CMC Alfa-Romeo P3 #95 Caracciola, winner of the Klausen Race 1932 LE 1,000
Description
The Alfa Romeo Tipo B was the most successful single-seater Grand Prix racing car of its time. Alfa Romeo built and fielded it between 1932 and 1936. Initially as an Alfa Romeo works car, later, after Alfa Romeo took over its racing activities, it was marketed under the Scuderia Ferrari label. Designed by legendary designer Vittorio Jano, the car was based on the equally legendary Alfa Romeo 8C models. The P3 was Alfa Romeo's second single-seater after the Tipo A monoposto of 1931.
The Klausen Race, also known as the "Swiss Mountain Prize," is a true classic among mountain sprints. Between 1922 and 1934, the best racing drivers participated in this event in the central Swiss Alps. The Klausen Race was one of the ten races that formed the first European Hill Climb Championship in 1930. On the 21.5 km gravel road leading from Linthal to the Klausen Pass, the racing cars had to negotiate 156 serpentine bends and a height of 1,237 meters on the way up. Spectators from all over the world watched the spectacle directly from the roadside. The winner of the brutal Klausen Pass could count themselves among the greatest racing drivers of the time.
In August 1932, a fine group of groundbreaking racing cars and drivers competed here. Auto Union, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, and Alfa Romeo entered the factory teams. Privateers such as Burggaller, Steinweg, Zanelli, Rey, Chambost, Strazza, Tuffanelli, Maag, Stuber, Rüschen, Sojka, and Hans Kessler also entered. The English drivers included H.C. Hamilton, driving a Magnette for the Whitney Straight Syndicate, Cormack in his supercharged Alta, Miss Ellison in her Bugatti, and Penn Hughes.
Like the adventurous racers, the Klausen spectators were also very tough and would stop at nothing. The rushing of water could be heard everywhere, and all the streams were full to the brim. What would have happened if a river had overflowed its banks? And even in August, heavy snowfall was possible. Even in fine weather, boulders occasionally thundered down from the Kilchenstock mountain. In winter, the Klausen Pass was closed due to the danger of avalanches, particularly between Linthal and Urnerboden, where the bumpy road opened up to a 5 km long plateau on one side and a granite wall on the other.
1932 was a spectacular year at the Klausen Race. The first sports cars raced up the hill on August 7th. Tazio Nuvolari had a good drive in the 3,000 cc class with an Alfa Romeo 8C, but first place went to Hans Stuck in a Mercedes-Benz SSKL. In the open racing car class, Bugatti pitted its three-time winner Louis Chiron and Achille Varzi in a Bugatti T53 against Rudolf Caracciola in an Alfa Romeo P3 single-seater with starting number 95. The Bugatti drivers were always hot on Caracciola's heels, but remained winless. It was Caracciola's day, and he set a new record time of 15:50 seconds. Two years later, in 1934, he improved his record to 15:22 minutes while driving a Mercedes-Benz.
With this triple victory, Alfa Romeo won the European Manufacturers’ Championship and Nuvolari became European Drivers’ Champion.
Notice
The Alfa Romeo Tipo B was the most successful single-seater Grand Prix racing car of its time. Alfa Romeo built and fielded it between 1932 and 1936. Initially as an Alfa Romeo works car, later, after Alfa Romeo took over its racing activities, it was marketed under the Scuderia Ferrari label. Designed by legendary designer Vittorio Jano, the car was based on the equally legendary Alfa Romeo 8C models. The P3 was Alfa Romeo's second single-seater after the Tipo A monoposto of 1931.
The Klausen Race, also known as the "Swiss Mountain Prize," is a true classic among mountain sprints. Between 1922 and 1934, the best racing drivers participated in this event in the central Swiss Alps. The Klausen Race was one of the ten races that formed the first European Hill Climb Championship in 1930. On the 21.5 km gravel road leading from Linthal to the Klausen Pass, the racing cars had to negotiate 156 serpentine bends and a height of 1,237 meters on the way up. Spectators from all over the world watched the spectacle directly from the roadside. The winner of the brutal Klausen Pass could count themselves among the greatest racing drivers of the time.
In August 1932, a fine group of groundbreaking racing cars and drivers competed here. Auto Union, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, and Alfa Romeo entered the factory teams. Privateers such as Burggaller, Steinweg, Zanelli, Rey, Chambost, Strazza, Tuffanelli, Maag, Stuber, Rüschen, Sojka, and Hans Kessler also entered. The English drivers included H.C. Hamilton, driving a Magnette for the Whitney Straight Syndicate, Cormack in his supercharged Alta, Miss Ellison in her Bugatti, and Penn Hughes.
Like the adventurous racers, the Klausen spectators were also very tough and would stop at nothing. The rushing of water could be heard everywhere, and all the streams were full to the brim. What would have happened if a river had overflowed its banks? And even in August, heavy snowfall was possible. Even in fine weather, boulders occasionally thundered down from the Kilchenstock mountain. In winter, the Klausen Pass was closed due to the danger of avalanches, particularly between Linthal and Urnerboden, where the bumpy road opened up to a 5 km long plateau on one side and a granite wall on the other.
1932 was a spectacular year at the Klausen Race. The first sports cars raced up the hill on August 7th. Tazio Nuvolari had a good drive in the 3,000 cc class with an Alfa Romeo 8C, but first place went to Hans Stuck in a Mercedes-Benz SSKL. In the open racing car class, Bugatti pitted its three-time winner Louis Chiron and Achille Varzi in a Bugatti T53 against Rudolf Caracciola in an Alfa Romeo P3 single-seater with starting number 95. The Bugatti drivers were always hot on Caracciola's heels, but remained winless. It was Caracciola's day, and he set a new record time of 15:50 seconds. Two years later, in 1934, he improved his record to 15:22 minutes while driving a Mercedes-Benz.
With this triple victory, Alfa Romeo won the European Manufacturers’ Championship and Nuvolari became European Drivers’ Champion.
