Alfetta 159

Technical Data:

Engine: 8 cylinders in line, 1479cc, 425HP@9300 rpm,
Weight: 710kg (dry),
Max.speed: 305 km/h

With the end of W.W.II came the economic revival and also a return to racing events in Europe.

The Grand Prix races in that time were led by Alfa Romeo's 158, with the peak season in 1950 when Giuseppe Farina won the first FIA World Championship for F1 drivers.

For the next season Alfa prepared four new single seaters, known as the Tipo 159.

	The design and the construction of the bodywork of the new Tipo 159 was assigned to Zagato. The weight of the car was kept down by using thinner gauge panels and retouching the car's overall lines. With its 8 cylinders and twin superchargers, the 1.5 liter engine needed 120 liters of high octane fuel. Supplementary fuel tanks needed to be added on both sides of the cockpit. Ugo Zagato enclosed the fuel tanks taking particular care over blending them in with the car's existing lines.
The result was that the Tipo 159 gained 9 km/h in speed over the Tipo 158. It could well have been that extra top-speed which helped Juan Manuel Fangio to his first World Championship title in 1951.
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