FCA Heritage at Essen for Techno Classica 2017

The German city will be hosting the  major international #classic car show   from 5 to 9 April. #fca #heritage will be there with a display focusing on the ninetieth anniversary of the first Mille Miglia race, with historic #alfaromeo, #fiat, #lancia and #abarth cars which competed with distinction in this splendid event placed alongside the latest additions to the current range.
 
The 29th edition of #technoclassica is about to begin at the Essen Exhibition Centre, ready to welcome enthusiasts and exhibitors - no fewer than 1,250 from thirty different countries - in more than 20 halls across an exhibition area of 130,000 square metres. #fca #heritage, the Group department dedicated to promoting the historic legacy of FCA's Italian brands, will be at this major event, confirming its interest in this constantly growing sector, popular with all segments of contemporary society and a source of added value for the modern #automotive industry. Visitors will be able to admire several historic #alfaromeo, #fiat, #lancia and #abarth cars alongside the latest additions to the current range: there could be no better way of strongly reinforcing the individual brands' unique character on the worldwide scene, a #heritage made up of cars and engineers, races and engines, style and innovation, that shaped technological progress and the history of racing during the last century.
The entire display on the #fca #heritage stand focuses on the ninetieth anniversary of the Mille Miglia: the first edition of what Enzo Ferrari described as "the world's finest race" got under way on 26 March 1927.
All four Italian brands represented by the Department distinguished themselves in the legendary event, but there is no doubt that #alfaromeo played the largest role, and this year it will again be supporting the "Red Arrow" commemoration event as #automotive sponsor.
In fact, the serpent logo brand recorded some of its most glorious racing achievements with its legendary victories in the Coppa delle Mille Miglia, for which it holds the unbeaten record of 11 wins, 7 in consecutive years from 1932 to 1938.
The #alfaromeo display therefore comprises the RL SS Mille Miglia - the brand's first car to take part in the Mille Miglia, in 1927 - next to the legendary 8C 2300 #spider Corto Mille Miglia, which won the 1932 and 1933 editions of the race, the latter with the "Flying Mantuan" Tazio Nuvolari at the wheel.
Lancia's glittering racing history is represented by the Aurelia B20 GT 2000 - which finished second overall and won its class in 1951 - and the amazing D24 Sport, victorious in 1954 and on loan from the Turin National Car Museum for the occasion.
The display is completed by the #fiat 1100 S - which occupied four of the top ten places in the 1947 edition and went on to finish third overall the next year - and the #fiat #abarth 750 Coupé Zagato, which made its racing debut in the Monza Grand Prix in March 1956 and distinguished itself in the Mille Miglia the following year by winning its class.
1957 marked both the end of the legendary Brescia-based race and the birth of another Italian #automotive myth: the #fiat 500. To celebrate the iconic car's sixtieth birthday, #fiat 500 special series to mark the 60th anniversary will receive its national premiere at Essen, accompanied by two other contemporary models of engineering excellence: #alfaromeo Stelvio and #abarth 124 #spider.
 
To coincide with #technoclassica the German-language version of the www.fcaheritage.com website will also be launched: the portal is the online showcase for the activities of #fca #heritage and the meeting-point for all those who wish to know more about the history, events and projects dedicated to historic cars of the #fca group's Italian brands. Here, enthusiasts and owners of #classic #alfaromeo, #fiat, #lancia and #abarth models can explore the services available for their cars, subscribe to the Department's newsletter and apply on-line for the issue of certificates of origin. #lancia and #abarth owners can also access the restoration and authenticity certificate issuing services provided by #fca #heritage.
The following is a short description of the cars on display:
 
#alfaromeo RL Super Sport
#alfaromeo presented the new RL to the public in Milan on 13 October 1921. The car went on sale from the next year in two versions, Normale and Sport. The Normale's 2916 cc six-cylinder engine delivered 56 HP, while on the Sport version, which featured the radiator with the distinctive dihedral angle, the displacement was increased to 2994 cm and the power to 71 HP. A shorter wheelbase and lighter weight also boosted the top speed from 110 to 130 km/h.
Drawing on the experience acquired from the Corsa version, christened the "Targa Florio" after Ugo Sivocci's triumph in the 1923 edition of the gruelling Sicilian race, in 1925 #alfaromeo launched the RL Super Sport, with power increased to 83 CV and braking improved by the use of larger drums. In 1927 #alfaromeo took part in the first edition of the Mille Miglia with a team of five RL Super Sports, three private and two official, driven by Brilli-Peri and Marinoni. The RL SS cars gave a very good account of themselves, and Gastone Brilli-Peri was in the lead when the race reached Rome, before a breakdown forced him to pull out at Spoleto. The best position, in a race dominated by cars from the Brescian OM stable, went to the Mercanti-Sozzi team, which finished in 7th place.
In its long racing career the RL recorded more than ninety overall and class victories.
393 RL Super Sport cars were built in the years up to 1927: the model on show has the same bodywork as the cars that competed in the first Mille Miglia.
 
#alfaromeo 8C 2300 #spider Corto Mille Miglia
The 8C 2300 was introduced in 1931 in the wake of the P2 model, a Grand Prix car that achieved outstanding performances at the international level. It had a new straight-8 engine of 2236 cc, generating 142 HP at 5000 rpm. The chassis, closely derived from that of the 6C 1750, was available in two versions: with wheelbase of 3100 mm (8C 2300 "Lungo") and 2750 mm (8C 2300 "Corto"). There was also a #spider Corsa version, with engine beefed up to 155 HP at 5200 rpm (165 HP at 5400 rpm in 1932), to provide a top speed of 185 km/h (up to 215 km/h in 1932). The new 8C 2300 #spider Corto MM cars made their Mille Miglia debut in 1931 and came home the winners at the next two editions, driven by Borzacchini-Bignami in 1932 and Nuvolari-Compagnoni in 1933. It was the start of an impressive cycle of victories for #alfaromeo, which was to continue until 1938. 308 units of the 8C 2300 were built from 1931 to 1934, and in its various racing versions it achieved success in all the most important races of the time, also recording wins in the Targa Florio, the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Italian Grand Prix. Like the #alfaromeo RL Super Sport, the car on display comes from the fine collection of "La macchina del tempo - Museo Storico Alfa Romeo".
 
#alfaromeo Stelvio
At Essen visitors will also be able to admire the #alfaromeo brand's first SUV: Stelvio. In keeping with #alfaromeo tradition, the new Stelvio offers impeccable handling, worthy of a true sports car, thanks to balanced weight distribution, the most direct steering ratio in the segment and state-of-the-art suspensions with the exclusive AlfalinkTM technology, not to mention lavish use of ultra-lightweight, high-tech materials such as carbon fibre and aluminium. What's more, for the ultimate in road-holding, the Stelvio SUV offers the #alfaromeo Q4 all-wheel drive system, and can be equipped with mechanical self-locking rear differential on request. More than just performance and handling, the car has plenty of room available for passengers to enjoy and share the pleasure of travelling. Stelvio's proportions express strength, dynamism and compactness: length of 468 cm, height of 167 cm and width of 216 cm. On the outside, its attractive line is the perfect blend of tradition, design and performance. Last but not least, the innovative, reliable engines are the epitome of the Group's technological excellence.
 
#lancia Aurelia B20
The good results achieved by the #lancia Aurelia B20 coupé on its competitive debut in 1951 came at a time of racing success for #lancia, which started the year with the class victory of the new Aurelia B21 in the Giro di Sicilia. The GT cars specially prepared for racing were equipped with the two-litre engine of the B21 with power increased from 75 to 90 HP, capable of a speed of 175 km/h.
The race chosen for the new car's debut was the 1951 Mille Miglia, in which #lancia competed with four virtually standard-production B20 GT 2000s. The car driven by Bracco/Maglioli finished a very encouraging 2nd overall behind Villoresi's Ferrari 4500, an excellent performance reinforced by the good finishes of the other three cars, in 5th, 7th and 17th positions. Commenting on the XVIII Mille Miglia in "Auto Italiana" magazine just after the event, the famous racing-driver, journalist and team leader Giovanni Lurani wrote: "If a fresh slogan had to be found to define every edition of the Mille Miglia, we would have to name the 1951 race the #lancia Aurelia Mille Miglia!"
In June 1951, Bracco's B20 won its class and finished twelfth overall in the Le Mans 24 Hours. Also in 1951, B20 cars won the Pescara "6 hours" and the Coppa delle Dolomiti.
The two litre B20 also repeated its racing success at the next year's Mille Miglia, with a third place overall and four cars finishing in the first ten: wonderful publicity, especially in view of how little was spent on preparing the cars, which earned the Aurelia the image of a production car so efficient and safe that it could even be used successfully in races.
 
#lancia D 24
In autumn 1952, Gianni #lancia decided to extend the Brand's racing activities to include the Sport category; races run on circuits and roads and open only to two-seater racing cars which did not necessarily have to be production models.
This led to the birth of the series of "D" cars - the in-house #lancia code for racing prototypes - of which the D24 was the most outstanding. Designed by Vittorio Jano's team, the D 24 was a magnificent example of sophisticated #automotive engineering, in line with the great #lancia tradition. It had a V6 engine with displacement of 3284 cc, able to turn out 265 HP at 6500 rpm, and with its light weight of just 750 kg it had a top speed of 250 km/h. A total of eight of these cars were built, with a thrusting barchetta body styled by Pininfarina.
In 1953, its debut year, the D24 won the Carrera Panamericana with a crushing victory: two cars, driven by Juan Manuel Fangio and Piero Taruffi respectively, finished first and second overall. The following year, Taruffi won the Giro di Sicilia, the Targa Florio and the Tourist Trophy, Luigi Villoresi the Oporto Grand Prix and Alberto Ascari the Mille Miglia, all driving cars of this same model.
The car on display, loaned for the occasion by the Turin National Car Museum in association with #fca #heritage, is the one which won the 1953 Carrera Panamericana with Juan Manuel Fangio at the wheel, and then the 1954 Mille Miglia driven by Ascari.
 
Fiat 1100 S
Launched on the market in 1947, the 1100 S sports berlinetta was the direct evolution of the pre-war 508 C MM. Externally, its bodywork was modified to create an aerodynamic 2-seater berlinetta with a modified grille with vertical fillets and two additional air inlets underneath the headlights, but the biggest innovations were in the performance levels achieved: 51 HP at 5200 rpm, giving a top speed of 150 km/h. Fast and modern, the new car recorded many racing successes and was ideally suited to the Mille Miglia: in 1947 four 1100 S cars finished fifth, sixth, seventh and ninth overall. The following year, the car finished third overall, and in 1949 it won its class. 401 units of the 1100 S were produced in the years to 1950.
 
#fiat 500 special series to mark the 60th anniversary
The recent Geneva International Motor Show saw the launch of the special series created for the 60th anniversary of the #fiat 500, to be celebrated this year with a long series of events. The new, limited edition is truly unmistakable, thanks to the contemporary reworking of classical stylistic features like the vinyl dashboard, the vintage logo on the nose between the chrome moustaches and chrome trims on the bonnet. Only produced as a convertible, the #fiat 500 special series to mark the 60th anniversary has an unusual two-colour livery evocatively called Dolcevita: Tri-Coat White for the body and pastel Ivory for the bonnet and pillars. The grey and burgundy waistrail enhances this chromatic combination, whereas the colour chosen for the hood is grey. This special series gains added refinement from its many stylistic details, including the chrome rear-view mirror caps, the specific 16" alloy wheels and a unique logo, 560, which becomes a real "brand within a brand", with the red "6" and "0" inside the last two figures of the number 500. This distinctive touch features on the pillars and also on the chrome kick plate and the limited edition number plaque.
 
Fiat #abarth 750 Zagato Coupé
The "Fiat 600 #abarth Derivazione 750 GT Carrozzeria Zagato", better known as the #fiat #abarth 750 Zagato Coupé, was presented at the 1956 Geneva Motor Show and was one of the many variants created by the top carriage-builders of the period (the others included Boano, Allemano, Viotti, Pininfarina and Bertone) on the #fiat #abarth 750 GT, the more powerful version of the #fiat 600 sedan.
The model was conceived and designed first and foremost for racing, with an engine, derived from that of the #fiat 600, of 747 cc and maximum power of 47 HP. Thanks to its lightweight, streamlined aluminium bodywork - with the distinctive twin humps on the roof, in line with the two air inlets on the rear engine cover - this aerodynamic 2-seater had a top speed of 150 Km/h. The #fiat #abarth 750 Coupé Zagato made its racing debut on 25 March 1956, winning its class at the Trofeo Torricelle in Verona. A month later, no fewer than ten #fiat #abarth 750 cars, in the various bodywork versions, took part in the Mille Miglia, and the following year twenty teams lined up for the start on Viale Venezia, including one 750 Coupé Zagato. An impressive sixteen of these completed the race and Alfonso Thiene won his class. The car on display is from a private collection.
 
#abarth 124 #spider
Beside it is the new #abarth 124 #spider, a high-octane, unconventional car, destined to become an icon of driving pleasure, capable of thrilling anyone who takes the wheel. Developed with Squadra Corse #abarth, it has the bold dynamics and driving joy of a true roadster. Proof of its technical excellence focused on handling quality is the mechanical self-locking differential supplied as standard. This feature is typically found in top-of-the-range sports cars and emphasises the personality of the new #abarth 124 #spider. Under the bonnet lurks the powerful, reliable 170 HP four-cylinder 1.4 litre MultiAir turbo engine, providing a top speed of 232 km/h. Sophisticated mechanics and special materials have been used to contain the weight to just 1060 kilograms. This results in a weight-to-power ratio of 6.2 kg/HP, the best in its category. Furthermore, the optimal weight distribution guarantees sincere and exalting response.