Motoring News

Italian sporting car manufacturer, Alfa Romeo, is delighted to be the featured marque at this year’s prestigious Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex (2-4 July) as the company celebrates 100 years of proud motoring heritage.

As well as the Centenary celebrations, the 2010 Festival of Speed will mark the public debut of the hotly anticipated new Alfa Giulietta – a stylish 5-door hatchback that delivers sporty performance, design confidence and technology in the true spirit and tradition of the brand. 

In addition to the festival, Alfa Romeo will be previewing the Giulietta to a select audience at the first modern day Goodwood Moving Motor Show today (Thursday 1 July).

As would be expected, a long list of prized historic Alfas will feature at this year’s Festival, including the 1925 World Championship winning Alfa P2 Grand Prix race car which joins its modern counterpart, the Alfa 8C Competizione on the Centenary central sculpture which proudly celebrates Alfa Romeo – with design inspiration taken from the marque’s iconic Cloverleaf badge.

In all, it is expected that over 50 important Alfa Romeos will be at this year’s Festival, including 16 priceless examples which will make the pilgrimage from the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo in Arese, Italy. Four of these, the 8C 2900 B Speciale tipo Le Mans 1938, Gran Premio Tipo B (P3) 1932, Gran Premio Tipo 159 ‘Alfetta’ 1951 and 155 DTM 1993 will be seen in action on the Goodwood Hillclimb course.

The Hillclimb is the Festival of Speed’s principal attraction. Taking place throughout the weekend, this challenging 1.16 mile course starts as a tree-lined run through the southern corner of the Goodwood Estate which then turns to sweep past the front of Goodwood House before climbing a steep and narrow Estate road bordered by flint walls and dense woodland groves towards Goodwood’s equine racecourse on top of the magnificent South Downs.

The course rises over 300ft from the start line to the finish, and is very technical and challenging, putting the skills of the world’s very best drivers to a stern test of concentration and speed.

The remaining 12 historic Alfa Romeo models will be ‘shared’ between the Cartier ‘Style et Luxe’ concours d’elegance and the Cathedral Paddock, while the P2 Grand Prix racer features on the Centenary central sculpture. 

In the Supercar Paddock, Alfa’s latest supercar offering, the convertible 8C Spider, will be turning heads with its award-winning looks and distinctive V8 growl as it makes its way past the crowds, up the historic Goodwood Hill.

Appearing as part of the magnificent static display in the Cathedral Paddock will be historic delights such as the Alfa Gran Premio Tipo 512 1940, the car that never raced due to the advent of World War Two, and the 164 Pro-Car which features the world’s first ever 10 cylinder engine.

Alongside this exhibition of exceptional racing heritage, the 33 Stradale prototipo 1967 will grace the Cartier lawn, showing the crowds why Alfa Romeo design has been so highly revered through the decades.

Designed by Franco Scaglione, this 1967 prototype was the most expensive car of its time and considered to be one of the most beautiful cars ever made.

In Alfa Romeo’s customary stand-out red exhibition stand, the all-new Alfa Romeo Giulietta will make its UK public debut at Goodwood, taking pride of place alongside an Alfa 8C Spider which will also appear as a static model at this year’s Festival. 

Combining sportiness and elegance, the C-segment Alfa Giulietta is the result of Alfa Romeo’s new direction in style, but the name still holds an important place in Alfa Romeo’s enviable legacy, dating back to the 1950s.

The sporty, five-door compact goes on sale in the UK on 24 July from £16,995 OTR, packed with technology including Alfa’s DNA system, Start&Stop and the sporty Q2 electronic differential.

Located on the front lawn of Goodwood House, and designed to embody the spirit of Alfa Romeo, the Centenary central sculpture showcases two of the marque’s most important cars; the iconic 1925 World Championship winning Alfa P2 Grand Prix racer which led to the introduction of the laurel wreath around the original Alfa Romeo emblem, and the ultra-modern, award-winning, Alfa 8C Competizione super car.

Revered artist and designer of the Alfa Romeo Centenary central sculpture, Gerry Judah says: “With such a vast and rich heritage, trying to encapsulate all that is great about Alfa Romeo was no easy task. So many factors played a part in the creative process, from the beauty of the cars themselves which are often art forms in their own right, to the passion the marque shows and holds in so many hearts – I felt it was important that the sculpture complemented and expressed these messages.

“The perfect way of communicating this was to use two of Alfa’s most iconic cars – past and present – the P2 and the 8C Competizione – both legendary in their own right with the connection of the first and most recent Alfa Romeo to feature an Alfa eight-cylinder engine.

“Translating their connection and representing the best of all that is Alfa Romeo, there was no better symbol to take inspiration from than Alfa’s famous Cloverleaf badge, which has donned past, present and hopefully future high performance Alfa Romeos. The easiest part of this project was choosing a representative colour – which of course had to be Alfa Red.”

Goodwood Festival of Speed founder, Lord March added: “Alfa Romeo has one of the most enviable pedigrees of any motor manufacturer, and a history that has become legend. With this year’s Festival celebrating ‘The Passion for Speed’ there couldn’t be a more appropriate marque to celebrate this with. As an Alfista myself, the brand epitomises the beauty of motoring, and I’m honoured that we can help celebrate Alfa Romeo’s Centenary at this year’s Festival. And I look forward to a bright future for the marque through the debut of the new Alfa Giulietta. 

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