Alfa's Immortal 158 Racer Coming to Phillip Island

SYDNEY – February 15, 2010: Alfa Romeo’s all conquering 158 Alfetta that totally dominated the inaugural F1 World Championship season 60 years ago in 1950, is heading to the Phillip Island Classic Festival of Motor Sport from 19-21 March to kick-start the Italian manufacturer’s 100th anniversary celebrations in Australia.

Usually housed in the Alfa Romeo museum in Arese, Italy the 158 Alfetta seldom ventures far from home these days and the 2010 trip to Australia will be only the second time this car has been in the southern hemisphere; the previous occasion being in 1990 when Adelaide was the host venue for Formula 1’s 500th Grand Prix.

The 158 Alfetta so dominated that inaugural F1 championship season in 1950 that it won every one of the 11 races that year and saw Giuseppe Farina crowned F1’s first world champion in the sport’s modern era.

Others to drive 158 Alfettas during that championship winning year were the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio, Reg Parnell, Luigi Fagioli, Baron de Graffenried, Piero Taruffi and Consalvo Sanesi; all legendary names in the history of motor sport.

The 158 will be one of more than 100 examples of the feisty Italian marque expected to take to the circuit for the Victorian Historic Racing Register’s 21st Anniversary Phillip Island Classic, which is again being supported by Shannons, Penrite Lubricants and CoolDrive

Kevin Bartlett, who won the Australian Drivers’ Championship (CAMS Gold Star) in 1968 and 1969 driving an Alfa-Romeo powered Brabham and Mildren open wheeler respectively, has been honoured as the Phillip Island Classic’s Patron.

Other well-known Australian drivers with noted Alfa Romeo racing histories, including Alan Jones, Colin Bond, Tim Schenken, Bryan Thomson, Jim McKeown, Brian Foley and Frank Porter, are being invited to join him at the meeting.

Important racing Alfa Romeos coming from overseas include Alfa’s first genuine single-seater Grand Prix car – the magnificent 1931 P3 Tipo B monoposto of expatriate Briton Peter Giddings, a glorious 1963 TZ1 (Tubolare Zagato) racing coupe and a rapid 1967 Tipo 33 Spyder sports car.

They will join the ex-Carroll Shelby Maserati 200S 2.5 litre four cylinder and a beautiful Aston Martin DB3S sports car on the marque-studded programme.

An overall entry of around 500 touring, sports and racing cars spanning more than 50 years is already guaranteed at what has become the largest classic motors sport festival in the Southern Hemisphere.