At the historic Villa del Grumello and Villa Sucota, overlooking the magnificent scenery of Lake Como, the new edition of “FuoriConcorso” – an event that annually attracts thousands of collectors, experts and car enthusiasts from all over the world – has just come to an end.
Since 2019, FuoriConcorso has been paying homage to speed, craftsmanship, beauty and culture in the automotive world. This year's specific theme, summed up in the acronym “BRG” (‘British Racing Green’), refers to the official color of UK car manufacturers with racing teams that dominated Formula 1 in the 1950s and 1960s. Great emphasis will therefore be given to the concept of speed and sporting performance, with a wide-ranging display of classic and contemporary cars, including fifteen Formula 1 single-seaters, lined up on an ideal starting grid on the lakeside.
One standout is the 1977 Brabham Alfa Romeo BT45B, the first Formula 1 single-seater officially equipped with an Alfa Romeo engine. Considered one of the most beautiful cars ever designed and featuring the bright red Martini Racing livery, it was the result of collaboration between three of the major personalities in the Formula 1 ‘circus’: the South African designer Gordon Murray (cars to whose design won 5 world titles); the Italian engineer Carlo Chiti, ‘patron’ of Autodelta, the Alfa Romeo racing team; and the British businessman Bernie Ecclestone, then owner of the Brabham team who went on to become chief executive of Formula 1 in its entirety, worldwide.
In the mid-1970s, the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 TT12 trounced the competition in the World Championship for Makes and drew Brabham's attention to its 3.0-cc 12-cylinder flat V 180° engine. Thanks to the skills of Murray and Chiti, the union was nearly complete, bringing about the Brabham Alfa Romeo BT45 (1976), that was evolved in “45B” the year after, whereby the Biscione brand returned to Formula 1. The car made its debut in 1976 with Carlos Reutemann and Carlos Pace, with an engine that delivered 500 horsepower at 11,500 rpm; it showed its mettle immediately in outstanding placings. In 1977 with the Brazilian Carlos Pace and the Brit John Watson at the wheel, the Brabham improves its performance, but the life of Pace comes to a sudden end in a plane crash. The German Hans-Joachim Stuck – son of the former great driver Hans – tooks the wheel and obtaines two podiums.
The one-off model on show at FuoriConcorso, with a small Brazilian flag in one corner of the rear spoiler in honor of Carlos Pace, forms part of the classic car collection owned by Stellantis. Usually on display at the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese, enthusiasts can now see it thanks to Heritage, the entity that aims to protect and leverage the historical heritage and values embodied by the classic cars from the Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Lancia brands.
