The 8C designation denotes eight cylinders — originally arranged as a straight-eight. The Vittorio Jano-designed 8C engine served as Alfa Romeo's primary racing powerplant from its introduction in 1931 until its retirement in 1939. Beyond the dedicated racing cars, the same engine architecture powered the world's first genuine single-seat Grand Prix car, the Monoposto Tipo B (P3), from 1932 onwards, and later found use in road-going models including the 8C 2300 and 8C 2900 series.
The 8C engine featured a common crankcase with two alloy four-cylinder blocks that also incorporated the cylinder heads, with a central gear tower driving the overhead camshafts, superchargers, and ancillaries. The bore and stroke were initially shared with the 6C 1750, at 65 mm x 88 mm (2,336 cc).
Eight 3.8-litre versions of the 8C engine, sharing no castings with the earlier blocks, were individually built for racing over five months in 1935. These were fitted into the Alfa Romeo Monoposto 8C 35 Type C — referred to simply as the Type C, as the earlier P3 designation was dropped. The engine displaced 3,822 cc with bore and stroke of 78 mm x 100 mm, producing 330 bhp at 5,500 rpm, and delivering 320 lb-ft of torque from 900 rpm to 5,500 rpm. Braking was provided by 15.5-inch drum brakes all round, with Pirelli tyres sized at 5.25 or 5.50 x 19 inches at the front and 7.00 or 7.50 x 19 inches at the rear.
Scuderia Ferrari managed the racing operation from 1933, with the iconic prancing horse emblem appearing on the flanks of their entries. Although the Type C could not match the outright pace of the larger Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union machines on faster circuits, it came into its own on tighter layouts and in races that demanded mechanical reliability over brute power.
By 1935, Alfa Romeo's situation had become complex. Following the economic difficulties of earlier years, Scuderia Ferrari had effectively become the semi-official racing department of the factory. The Type C was their weapon against Germany's state-backed programmes. Tazio Nuvolari was among the most celebrated drivers to race an Alfa Romeo of this era; he had famously won the 1935 German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring in a 3.2-litre Tipo B against the more powerful Silver Arrows of Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union — one of the most celebrated victories in Grand Prix history.
In 1936, the Type C chassis were fitted with a new but troubled V12 engine that failed to live up to expectations, so the proven 3.8-litre 8C units continued to be used. Vittorio Jano departed at the end of the 1937 season, and in 1938 Alfa Corse — the in-house factory team — took over direct race operations from Scuderia Ferrari.
Alongside the Type C, 1935 also saw the creation of the Bimotore, an extraordinary machine conceived by Enzo Ferrari (race team manager) and Luigi Bazzi (designer) to meet the challenge of the German cars through raw horsepower. The Bimotore used two 3.2-litre 8C engines — one in the front and one in the rear — for a combined displacement of 6.3 litres and 540 bhp. The drivetrain featured two engines connected via separate driveshafts to a gearbox with two input shafts, each rear wheel driven by its own driveshaft.
On 16 June 1935, Tazio Nuvolari drove a specially prepared Bimotore from Florence to Livorno and set a new speed record of 364 km/h (226 mph), with an average speed of over 323 km/h (201 mph). Despite this headline achievement, the Bimotore suffered from poor handling due to uneven weight distribution caused by the rearmost engine, and it was hard on fuel and tyres. The gain in outright speed was offset by longer pit stops, and after a fourth and fifth place finish at the 1935 Tripoli Grand Prix and a second at the Avus race, the project was sidelined in favour of the Type C.
The 8C engine family also powered the 8C 2900 series of sports cars, designed to compete at events such as the Mille Miglia. Using the 2.9-litre (2,905 cc) version with two Roots-type superchargers and fully independent suspension, the 8C 2900A and 2900B variants were formidable competitors. Scuderia Ferrari's three 8C 2900As finished first, second, and third in the 1936 Mille Miglia, with the same cars repeating a first and second in the 1937 edition.
In 1938, a special batch of four 8C 2900B Corto cars was prepared by Alfa Corse for the Mille Miglia, fitted with lightweight Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera roadster bodywork. Three had engines producing 225 bhp; the fourth, driven by Clemente Biondetti, used a tuned Tipo 308 Grand Prix engine delivering 295 bhp. Biondetti won the race with Carlo Pintacuda finishing second.
A single 8C 2900B was also entered at the 1938 24 Hours of Le Mans, distinguished by its streamlined coupe body — rare for the era when open cars dominated. Driven by Raymond Sommer and Clemente Biondetti, the coupé led for most of the race before a dropped valve forced retirement while the car held a lead of more than 160 km over the next competitor.
The 8C 35's historical significance has been reflected in auction results. On 14 September 2013, a former Scuderia Ferrari 8C 35 — the car in which Tazio Nuvolari won the 1936 Coppa Ciano — was sold by Bonhams at the Goodwood Revival Meeting Sale for £5.9 million, setting a world record price for any Alfa Romeo at auction at the time. Separately, an 8C 2900 with Pininfarina cabriolet bodywork was auctioned by Christie's at Pebble Beach for US$4,072,000, ranking among the highest prices ever paid for a car at auction at that time.
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