1932 Alfa Romeo Monza, serial number 2111037

In early 1932, the Alfa Romeo factory constructed four cars to be entered in the 1932 Mille Miglia. All four were first registered on April 2, 1932. These were serial numbers 2111033, 2111035, 2111036, and 2111037. All these cars were listed as being spider 2-seater or sport 2-seater bodywork. This car, Alfa Monza 2111037 was issued registration plate MI 23022 (MI for Milano). Interestingly enough, fellow CSRG member, Tom Price, also owns one of these four cars, his Alfa Corto is chassis number 2111033. His registration plate is MI 23005.

The Alfa factory apparently entered three works cars in the 1932 Mille Miglia. These were driven by Nuvolari and Guidotti; Campari and Sozzi, and Borzacchini and Bignami. A fourth car was entered by Caracciola and Bonini with "works assistance." In addition, Scuderia Ferrari entered five 8C 2300 cars and three 6C 1750 Alfas. Alfa Romeos took eleven of the first twelve positions in the race, with the works car of Baconin Borzacchini and Amedeo Bignami winning.

Immediately after the Mille Miglia, Alfa Monza 2111037 was sold to Raffaele Cecchini of Rome. On January 11, 1933, Cecchini sold 2111037 to Pietro Parisi, also of Rome. Parisi competed with the car in the Roma Coppa de Dilettanti in October 1933. Parisi sold 2111037 to Marcello Venturi of Rome on October 5, 1934. Venturi only kept the car for a short time, selling it to Luigi Zeloni of Como on August 3, 1935. The car was then sold to Oreste Teverelli, also of Como, and then to Guido Barsotti of Cernobbio, in the Como province. Barsotti entered the car in the Coppa della Valsassina on May 2, 1937 where he placed second in class. At this time, 2111037 was documented as a Monza. On May 15, 1937, Barsotti competed in the Grand Prix des Frontieres de Chimay in Belgium where he had a serious crash in practice. The crashed car was put away for many years.

Subsequently, Torino based coachbuilder Pettenella heard about a motorbike collector in Rome who had the crashed 2111037 and contacted Fusi and Boninni, who had started to collect cars for the Alfa Museum in Arese.

As Fusi had already located a Monza for the museum collection, Bonnini passed the lead on to Aldo Cesaro. Cesaro purchased and restored the car in 1977. Over the next 20 twenty years, Cesaro competed in many events with 2111037 including the 1989 Mille Miglia Retrospective.

After acquisition by Peter Giddings, Alfa Romeo Monza 2111037 was completely restored by Auto Restorations Ltd. of Christchurch, New Zealand and began a new chapter of vintage racing in America.

Specifications:

• Engine: -- inline eight cylinders, bore 68mm, stroke 88 mm, capacity 2556 cc
  
• compression ratio 6.5 : 1, Alfa Romeo-built Roots-type supercharger
  
• 160 bhp at 5400 rpm
  
• top speed - about 140 mph (225 kph)
  
• weight 900 kg
  
• fuel capacity 130 litres
  
• wheelbase 104 inches, track 54 inches

Monza at Auto Restorations, front angle view.

Monza at AutoRestorations, rear side view.

Monza 2111037 at Auto Restorations, front view.

Peter in the Monza, turn 2 at the Sonoma Historics, May 2015. Photo by Peter Darnall.

Peter in the Monza holds off an ERA. Monterey Motorsports Reunion, August 2015. Photograph by Dennis Gray for Sports Car Digest.

Peter at the 2015 Monterey Motorsports Pre-Reunion. Photo by John Blum.

Peter overtakes a Bugatti Type 35. Monterey Motorsports Reunion, 2015. Photo by John Blum.

Peter qualifies the Monza on the pole for the Pre-War Race Group at the Coronado Speed Festival. Photo by Emily Elizabeth Noon.

In the Monza atThunderhill. Photo by Peter Darnall.

Peter leads Charles McCabe in the Bugatti Type 59 that Peter previously owned. Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival 2017. Photo by Steve Snyder

Peter Giddings' 1932 Alfa Romeo Monza goes inside Steve Walker's 1935 BMW 315/1. Photo by Dennis Gray for Sports Car Digest.

Peter passes the BMW 315/1, Sonoma Historics, 2017. Photo by Peter Darnall.

Sonoma Raceway, 2017, photo by Steve Snyder.

Alfa Monza at Sonoma Raceway, 2017, photo by Steve Snyder.

Peter cornering hard at the 2018 HMSA Spring Club Races. Check the distortion of the right front tire! Photo by Victor Varella for Sports Car Digest.

Peter in the Monza crests the hill at Thunderhill. Photo by Dave Berry.

Peter unloads the Alfa Monza at Thunderhill. Photo by Dave Berry.

Alfa Monza interior, note the accelerator between the brake and clutch pedals. Mike Sims photo.

John Blum drives the Alfa Monza at Sonoma Raceway, April 2019. Photo by Mike Sims.