Alfa Romeo - Jaguar Anniversaries

Two anniversaries on the eve of Goodwood Festival of Speed; Alfa Romeo is 100 and Jaguar 75. Jaguar is home-grown maybe even a little homespun by comparison with Alfa’s halcyon days, yet Alfa Romeo is the featured marque in West Sussex. It could have been that 100 is a nice round figure. It could have been that Goodwood has featured Jaguar in the past and thought it was time somebody else had a chance. Alfa has allure; it is one of the great classic makes with a history as old as motor racing. Jaguar has allure too; it is a classic and while its motor racing heritage hardly matches Alfa’s in grand prix racing, it has won Le Mans seven times (between 1951 and 1990) against Alfa Romeo’s four on the trot 1931-1934. The Cartier Style et Luxe exhibition will celebrate Italian design, another opportunity for Alfa to show off, with the pre-war supercharged 8Cs. These include the ex-Doune 1938 Sommer-Biondetti Le Mans 2.9 Coupe, an exquisite car in the lead by 12 laps on Sunday afternoon, when a front tyre burst on Mulsanne at 130mph. It retired with a broken valve, but you could still see the damage the tyre inflicted on the Superleggera body at Lord Doune’s small museum in the 1970s. It will be the Cartier Lawn’s 16th time at Goodwood.

XK120: Artistic. Ruth always laughs when she sees my reflection on the headlamp rim.
Both makes had charismatic founders. Both fell from grace. When the Italian government forced Alfa to build in Naples it produced the enchanting to drive but flakily rust-prone Alfasud. Jaguar had quality problems and an unwelcome legacy from the dog days of British Leyland. Jaguar quality is now a match for anybody, as the influential JD Power surveys prove. The jury is still out on Alfa’s quality yet its vigour is undiminished. A caveat on the stylish and swift new Giulietta concerns road noise. Hardly anybody, it seems these days, is capable of making a car that suppresses it. Jaguar is a notable exception. But it doesn’t get it on to the hallowed lawns at Goodwood.


GOODWOOD AT ITS MOST GLORIOUS

Alfa Romeo 158/159

Goodwood Festival of Speed press day Alfa 158/159
Alfa Romeo is being less than generous to itself describing the 1950 British Grand Prix at Silverstone as the inaugural F1 European Championship race. It was won by Giuseppe Farina driving an Alfa Romeo conceived in 1937, largely built in Modena by Scuderia Ferrari. A 1.5 litre, it gave 190bhp on test, 205bhp for its first race at Livorno and 225bhp at an astonishing (for 1938) 7,500rpm. By the time it reappeared in 1946 the supercharged straight-eight was doing 265bhp and the two-stage supercharged cars in the 1948 French Grand Prix at Rheims 310bhp.
Dr Farina’s car at Silverstone in 1950 was giving 350bhp at 8,500rpm and the engine had altered so much that in April 1951 Alfa changed the type number from 158 to 159. The British Grand Prix was the first race in the new WORLD Championsip, which Farina went on to win in 1950. There had been a European championship inaugurated by the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR) in 1934. Chosen by a committee on the basis of a season’s grand prix racing, holders were Rudolf Caracciola, Bernd Rosemeyer and Hermann Lang
Goodwood Press Day: Number one daughter
Alfa Romeo is inviting UK owners to submit pictures of their cars to an online archive, which will form a mosaic of Alfa’s Centenary model, a new Giulietta. The images will appear in a mosaic, capturing Alfa’s heritage, beginning, Alfa says, “with the Type 158 that won the inaugural F1 European Championship race 60 years ago at Silverstone.”
Every image uploaded before June 18, will be included in a prize draw for an Alfa Romeo goodie bag and a pair of VIP tickets to the Goodwood Festival of Speed on 2 - 4July, when Alfa is the featured marque. There will also be an overall prize of a luxury weekend at The Goodwood Hotel with a Giulietta to drive. The winner will also get the chance to drive the 8C Competizione on the Goodwood circuit.
Alfa had a quirky badge with a serpent eating a child
There was not much room in the cockpit
Alfa Romeo UK Brand Communications Manager, Damien Dally, says: "2010 is a huge landmark for Alfa Romeo and we feel that this project will perfectly capture the brand's identity and really allows us to celebrate with the thousands of people who have put us where we are today - our customers."
To submit a photo, visit www.alfacentenary.co.uk.
I have never owned an Alfa, so no picture of mine, but I have tested and admired the iconic brand a great deal over the years. Here’s the Mito Multiair I enjoyed in Scotland recently.

A Missing Rolls-Royce

Scotland on Sunday, 1 December 2002:

Financial ghosts following the demise of the Royal Scottish Automobile Club are not yet laid to rest. Secrecy and obfuscation surround the disposal of the club’s assets. Pictures and motoring memorabilia were sold off without telling the members. The mystery surrounding the club’s heirlooms, the world’s second-oldest Rolls-Royce and a unique Arrol-Johnston, built in Dumfries in 1922, may soon be resolved. The Rolls-Royce was bequeathed to the club in 1974 under the will of Adam McGregor Dick with a stipulation that it should remain in Scotland and never be sold. The first part has already been infringed; it has been languishing at P&A Wood, of Great Easton, Dunmow in Essex, for several years because no money was made available for restoration.

The general secretary of the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club confirmed to me that he had been negotiating with the RSAC for years, offering to pay for restoration in return for the car spending some time among the club’s extensive collection of Rolls-Royce artefacts at Paulerspury, Northants. While ownership should remain in Scotland, there seems no reason to turn down the RREC’s request, and bring this fine car back to life. Made in 1905, chassis 26330 is the only survivor of six three-cylinder cars made by Henry Royce in Manchester, as he was forging his partnership with The Hon C S Rolls in London.

When he handed the Rolls-Royce over to the RSAC, AM Dick appointed its office-bearers as trustees, never contemplating a day when the club might be declared insolvent. A later generation of governors, of the institution in which he had such faith, has alas failed him. In 1905 the Rolls-Royce chassis cost £500, with a further £530 for a Barker side-entrance tonneau body and canopy. Nobody knows how much it is worth now. In automotive terms it is like the crown jewels, none ever comes up for sale, but even with a replica body made by J B Stevenson of Glasgow in the 1960s, it would be insured for upwards of £1 million.

The trustees met last week and are, “… now investigating various legal avenues which should modify the existing arrangements to enable the donor's wishes to be respected. There is no question of the car being sold.” The liquidator, as trustee for the club, therefore effectively for its office-bearers, is expected to seek senior counsel’s opinion on a petition to the Court of Session. This would look for clarification of the donor’s intentions now that the club has virtually ceased to exist. It looks as though the car will now be held in trust for the nation although what that means in practice remains to be seen.

That was eight years ago. Went to the old RSAC headquarters in Glasgow for the press launch of the Alfa Romeo Mito Multiair last month. It is now an up-market hotel, tastefully done, but the visit to the historic premises prompted me to wonder what had become of the Rolls-Royce. I can confirm that it is still at P&A Wood and its ownership remains an issue. Watch this space Artwork is James Leech's from the late George Oliver's splendidly detailed 1967 Profile on the car

Ford Capri

It is always a worry when you go round a motor museum and see cars you drove on the press launch. Ford did some spectacular presentations in the 1960s, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and from 12-15 January 1969 Cyprus for The Car You Always Promised Yourself, the Capri. It had been a busy week. Monday a press conference with Colin Chapman of Lotus, Tuesday the London Racing Car Show, Thursday a meeting with Harry Ballantine of Ecurie Ecosse to learn about the apparent collapse of the team, Friday by BEA Trident to Milan in connection (I guess) with my reporting for Gazetta Della Sport, then back on Saturday by Alitalia Caravelle. I used to note in my diary what I flew in. On Sunday off again by Trident2 to Nicosia. This was a return trip to Cyprus, where ten years before, I had spent a year of my National Service with the Royal Artillery in Famagusta. On Monday we drove round the snowy Troodos mountains, Tuesday to Famagusta and beautiful Kyrenia lunching at Bellapais Abbey, returning Nicosia-Athens-London on Wednesday. I will drive a Capri on the Guild of Motoring Writers' Classic, not a mark 1 like the above but a later 1977 Mark II.

Ford had done Capris before. The first 109E in 1961 and 116E the GT with 5-bearing engine the following year based on the curious reverse-rake rear window Classic.

From The Ford in Britain File; Dove Publishing Ltd

1961 Capri 109E

The voluptuous lines of the Capri were a surprise to a British market that regarded 2+2s as sports cars, and was unfamiliar even uncomfortable with the concept of a car in which appearance took precedence over passenger space. It was legitimate if space was sacrificed to speed, but a rear window raked at 40 degrees, and an enormously long rear deck just for appearances’ sake was somehow too contrived. The name outlasted the model. It had been used on a Lincoln, and Ford now applied it to a version of the Classic intended for export, but to which the home market unexpectedly warmed. Two inches (5cm) lower than the saloon, its small frontal area gave it an advantage in top speed, but it had no sporting pretensions. Rather thin cushions could be specified for the rear shelf, normally carpeted as an addition to the enormous boot, enabling it to serve as a back seat when absolutely necessary. Luggage room was even bigger than the Classic and the boot floor, which was of pick-up truck proportions, was rubber-covered. The front seats were better shaped than the saloon’s and finished in two colours of pvc. Like the Classic however the Capri driver was still required to do a certain amount of home maintenance to ensure satisfactory running. Ten points required attention with a grease-gun every 1000 miles.

Looks like Dagenham-on-Thames with 1960s river traffic

INTRODUCTION July 1961-August 1962 BODY Coupe; 2-doors, 2+2-seats; weight 2055lb (932.15kg) ENGINE 4-cylinders, in-line; front; 80.96mm x 65.07mm, 1340cc; compr 8.5:1; 54bhp (40.3kW) @ 4900rpm; 74 lbft (100Nm) @ 2500rpm; 40.3bhp/l (30.1kW/l) ENGINE STRUCTURE pushrod overhead valve, chain-driven camshaft; cast iron cylinder head and block; Zenith 32VN downdraught carburettor, centrifugal and vacuum ignition; AC mechanical fuel pump; 3-bearing hollow-cast crankshaft. TRANSMISSION rear wheel drive; 7.25in (18.4cm) hydraulic sdp clutch; 4-speed manual gearbox, synchromesh on 3; hypoid bevel final drive 4.13:1. CHASSIS steel monocoque structure; ifs by MacPherson struts and anti-roll bar; live rear axle with half-elliptic springs and lever arm dampers; Girling hydraulic non-servo 9.5in (24.13cm) disc front, 9in (22.86cm) drum rear brakes; recirculating ball steering; 9gal (41l)(10.8US gal) fuel tank; 5.60-13 tubeless tyres. DIMENSIONS wheelbase 99in (252cm) track 49.5in (126cm) length 170.77in (434cm) width 62.2in (166cm) height 54in (137.16cm) ground clearance 5.86in (15cm) turning circle 34ft (10.36m) EQUIPMENT fresh-air heater, leather upholstery, push-button or manual control radio optional extras; screenwasher standard, pvc upholstery, carpet, 12 body colours, 7 two-colour choices PERFORMANCE maximum speed 81.2mph (130.35kph) The Autocar 16.45mph (26.4kph) @ 1000rpm 0-60mph (96kph) 21.3sec fuel consumption 27.9mpg (10.12l/100km) PRICE £627, purchase tax £288 12s, total £915 12s (£915.60) PRODUCTION 11.143 including 1291 kits

The later better known Capri was destined to be a cult car yet nowadays curiously unloved, except by real zealots. You can dial the web for a hundred owners’ clubs for Capri events, spare parts and enthusiasm. There are branches everywhere yet maybe the car’s slightly louche image when it was new has not worn well. Maybe people remember the short engines that left a lot of space under the long bonnets, or the slightly tacky add-on cosmetics .

From The Ford in Britain File; Dove Publishing Ltd

1969 Capri 1300, 1300GT, 1600, 1600GT

The Car You Always Promised Yourself had a profound effect. In a sense it was like the original Capri of 1961, neither a sports car in the accepted sense, nor an everyday saloon. It created its own niche as a sort of European Mustang and enjoyed astonishing success. The long bonnet, 2+2 seating and style gave it a cachet hardly any car enjoyed before, and not many would again. The basis was typically Cortina, only the top half was really new, the first engines were wide-ranging, and an important innovation was an array of X, L, XL and R custom pack options, giving customers a wide choice of upholstery and equipment so that they could, in theory at any rate tailor their Capri to suit themselves. There were dummy air scoops, chrome wheel trims, reclining seats, map-reading light, extra lights and special paint schemes with anti-glare matt black on the bonnet just like real rally cars. Launch prototypes were shown with BDA 16-valve twin cam engines (the Escort was first to get it) but never went into production. The Capri was destined to be a huge success; it built on Ford’s mastery of production engineering through relying on components already in production. it would be made in Britain and Germany, and getting on for 2million would be sold during the next 17 years.


This looks as though it could have been photographed on the launch

INTRODUCTION November 1968 production to December 1973 BODY coupe; 2-doors, 2+2-seats; weight 1300 880kg (1940.05lb) 1300GT 900kg (1984.14lb); 1600 GT 920kg (2028.23lb) ENGINE 1300 4-cylinders, in-line; front; 80.98mm x 62.99mm, 1298cc; compr 9.0:1; 42.51kW (57bhp) @ 5500rpm; 9.2mkg Nm (lbft) @ 2500rpm; 32.8kW/l (43.9bhp/l). 1300GT 53.69kW (72bhp) @5500rpm. 1600 87.65x66mm; 1593cc; 53.69kW (72bhp). GT 65.62kW (88bhp) @ 5700rpm ENGINE STRUCTURE pushrod ohv, chain-driven camshaft; cast iron cylinder head and block; Ford GPD carburettor; centrifugal and vacuum ignition; mechanical fuel pump; 5-bearing crankshaft. 1300GT and 1600 Weber 320 carburettor; 1600GT Weber compound. TRANSMISSION rear wheel drive; 19cm (7.5in) diaphragm spring cable-operated clutch; 4-speed manual all-synchromesh gearbox; hypoid bevel final drive 4.125:1 (1300) 3.89:1 (1600). Borg Warner 35 automatic available 1300 GT, 1600, final drive 1600GT 3.777:1 CHASSIS steel monocoque structure; ifs by MacPherson struts and anti roll bar; live rear axle with half-elliptic springs and radius rods, telescopic dampers; Girling hydraulic 24.1cm (9.49in) disc brakes at front (optional 1300s), 24.4cm (9.61in) GT and 1600; 20.32cm (8in) rear drums; dual circuit; vacuum servo; rack and pinion steering; 48l (10.56gal)(12.68USgal) fuel tank; 6.00-13 cross-ply 1300, 165-13 GT and 1600 radial-ply, 4.5rims DIMENSIONS wheelbase 256cm (100.79in) track front 134.5cm (52.95in) rear 132cm (51.97in) length 426cm (167.72in) width 164.5cm (64.76in) height 129cm (50.79in) GT and 1600 128cm (50.39in) ground clearance11.5cm (4.53in) turning circle 9.75metres (32ft) EQUIPMENT SLR pack £79 12s 10d (£79.64p); fixed seat belts £8.49p, inertia reel belts £14.01p PERFORMANCE maximum speed 1300 138kph (85.96mph), 1300GT and 1600 150kph (93.44mph), 1600GT 160kph (99.66mph) 1300 26.2kph (16.32mph) @ 1000rpm; 1600GT 28.8kph (17.94mph) 0-100kph (62mph) 19sec; 13sec 1600GT
fuel consumption 9.1l/100km (31.04mpg); 9.8l/100km (28.83mpg) 1600GT PRICE 1300, £682, £890 7s 10d (£890.39p) including PT; 1300GT £985 70p; 1600 £936.9p; 1600GT £1041.83p PRODUCTION 374,700 UK Capris

1969 Capri 2000 GT, 3000 GT

The one-shape-fits-all recipe of the Capri was well judged. Buyers rang the changes with engines and accessory packs to their hearts’ content. Rear axle radius arms had been deleted from Cortina GTs on the grounds of road noise; they were reinstated on the Capri to provide GT handling and developed with care so that there was negligible sacrifice in noise vibration and harshness, the celebrated NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) that Ford took seriously to compete with classic makes in the sporting or semi-sporting or even quasi-sporting field. By the dawn of the 1970s it did not much matter if a car was sporting or not, but it had to be refined, smooth-running, and if not completely quiet it had to make the right noises. The 2000GT V4 was not quite ready at launch, it went into production in March, the V6 3.0litre followed in September. The first addition to the range was the 3000E, technically the same as the 3000GT, but cosmetically upmarket and better equipped. In 1971 the 3.0 litre Essex V6 was revised with better breathing to provide more torque and 138bhp (102.91kW) instead of 128bhp (95.45kW), a change that was never applied to the same engine fitted to soon-to-be-replaced Zodiacs. The German Capri RS2600 was not sold in Britain and only 248 of the dramatic RS3100 with big-bore V6 of 1973 were ever made. INTRODUCTION November 1968 production to December 1973 BODY coupe; 2-doors, 2+2-seats; weight 2000GT 960kg (2116.42lb), V6 1056.89kg (2330lb) ENGINE 2000 4-cylinders, 60deg V; front; 93.66mm x 72.44mm, 1996cc; compr 8.9:1; 68.61kW (92bhp) @ 5250rpm; 141Nm (104lbft) @ 3600rpm; 34.4kW/l (46.1bhp/l). V6 93.66 x 72.4mm; 2994cc, 8.9:1; 95.45 kW (128bhp) @ 4750rpm; 235Nm (173lbft @ 3000rpm ENGINE STRUCTURE pushrod ohv, gear-driven camshaft; cast iron cylinder head and block; Weber 40 compound carburettor; centrifugal and vacuum ignition; mechanical fuel pump; 3-bearing crankshaft. V6, Weber 40DFA carburettor, 4-bearing crankshaft TRANSMISSION rear wheel drive; 22.86cm (9.0in) diaphragm spring cable-operated clutch; 4-speed manual all-synchromesh gearbox; hypoid bevel final drive 3.545:1; Borg Warner 35 automatic available. V6 3.22:1 final drive CHASSIS steel monocoque structure; ifs by MacPherson struts and anti roll bar; live rear axle with half-elliptic springs and radius rods, telescopic dampers; Girling hydraulic disc brakes at front, 24.4cm (9.61in); 20.32cm (8in) rear drums; dual circuit; vacuum servo; rack and pinion steering; 48l (10.56gal)(12.68USgal) fuel tank; 165-13 radial-ply tyres, 4.5rims DIMENSIONS wheelbase 256cm (100.79in) track front 134.5cm (52.95in) rear 132cm (51.97in) length 426cm (167.72in) width 164.5cm (64.76in) height 128cm (50.39in) ground clearance11.5cm (4.53in) turning circle 9.75metres (32ft) EQUIPMENT SLR pack £79 12s 10d (£79.64p); fixed seat belts £8.49p, inertia reel belts £14.01p PERFORMANCE maximum speed 171kph (106.52mph), V6 183kph (113.99mph) 30.6kph (19.06mph) @ 1000rpm, V6 33.4kph (20.8mph) 0-100kph (62mph) 11.3sec, V6 9.2sec fuel consumption 12.3l/100km (22.97mpg), V6 12l/100km (23.54mpg) PRICE £833, £1087 10s 7d (£1087.53p) including PT PRODUCTION 374,700 UK Capris

The Ford in Britain File; Dove Publishing Ltd http://www.dovepublishing.co.uk/