Chas
Well-Known Member
This must be one of the oddest racing cars ever built.
The 1935 Monaco Trossi Grand Prix car was built by Augusto Monaco, initially with support from senator Agnelli of Fiat who allowed the use of Fiat's facilities to develop the engine for the new car. However when the engine was tested there were so many problems that Agnelli backed out of the partnership. Monaco then persuaded Alfa Romeo racing driver Count Carlo Trossi to provide the financial resources needed to complet...e the Car.
And what a car. Certainly different from what had been seen around the racetracks before. Firstly it was front wheel drive, in itself unusual, but the big difference was THAT engine.
Having a capacity of 3,982cc.,(243 cu.in.) this beast was a two bank radial 2-stroke.thefront and rear banks were arranged in 8 pairs, with each pair of cyls. sharing a common combustion chamber. The inlet ports were in the rear bank , exhaust ports in the front. The 2 carburettors feeding this beast were in turn fed by 2 superchargers, giving about 10 psi. boost.
The spaceframe chassis featured all independent springing via double wishbones, horizontal coil springs and cockpit adjustable oil dampers and large hydraulic drum brakes, all very advanced for it's time.
The car was tested at Monza reaching speeds of 240 km/h (150 mph), and the car was on the entry list for the 1935 Italian Grand Prix. However, testing revealed that the engine overheated badly which meant it had quite a appetite for spark plugs. The unsurmountable problem though was the extreme understeer caused by the 75/25 balance between front and rear axles. With no complete redesign being feasible the Monaco Trossi sadly never actually competed in a Grand Prix.
After Count Trossi’s death in 1949, the 1935 Monaco Trossi racer was donated by his widow, the Contessa Lisetta, to the Museo dell’Automobile in Turin where it is currently on display.
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![18402947_10154801630659671_2078277548416740263_n[1].jpg](https://www.landcruiserclub.net/community/attachments/18402947_10154801630659671_2078277548416740263_n-1-jpg.126397/ "18402947_10154801630659671_2078277548416740263_n[1].jpg")
The 1935 Monaco Trossi Grand Prix car was built by Augusto Monaco, initially with support from senator Agnelli of Fiat who allowed the use of Fiat's facilities to develop the engine for the new car. However when the engine was tested there were so many problems that Agnelli backed out of the partnership. Monaco then persuaded Alfa Romeo racing driver Count Carlo Trossi to provide the financial resources needed to complet...e the Car.
And what a car. Certainly different from what had been seen around the racetracks before. Firstly it was front wheel drive, in itself unusual, but the big difference was THAT engine.
Having a capacity of 3,982cc.,(243 cu.in.) this beast was a two bank radial 2-stroke.thefront and rear banks were arranged in 8 pairs, with each pair of cyls. sharing a common combustion chamber. The inlet ports were in the rear bank , exhaust ports in the front. The 2 carburettors feeding this beast were in turn fed by 2 superchargers, giving about 10 psi. boost.
The spaceframe chassis featured all independent springing via double wishbones, horizontal coil springs and cockpit adjustable oil dampers and large hydraulic drum brakes, all very advanced for it's time.
The car was tested at Monza reaching speeds of 240 km/h (150 mph), and the car was on the entry list for the 1935 Italian Grand Prix. However, testing revealed that the engine overheated badly which meant it had quite a appetite for spark plugs. The unsurmountable problem though was the extreme understeer caused by the 75/25 balance between front and rear axles. With no complete redesign being feasible the Monaco Trossi sadly never actually competed in a Grand Prix.
After Count Trossi’s death in 1949, the 1935 Monaco Trossi racer was donated by his widow, the Contessa Lisetta, to the Museo dell’Automobile in Turin where it is currently on display.
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