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Alfa Romeo Once Built a Milano to IMSA Rules Just to Win at Home
In 1985 Alfa Romeo celebrated the 75th anniversary of its founding by launching the 75, known on this side of the Atlantic as the Milano. A significant update on the Giulietta that it replaced, the aerodynamic wedge styling, courtesy of Ermanno Cressoni and his team at Alfa’s in-house studio, gave the car a modern, sporting look. The whole car seemed to be on its nose, itching to attack the asphalt, while a plastic trim panel skirting the sides led to a lip spoiler at the rear. Even showroom standard, the Milano/75 looked like it was ready to race.
Under the skin it was also well-prepared for competition, with a 50:50 weight distribution made possible by its rear transaxle transmission, which integrated the clutch and five-speed gearbox with the differential. Suspension was by wishbones with a torsion bar at the front and a de Dion tube at the rear.
In the U.S. it came with 2.5 and 3.0-liter versions of the famous Busso V-6 (including the rather special 183-hp Milano Verde edition) but Europe got a variety of lighter four-pots which would be more suited to the Milano/75’s inevitable racetrack debut.
Based around the road-going homologation special 1.8i Turbo Evoluzione, Alfa Corse built a Group A racer to take on Italian and World Touring Car Championships. It performed poorly on the world stage even with former F1 jockeys Nicola Larini, Gabriele Tarquini, Alessandro Nannini, Jacques Laffite, and Mario Andretti behind the wheel. In the ITC there was better luck (and less-stiff competition), allowing Gianfranco Brancatelli to win the championship in 1988.
Alfa Corse had its eyes on one specific prize, however. That was the Giro d’Italia automobilistico, a multi-discipline event that mixed road rallying and circuit racing. There were asphalt stages that featured in national and international rallies where driver and navigator raced against the clock, and races at Monza, Misano, Varano and Vallelunga where they would go wheel-to-wheel with rivals.
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For the 1988 edition, the organizers opened up the rules to encourage a more international entry list. This meant that alongside Group N and Group A machines, those built to the American IMSA Endurance rules would also be allowed.
Alfa Corse spied an opportunity. IMSA cars could be built lighter, wider, with more sophisticated aero and more power.
With just two months to go before the event, Giorgio Pianta and the engineers at Alfa Corse set to work. Taking a Group A 75 as a starting point, they widened the track, added larger wheelarches in lightweight plastic and fitted a carbon fiber rear spoiler. The engine benefitted from more boost from its Garret turbocharger, resulting in an estimated 335 hp for the 1988 Giro, and it was developed further to 400 for the following year.
Three cars were entered in 1988, each with a pairing of rally driver and navigator and circuit specialist. Ricardo Patrese joined forces with two-time WRC champ Miki Biasion and Tiziano Siviero; Nicola Larini was teamed with Dario Cerrato and Giusseppe Cerri (three-time winners of the Sanremo rally); and Alessandro Nannini partnered with Yves Loubet and Jean-Marc Andrié. A one-two-three finish was secured.
In 1989 it was another podium lockout, this time with Giorgio Francia/Cerrato/Cerri taking the win, followed by Larini/ Biasion/Siviero and Frederico D’Amore/Gabriele Noberasco/ Daniele Cianci.
Unfortunately for Alfa Romeo it was the last running of the Giro, but the cars were retired with an unblemished record. Without, of course, ever actually competing for the U.S. championship whose regulations they were actually built for.
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That is a very cool Milano. I bet the boost on the race car was so sudden.