ALFA ROMEO 12C-36 – year 1936

SA Alfa Romeo, Milano, Italy.

The only competitor boldly competing with the dominant German cars on the Grand Prix tracks in the years 1935-1937 was Nuvolari from Alfa Romeo. After the sensational victory in the German Grand Prix race in 1935 year, when on 3,8 liter Alfa Romeo overcame significantly stronger and more numerous cars Mercedes and Auto Union, Nuvolari received for a year 1936 new Alfa Romeo 12C-36 model.

The car had a tubular frame with wheels independently suspended on transverse wishbones. Spiral springs were used. The rear wheels on oscillating half-shafts were suspended on one transverse semi-elliptical leaf spring. The shock absorption was provided by hydraulic dampers. The hydraulic brakes acted on all wheels. When cornering, Nuvolari mastered the rear wheels masterfully with the handbrake. The front-mounted twelve-cylinder V-engine had a displacement 4064 cm3 (∅ 70 x 88 mm). There were one intake and one exhaust valve in each cylinder, arranged at an angle of 90 ° to each other. The valves were controlled by two camshafts in the cylinder head. The driving force was transferred via a cone clutch to a four-speed gearbox. The engine was running at maximum power 272,3 kW (370 KM) by 5800 RPM, which did not correspond to the power obtained by the competitors, but in spite of this, the maximum speed was approaching 275 km/h. Nuvolari also ran a great new model and in 1936 in the year he won five races five times. In the Grand Prix at Penya Rhin, he won ahead of Caracciola with an average speed 111,5 km/h. In the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest he definitely defeated Manfred von Brauchitsch, reaching speed 110,6 km/h. He also won the Coppa Ciano in Leghorn and the French Pau. The following year, he tried his luck at Alfa Romeo, then he moved to Auto Union.