Cars

When Ards and Alfa Romeo overlapped

The Ards TT, by now largely forgotten, was one of Europe's most challenging road races in the 1930s and one of the circuits where Alfa Romeo forged its sporting reputation

The iconic Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran-Sport. The car dominated racing, including a victory at the Ards TT in 1930
The iconic Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran-Sport. The car dominated racing, including a victory at the Ards TT in 1930 The iconic Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran-Sport. The car dominated racing, including a victory at the Ards TT in 1930

I found myself disappearing down an enjoyable rabbit hole last week - it's easily done these days, isn't it? - after coming across 'Storie Alfa Romeo' on YouTube, writes William Scholes.

There, the Alfa Romeo museum - or 'Museo Storico Alfa Romeo', which sounds so much more evocative - based at Arese in Milan has put together a series of short films detailing the story of a marque whose heritage is arguably as significant as that of Ferrari.

It is certainly a longer story.  The A.L.F.A. company, as it was first known ('Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili'), was registered in Milan in June 1910.

Ferrari, of course, is also woven into Alfa Romeo's history, with Enzo himself being a significant figure in Alfa's racing programme in the 1920s and 1930s.

Especially in those early years, Alfa Romeos were among the most desirable - and expensive - cars in Europe.

The company's vehicles were synonymous with engineering excellence and innovation, which in turn led to domination in motorsport that added romance and glamour to the marque.

The exploits of drivers such as Tazio Nuvolari, whose name is still held in awe nine decades on, added further lustre.

This was the era when the same 'rolling chassis' could be dressed in either lightweight and highly functional racing bodywork or draped with catwalk gorgeous grand touring coachwork.

 An Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Super Sport rolling chassis, photographed in 1929
An Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Super Sport rolling chassis, photographed in 1929 An Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Super Sport rolling chassis, photographed in 1929
One of the most renowned examples of the Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 was the 'Flying Star' that millionaire socialite Josette Pozzo commissioned from coachbuilder Touring. It was conceived to take part in the Elegance Competition at Villa d’Este in 1931. The car was entirely white, apart from a black dashboard. It won Gold Cup for the 'most beautiful car'
One of the most renowned examples of the Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 was the 'Flying Star' that millionaire socialite Josette Pozzo commissioned from coachbuilder Touring. It was conceived to take part in the Elegance Competition at Villa d’Este in 1931. The car w One of the most renowned examples of the Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 was the 'Flying Star' that millionaire socialite Josette Pozzo commissioned from coachbuilder Touring. It was conceived to take part in the Elegance Competition at Villa d’Este in 1931. The car was entirely white, apart from a black dashboard. It won Gold Cup for the 'most beautiful car'

Alfa Romeo's 6C and 8C models were notable examples of this approach. When a six-cylinder 6C or eight-cylinder 8C chassis won a race, it helped persuade well-heeled customers to buy their own and send it to the artisans at coachbuilders such as James Young, Zagato and Touring Superleggera.

Nuvolari and his Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 - regarded as one of the finest race cars of all time, and certainly the most dominant of its era - made front page news across Europe after his win in the 1930 running of the legendary Mille Miglia race.

Just after 5am on April 13 1930, the silent shadows beside Lake Garda are shaken by the rumble of an Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport spider Zagato driving at 93mph with its headlights turned off... Tazio Nuvolari had come up with the unbelievable idea to turn off the headlights so he could take the leader by surprise and win the race...

A 6C 1750 was a dead-cert to win the race, such was the car's supremacy over its rivals, but the manner of Nuvolari's victory has entered motorsport folklore.

As the story goes, just after 5am on April 13 1930, "the silent shadows beside Lake Garda are shaken by the rumble of an Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport spider Zagato driving at 93mph with its headlights turned off".

Tazio Nuvolari and Gian Battista Guidotti raising dust on their way to a famous Mille Miglia win in 1930 in their Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran-Sport
Tazio Nuvolari and Gian Battista Guidotti raising dust on their way to a famous Mille Miglia win in 1930 in their Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran-Sport Tazio Nuvolari and Gian Battista Guidotti raising dust on their way to a famous Mille Miglia win in 1930 in their Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran-Sport

Nuvolari was partnered by Gian Battista Guidotti, who was the chief test driver at Alfa Romeo's factory at Portello, Milan - road racing at the time required two-man crews.

It is a key moment in the 1,000-mile race. At this stage, the leader and presumed winner is Achille Varzi, also in a 6C 1750.

"However, some miles before the lake, in Verona, Nuvolari and Guidotti had come up with the unbelievable idea to turn off their headlights," goes the historical account.

The two protagonists in the 1930 Mille Miglia Achille Varzi, pictured left, and Tazio Nuvolari. They are pictured in front of an Alfa Romeo 6C 1750, the era's dominant sports car
The two protagonists in the 1930 Mille Miglia Achille Varzi, pictured left, and Tazio Nuvolari. They are pictured in front of an Alfa Romeo 6C 1750, the era's dominant sports car The two protagonists in the 1930 Mille Miglia Achille Varzi, pictured left, and Tazio Nuvolari. They are pictured in front of an Alfa Romeo 6C 1750, the era's dominant sports car

"Their only hope of beating their rival was to take him by surprise... Dawn was approaching. After the lake, the placid countryside would lead to the finishing line in Brescia.

"It was here that Varzi and his second driver Canavesi detected the echo of another engine but before they realised what was happening, they had been overtaken by an identical car to their own."

It was Nuvolari; he went on to win, with an average speed of just over 100km/h, or 62mph - the first time that the magical 100km/h barrier had been broken.

The stunned Varzi crossed the line 10 minutes later. Eight of the first 11 finishers in that most punishing of races were driving a 6C 1750.

At the time, endurance races run on public roads were hugely popular with fans, manufacturers and drivers.

Legendary Alfa Romeo engineer Vittorio Jano, pictured at the Monza circuit in 1923. He designed the engines and chassis that propelled Alfa Romeo to motoring's top tier
Legendary Alfa Romeo engineer Vittorio Jano, pictured at the Monza circuit in 1923. He designed the engines and chassis that propelled Alfa Romeo to motoring's top tier Legendary Alfa Romeo engineer Vittorio Jano, pictured at the Monza circuit in 1923. He designed the engines and chassis that propelled Alfa Romeo to motoring's top tier

The Mille Miglia and Targa Florio were two of the best known of these challenging affairs; another of these blue riband contests was the Tourist Trophy, which was organised by Britain's Royal Automobile Club.

It had been held on the Isle of Man but Co Down inventor Harry Ferguson, the father of the modern tractor, and his friend Wallace McLeod, an engineering teacher, persuaded the RAC to bring the coveted race to Northern Ireland.

As well as the men's enthusiasm, the fact that the law allowed public roads to be closed and used for motorsport in Northern Ireland at a time when this was not allowed in Britain must have helped the RAC reach its decision.

That the course was a genuine challenge, mixing open countryside with crowd-lined town and village sections, can't have done any harm either.

The Ards TT had its first running in 1928, following an undulating 14-mile triangular route connecting Dundonald, where it started and finished, Newtownards and Comber; the race typically lasted six hours, covering around 420 miles in total.

It is a shame that it is largely forgotten now - indeed, some motoring histories wrongly call it the 'Belfast TT' - but for the top flight racers of the day, the Ards TT was an essential event - which is how its story came to overlap with that of Nuvolari and the Alfa Romeo 6C 1750.

Four months after the famous Mille Miglia win, the same combination of car and driver won the 1930 Ards TT, averaging just under 71mph.

Emphasising the Alfa's supremacy was the presence of two more 6C 1750s in the podium places.

Nuvolari won again, in 1933, though by then he was driving an MG Magnette.

Race wins helped Alfa Romeo sell its cars. This advert for the 6C shows it with two-seater Gran Sport bodywork
Race wins helped Alfa Romeo sell its cars. This advert for the 6C shows it with two-seater Gran Sport bodywork Race wins helped Alfa Romeo sell its cars. This advert for the 6C shows it with two-seater Gran Sport bodywork

By then, Alfa Romeo had withdrawn as a manufacturer from racing, with factory-linked privateers including a certain Enzo Ferrari campaigning the cars.

The TT race was run at Ards for the last time in 1936. There were already concerns over safety because of steadily rising speeds and the number of spectators crowding the circuit, and a deadly crash that year sealed the event's fate: eight people were killed and 40 injured when driver Jack Chambers crashed his Riley on Church Street in Newtownards.

For the top flight racers of the 1930s, the Ards TT was an essential event - which is how its story came to overlap with that of Tazio Nuvolari and the magnificent Alfa Romeo 6C 1750

As a footnote, it's worth noting that although the Ards circuit was confined to the history books, the RAC did bring the TT back to Northern Ireland.

Dundrod outside Lisburn was the venue this time, with the race being held between 1950 and 1955, although there was none in 1952.

At seven miles, the track was half the length of the old Ards TT circuit. The race had lost none of its prestige, however, slotting into the sports car calendar alongside fabled races such as the Mille Miglia and Le Mans.

That meant it drew the very biggest international names, both drivers - Stirling Moss, Juan Manuel Fangio and Mike Hawthorn among them- and machines, from Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Aston Martin and Maserati.

Stirling Moss, who died last month, won in 1950 and 1951 at the wheel of a Jaguar XK120. He also claimed the final Dundrod TT in 1955 in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR, one of the finest race cars ever built.

Deadly crashes - three drivers died in the 1955 race - once again spelled the end of TT racing both in Northern Ireland and on closed public roads.

The versatility of the chassis meant the 6C could accommodate four-seater bodywork
The versatility of the chassis meant the 6C could accommodate four-seater bodywork The versatility of the chassis meant the 6C could accommodate four-seater bodywork

With top speeds approaching 170mph and Moss's car achieving an average speed of more than 88mph, the cars had simply become too fast.

Alfa Romeo, meanwhile, having won the inaugural Formula One championship in 1950 with Nino Farina and again in 1951 with Fangio, had called time on its racing efforts. It would be the 1960s before the famous marque returned to the track with any distinction.