ALFA ROMEO P2 – year 1924

SA Italian Ing. Nicholas Romeo & C., Milano, Italy.

There was probably no greater entry into the Grand Prix racing scene than this one, presented by the Italian company Alfa Romeo. Her car won the first Grand Prix race, in which he participated, thus taking the position of Fiat disappearing with the Sunbeam irretrievably from the racetrack.

The presentation of the new model marked with the P2 symbol took place during the European Grand Prix race in the French city of Lyon. Alfa Romeo has already prepared its first P1 racing cars for the Italian Grand Prix in 1923 year, but after the tragic accident of a Sivocci rider, their start was canceled before the race. The new type P2 was equipped with an eight-cylinder in-line supercharged engine. Steel, forged cylinder liners in diameter 61 mm and stroke 85 mm were distributed in four blocks, two in each, and their total capacity was 1987 cm3. The crankshaft, mounted in rolling bearings, had a Roots compressor at the front forcing air to the carburetor. Depending on the number of carburetors and the improvements applied, the engine power gradually increased to 98,6 kW (134 KM) by 5200 RPM (vertical Memini carburetor) by 106,6 kW (145 KM) by 5500 RPM (2 x recall) do 128,7 kW (175 KM) w 1930 year, when the P2 type last participated in the race at Masaryk circuit in Czechoslovakia. Two camshafts in the cylinder head guided the movement of the exhaust and intake valves, arranged at an angle of 104 °. A high-voltage magneto was used to ignite the mixture. The dry multi-disc clutch and the four-speed gearbox were together with the engine in one block. Mechanical brakes - hand and foot – all wheels worked. The fuel tank in the sharp rear part of the body had a capacity 145 liters. A car with a weight 1020 kg reached the top speed 217 km/h. Six vehicles of this type were manufactured.

It would take a lot of space to list all the victories, that were the share of perhaps the best car of the 1920s in the period 1924-1930. The first winner was Alberto Ascari at the track in Cremona, Italy. Campari in Lyon was also a decisive success. Ascari did not reach the finish line then, but he took it back at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, where they took the first four places: Ascari, Wagner, Campari i Minoia. Season 1924 So it was marked by Alfa Romeo - a new car brand.