Motorsports, nowadays, is full of different teams, drivers, and unique manufacturers. With this, it seems like there are always a variety of cars to choose from, regardless of the series. As such, a select few carmakers manage to become legends making outstanding and beautiful vehicles on a continual basis.
One of these manufacturers to do just that isn't just Ferrari or McLaren, but Alfa Romeo too. Strangely, it appears that more people are forgetting/neglecting to mention just how big of an impact Alfa had on motor sports. Either way, with their re-entry into F1 and success with their current models, Alfa is coming back to people's minds. In honor of their amazing achievements, here are ten of Alfa Romeo's most badass racing cars ever, ranked...
10 10. Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio
Ok, you may be thinking: "What? The Giulia Quadrifoglio isn't a race car!" In the broad scope, you'd be correct. However, if you look deeper, you can already see Q.F.'s tuned to be racing beasts.
Alfa Romeo is actually the source of these race cars, not independent owners and modifiers. The racing version of the Giulia is aptly named Racing Giulia Quadrifoglio. Honestly, it doesn't need a crazy name because the car speaks for itself. It's a great sedan that has the heart of a racer.
9 9. Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
During Alfa Romeo's soft reboot in the early-to-mid-2000's, they created a couple of interesting road cars. One of their best was the 8C Competizione, which found itself well suited for racing and daily driving.
The real defining traits of a G.T. racer are its front-engine setup, incredible performance, and comfort during long trips. Unlike the Giulia, though, Alfa didn't really put the 8C into competition themselves. Rather, they let customers tune their own and take them to the track. The best instance of this is probably the beautiful 8C Competizione GT3 car.
8 8. Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 Sport
When looking over a company's history in motor sports, it sometimes can be difficult to determine where exactly they went wrong or became champions. In Alfa Romeo's case, a car that helped propel them to their current standing is the 1920's era Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 Sport.
Before the 6C was fighting for wins, Alfa had been struggling. Their previous car was too heavy and sluggish to be any good, so they made sure the 6C 1500 Sport was both lightweight and quick. With this combination, the 6C 1500 Sport took several wins and podiums securing its place in Alfa Romeo's long history.
7 7. Alfa Romeo 308
After the resounding performance of the 6C, P3, and many more of that era, Formula One moved more towards sleek, low-profile, and more aerodynamic vehicles. This was the late '30s and witnessed one of Alfa's greatest: the 308.
Not to be mistaken for the Ferrari 308, an '80s sports car, the Alfa Romeo 308 is a lot older. The design of the 308 (Based partially off of its predecessor, the 8C), except it had a larger engine and newer design than before. After all was said and done with the 308, it had become one of Alfa's most victorious cars of the era.
6 6. Alfa Romeo 155 V6 Ti
For all of Alfa's racing history and pedigree, most of it is wrapped up in classic Formula One and single-seaters. There are, however, instances where Alfa Romeo showed what they could do outside of F1, especially when discussing their best DTM car ever: The 155 V6 Ti.
The 155 V6 Ti raced during the mid-90's, a great time for F1, DTM, and just about every other form of motor racing. Alfa, obviously, wasn't going to show up half-cocked and walked all over by the competition. No, they'd show them they meant business, and the 155 V6 Ti did exactly that. Over the course of time in DTM, the 155 racked up multiple wins and even a championship! Unfortunately, they couldn't repeat this trend in the following 156.
5 5. Alfa Romeo 158/159
As you've probably noticed already, Alfa has a knack for making competitive race cars, particularly during the days before and after World War Two. Of course, it's hard to pick the best, but if you were to do so, the 158/159 would definitely be up there.
Surprisingly, the 158/159 wasn't a completely brand new design at the time. In fact, they had planned on racing it before the war, yet, they were forced to postpone it until a later date. After the war, the rules had changed, and so too did the 158/159. With its changes made, the 158/159 became Alfa's best racer to date!
4 4. Brabham-Alfa BT46 'Fan Car'
Formula One isn't just about who's fastest or who's bravest. Instead, a huge part of the battle is actually fought with the rules and regulations. Some of F1's greatest cars became so by finding a neat loophole in the rulebook (Observe 2009's Brawn GP). As Alfa Romeo have been in F1 for a long time, they too had bent a few rules.
During the '70s, Alfa had partnered with Brabham racing to subsidize a team together. In their cooperation, they made a unique F1 car in the form of the BT46 Fan Car: a car that had a turbine built inside it. This may seem like a wild idea, however, it actually crushed the whole field. So much so, actually, that the F.I.A. quickly banned its use in further races.
3 3. Alfa Romeo 164 Pro-Car
In an effort to bring back a particular racing series, Alfa Romeo wanted to make a Pro Car of their own. To do this, they combined their F1 knowledge and resources to make the Alfa Romeo 164 Pro-Car, a one-off race car.
Yes, you read that correctly, "One-off." The 164 Pro Car never actually saw an active race, since the series died before the car could really be produced. Either way, though, the 164 is a wild racer, especially when you notice it has an F1-inspired V10 with similarly inspired aerodynamics.
The Alfa Romeo 164 Pro Car is the best example of "what could have been," but we'll never truly know if the 164 would have succeeded or remained a pipe-dream.
2 2. 1924 Alfa Romeo P2
If you're watching F1 this season, you may have found yourself bored at the constant dominance by Mercedes. After all, the same car winning over and over again isn't fun for the viewer. If you think 2019 is bad, imagine 1924, when Alfa Romeo's P2 destroyed the field.
"Destroyed" may seem like an over-exaggeration, however, that isn't far off from reality. In total, the P2 won over 14 championships (Not the same as a modern championship in every instance). Needless to say, spectators may have felt like every race was monotonous, but Alfa was loving it!
1 1. Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale
As a car enthusiast, you've most likely engaged in a conversation with others about the world's most beautiful cars. You'll hear a lot of opinions on this subject: Some love the Ferrari 250 GTO, while others think a Tesla is all that's needed for looks. Regardless of your thoughts on the matter, millions can agree that the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale deserves to be on that list.
The Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale isn't just an awesome race car, it's also a piece of rolling art. The lines, curves, and figure of the Tipo 33 Stradale come together so perfectly, emulating the best of the era it was made in: the late '60s. In terms of racing victories, the Tipo 33 Stradale was so beloved that Alfa continued to use similar designs for newer models.
Although it may not be as well known as a 250 GTO or Ford GT40, the Tipo 33 Stradale is equally as good and worth nearly (if not equally) as much money as both of them.