Alfa Romeo P2

The Alfa Romeo P2 won the inaugural Automobile World Championship in 1925, taking victory in two of the four championship rounds when Antonio Ascari drove it in the European Grand Prix atSpa and Gastone Brilli-Peri won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza after Ascari died while leading the intervening race at Montlhery.

Although 1925 brought drastic changes of regulations, from 1924-1930 the P2 was victorious in 14 Grands Prix and major events including the Targa Florio. It was one of the iconic Grand Prix cars of the 1920s, along with the Bugatti Type 35, and enabled Alfa Romeo, as world champions, to incorporate the laurel wreath into their logo.

The P2 was introduced by Alfa Romeo for the Circuit of Cremona in northern Italy in 1924, where Antonio Ascari won at over 158 km/h (98 mph), and then went on to win the speed trial at 195 km/h (121 mph). The car was the first creation of Alfa’s new designer Vittorio Jano who had been recruited from Fiat by Enzo Ferrari when Nicola Romeo scrapped the P1 after its poor performance in the 1923 Monza Grand Prix against Fiat. The P2 was powered by Alfa’s first straight-8 cylinder supercharged engine with 2 carburettors placed after the compressor.

Only 2 of the 6 original models survive, and they can be seen in the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese and the Turin Automobile Museum. The P2 had two body styles using either a cut off or long rear.

One of the P2s was featured on the main sculpture at the 2010 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Category	Grand Prix
Constructor	Alfa Romeo
Team/s	Alfa Corse
Designer(s)	Vittorio Jano
Drivers	1924 + Antonio Ascari, Giuseppe Campari, Louis Wagner, Ferdinando Minoia, Gastone Brilli-Peri
Technical specifications
Chassis
Suspension (front)	Rigid Axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs, friction shocks
Suspension (rear)	Live axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs, friction shocks
Engine	Front mounted, Alfa Romeo, Straight-8 (two straight 4 blocks), Twin Roots Superchargers 2 Memini carburettors, 1,987 cc, 140 bhp (104 kW) @ 5500 rpm (1924) 155 bhp (115 kW) @ 5500 rpm (1925)
Transmission	Alfa Romeo 4-speed manual
Wheelbase	2,623 mm (103.5 in)
Track	Front 1,300 mm (51.2 in), Rear 1,198 mm (47.2 in)
Dry weight	614 kg (1,354 lb)
Competition history
Debut	1924 Cremona Circuit, Antonio Ascari, 1st
Constructors’ Championships	1925 Automobile World Championship
Drivers’ Championships	Not applicable before 1950
Race victories	15
Last season	1930

Alfa Romeo P2 (1925)

Year	Race	Driver	Report
1924	Cremona Grand Prix	Antonio Ascari	Report
	French Grand Prix	Giuseppe Campari	Report
	Italian Grand Prix	Antonio Ascari	Report
1925	Belgian Grand Prix	Antonio Ascari	Report
	Italian Grand Prix	Gastone Brilli-Peri	Report
1927	Coppa Acerbo	Giuseppe Campari	Report
1928	Coppa Acerbo	Giuseppe Campari	Report
1929	Alessandria Grand Prix	Achille Varzi	Report
	Rome Grand Prix	Achille Varzi	Report
	Coppa Montenero	Achille Varzi	Report
	Monza Grand Prix	Achille Varzi	Report
	Cremona Grand Prix	Gastone Brilli-Peri	Report
	Tunis Grand Prix	Gastone Brilli-Peri	Report
1930	Alessandria Grand Prix	Achille Varzi	Report
	Targa Florio	Achille Varzi	Report

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Last updated on 10 March 2014 at 10:36.