General Manager of Alfa Romeo asked Autodelta to design and develop a new Formula 1 car with which to return to the world of Grand Prix racing.
Autodelta was the racing department of Alfa Romeo and its workshops were located in Settimo Milanese, a town northwest of Milano.
The technical manager for the development of the new F1 Alfa project was Ing. Carlo Chiti, one of the most brilliant designers in the history of world motor racing.
The new car called the 'Typo 177', was powered by the twelve-cylinder 'boxer' engine designed by Chiti and already used by Brabham in 1976.
This 'Typo 115-12' engine was characterized by measurements of bore and stroke of 77.0 and 53.6 mm respectively which gave it an actual displacement of 2995 cc and in its latest version was capable of delivering 520 horsepower at 12,000 rpm. The chassis of the new single-seater used an aluminum monocoque which was mounted to the engine with a semi-load-bearing function.
The front suspension used overlapping wishbones and arms connected to the spring-shock absorber groups placed in a vertical position inside the car body.
The rear suspension was composed of overlapping wishbones with longitudinal reaction struts and spring-shock absorber groups placed in external inclined position.
The suspension was complemented by both adjustable anti-roll bars on the front and on the rear.
Courtesy of Roberto F. Motta
Courtesy of Roberto F. Motta.
Courtesy of Roberto F. Motta
The braking system, supplied by Lockheed used self-ventilating disc brakes with double-piston pumps and Ferodo pads. The front discs were mounted to the wheels while the rear ones were placed in the inboard position near the differential.
The 177 rested on magnesium wheels with front measurements of 10x13 ” and the rear 19 "x13". The front tires had measures of 9.25 / 23/13 " and the rear ones of 15.0 / 28.0 / x13 ".
The car weighted a declared 600 kg, (1320 lbs), a wheelbase of 2740 mm, front track of 1660 mm and rear of 1610 mm.
Finally, the 177 made use of two fuel tanks, mounted on each side of the driver position with a total capacity of 200 liters (about 54 USA gallons).
When it was designed, the 177 was a very technically conceived advanced single-seater. Unfortunately the chassis, which had been designed and constructed with serial number 177- 001, was not ready before May 1978. And for various reasons was car was unable to debut until May 1979.
It is necessary to remember during that same competitive season of 1978 that Colin Chapman brought forth the debut of his Lotus 78, a ground effects car... probably one of the best F1 cars ever designed.
With the advent of ground-effect cars, the design technique utilized for F1 was turned upside down and the Alfa Romeo 177 became virtually obsolete a year earlier than its planned debut in May the following year.
This explains why the 177 failed to achieve significant results.
Despite all this, the 177 must be given credit for being the car that had allowed Alfa Romeo to return to the world of Grand Prix racing.
The prototype 177 officially saw the light of day on May 30, 78 when Vittorio Brambilla took the first laps out on the track on the Balocco circuit, the private testing laboratory of Alfa Romeo S.p.A.
In this first test, the body of the car was still rough, and it looked almost black. The car used new Pirelli tires that they were soon replaced by Goodyears.
The tests continued and, in August of that same year... in anticipation of a possible debut at Monza in the Italian Grand Prix September 10th, the 177 went through a final test competition at Paul Ricard with Vittorio Brambilla and Niki Lauda.
After these tests, with negative results, Autodelta decided to postpone the debut.
Unfortunately at Monza, Brambilla driving his Surtees TS20 were involved in the accident that killed Ronnie Peterson. Brambilla sustained several injuries that forced him to stay off the circuits for almost a year.
During the winter season, the 177 continued its development with in house test driver Giorgio Francia and later with the young Italian driver Bruno Giacomelli, who had already demonstrated his driving skills first in F3 and then in F2.
Courtesy Centro Documentazione, Alfa Romeo Arese.
The 179 prototype, shown above officially saw the light of day on May 30, 1978 when Vittorio Brambilla took the first laps out on the track on the Balocco circuit, the private testing laboratory of Alfa Romeo S.p.A.
Finally after a year of testing, first secretly on the Brands Hatch circuit followed by development tests on the private Balocco proving ground and other European circuits...on May 13th,1979...the occasion of the 6th championship match, which took place on the Belgian circuit of Zolder, the Alfa Romeo 177 was entered and entrusted to Bruno Giacomelli.
During the two practice sessions characterized by rainy weather and by a slippery track, Giacomelli's 177 obtained the 14th fastest time, behind the Brabham-Alfa Romeo, powered by the Alfa Romeo 'Tipo 1260' engine with 60 ° V cylinders driven by the famous Austrian driver Niki Lauda.
On race day, Alfa Romeo 177 wrestled with De Angelis' Shadow, up to when, during the 21st lap, it was violently bumped in the rear by the De Angelis car and was forced to retire.
For the Alfa Romeo management and for the entire press contingent, it was a positive debut... although the 177 was by now technically an outdated car and definitely heavy.
Born as an experimental car two years earlier, it was characterized by a dry weight of over 600 kg, and yes,...it was racing against ground effect cars weighing just over 500 kg.
Moreover, in this period, the Milanese house had already prepared one new ground effect car, the 179, of which was being secretly developed in anticipation of it's debut at the Italian Grand Prix.
About six weeks after July 1st '79, the 177 and Giacomelli returned to race at the French Grand Prix, which was held on the Dijon circuit and conquered the 17th fastest time.
The day of the race, despite the great commitment of Giacomelli, the 177 passed the finish line in 17th position five laps behind the Renault RS 11 winning car.
Over the next few days, the 177 was put through a tough test on the very fast track of Hockenheim driven by Vittorio Brambilla... and showed some very interesting lap times.
However, the Alfa Romeo team leadership decided not to participate in the next race scheduled on the German track, and instead concentrated its efforts on the preparation of the car destined for the next Italian Grand Prix, a race in which the debut of the new ground effect car...the new 179 was planned.
On September 9th 1979, on the occasion of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, the 177 came entrusted to Brambilla. It was a memorable day, the Italian fans provided for Alfa Romeo and its drivers, Vittorio and Bruno and generously gave them an unforgettable welcome.
Brambilla, then 42 was returning to Formula 1 racing on the same track where a year earlier he had had his dramatic accident.
During the qualifying session, the 177 obtained the 22nd fastest time, preceding four other cars.
At the end of the race, which saw the victory of the world championship by Ferrari of Jody Scheckter, Vittorio Brambilla's Alfa Romeo 177 behaved more than dignified and passed under the checkered flag in 12th position, while the 179 entrusted to Giacomelli was forced to retire during the 29th lap for one accident.
It should be noted that before the retreat, the 179 had reached the Lauda-driven Brabham and was about to overtake it, then a trivial off - road event at the Ascari curve stopped the sensational action of the new Milanese car.
A week later the 177 appeared in the race at the Dino Ferrari Grand Prix, a contest run at Imola not valid for the championship . For the first time in nine years, Enzo Ferrari attended the tests.
During qualifying, the single 177 was run by both Bruno and Vittorio but for the race Vittorio was chosen to race the car. Starting from 6th place on the starting grid, the 177 finished the race in 9th place one lap behind the winner.
On lap 40 the 177, as in its debut race, was hit by the Shadow of Elio De Angelis, and was forced to slow down its run.
The Alfa Romeo 177-001 thus ended its career at Imola by behaving better than her younger sister, the 179, who was forced to retire after only 4 laps.
The 177 completed in only a few races but accomplished its task; it had successfully returned an Alfa Romeo car in F1 after a very long absence....of 28 years.
Courtesy of Roberto F. Motta.
Courtesy Eric Hautekeete
1979 Alfa Romeo Typo 177 with Bruno Giacomelli
Courtesy of Centro Documentazione Alfa Romeo, Arese
1979 Alfa Romeo 177 12 cylinder boxer 3000 cc
Courtesy of Centro Documentazione Alfa Romeo, Arese
1979 Alfa Romeo 'Typo 179'.
Copyright Eric Hautekeete
1979 Alfa Romeo 177
Courtesy of Eric Hautekeete
1979 Brabham BT48 - Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo 179
Text by Roberto Motta
Photos: Alfa Romeo Documentation Center, Arese, Roberto Motta and
The "179" was an important car in F1 history. While it was born as a ground effect ‘wing-car’, it was severely modified by the cruel winds of regulatory change during its scheduled lifetime on the Formula 1 circuits of the late 1970s and early 1980’s.
Because those changes were enacted during its planned competitive lifetime, it did not achieve its desired results… but it nevertheless made fans of Alfa Romeo brand enthusiasts worldwide.
In 1979 Alfa Romeo returned to compete in the F1 World Championship with its own car, the 177 … its debut occurring at the Grand Prix of Belgium at Zolder on May 13, 1979.
Born and developed two years before its Zolder debut… and even after having a positive debut, the 177 proved to be somewhat technically outdated.
Originally conceived for the use of Pirelli radial tires, it was forced to use the Goodyear brand at the last minute.
Moreover, the size and weight problems of the boxer engine did not allow it to be a real aero ground effect wing-car. The problems with the dimensions of the engine also affected the results of the first Brabham-Alfa-Romeo BT45-001 which obviously like the Milanese car, could not make the best use of the ground effect.
For this reason, in the late spring of 1978 the engineer Carlo Chiti began designing a new powertrain called the 'Type 1260', that is, 12 cylinders in a “V” of 60 °, which would have allowed the car to take better advantage of the side tunnels inside where an inverted wing structure was placed… allowing the exploitation of the ground effect.
At the same time the 177 continued to be updated and to participate in some championship races.
The 'Type 1260' engine.
It was built in just over four months. Since the first tests carried out by Niki Lauda, the engine proved to be one of the best engines of its period.
It had bore and stroke measurements of 77.0 mm and 53.60 mm (2995 cc), and it exploited all the Autodelta experiences gained from the previous Autodelta boxer…retaining proprietary details such as the crankshaft journals, connecting rods, pistons and cylinder heads.
With its solid granite appearance, its structure was characterized by the banks of its twelve cylinders, narrow and tall, which gave it a sense of solidity and great power. Separate exhaust manifolds joined with a 3-in-one type system to flow into a single outlet.
At the time of its test debut on the track which took place in Lauda's BT48 in December 1978, the new engine it had an output of 525 hp at 12,200 rpm.
Over the years it maintained a high standard of reliability and power, delivering, in its latest versions, 540 horsepower at 12,300 rpm and a higher torque of 35 kgm at 9000-9500 rpm.
Thus, as time passed, Alfa Romeo continued to simultaneously supply engines to the Brabham Parmalat team passing from the 'Typo 115-12' to the V12 'Typo 1260' that fitted the BT48.
Alfa Romeo 179: a real aero 'wing-car'
The 179 was conceived following the technical dictates that prevailed in the period. It was a true 'ground effects' design: inside the body were upside down wing profiles and variable section side air vents which, with the help of the side skirts, allowed a watertight seal under the bottom of the car.
The side air vents allowed the air to transit under the car creating strong downward force which turned into a significant increase in downforce.
Thus, on a road course …it held the curves enormously stronger and more authoritatively than that of traditional single-seaters.
Designed by French engineer Robert Choulet, the 179's shape looked like a set of rounded curves broken by the sharp lines of the sides.
Narrow V-cylinders had been designed to achieve the best aerodynamic performance possible. It was definitely the first time in the history of racing cars that an engine was built specifically for these aerodynamic parameters. Its V-shaped structure of 60 ° allowed the car to feature unseen internal side pod downforce wings with a width of 40 centimeters …more than those that had been allowed by the flat wide boxer engine and creating more downforce to the ground effect of about 700 kg (at 260 km / h).
The car showed off a very narrow attractive body made of aluminum panels and titanium with a clean trim, slim shape… which started from the nose up to the engine. Behind the driver's shoulders was the 200-liter fuel tank.
The suspension system exploited the same solutions adopted for the 177. As before, Autodelta used overlapping “A” frames up front with a wide wheelbase and anti-roll bar while in the rear Ing. Chiti’s engineers fitted lower triangular “A” frames and an upper arm, and worthy of note…the 179 was equipped with an anti-roll bar adjustable by the driver.
This single-seater, characterized by a rounded line that contrasted with the taut shapes of the sides, was born from the long tests in the wind tunnel. Thanks to the considerable downforce of its body, it was devoid of the spoiler in front and looked like one of the most beautiful F1 cars.
Small spoilers and a front air downforce spoiler was later tested and adopted as was a full-width aileron.
The 179 weighed 595 kg dry, had a wheelbase 2.74 m, track widths of 1.72 m and 1.57 m, length 4.34 m, width 2.14 m and height 0.9 m.
A not inconsiderable fact was that for the first time since the 158 'Alfetta'... the 179 used an engine designed exclusively for F1 competitions since the Autodelta V-8 power unit and its subsequent 12 cylinder boxer engines were powertrains derived from an engine used on Sports cars.
The 179 therefore had what it took to bring Alfa Romeo back to victory.
Courtesy of Centro Documentazione Alfa Romeo, Arese
The Alfa Romeo Typo 177 shown at the 1979 Italian Grand Prix with Vittorio Brambilla
The 179 debuts in Monza.
On August 16 and 17, 1979 the Alfa Romeo Autodelta team moved to the Monza circuit where, in the presence of the then Alfa Romeo President Massacesi the 179 was tested by Bruno Giacomelli and Vittorio Brambilla.
During the tests the 179 became the victim of a few technical problems, including the breaking of an exhaust manifold, which detached from the engine as the car drove along the Lesmo curve and… five laps later, the engine failed in the same corner.
The 179 was forced to return to the pits towed by a track service car, an Alfetta GTV among whistles from spectators.
The following morning, around 11:00 am, the 179 was taken to the track by Brambilla and, with some interruptions for the necessary checks, the high speed tests continued until 6:00 pm, when the track was closed.
Almost one month later, on September 9th on the occasion of the Italian Grand Prix weekend, the Autodelta 177-001 was entrusted to Vittorio Brambilla and 179-001 to Bruno Giacomelli.
At the qualifying tests, the 179 obtained the 18th fastest time in the starting grid while its sister, the 177 obtained the 22nd fastest position.
During the race the 179 fought with Lauda's Brabham-Alfa Romeo BT48 but, while on the 29th lap Giacomelli spun his 179 at the Ascari curve and ended its run.
It was a shame, because the car had been competitive, even if it was still fresh from of its initial development.
At the end of the race, Jody Scheckter's Ferrari won the world championship and the 177 finished in 12th position.
The '179' had a long career and was made in different versions (179B, 179C, 179D, 179F). Probably the most beautiful version was its first year model, in which it was distinguished by a red livery, the color chosen for Italian racing cars and was devoid of front spoilers.
With this configuration Autodelta and the 179 faced the last championship races in Montreal and at Watkins Glen.
The 179-001 remained at Giacomelli's disposal, while the 179-002 was entrusted to Patrick Depailler.
It shines.
After its demanding debut in the short 1979 season, in 1980 the car improved with the renewed Marlboro-Alfa Romeo team. During the season, Giacomelli got two fifth places, a thirteenth place and a pole position in Canada.
On August 1, the season was marred by the tragic loss of Patrick Depailler who died in a crash testing his 179 at Hockenheim during a private test session ten days before the actual race.
His seat was temporarily taken up by Mario Andretti who took part with the 179B-004 at the Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort and at the Italian Grand Prix at Imola. It was his last race in F1 because he was permanently replaced by Andrea de Cesaris who debuted in F1 at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Meanwhile, the 'Typo 179' proved faster and faster so much so that the 179B-006 allowed Giacomelli to capture pole position at Watkins Glen where he led the entire race with a large margin and only at the last few minutes of the race was betrayed by a Marelli coil meltdown which took away a victory that had been almost a certainty.
The 1981 season was characterized by the abolition of 'miniskirts'. At this point the 179, originally designed and built as an aero wing-car, it was no longer able to perform at its best despite suffering some changes.
Conclusions
The Autodelta team, supporting its 179 as a ground effects car to make the most of the regulations, was materially damaged by regulatory changes made and… despite not having managed to have the desired results, it did accomplish the dream of Alfisti for having brought young Italian drivers into Formula 1 racing…Bruno Giacomelli and Andrea de Cesaris.
It is natural to us to think how his story could have evolved had there been fewer contradictions within the team itself , and, if the car had been driven by more experienced pilots such as the best of time, drivers of the caliber of Villeneuve, Scheckter, Jones, Lauda, Prost, Piquet, Mansel ...
However, we know that history is not written with the 'ifs'.
Copyright Eric Hautekeete
1980 Alfa Romeo 179
Courtesy Archives of Estate of Rey Paolinni
1980 Alfa Romeo 179 V-12
Courtesy Archives of Estate of Rey Paolini
Alfa Romeo 179B with Bruno Giacomelli
Tom Wood @ 2011 Courtesy of RM Auctions
Tom Wood @ 2011 Courtesy of RM Auctions
Copyright Eric Hautekeete
1981 Alfa Romeo T179 V-12 cylinder 3000 cc
Alfa Romeo 182
Text by Roberto Motta
Photos by Roberto Motta and press-BMW group
Copyright Robert B. Little 2021
Beautiful and yet unfortunate,theAlfa Romeo Typo 182 lived only one season. It was the last Milanese chassis propelled by the Autodelta V12 engine to win a pole position and it was the first to adopt the turbocharged V-8 engine
During the 1981 season, the Alfa Romeo 179 was seldom able to get satisfying results. If we exclude the first Grand Prix races where it started from the front row of a few starting grids, the 179 experienced overall a disappointing season. Its disappointing performance was 'softened' somewhat at the end of the Formula One season when Bruno Giacomelli managed to achieve a 4th place in the Grand Prix of Canada and a 3rd place in the Caesars Palace Grand Prix of Las Vegas.
Beyond the cold statistics, however, it must be remembered that the scarce competitiveness of the car was partly due to the forced use of Michelin tires caused by the withdrawl of Goodyear at the end of 1980.
The new Michelin radials forced the Autodelta technicians to redesign the entire suspension system. Even the FIA's abolition of miniskirts at the end of the 1980 season... which had made it a competitive car ...negatively affected the characteristic aerodynamics and chassis adhesion to track surfaces.
Finally, the arrival of French engineer Gerard Ducarouge, which occurred in mid-August, allowed the team to improve the car thanks to the use of variable flexibility side skirts, but undermined the future of Alfa Romeo in Formula 1 racing.
In the early days of 1982, while the team was preparing the new car, the then General Manager of Alfa Romeo S.p.A. Ettore Massacesi decided to limit the general overall authority of Ing. Chiti by appointing him president of Autodelta.
This decision placed Chiti in a minority situation and allowed for a wider field of authority (autonomy) for Ducarouge...who cunningly helped orchestrate these circumstances in his ultimate favor.
Eliminating Carlo Chiti from the company he helped organize in 1965 was the Machiavellian goal of Ducarouge.
The 1982 season presented itself to Alfa Romeo as potentialy quite interesting but, in spite of the forecasts of 'experts', started with disappointing results.
The new car, the 182 with its new Ducarouge-designed carbon fibre chassis, was not yet ready to enter the 1982 season ...therefore the Milanese manufacturer decided to enter the first races of the Formula One year with their old 179 cars.
On 23 January the 1982 season got underway at the South African Grand Prix on the track at Kyalami. Alfa Romeo fielded 179s for Bruno Giacomelli and Andrea de Cesaris who, after a mediocre race, sadly finished in 11th and 13th place. In the subsequent Grand Prix of Brazil, on the Jacarepagua circuit, both 179 cars were forced to retire.
On April 3, 1982, in Long Beach, in qualifying practice for the US-West Grand Prix it was an unforgettable day for Alfa and de Cesaris. During the tests, the '182-02' (race number 22) driven by a surprising de Cesaris obtained pole position. The second car, '182-01', entrusted to Bruno Giacomelli and earned an encouraging 5th fastest time in qualifying.
The following day, at the start of the race, de Cesaris's '182-02' started in strong command of the field, but was forced to retire during the 33rd lap due to a road exit.
The accident was caused by a distraction of the driver de Cesaris who had crashed against a protective wall after seeing... through the rear-view mirrors... suspicious smoke escaping from his car.
Giacomelli's '182-01' stopped on lap 5 due to an accident with the Renault of Rene Arnoux.
For the more curious in Long Beach there was also the chassis '182-03'...a newly created spare used as the practice 'muletto'..
As announced by the English teams, the next San Marino Grand Prix on 25 April, Alfa Romeo was prohibited from occupying the garage stalls registered with the Formula One Constructors Association. In the course of qualifying with a field reduced to just 14 cars, Giacomelli's '182-01' won the 6th fastest qualifying time while the '182-04' of de Cesaris took the 7th position on the grid.
Race day was like a cold shower for Alfa Romeo. On the 4th lap the fuel pump of de Cesaris's car failed... while on lap 24 the V-12 of Giacomelli took its last breath due to the rupture of an oil pipe.
The following weekend the Belgian Grand Prix was marred by the fatal accident in which Gilles Villeneuve lost his life.
It was Saturday May 8th during the qualifying practice when Villeneuve's Ferrari 126C2 hit the rear wheel of the Jochen Mass March car that preceded him at a slower pace and had moved away to leave the passing lane free for Villeneuve ...who was busily engaged in his fastest lap.
The Canadian did not understand the intention of Mass, and his Ferrari was catapulted into the air by the rear wheel of the March. Villeneuve was thrown out of the cockpit... harnessed securely to his seat... hit a stake with the back of his head. He died shortly there after.
For the Alfa Romeo team it was yet another race to forget. Giacomelli's '182-01' did not even finish the first lap due to an accident, while the '182-04' of de Cesaris stopped on lap 34 due to a broken drive shaft.
In the pits there was also the '182-03', used as the 'muletto'.
On 23 May, at the Monte Carlo Grand Prix, Alfa Romeo found a smile again, thanks to the 3rd fastest time recorded from Giacomelli's' 182-01 and de Cesaris' 7th fastest qualifying time from' his 182-04 .
On the day of the race, Giacomelli's car was forced to retire due to the failure of a drive shaft, which took place during the 4th lap, while de Cesaris's car won an unexpected 3rd place finish. Again, the '182-03' was present in the pits as a spare or 'muletto'.
In the next race on June 6 in Detroit, de Cesaris won an important pole position with '182-04' while Giacomelli with '182-01' got the 5th fastest time.
It was the last pole position won by Alfa Romeo in an F1 race. '182 - 04' took the lead but was soon forced to give up due to a banal electrical failure, while Giacomelli's '182-01' was involved in yet another accident. In the pits there was the usual '182-03' muletto...
The negative period continued for Alfa Romeo. In the subsequent Dutch Grand Prix, the Gran Prix of Brittany, France and the Grand Prix of Germany, the 182 took Giacomelli to the finish line, obtaining 11th place with '182-05', 7th place with '182-03', 9th place with '182-03' and 5th place with the '182-03' respectively.
The situation worsened in the Austrian Grand Prix on the Zeltweg circuit where on a day of mid-August neither Giacomelli's '182-03' nor the '182-06' ended the race.
On August 29th, in the Swiss Grand Prix run on the French circuit of Dijon, the '182-06' of de Cesaris was relegated to 10th place and Giacomelli's '182-03' to 12th place.
The agony of Alfa Romeo also continued during the next Italian Grand Prix where '182-03' for Giacomelli and the '182-06' for de Cesaris were entered Only '182-06' managed to finish the race with a disappointing 10th place overall.
We would like to point out that, on Friday September 3rd, during the break in reserved tests to the cars entered in the Italian F3 Championship, the 182T made its official debut equipped with the new V8 Turbo engine.
The car, entrusted to de Cesaris, proved itself fast enough, however the team did not consider the car ready for the race debut.
The championship season ended with the Las Vegas race. Also on this occasion the Alfa Romeo team did not prove to be up to the situation; the '182-06' driven by de Cesaris finished the race in 9th place and Giacomelli's '182-04' 10th place, 2 laps behind the winner Michele Alboreto driving a Tyrrel.
From a sporting point of view, while the 8-cylinder turbo engine was being tested by Giorgio Francia on the Balocco track, Giacomelli and de Cesaris had been forced to compete with a 12-cylinder now outdated compared to the turbo engines of Ferrari and of Renault. Moreover, even the chassis designed by Ducarouge never reached its intended dreams or aspirations due to the new regulations that prohibited the use of miniskirts.
The 182 could have been competitive, but unfortunately it did not have that reliability which would have allowed it to accumulate kilometers of speed and endurance to discover further improvements in the car.
For example, before entering each race, all the exhausts pipes... made of precious titanium... were replaced with fresh material. However there was never a competition where one or more of the titanium pieces didn't break...resulting in a loss of engine power.
The 182 was also plagued by a series of minor failures, each rather insignificant, but collectively forced the surrender or a poor race outcome.
Perhaps the 182 model lacked a little luck.
The absolute harmony of the team with the manufacturers who are not members of the Formula One Constructors Association disrupted the programs of the Milanese technicians who kept faith with the agreements... a legality that other builders did not respect.
The season ended with the team achieving tenth place in the constructors' championship. Such a result highlighted the team's technical and managerial difficulties. During this disappointing season, Masaccesi reconsidered the participation of Alfa Romeo in the championship reserved for F1 cars.
He feared he was being held responsible for an adventure that has become more and more for the Milanese manufacturer rich in investments and poor in results. He was convinced that the Italian government's control of Alfa Romeo through its IRI should to intervene drastically and decisively to limit the future of the motor racing department named Autodelta.
Initially Massacesi also considered the opportunity to completely leave the world of F1, but, after carefully analyzing the situation, considered it a retirement that could be interpreted by customers as denying the traditionally sporting image of the company.
In the same period, Nicolò San Germano, a young Philip Morris manager, was instructed by his parent company in Lausanne to follow and support the Alfa Romeo Marlboro sponsorships.
He proposed to the management of the Milanese company to sell the Formula 1 team and to entrust its management to the Euroracing team owned by Gianpaolo Pavanello.
Pavanello distinguished himself in Formula 3 by winning Italian and European championships. According to the Marlboro man, such a choice would have guaranteed the reduction of management costs and the increase in sponsorship revenue since the activity would no longer be managed by a 'state company', but by an agile private organization.
Having heard that, Massacesi decided to entrust to Euroracing the management of the Formula 1 team starting from the 1983 season. The new team could have counted on steady supply of 8-cylinder and turbo engines along with Autodelta technical assistance.
With this decision, the Alfa Romeo adventure, or rather that of the 'real' Alfa Romeo, ended with the 1982 season, although in reality a team substitute continued under the banner of the Euroracing Team.
During the 1983 season, the new 183T cars, powered by the turbo engine were entrusted to Mauro Baldi and Andrea de Cesaris. The season was catastrophic, so much so that both drivers preferred not to renew their respective contracts.
With the loss of its main sponsor, Marlboro, the cars received a new livery supported by Benetton. Piloted by Riccardo Patrese and Eddie Cheever, they sailed in the sea of anonymity, so much so that after a thousand controversies and problems, that could not and should not have involved the Alfa Romeo brand name, the management of the Milanese manufacturer decided to withdraw from the world of the Grand Prix racing, and to continue the supply of turbo engines at Osella until 1987.
The Technique
The mechanical heart of the 182 was the 'Type 1260' engine, the engine that came modified in bore and stroke measurements during the '81 season. Characterized from measurements of 78.5 and 51.5 mm, it had an effective displacement 2991.009 cc.
Mounted with a load-bearing function, the engine was characterized by a 4 valves per cylinder, 2 overhead camshafts controlled by a cascade system of gears for each bank.
The lubrication system was of the dry sump type and used 2 radiators for the cooling of the lubricating oil. The fuel injection system was entrusted to a Lucas mechanical feeding system with electronic regulation.
The transmission, assisted by a dry two-plate clutch, was entrusted to a gearbox of either 5 or 6 ratios along with reverse.
It must be borne in mind that during the 1982 season, the attention of Alfa Romeo engineering staff was focused on the study of a supercharged engine, already adopted by the competition. Even the Milanese house was involved in the experimentation of motors with variable displacement power systems and turbochargers.
The big news of the 182 was its monocoque chassis, made of carbon fibre. Designed by the French engineer Gerard Ducarouge, it was more durable and lighter than the aluminum frame, but was also hugely more expensive.
The frame was built by Roger Slomans, owner of Composite Components of Derby, UK... the same company that had made the chassis for McLaren Cars in 1981. At that time, Autodelta did not have the production capacity of make a carbon fiber chassis in its Settimo Milanese workshop.
Behind the driver's shoulders was the 190-liter fuel tank.
The front suspension used broad base and arm lower triangles upper transverse, coil springs, hydraulic shock absorbers and stabilizer bar. The rear suspension used lower reverse triangles and wishbones upper of different lengths, coil springs, hydraulic shock absorbers and bar stabilizer.
The braking system consisted of 4 self-ventilating discs, each pressed by 2 2-piston calipers.
The car rested on 13” diameter magnesium rims which allowed for the mounting of Michelin racing tires with measures of 23.00 / 59x13 on the front, and 38.00 / 70x13 on the rear.
The 182 was 4390mm long overall, 900mm high, 2150mm wide and had a wheelbase of 2720 mm, front and rear track of 1820 mm and 1680 mm respectively.
The car claimed a dry weight of 580 kg.
Conclusions
Although its competition history was relatively short, it should be remembered that the 182 still had good records to remember: it was the last F1 Alfa Romeo to record a pole position in F1 and the last to be equipped with the V12 engine, the Tipo 1260. It was the first car of the Milanese house to exploit a monocoque in carbon fiber and kevlar, and the first to be powered by the new V-8 Turbo engine with over 600 HP thus launching the 'Biscione' in the era of the Turbo.
These largely unsuccessful F1 cars of the 1981 were essentially the final cars built by Autodelta in Settimo Milanese "in house" before the takeover of the construction activities by outside vendors such as Advanced Composite Components ... building the new 182 in 1982.
The planning and general supervision of this 1981 car was maintainted by Ing. Carlo Chiti....this car only achieved a 4th place in Canada and a third place in Las Vegas.
Courtesy of Robert Murphy
1981 Alfa Romeo T179 V-12 cylinder 3000 cc
Courtesy of Robert Murphy
Photographer: Tony Harrison
1981 Alfa Romeo T179B 3000 cc 'Typo 1260' V-12 at the Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile of Torino. This car was presented by Alfa Romeo S.p.A., Milano.
Ing. Gianni Arosio speaks about the several years of unsuccesssful skirt design until the French engineer Ducarouge joined Autodelta in 1981. Read his complete interview here at "Ing. Arosio Speaks" https://robertlittle.us/inggianniarosiospeaks.html
"At Alfa we did not yet have the technology of the skirts, Ducarouge brought his experience and above all the friction material to the ground. The side skirts were the fundamental element of the wing cars, the sealing on the ground was very important, ours deteriorated immediately and could no longer flow with the related consequences.
Ducarouge brought the ceramic material of the skate and the technology to make the flaps slide well.
The internal fluid dynamics also improved, simplifying and cleaning the bellies. The car immediately improved performance. Before his care, the car needed a lot of downforce to stay on the road, the ailerons were always heavily loaded to unload all the power to the ground with the consequence of developing lesser top speeds.
After his treatment, the ground effect was finally exploited, we traveled with unloaded wings, significantly increasing top speeds and improving lap times."
Courtesy of Centro Documentazione Alfa Romeo, Arese
1983 Alfa Romeo 183T V-8 1500 Turbo
This completely new fabrication of an Alfa Romeo Formula 1 car was named the "182", built largely of lightweight honeycomb carbon fiber materials and weighing under 1,200 pounds...said to have been built in only 90 days in the UK by Roger Slomans. It was introduced to the public on February 25, 1982 in downtown Milano.
This engine, the only 8-cylinder in its category, was designed and built by Autodelta under the direction of the engineer Chiti.
Statically presented on the occasion of the Italian GP at Imola in 1980, it only entered full development in 1982, the year in which it made its debut at Monza.
Featuring bore and stroke dimensions of 74mm and 43.5mm (1497cc) it weighed 130kg. Entirely made of alloy, the engine exploited double overhead camshaft distribution with gear control, 4 valves per cylinder, crankshaft in forged nitride steel that rotated on five main supports, connecting rods in titanium alloy, with bolts and nuts in steel.
The engine project was initially carried out using only components developed in Italy, from Alfa Avio turbines to the mechanical-electronic injection system developed by Alfa Romeo.
These Italian components were some of the main weaknesses of the engine, so much so that Alfa Romeo engineers had to turn to KKK for the turbines and Bosch for the fuel injection system. But despite the changes, the results did not change.
In the first tests, the engine, supercharged by two Avio turbines, was powered by a battery of 8 Weber carburetors, and proved capable of delivering 585 HP at 11,200 rpm, and of providing a torque of 39 kgm at 10,000 rpm. In the subsequent development, the feeding was entrusted to a Spica injection system, with mechanical distributor.
With the arrival in Alfa Romeo of Ing. Tonti, the engine, while maintaining the basic structural characteristics, was profoundly modified with the replacement of the cylinder block with integral liners and Nikasil treatment, new heads with different combustion chamber design and oversized valves, new pistons, new magnesium sump and carbon fiber valve covers.
A further step in the development was the adoption of an electronic injection characterized by a three-parameter adjustment: engine speed, position of the throttle valve and boost pressure.
In the racing set-up with turbo pressures on the order of 2 atmospheres, the engine developed 600 horsepower at 10,500 rpm, with a 7: 1 compression ratio and 45 kgm torque at 9,000 rpm.
An extension of the supercharging pressure up to 2.3 atmospheres and an increase in the engine speed up to 11,500 rpm made it possible to reach powers of 650-700 hp.
Among the other changes made was the adoption in 1984 of the power supply system with water injection, which was followed by the electronic control of the power supply, the variable advance and the fully electronic injection.
In its last racing season, this engine was credited with a power of 800 hp at 11,000 rpm, power that, unofficially, could rise to 820-840 hp at a maximum boost pressure between 2.6 and 2.9 bar.
Courtesy of Manuel Lara
This was the very last Formula 1 Alfa Romeo car supervised by Ing. Carlo Chiti before his withdrawal from employment with Alfa Romeo S.p.A. This car, known more appropriately as the 184 T/C was tested for the first time on January 11, 1984 at the Balocco testing facility...a few days after its public introduction.
Ing. Chiti then immediately joined Piero Mancini in forming a new company Motoro Moderni a short drive away from Settimo Milanese in nearby Novara.
Ligier-Alfa Romeo
Courtesy Archives of Estate of Rey Paolini
Courtesy Archives of Estate of Rey Paolini
Courtesy Archives of Estate of Rey Paolini
Courtesy of Centro Documentazione Alfa Romeo, Arese
These are previously secret photographs of an Ligier chassis with an experimental Autodelta Turbo-charged four cylinder engine being tested by Autodelta prior to the closure of its activities. Much of this development work on the V-10 and the 4 cylinder turbo pictured here was the result of research and development carried out by Ing. Gianni Tonti
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