What would you do with this..?

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Alfa Romeo’s beautiful 2300 8C engine is considered as one of the greatest engine designs of before the War. So what if you had one? The reason for asking in the first place is that RM Sotheby’s has one to sell during their Monterey sale.

Alfa Romeo 8C engine

How does that come about, one wonders? Well, it’s part of a collection of several 8Cs and was retained as a spare. It was once mated to the 8C 2300 Monza of 1932 vintage wearing chassis number 2111037, which was one of the works cars with Spider body entered in the 1932 Mille Miglia. Several owners and years later, the car was crashed in Belgium, only to be restored some 40 years later.

The next restoration was to take place another 34 years later, in 2011, when the car was bought by collector Peter Giddings. Auto Restorations Ltd. of Christchurch, New Zealand was chosen to carry out the job, and they removed the engine, which is said to have been rebuilt with a new crankshaft at that time and retained by Giddings as a spare. So what does the car use now? Well, since it will be sold in the same auction we easily learn that ‘In view of Mr. Giddings intention to race his Monza, a replacement Jim Stokes-manufactured engine was fitted, the car retaining this power unit today’.

Shouldn’t it stay with the car? RM concludes: “A representative of the design that took Alfa Romeo to the winner’s circle at the Mille Miglia, Le Mans, and numerous Grand Prix races, this 8C engine could serve as a possible spare for a dedicated vintage racer; alternatively, it would be a unique display piece for a discriminating collector.” Let us hope it finds a good new home.

Words by Jeroen Booij. Pictures by Courtney Frisk ©2021 Courtesy of RM Auctions.

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