Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B 1938

The Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B was created by the talented engineer Vittorio Jano. The car strikes a fine balance between weight, elegance and speed, incorporating the successful technical developments of earlier models. Many regard it as one of the world’s most beautiful cars. At the time of the original description, it was also among the most expensive, at around US$3 million. Thirty 8C 2900Bs were built: twenty sporting Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Cortos, including four spiders, and ten Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungos. Lungo means ‘long’, with a 300 cm wheelbase; Corto means ‘short’, with a 274 cm wheelbase. The short versions had open bodies and were aimed at enthusiasts of sporting driving, also serving as the basis for racing cars.

The Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B was produced from 1937 to 1939. It weighs 1,070 kg, and its 2.9-litre eight-cylinder engine develops 180 hp at 5,200 rpm. This enables a top speed of 170–185 km/h, with fuel consumption of 25 litres per 100 km. Most examples received bodies constructed using the patented Superleggera method.

It is remarkable that so much time and effort went into an expensive sports car in the pre-war years, when many car factories were being adapted for weapons production. Mussolini himself apparently wanted a prestigious car that could win competitions and uphold the country’s prestige. The leading car factories therefore sought to fulfil this unspoken order.