The countdown has begun for the ‘most beautiful race in the world’, on its traditional Brescia-Rome-Brescia route
Four models from the Alfa Romeo collection will be taking part: the 6C 1500 Super Sport (1928), the 1900 Sport Spider (1954), the 2000 Sportiva (1954) and the 1900 Super Sprint (1956)
The guests of honour will be the new Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA and GTAm, inspired by the legendary 1965 Giulia ‘Gran Turismo Alleggerita’ developed by Autodelta
Alfa Romeo is the Global Automotive Partner at the 39th re-enactment edition of the ‘Freccia Rossa’ (‘Red Arrow’) – famously named by Enzo Ferrari as the “most beautiful race in the world” – due to get underway in Brescia on 16 June. Part race and part adventure, this year's 1000 Miglia will see around 400 priceless vintage cars taking part, as many as 121 of which belong to the Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Lancia brands, making it the largest official team by default and an undisputed icon of Italian motorsport.
Alfa Romeo is also competing, lining up four prestigious cars: the 6C 1500 Super Sport (1928), the 1900 Sport Spider (1954), the 2000 Sportiva (1954) and the 1900 Super Sprint (1956). The four gems will be driven by experienced crews, among which are the Chairman of Stellantis, John Elkann, aboard the 1900 Super Sprint and multiple titleholders Giovanni Moceri and Daniele Bonetti in the Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 Super Sport, who won the 2019 edition in the same car. The four extraordinary models, all veritable works of art on the move, belong to the Heritage collection, the department focused on the safeguarding and promotion of the history of Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Lancia and Abarth.
All eyes will be on the stunning 1928 Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 Super Sport, with bodywork by the Farina workshops: a similar version won the 1928 1000 Miglia with Giuseppe Campari and Giulio Ramponi. The model in the race aims to replicate its 2019 triumph in the historical re-enactment of the 1000 Miglia, as well as its 2005, 2007 and 2008 victories. In 2007 and 2008, it also took victory in the ‘1000 Millas Sport’ in Argentina. The sensational 1928 6C 1500 Super Sport features a 1,487cc 6-cylinder engine, delivering 76hp at 4,800 rpm and reaching a top speed of 87mph. Thirty-one of these cars were built between 1928 and 1929. Running the race under number ‘37’, the 6C 1500 Super Sport will be driven by Giovanni Moceri, former Italian champion in the Grandi Eventi ACI Sport and winner of the biggest historical races in Italy, with Daniele Bonetti alongside him.
The Chairman of Stellantis, John Elkann will lead the teams, under number ‘300’ in the 1900 Super Sprint (1956), an elegant coupé with bodywork by Touring that represents the ‘gran turismo’ class of the 20th century. ‘The family car that wins races’ was the 1900 Super Sprint’s claim to fame in the 1950s, based on the short version chassis of the 1900 saloon, fitted with a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder engine with the brand’s characteristic twin camshaft and an output of 115hp at 5,500 rpm, resulting in sporting performance that remains of note to this day. In the 1950s, it was customary for the great Italian designers to buy a mechanised chassis from Alfa Romeo, complementing it with bodywork designed and produced in-house. The most successful model was the Milan outfit Touring’s, whose version of the Alfa Romeo 1900C Super Sprint is still considered one of the most balanced and sophisticated coupés ever produced for the Biscione brand. From 1954 to 1955, almost 300 models were produced.
The 1900 Sport Spider (1954) is a very rare racing spider – only two models of which were ever produced – fitted with the 4-cylinder twin-cam dry-sump ‘1,900’ engine, supercharged to 138hp, enabling it to reach 137mph, partly down to its weight of 880kg and its aerodynamic efficiency. Featuring Franco Scaglione’s innovative design for the Bertone workshop, the 1900 Sport Spider is fitted with 5-speed transmission and a De Dion rear axle, its performance and driveability are that of a more recent, responsive and earnest car, with great road grip. This remarkable car is due to blaze the trail out of competition under number ‘1000’.
The official Alfa Romeo line-up is completed by the extraordinary 2000 Sportiva (1954), under number ‘301’. This is another very rare piece, only two exist in the world, featuring a radiant metallic grey livery. The 2000 Sportiva – which can rightfully be considered the sister car to the 1900 Sport Spider – was designed in 1954, with the Alfa Romeo technicians aiming to produce a limited edition of high-performance cars suitable to be driven both on the road and in ‘Sport’ class competitions. The 2.0-litre 4-cylinder twin-cam engine with an output of 138hp at 6,500 rpm is strictly derived from the ‘1900’ engine, enabling it to achieve 137mph, a very high speed for its era. The car also includes a 5-speed transmission, De Dion rear suspension and aluminium bodywork. Its lines are slender and elegant: the Sportiva was also made to a Bertone design by Franco Scaglione, who also created its near-contemporary the Giulietta Sprint, as well as the Giulietta SS and 33 Stradale. The 2000 Sportiva’s rear window, back and boot would be successfully repeated in the Giulietta Sprint, albeit recalibrated for the differing proportions. The driveability and performance of the 2000 Sportiva were the best in their class, so much so that driving this model remains a great pleasure in complete safety, even to this day. In the late 1960s, the De Dion rear suspension would serve as a benchmark to develop the solution employed in the 1972 Alfetta saloon.
In only a few days Alfa Romeo will be celebrating its 111th anniversary – the brand was founded on 24 June, 1910 – as well as its participation in the historical re-enactment from Brescia. On top of competing with its most stunning heritage cars, Alfa Romeo will also be taking to the streets with its current models, which will accompany the 1000 Miglia convoy as the official fleet of the organisation. The public can admire the Stelvio, the first SUV in the history of over a century of a brand that has rewritten the rules of the class, and the Giulia, the sports saloon that combines functional and dynamic beauty to achieve the best possible performance, while the Giulia and a Stelvio Quadrifoglio will be used as the competition's official pacesetters.
The spotlight however will be on the brand-new Giulia GTA and GTAm, technically and conceptually inspired by the Giulia GTA of 1965 – the ‘Gran Turismo Alleggerita’ developed by Autodelta based on the Giulia Sprint GT that racked up sporting successes worldwide. This legend is now back on the road with the Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA supercar. Derived from the Giulia Quadrifoglio, the 540hp Alfa Romeo 2.9-litre V6 Bi-Turbo engine along with the use of lightweight materials gives it a best-in-class weight-to-power ratio. It also benefits from dedicated technical solutions for its aerodynamics, alignment and handling.
