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The History of Alfa Romeo
(by Elvira Ruocco)
Article 6
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Sea Horses
Alfa Romeo on the water
Alfa Romeo’s engines run and won not only on the road; also on the water they proved to be unbeatable.
The first Alfa Romeo’s victory on the water dates back to 1929, year of the first Pavia-Venice raid.
Later, with outstanding achievements for three consecutive years: 1937-1938-1939,
Alfa showed its construction efficiency by contributing to the development of the sea engines.
In 1938, the 12-cylinder (4.500 cc) racing engine suitably modified was applied on a Passarin-type
speedboat and tried out in several hard tests in Italy and abroad, with really gratifying results,
being successful in the speedboat contest of Venice, in that of Munich,
in the international Geneva contest and at the Milan Idroscalo.
In 1939, one of the most enduring speedboat records was snatched from the France:
the one for swamp boats, by reaching on the Bracciano lake waters the 121.710 km/h average speed
with a 800-kg swamp boat equipped with an 850-HP Alfa Romeo star engine.
With the outbreak of the world conflict this profitable activity stopped to resume in the postwar period.
With the famous “158”- and “159”-type engines, great pilots as Mario Verga and Ezio Selva won
the world title in 1953, 1956 and 1957 and set several speed records that still carry authority today
in the international aquatic sports annals. Several important records were set by Giuseppe Castaldi
in the Campari Trophy and by Giulio de Angelis, Leopoldo Casanova, Franco e Guido Caimi, Giancarlo Capecchio,
who won continental, national and world titles of speed, long-distance and endurance.
Results the more eloquent because they were obtained with production engines:
Giulietta, Giulia GTA, TZ, 2600 (brought to 2500 cc.) engines equipped worldwide winning hulls.
In 1970, Eugenio Molinari gained two world records with Alfa Romeo 1750 engines and,
in 1971, Franco Giliberti set two world speed records with Montreal and Giulia 1300 engines.
In 1972, Leopoldo Casanova established two among the most prestigious world speed records
on the kilometre distance, on the 24 sea miles. Two successes meaningful
under the technical point of view since obtained with a rigorously production 2000 GTV engine..
This list of victories could continue. The Alfa Romeo speedboat activity has been a long chain of successes.
There were no national or international events which did not record, in the categories or classes
where Alfa Romeo engines were present, really resounding exploits.
Elvira Ruocco
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Translation by Fabio Grandi
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