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1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spyder

1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spyder

1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spyder

After producing six Spyder bodies on the shorter Corto chassis, Touring produced another set of spyders on the longer Lungo chassis.

On the track, the 2900 competition cars benefited from a decade of Alfa Romeo progress and became the most successful of their time. A trio of 2900As placed first-second-third at the 1936 Mille Miglia, while three specially built 2900MMs accomplished the same feat at the 1938 edition. The decision to make a road-going variant of these winning designs must have been easy.

Touring of Milan was responsible for almost the entire production of 2900B bodies. The Spyder was particularly elegant in profile, having much more length and elegance than the shorter Corto versions. A soft top was provided, but didn’t offer any side-window protection except for 412023 which had full-size side windows.

In May of 1938 Touring delivered the first Lungo Spyder which featured cut-out front fenders which were unqiue to the series. This car, chassis 412012, was almost completely lost in a garage fire. It was the first of seven Lungo Spyders built by Touring.

The 2900 chassis was outfitted very similar to the competition cars with twin trailing arms up front and a swing-arm suspension in the rear with both friction and hydraulic dampers.

The engine was similar to the Tipo B unit but was made from new castings in aluminum instead of magnesium. They retained a 10-main bearing crankshafts that sat in white metal babbits. The cylinder head was cast integral to the block with hemispherical combustion chambers and domed pistons. The valvetrain and axillary devices were all gear driven

1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spyder Gallery

See full 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spyder Gallery here.

In Detail

submitted by Richard Owen
type Series Production Car
built at Italy
coachbuilder Touring
production 7
price $ $ 9,457
price £/td> £3,000
engine All Alloy Inline-8
position Front Longitudinal
aspiration Twin Roots Superchargers
ignition Vertex Magneto
valvetrain Gear-Driven DOHC, 2 Valves / Cyl-
fuel feed Twin Carburettors
displacement 2905 cc / 177.3 in³
bore 68 mm / 2.68 in
stroke 100 mm / 3.94 in
compression 5.75:1
power 134.2 kw / 180.0 bhp @ 5200 rpm
specific output 61.96 bhp per litre
bhp/weight 130.72 bhp per tonne
redline 5000
body / frame Aluminum Superleggera Body on Steel Ladder Frame
driven wheels RWD
front tires 5.5×19
rear tires 5.5×19
front brakes Hydrualic Drums
rear brakes Hydrualic Drums
front wheels F 48.3 x 11.4 cm / 19 x 4.5 in
rear wheels R 48.3 x 11.4 cm / 19 x 4.5 in
steering Worm & Sector
f suspension Double Trailing Arms w/Coil Springs over Hydraulic Dampers
r suspension Swing axles w/Radius Arms, Transverse Elliptic Leaf Spring, Hydraulic & Friction Dampers
curb weight 1377 kg / 3036 lbs
wheelbase 3000 mm / 118.1 in
front track 1349 mm / 53.1 in
rear track 1349 mm / 53.1 in
length 5000 mm / 196.9 in
width 1700 mm / 66.9 in
transmission 4-Speed Manual
tran clutch Single Plate
gear ratios 2.44:1, 1.50:1, 1.14:1, 0.88:1
final drive 4.54:1
top speed ~185.03 kph / 115 mph
fuel econ epa 21.38 L/100 km or 11 mpg-us
fuel capacity 83.27 litres or 22 gal.