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The
prestigious American event reserved for vintage cars has started.
Starring the BT45 - a Formula 1 car, more commonly known as the
"Brabham-Alfa". The model belongs to the Alfa Romeo Historical Museum in
Arese, referred to as "The time machine", and it resembles the one
driven in 1977 by the German racing driver Stuck, whom
this edition of the Concours d'Elegance honours. The beguiling new
Giulia Quadrifoglio, 4C Spider and 4C Coupé are also on show.
The Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance (Florida, USA) is set to take place from 11th to 13th March. Owing to the vintage cars on show and the flock of visitors, this event is confirmed as being the second biggest event in the industry in the United States, immediately after the number one event in Pebble Beach. Now in its 21st edition, the event is set to be hosted at the prestigious local Golf Club and will be welcoming over 30,000 visitors from across the globe.
For the second time running,
the Alfa Romeo brand will be attending the Amelia Island Concours
d'Elegance with vintage cars and models currently in production, to
symbolise that unbreakable bond between past and present which
distinguishes its legendary history spanning more than one hundred
years.
The star of the American event is set to be the Formula 1 BT45, which belongs to the renovated Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese, also known as "The time machine", along with some of the latest models, including the multi award-winning Alfa Romeo 4C (Coupé and Spider versions) and the Giulia Quadrifoglio, the perfect blend of the new Alfa Romeo paradigm and supreme expression of the "meccanica delle emozioni" (mechanics of emotion) concept. Among other things, visitors will get the chance to enjoy a thrilling driving experience behind the wheel of the 4C Spider, and also to purchase Alfa Romeo memorabilia.
The star of the American event is set to be the Formula 1 BT45, which belongs to the renovated Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese, also known as "The time machine", along with some of the latest models, including the multi award-winning Alfa Romeo 4C (Coupé and Spider versions) and the Giulia Quadrifoglio, the perfect blend of the new Alfa Romeo paradigm and supreme expression of the "meccanica delle emozioni" (mechanics of emotion) concept. Among other things, visitors will get the chance to enjoy a thrilling driving experience behind the wheel of the 4C Spider, and also to purchase Alfa Romeo memorabilia.
The Brabham BT45, equipped with an Alfa Romeo engine, will be the main piece of the "Hans Stuck cars" category with which the US event pays homage to the German driver in this particular edition of the event. Indeed, it is on a Brabham-Alfa Romeo that Hans-Joachim raced in the 1977 United States Grand Prix before more than 100,000 spectators: held at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course, Stuck started the race at the front of the grid, and was overtaken only by the reigning champion, James Hunt. After 14 laps, the BT45 retired due to a technical problem, without tarnishing the German driver's impeccable racing up to that point, who proved himself to be a genuine master at driving in the rain.
The enchanting story of this race car began in 1976, after the World Sportscar Championship won by the "33 TT 12" in 1975, when Autodelta - Alfa Romeo's racing department - decided to join Formula One by supplying the Brabham team with the 500 HP 12-cylinder boxer on the "33" itself. In actual fact, Alfa Romeo had already fitted an engine on a single seater March in 1971, but the experience had immediately been stopped. The year 1976 thus became a "good" year: the car referred to as the "Brabham-Alfa" was presented, retaining the "Martini Racing" livery, but the basic colour, by virtue of the Italian maker's engines, switched from white to red.
The entire operation was orchestrated by the engineer Carlo Chiti, founder of Autodelta, and by Bernie Ecclestone, who owned the Brabham team at the time. The talented Gordon Murray designed the car, built around the overall dimensions of Alfa Romeo's "flat" engine and distinguished by two side periscopes to feed the twelve cylinders. In 1976, the official drivers of the Brabham "BT45" were Carlos Reutemann (ARG) and rising star Carlos Pace (BRA), while Larry Perkins (AUS) and Rolf Stommelen (GER) only competed in some races. This initial season should be considered as "preparatory": the three fourth places achieved, two of which by Pace and one by Reutemann, are the most significant results.
The Brabham-Alfa "BT45-B", the evolution of the previous version for the 1977 season, started off in the best possible way: in the début Grand Prix, in Argentina, Carlos Pace came second, while his team-mate John Watson (GBR) held pole position for around ten laps. Pace demonstrated excellent performance in the Brazilian Grand Prix as well, on home turf, although he was forced to retire.
In March, the Brabham team was
devastated by the loss of Carlos Pace in a plane crash. The team decided
to recruit German driver Hans-Joachim Stuck, who during the season won
two third places in Hockenheim (GER) and Zeltweg (AUSTRIA). In an
interview, Stuck said he was excited about racing in a car fitted with
an Alfa Romeo engine: these are the exact same cars against which his
father had raced with Auto Union in the 1930s. In Monza, during the
qualifying rounds of the Italian Grand Prix, the passenger compartment
of the English single seater was occupied by Giorgio Francia, test pilot
for the Milanese Car Maker. John Watson ended the season with second
place at the French Grand Prix (Dijon) as best result.
The engine was fitted on English cars up until 1979 (with other architectures), with varying degrees of luck (2 Grand Prix won in '78) and with the experimentation of innovative technical solutions (such as the BT46 "fan-car" at the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix). At the end of the Seventies, the partnership between the Italian brand and the English carmaker came to an end: Alfa Romeo decided to produce its very own Formula One single seater, known as the "Alfa-Alfa".
The engine was fitted on English cars up until 1979 (with other architectures), with varying degrees of luck (2 Grand Prix won in '78) and with the experimentation of innovative technical solutions (such as the BT46 "fan-car" at the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix). At the end of the Seventies, the partnership between the Italian brand and the English carmaker came to an end: Alfa Romeo decided to produce its very own Formula One single seater, known as the "Alfa-Alfa".
Turin, 11 March 2016
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- The stamp of a vintage code to be applied to a very successful race car.
- An exclusive model for racing only.
- Eligible to compete in seven events of the Italian Tourism Championship and the 2016 Abarth Selenia Trophy.
- Designed to race both in the new Aci Sport championship and in the 2016 Abarth Selenia Trophy.
- The technical innovations of the car include.
For Abarth the letters O.T.
stand for "Omologata Turismo", roughly translated as "Touring Car
Homologated". Since 1965 these two letters have identified a successful
series of race cars and sporty coupés which made a name for themselves
on international race tracks and in hillclimbing events. The acronym was
created by Karl Abarth to reassert the bond between the race cars and
their standard production counterparts, from which most of the
components were derived.
Today, the letters are making a comeback on the new Abarth 595 OT. The car was tuned by the Abarth Racing Team engineers to comply with the rules of the new Italian Touring Car Championship which will be kicking off on May 22 at the Monza racing circuit. The championship will comprose seven events in total: Monza will be followed by Misano Adriatico (June 12), Magione (July 3), Mugello (July 17), Vallelunga (September 4), Imola (September 25) and Adria (October 9).
Developed exclusively for racing, the Abarth 595 OT will be competing in the TCS (Turismo di Serie - Production Tourism) category fitting turbo engines up to 1,400cc in size, and it will also be replacing the Abarth 500 Assetto Corse in the 2016 Abarth Selenia Trophy. However, the Abarth 500 Assetto Corse can be easily upgraded to 595 OT by fitting aerodynamic elements to comply with the Italian Tourism Championship rules. The exclusive service for converting a 500 Assetto Corse into a 595 OT is offered by Abarth at Racing Team workshops.
From a technical point of view, the new Abarth 595 OT is a highly competitive car featuring a new 1.4 T-Jet 190HP engine paired with a six-speed gearbox, a new ride and spacers installed for widening the front and rear tracks. A "Performance" kit, consisting of a racing exhaust and 305mm floating front brake discs to make the car even faster and more efficient, is also available. Orders are now open for both the car and the kit.
With the new Abarth 595 OT, the joy and excitement of wheel-to-wheel racing will remain accessible to another generation of enthusiasts . Abarth has already enabled hundreds of drivers to experience the thrill of racing in keeping with the philosophy expressed by founder Karl Abarth who wanted to offer a competitive car within the grasp of all enthusiasts - the same spirit that has underpinned the Abarth Selenia Trophy, now in its eighth season.
The new Abarth 595 OT will be joining the Abarth 695 Assetto Corse Evoluzione which has been racing for the past three seasons. This year's calendar consists of seven races: Monza (May 1), Imola (May 29), Misano Adriatico (June 12), Magione (July 3), Red Bull Ring (Austria, July 24), Vallelunga (September 11) and Mugello (October 16).
Turin, 10 March 2016
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- The European winter Tour of the Jeep® brand ended on February 21 in Italy, after having stopped in Switzerland, France and Austria.
- The entire Jeep lineup was showcased at each leg of the tour, together with a fleet of eleven test drive cars.
- Over 2,600 people were involved and more than 12,000 kilometers were driven during the on- and off-road test drives.
- The Italian events of the Jeep Winterproof tour ended at the end of February in Bormio (Sondrio area).
The 'Jeep ® Winterproof' tour has just ended after having stopped in some of the most renowned skiing resorts in Europe to celebrate the Jeep brand's distinctive spirit of adventure. The tour kicked off on January 13 in Gstaad (Switzerland) before stopping in Megève (France), Montafon (Austria) and Selva Val Gardena (Italy).
Snow and ice were the ideal conditions and perfect backdrop for putting the Jeep SUVs to the test. Not by chance, the Jeep brand has always enjoyed a strong relationship with the world of mountains. More than any other, the mountains are the location where the technique, reliability and safety of a 4x4 can guarantee the confidence needed to take on the most demanding trails and the most extreme challenges.
During the four European legs of the tour, visitors were given the opportunity to live an authentic Jeep brand experience with thrilling test drives onboard the models of the most awarded SUV range ever: from the iconic Jeep Wrangler to the flagship Jeep Grand Cherokee, the most awarded SUV ever, from Jeep Cherokee, which blends the legendary Jeep 4x4 capabilities with a cutting-edge design, to Jeep Renegade, the compact SUV with the best off-road capabilities in its category. All these cars are capable of transforming an ordinary driving experience into an extraordinary journey, in all weather, all year round, as the freedom-loving attitude cannot be stopped.
The 'Jeep Winterproof' convoy traveled over 2,700 kilometers. Star of each leg was a fleet of eleven cars, including four Jeep Grand Cherokee, three Jeep Renegade, three Jeep Cherokee and one Jeep Wrangler, made available for test drives. Over 2,500 tests were organized covering over 12,000 kilometers and involving more than 2,600 people. More in detail, 1,056 kilometers were driven during the four-day event in Gstaad. The number gradually increased to 2,104 kilometers driven in Megève, 5,292 kilometers in Montafon and 3,874 kilometers in Selva Val Gardena.
The tour offered more than just test drives: several exclusive activities were organized during the 'Jeep Winterproof' events, including the 'famous' Renegade Skiing Experience. During each leg of the European tour, visitors could test drive the compact SUV built in Italy on ice-covered tracks and put themselves to the test with the Jeep Ice Experience, a safe driving lesson held by professional drivers who taught them how to tackle extremely difficult surfaces. At the end of the test drive, guests were offered the chance to take part in the Jeep Skiing Experience: a winter 'wakeboarding' experience that allowed them to ski on a special, dedicated snow trail, while being towed by a Jeep Renegade.
A model customized by Mopar, the FCA reference brand for services, Customer Care, genuine spare parts and accessories, was showcased in each location. In Switzerland, for instance, a Grand Cherokee Summit sporting ski-rack, special mats and chrome mirror caps was on display during the event, while a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 2.8 CRD featuring chrome steel door sill plates, matte black grill and fuel cap and special rubber mats was on show in Austria.
The Italian tour was staged in parallel to the successful European 'Jeep Winterproof' tour. In Italy, the four weekends in Cervinia (Aosta), Roccaraso (Aquila), Livigno and Bormio (Sondrio) attracted a large crowd of visitors who put themselves to the test through exciting Jeep test drives. The Italian 'Jeep Winterproof' tour was just one of the activities staged by the Jeep brand in some of the country's most famous skiing resorts, in addition to ensuring constant visibility to the brand on the ski slopes and developing communication campaigns with winter settings.
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