Alfa Romeo at Science Museum

17 cars on show for the next 5 months

By PH Staff / Friday, 30 November 2001 / Loading comments

1996 Nuvola Concept

Looking for something to do on a wet weekend? Crusty old museums may not always sound exciting but with London's Science museum hosting an exhibition of Alfa Romeos it could be time to take the sprogs on an educational day out.

Opening on Saturday the new exhibition is called: Sustaining Beauty – 90 years of art in engineering. This exhibition, celebrating the style, spirit, performance and achievements which lie at the sporting heart (cuore sportivo) of the Italian marque, runs until 30 April 2002.

The exhibition features a good selection of classic cars valued at more than £5m, original designs, period advertising, technical blueprints and engine cutaways. The exhibition shows how car design and styling has evolved from the first decades of the 20th century right up to the present day. It traces the dramatic advances in technology and the improvements in engineering, safety and performance.

Seventeen of Alfa Romeo’s most famous and prestigious cars are being shipped from the Alfa Romeo Museum at Arese, near Milan, to take centre stage. They include:

the legendary 6C 1750 Gran Sport, in which Tazio Nuvolari won the 1930 Mille Miglia
the 1931 8C 2300 Monza, victorious on race tracks the world over
the elegant and sophisticated 1930s Berlinetta 8C 2900 B
the 159 Gran Premio in which Manuel Fangio won the 1951 Formula 1 World Championship title
the 1950 Bertone-designed 1900 Sprint, a flagship for Italian design
the 1952 Disco Volante (flying saucer) – one of only two ever built – celebrated as one of the most visionary car designs of all time
the Duetto Spider
the 33 Stradale
the 33 TT 12, winner of the 1975 World Championship
the Alfa 156 in which Fabrizio Giovanardi won the European Touring Car Championship in 2001

Also, an Alfa 159 F1 chassis will take centre stage, suspended from the ceiling of the Science Museum’s East Hall.