Makes › Alfa Romeo › 158 "Alfetta" (pre-war cars) · Factory competition · 1938–1940 Ultra Rare
Alfa Romeo
158 "Alfetta" (pre-war cars)
Alfa Corse voiturette, later dominant post-war GP car; pre-war batch
Photo: Neil · CC BY 4.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 4 Built
- Years
- 1938–1940
- Engine
- Front-mounted longitudinal supercharged straight-eight, alloy block and head · 1,479 cc / 1.5 LFactory: 1,479 cc
- Power
- 142 kW / 193 PSFactory: 190 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Gioacchino Colombo
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The pre-war 158 was the first of Gioacchino Colombo's 1.5-litre supercharged straight-eight Alfettas, the voiturette that later became the dominant Grand Prix car of the late 1940s and 1950. These original cars won on debut in 1938 and, hidden during the war, all survived to race again.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
Alfa Romeo 158 "Alfetta" (pre-war cars) (Wikimedia Commons: Alfa Romeo 158 Alfetta)
Photo: Neil · CC BY 4.0
Alfa Romeo 158 "Alfetta" (pre-war cars) (Wikimedia Commons: Alfa Romeo 158 Alfetta)
Photo: Neil · CC BY 4.0
Alfa Romeo 158 "Alfetta" (pre-war cars) (Wikimedia Commons: Alfa Romeo 158 Alfetta)
Photo: Andrew Bone from Weymouth, England · CC BY 4.0
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
_(54783377264).jpg){kind=link}
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionVetture Prodotte on the museum's Tipo 158 page; the Tipo 159 page also lists 4 and neither says pre-war or post-war | 41,2 | Factory production | Factory reported |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
Scuderia Ferrari laid out a 1.5-litre voiturette in 1937, and by the time the first car was built the department had become Alfa Corse. Colombo designed a new straight-eight with a Roots supercharger in a tubular chassis with swing-axle rear suspension. The first car tested at Monza in May 1938 and four cars took a one-two on debut at Leghorn. About six cars were built in 1938 and roughly six more over the 1939/40 winter with two-stage supercharging, so the total lies between six and twelve; the cars were hidden around Milan during the war.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard 158 "Alfetta" (pre-war cars).
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Front-mounted longitudinal supercharged straight-eight, alloy block and head3 Independently researched |
| Cylinders | 81 |
| Displacement | 1,479 cc / 1.5 LFactory: 1,479 cc3 Independently researched |
| Bore | 58 mmFactory: 58 mm1Museum page gives no year for this specification; the Tipo 159 page (S2) lists the same bore and stroke. Power (350 CV), weight (620 kg) and top speed were not taken because the page does not identify a pre-war version. |
| Stroke | 70 mmFactory: 70 mm1 |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Valvetrain | 2 valves per cylinder, 2 overhead camshafts, gear-driven; two-block light-alloy construction1 |
| Fuel system | Triple-choke carburettor, two magnetos, dry sump1 |
| Induction | Roots-type supercharger (single-stage 1938; two-stage on 1939/40 cars)4 Independently researched |
| Power | 142 kW / 193 PSFactory: 190 hp · converted5 Independently researchedThe source prints the engine speed as "65000 RPM", an obvious typing error, so no rpm value is taken. Figure refers to the 1938 voiturette engine. |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Four-speed manual, rear-wheel drive3 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | 41 |
| Driven wheels | Rear1 |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Welded tubular side members with sheet-steel cross members1 |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Independent, longitudinal arms, transverse leaf spring, hydraulic and friction dampers1 |
| Rear suspension | Independent, longitudinal arm, transverse leaf spring, hydraulic and friction dampers1 |
| Brakes | Hydraulic drum brakes on all four wheels1 |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | 2,500 mmFactory: 2,500 mm1 |
| Length | 4,150 mmFactory: 4,150 mm1 |
| Width | 1,570 mmFactory: 1,570 mm1 |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | 127 cmFactory: 127 cm5 Independently researched |
| Rear track | 127 cmFactory: 127 cm5 Independently researched |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Being verified against factory or registry sources before it is published. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Museo Storico Alfa Romeo collection page: GP Tipo 158 Alfetta Level A Museo Storico Alfa Romeo, Arese
- Vetture Prodotte 4
- 8 cilindri in linea
- 1479 cc (58x70 mm)
- 2 valvole per cilindro, 2 alberi a camme in testa
- triplo corpo e 1 compressore
- 4 marce + RM posteriore
- Trazione posteriore
- Longheroni tubolari e traverse in lamiera, saldati
- Anteriore: ruote indipendenti, bracci longitudinali
- Posteriore: ruote indipendenti, braccio longitudinale
- Idraulici a tamburo sulle 4 ruote
- Passo: 2500 mm
- lunghezza: 4150 mm
- larghezza: 1570 mm
-
2
1938 - 1940 Alfa Romeo 158 'Alfetta' Specifications - Ultimatecarpage.com Level C
- 6–12 "At least 6 and as many as 12"
-
3
Alfa Romeo 158 'Alfetta' – specifications Level C Ultimatecarpage.com
- Straight 8, Front, longitudinally mounted
- 1,479 cc
- 4-speed manual; rear-wheel drive
-
4
Alfa Romeo 158 'Alfetta' Level C Ultimatecarpage.com
- single Roots-type supercharger; later two-stage supercharger
-
5
Alfa Romeo T158 "Alfetta" (Voiturette) Level C Leif Snellman · Leif Snellman, Golden Era of GP Racing · 2007-04-19
- Roots supercharger 190 BHP
- track: 127/127 cm
Keep exploring
More from Alfa Romeo
-
Alfa Romeo · 1988
164 ProCar
1 Built
-
Alfa Romeo · 1941
8C 2900B "Balena"
1 Built
-
Alfa Romeo · 1938
8C 2900B Le Mans Berlinetta (Touring)
1 Built
-
Alfa Romeo · 1968
Carabo (Bertone)
1 Built
See all 212 cars by Alfa Romeo →
More from Italy
-
Brixia-Züst
10 HP (three-cylinder)
Production not yet verified
-
Lamborghini
Gallardo Nera
Production not yet verified
-
Maserati
Ghibli Spyder
128 Built
-
Ferrari
212 Export
Production not yet verified
62 other makes from ItalyAbarthACM AutomobiliAres DesignATSAuto Avio CostruzioniAutobianchiAznomB EngineeringBandiniBertoneBizzarriniBrixia-ZüstCagivaCarrozzeria Touring SuperleggeraCeiranoChiribiriCisitaliaCizetaColoniCoviniDallaraDe TomasoDiattoF.I.A.L. LegnanoFerrariFervesFiatFissoreFlorentiaGhiaInnocentiIntermeccanicaIsoIsotta FraschiniItalaItaldesignLaffiteLamborghiniLanciaMaseratiAll makes →