Concorso d'Eleganza di Villa d'Este, 1933 Alfa Romeo P3 Tipo B won Best of Show

The 1933 Alfa Romeo P3 or Tipo B won Best of Show, the most prestigious of the awards given by the jury at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este. Historically, this speedster was not a real racing car, but it was in fact the model that redefined the Grand Prix concept for that era. Designed by the brilliant designer Vittorio Jano, the car turned out to be the first true single-seater racing car. In fact, it was initially conceived as a direct evolution of another legendary Alfa Romeo, the 8C 2300 Monza. The Tipo B (P3) for the chronicle was then at the centre of a much-talked-about switch from the Biscione brand that had produced it to the Scuderia Ferrari Corse.

As far as the mechanics of the P3 are concerned, it should be noted, among other things, that the chassis was lighter and more rigid and the powerful engine under the bonnet was an eight-cylinder that had been boosted by two compressors to an impressive 265 hp. The car was built in 1933, the year in which an important change of hands occurred, namely Alfa Romeo handed over the car for track operations to Enzo Ferrari, who had left Alfa shortly before in 1929 to launch his own Scuderia. From now on the car, the P3 or Tipo B, competed successfully with the Scuderia Ferrari throughout the 1934 season. The following year it also scored an extraordinary victory with Tazio Nuvolari at the wheel, who won the Grand Prix at the Nurburgring with the P3.

But other top drivers of the time managed to score significant victories. Beginning with Achille Varzi, he drove the Type B to victory in the prestigious Nice and Tripoli Grand Prix races, while Guy Moll hit the mark in the Avus Grand Prix in Berlin. But the racing laurels did not end there; more came later. Varzi himself took second place in the French Grand Prix and the Belgian Grand Prix. Louis Chiron then came second in Monaco and third in Germany. Tonino Brivio, finally, secured third place in the Coppa Acerbo, again for the Scuderia Ferrari. Presenting the Best Show award to the owner who runs the Collezione Auriga was Helmut Kàs who is the ceo of Bmw Classic.

The Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este has traditionally attracted a large crowd. The organisers of the event, Bmw Classic, the heritage division of the Munich-based brand, have been offering the many car fans present at the event for more than twenty years a very special exhibition that first of all celebrated 85 years of Bmw's participation in the Mille Miglia. It additionally showed the original cars, which have survived the passage of time, that achieved Bmw's sensational overall victory in the Mille Miglia in 1940. Among the 2025 attractions at Villa Erba was the Art Car Collection, which spanned the brand's past and future, and last but not least the exhibition "Concept Cars & Prototypes".