1931 ALFA ROMEO 8C 2.3

Vehicle Overview

Alfa Romeo was already a race-winner in 1931 when it introduced the 8C Roadster as a sports-car for the public, and the new car promised to be a trophy-winner, and it was.

Alfa Romeo built just 188 cars for the market while the rest were race-cars. In those times, the differences between a race car and its showroom cousin were minimal. Tazio Nuvolari won the 1931 Italian Grand Prix at Monza race-track and the 1931-1932 Targa Florio road-race.

The 8C featured a unique front fascia for those times, sporting a three-headlamps at the front, in front of the radiator’s grille. That’s why the carmaker had to move the “Alfa Romeo” lettering on the lower side. There was no bumper for the race version. Yet, the street model featured a slim, easy to remove one. The two-seat cabin was just in front of the rear axle. To make the car more aerodynamic, the carmaker installed an aerodynamic shield on top of the spare-wheel. Last but not least, it featured an aluminum bodywork over a steel chassis.

Inside, the carmaker placed large dials from left to right of the dash-panel. In front of the co-driver, Alfa Romeo installed a clock and the fuel gauge. These were important, especially during a road race. In those times, the Italian carmakers installed the driving posts on the right side of the car, even if they were driving on the road’s right side. Inside the cabin, the carmaker installed a solid, metallic handle (sort of an Oh-My-God bar) on the passenger’s side.

Under the hood, Alfa Romeo installed an inline-eight engine with dual overhead camshafts and two valves per cylinder. A roots-type supercharger fed it through a Memini double-barrel carburetor.