WP Daetwyler Options

[VDP]

He was one of the finest sportcar driver from Zwitserland and
the first winner of the newly European hillclimb championship.
But his Alfa romeo 412 from where she comes, This car was rebodied by who, who supercharged the car and how many
412 were build. I know that such car won GP D'anvers in 1940
with N Farina and does this car still exist.


Robert

[Patrick Italiano]

Daetwiller got his Alfa 412 directly from Alfa. I'm not sure if before or after the war. I think it was sold after WW2. Chassis number should be (I go by memory) 412151. He first raced it with its original body, before having it rebodied in Switzerland. The new body can't be descibed as ugly, but is not at par with the Touring creations of the '30s.

The Alfa Tipo 412 was actually a 8C2900 chassis in which an unsupercharged 12C engine, 4.5 litre, was fitted in. The engine was coming from the 1937 12C37 GP car. It delivered 220 Hp without supercharger and 430 when blown. The regulations for the 1939 season were dictated by each race organizer, but many, trying to escape the german domination in GP, decided to have their races reserved to sports cars, unsupercharged, with a maximum of 4.5 litre as capacity. Actually, this was the french decision, Italians, for the same reasons, organized the Tripoli GP under the voiturette rules (1.5 litre single seaters). Now, actually, ruling out the supercharged sports cars, the French thought they would avoid the 8C2900 Alfa to sweep the board, and expected Alfa to race unblown 6C2500, as they did at Le Mans.

Actually, the 412s won at Anvers in May 1939 unblown. But the next event, the Centenaire GP at Luxembourg on june 4th, allowed supercharged cars as well. Of the two 412 entries, one (Biondetti's) was unblown, while the other was supercharged (Farina's). The fastest retired when leading, and the race was won by Wimille on a supercharged Bugatti in front of the second 412.

Another event was scheduled on august 27th, 1939 in Liege but never took place, except for the practice, due to the imminent war (Liege is only 50km apart from the German border).

The number of 412s built is not cartain. Fusi gives 4 cars, but only two are certain (412150 and 412151), possibly 3. Daetwiller's one is in the Schlumpf museum in Mulhouse with its swiss body.

I have a picture, but can't upload it for now.

[VDP]

In swiss GP book she his lited as 152 .
Now if I remember i saw an alfa romeo 412 with a belgian
body I can be wrong he could be also an 8C 2900
It was in a french revue, an old one
There was also a 412 entered in the MM EARLY 50

Robert

[Patrick Italiano]

In swiss GP book she his lited as 152 . Now if I remember i saw an alfa romeo 412 with a belgian
body I can be wrong he could be also an 8C 2900
It was in a french revue, an old one
There was also a 412 entered in the MM EARLY 50

- There's no Alfa under the "Tipo 152" designation, so it has to be a typo

- As far as I can guess in your thoughts, the Belgian bodied car is a 6C2500, also from 1939.

- Yes, that's the second known car, racing a first Mille Miglia with its original body then, in 1953 (?) rebodied in a '50s sports car style. I don't remember where this one went, possibly crashed.

[VDP]

1951 with F Bonetto at the wheel .

There was also another project but on basis of the ex-Varzi
car in argentina


Robert

[Patrick Italiano]

There was also another project but on basis of the ex-Varzi car in argentina

Nope! Nothing like that ever in the MM. The rumoured sports car built from the 12C ex-Varzi was just a rebodied 6C2500 with no part from the 12C in.

[VDP]

Totally out of the subject I wonder why Alfa romeo entered theirs under the swiss
importer banner after WW2 ? (according to Luigi Cimarosoti)


Robert

[Patrick Italiano]

After having checked my sources, Daetwyler actually bought 412152 directly at Alfa in may 1949 and ran it first in unsupercharged form, then fitted a blower and two Weber carbs.

The other known 412, 412151 ran the 1950 Targa Florio and Mille Miglia with its original body and then the 1951 Mille Miglia with a more modern, quite Ferrari-looking body by Vignale driven by Bonetto. The car disappeared in the late 50s.

I assume that the 158 and 159 Alfettas were entered under the importer name because all the 1950 - 1951 effort was supported by the Alfa Romeo Dealers network.

[Patrick Italiano]

Originally posted by Patrick Italiano


Nope! Nothing like that ever in the MM. The rumoured sports car built from the 12C ex-Varzi was just a rebodied 6C2500 with no part from the 12C in.

Since this thread has been referred to in reference with the Alfa 412 question, I have to correct one of my own statements. I had written this according to informations provided by Argentinian Alfisti I had trusted, but this proved wrong. While a 6C2500 VIN number had been given to me, actually the Bucci Sports 12C was well based on the ex-Varzi 12C, as reported in a period "Sports Car World" article.

But this car is not related to the 412, while being a 4.5 litre, 12C, sports car.

[dretceterini]

yes, there is/was a car with a 6c2500 chassis and a 12c motor that has/had a Ferrari like barchetta body...but it has nothing to do with the Tipo 412 sports.

By the way, Cimarosti refers to the 12c37 GP car as Tipo 412!!