The Alfa Romeo Tipo 308, or 8C-308, is a Grand Prix racing car built in 1938 for the 3-litre class. Only four cars were made, modified from the Tipo C with the engine mounted lower in the chassis and a slimmer body, and it later raced at the Indianapolis 500.
Alfa Romeo Tipo 308 at a glance
| Year | 1938 |
|---|---|
| Class | 3-litre Grand Prix |
| Units | 4, modified from the Tipo C |
| Engineer | Gioacchino Colombo, under Enzo Ferrari (Alfa Corse) |
| Chassis | derived from the Tipo C |
| Engine | derived from the 8C 2900 |
| Power | 300 bhp (Tipo 308 engine at the 1938 Mille Miglia) |
| Debut | 1938 Pau Grand Prix (Nuvolari and Villoresi) |
This page is based on English Wikipedia only, so the figures could not be cross-checked against a second source.
History of the Alfa Romeo Tipo 308
The 308 was engineered by Gioacchino Colombo under Enzo Ferrari, who then led the Alfa Corse racing team. At its debut at the 1938 Pau Grand Prix two cars were entered, for Tazio Nuvolari and Luigi Villoresi; both had to withdraw, although Nuvolari had set a lap record. At the 1938 Mille Miglia Clemente Biondetti and Carlo Pintacuda took the first two places, Biondetti with a 300 bhp Tipo 308 engine and Pintacuda with a 225 bhp 2900B.
Raymond Sommer won hillclimbs at La Turbie with a 308 in 1938 and 1939, and Jean-Pierre Wimille won races in the 1940s. One car went to Argentina, where Óscar Alfredo Gálvez raced it, and another was sold to the United States after the war: Louis Durant drove it to 6th place in the 1946 Indianapolis 500, Walt Brown to 7th in 1947 and Johnny Mauro to 8th in 1948. Overall, the 3-litre cars (Tipo 308, 312 and 316) were not a great success; the 158 voiturette proved much more successful.
Design and features
- Chassis: derived from the Tipo C, with the engine mounted lower and a slimmer body.
- Engine: from the 8C 2900, about 300 bhp in 1938.
Alfa Romeo Tipo 308 versions
- Tipo 308 (1938): four cars built.
- Tipo 312 and Tipo 316: the 12- and 16-cylinder 3-litre cars of the same year, which had engine trouble in practice at Tripoli.
More Alfa Romeo racing cars are in our Alfa Romeo collection, for example the Alfa Romeo P3 and the Alfa Romeo 8C-35.
Alfa Romeo Tipo 308 questions and answers
How many Alfa Romeo 308 were built?
Four, modified from the Tipo C.
Who engineered the 308?
Gioacchino Colombo, under Enzo Ferrari.
Where did it race?
At Grands Prix and the Mille Miglia, and after the war at the Indianapolis 500 (6th in 1946).
Was the 308 successful?
English Wikipedia says the 3-litre Alfa cars were not a great success compared with the 158.
Sources
- Alfa Romeo Tipo 308, English Wikipedia: history, results
