In 1924, Vittorio Jano created a straight-eight-cylinder engine for Alfa Romeo, the 1987 cc P2, which won the first World Championship ever in 1925. The 8C engine first appeared at the 1931 Mille Miglia road race, featuring a common crankcase with two alloy four-cylinder blocks incorporating the heads. The bore and stroke remained the same as the 6C 1750 (65 mm and 88 mm respectively, for a displacement of 2,336 cc).
The 8C engine powered the 8C 2300, first produced in 1931, available as a rolling chassis to be fitted with bodies from various Italian coachbuilders such as Zagato and Carrozzeria Touring. The 1931 Italian Grand Prix victory at Monza led to the “Monza” name being applied to the twin-seater GP car, a shortened version of the Spider.
In 1932, the 8C engine was enlarged to 2,665 cc and fitted to the Monoposto Tipo B (aka P3), Alfa Romeo’s first single-seater race car. The Tipo B won its debut race, the 1932 Italian Grand Prix. For 1933, the supercharged dual overhead cam straight-8 engine was enlarged to 2.6 litres ('8C 2600') for the Scuderia Ferrari 8C Monzas, as Scuderia Ferrari had become the “semi-official” racing department of Alfa Romeo. In 1935, Tazio Nuvolari won the German GP at the Nürburgring at the wheel of a 3.2 L Tipo B against Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union.
In 1935, to compete with Mercedes Benz and Auto Union, a unique racer was built with two 3.2-litre engines, one in the front and one in the rear, creating a 6.3-litre ‘Bimotore’. The Bimotore had uneven weight distribution and tyre wear, which impacted its handling. On May 12, 1935, Nuvolari drove a specially prepared Bimotore from Florence to Livorno, setting a speed record of 364 km/h.
The 8C 2900, designed for sports car races and the Mille Miglia, used a 2.9 L (2905 cc) version of the 8C engine with two Roots-type superchargers. Ten 8C 2900As were built between 1935 and 1936. In 1936 and 1937, Scuderia Ferrari 8C 2900As achieved success in the Mille Miglia, finishing in the top three positions in 1936 and the top two positions in 1937. Thirty-two 8C 2900Bs followed, with further detuned engines and available in short and long wheelbase versions.
The 8C 2900B Mille Miglia Roadster was also successful in other events, winning the 1938 Spa 24 Hours. A streamlined 8C 2900B coupé was entered for the 1938 24 Hours of Le Mans, achieving a drag coefficient of 0.37 in wind tunnel testing, but retired due to a mechanical failure while leading the race.
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