SF25

1933 Alfa Romeo 8c 2600 Monza SF25

The Continuing History

For the 1934 competition season S.A. Scuderia Ferrari produced the final Alfa Romeo 8c Monza’s, using locally built chassis frames to their own specifications and increasing the engine size to 2.6 liters, and new bodies by Carrozzeria Brianza. All other components used came from second series Alfa Romeo 8c 2300’s that were in stock at the Scuderia workshop.

SF25 was registered - MO 7139 - on the 4th of April 1934, and a little time later in the Mille Miglia, Tadini and Barbeiri led the way racing SF25 to Roma holding off Nuvolari, Varzi, and all the other aces while averaging 120 kmph. They lost their leading position while reaching Terni, and due to gearbox failure, SF25 retired at Bologna.

The rest of the season the car was driven by Guy Moll, Ghersi, and Count Lurani. Then the Scuderia sold the car to Carlo de Praez of Bolzano, who registered it - BZ 3610 - on the 4th of April 1935.

Praez campaigned SF25 the rest of the year and the following year until he sold it on the 30th of July 1937 to Arnoldo Dell’Orto in Milano, who registered - MI 42857 -. On Christmas Eve, SF25 changed ownership to Ruggero Ruggieri of Roma, and was registered Roma 97260 until SF25 was exported to Argentina on the 23rd December 1947.

On the 25th of February 1948, Luis Bettinelli registered SF25 in Buenos Aires under license number 36543. Bettinelli, an amateur racing sports cars, owned and raced in those days a Bugatti, an Hispano-Suiza, and a BMW 328 as well. Did Bettinelli race the car in Brasil (Petropolis) previous to its arrival in Argentina? It is most probable.

The car was raced by Bettinelli or by his friend Ernesto Tornquist, in the first race held by the Club de Automóviles Sport of Argentina (CAS) in March 1948 in Tigre at the premio “Delta”. Period photos show the car in original Brianza body.

1933 Alfa Romeo 8c 2600 Monza SF25

The Continuing History

For the 1934 competition season S.A. Scuderia Ferrari produced the final Alfa Romeo 8c Monza’s, using locally built chassis frames to their own specifications and increasing the engine size to 2.6 liters, and new bodies by Carrozzeria Brianza. All other components used came from second series Alfa Romeo 8c 2300’s that were in stock at the Scuderia workshop.

SF25 was registered - MO 7139 - on the 4th of April 1934, and a little time later in the Mille Miglia, Tadini and Barbeiri led the way racing SF25 to Roma holding off Nuvolari, Varzi, and all the other aces while averaging 120 kmph. They lost their leading position while reaching Terni, and due to gearbox failure, SF25 retired at Bologna.

The rest of the season the car was driven by Guy Moll, Ghersi, and Count Lurani. Then the Scuderia sold the car to Carlo de Praez of Bolzano, who registered it - BZ 3610 - on the 4th of April 1935.

Praez campaigned SF25 the rest of the year and the following year until he sold it on the 30th of July 1937 to Arnoldo Dell’Orto in Milano, who registered - MI 42857 -. On Christmas Eve, SF25 changed ownership to Ruggero Ruggieri of Roma, and was registered Roma 97260 until SF25 was exported to Argentina on the 23rd December 1947.

On the 25th of February 1948, Luis Bettinelli registered SF25 in Buenos Aires under license number 36543. Bettinelli, an amateur racing sports cars, owned and raced in those days a Bugatti, an Hispano-Suiza, and a BMW 328 as well. Did Bettinelli race the car in Brasil (Petropolis) previous to its arrival in Argentina? It is most probable.

The car was raced by Bettinelli or by his friend Ernesto Tornquist, in the first race held by the Club de Automóviles Sport of Argentina (CAS) in March 1948 in Tigre at the premio “Delta”. Period photos show the car in original Brianza body.

1934

1933 Alfa Romeo 8c 2600 Monza SF25

The Continuing History

For the 1934 competition season S.A. Scuderia Ferrari produced the final Alfa Romeo 8c Monza’s, using locally built chassis frames to their own specifications and increasing the engine size to 2.6 liters, and new bodies by Carrozzeria Brianza. All other components used came from second series Alfa Romeo 8c 2300’s that were in stock at the Scuderia workshop.

SF25 was registered - MO 7139 - on the 4th of April 1934, and a little time later in the Mille Miglia, Tadini and Barbeiri led the way racing SF25 to Roma holding off Nuvolari, Varzi, and all the other aces while averaging 120 kmph. They lost their leading position while reaching Terni, and due to gearbox failure, SF25 retired at Bologna.

The rest of the season the car was driven by Guy Moll, Ghersi, and Count Lurani. Then the Scuderia sold the car to Carlo de Praez of Bolzano, who registered it - BZ 3610 - on the 4th of April 1935.

Praez campaigned SF25 the rest of the year and the following year until he sold it on the 30th of July 1937 to Arnoldo Dell’Orto in Milano, who registered - MI 42857 -. On Christmas Eve, SF25 changed ownership to Ruggero Ruggieri of Roma, and was registered Roma 97260 until SF25 was exported to Argentina on the 23rd December 1947.

On the 25th of February 1948, Luis Bettinelli registered SF25 in Buenos Aires under license number 36543. Bettinelli, an amateur racing sports cars, owned and raced in those days a Bugatti, an Hispano-Suiza, and a BMW 328 as well. Did Bettinelli race the car in Brasil (Petropolis) previous to its arrival in Argentina? It is most probable.

The car was raced by Bettinelli or by his friend Ernesto Tornquist, in the first race held by the Club de Automóviles Sport of Argentina (CAS) in March 1948 in Tigre at the premio “Delta”. Period photos show the car in original Brianza body.

1934

Bettinelli raced and owned SF25 until January 1950 when the car changed hands to the famous Argentine gentleman racing driver, Roberto (Bitito) Mieres, who was the Argentine Sports Cars champion in 1949, racing with this car. This championship he won, led the Automovil Club Argentino to select him together with Juan Manuel Fangio and José Froilán Gonzalez to team up in Europe for the Grand Prix season from 1950 onwards under the Argentina government sponsorship. Mieres was a successful driver and managed to become a Maserati F1 works driver over the years.

The car was raced from 1950 onwards by Tomás Mayol and Buby Schroeder in different sports cars races.

After approximately 6 years, Bitito Mieres sold SF25 to Carlos and Julio Guimarey.

Carlos Guimarey was the last one who raced the Monza in the late 50s; after that, SF25 descended into Argentine obscurity, apparently being damaged in a crash and cannibalized for parts before the remains were rescued by Ernesto Dillon.

Dillon sold the remains from SF25 to Luigi Fusi, director of the Alfa Romeo museum in Arese, Italy. Back in Italy, Fusi commissioned Aldo Cesaro to create a Monza for the Arese museum.
During that process in the seventies, Cesaro ended up with the pieces and information to restore the SF25 parts to a complete and functional chassis to Scuderia Ferrari specifications.

About 2 decades later Cesaro sold the chassis to the well-known Alfa Romeo collector David Uihlein, who commissioned the English specialist Neil Twyman to build up the Monza with Uihleins Alfa Romeo 8C engine 2211083 that was enlarged to 2600cc, the original gearbox 2141079, steering box 2151038, and lightweight Monza rear axle 2171175.

Twyman finished the car with a new Brianza type Monza body and (incorrect) firewall and radiator cowl.

Shortly before David Uihlein passed away, the car was auctioned off, and for nearly 15 years, the Monza was part of the Price Automotive museum.

In 2023 the Monza was purchased by Tony Paalman, whose restoration company Hoffes Restoration Management bv. restored SF25 again, with the correct type original instruments, wiring, firewall, and radiator cowl and replacing the wings.

1950