Alfa Romeo · 1936–1937
Alfa Romeo 12C
The Alfa Romeo 12C or Tipo C was a 12-cylinder Grand Prix car. The 12C-36 made its debut in Tripoli Grand Prix 1936, and the 12C-37 in Coppa Acerbo 1937. The 12C-36 was a Tipo C fitted with the new V12 instead of the 3.8 litre straight-eight of the 8C-35. The 12C-37 was a new car, with a lower chassis and an engine bored and stroked to 4475 cc, now with roller- instead of plain bearings and two smaller superchargers instead of a single large one. The car suffered poor handling, which could not be cured in time for the 1937 Italian GP, and thus was not successful. This is given as the reason for Vittorio Jano's resignation from Alfa Romeo at the end of 1937. The 12C-36 used the existing six Tipo C chassis. Four examples of the 12C-37 were built, although only two were actually assembled for the 1937 Coppa Acerbo and Italian GP. Early in 1938, the Tipo C (8C-35, 12C-36) chassis were modified into 308s, with the straight-eight engine fitted lower in the chassis and a completely new body. The four 12C-37 chassis were instead assembled into 312 (V12 downsized to 3-litre) and 316 (V16 obtained from two 158 engines fitted to a common crankcase) formula race cars.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
All Alfa Romeo 12C data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →
Specifications
- name
- Alfa Romeo 12C
- Manufacturer
- Alfa Romeo
- Production
- 1936-1937
- Predecessor
- Alfa Romeo 8C-35
- Successor
- Alfa Romeo Tipo 308, Alfa Romeo Tipo 312, Alfa Romeo Tipo 316
- Layout
- FR layout
- Class
- Grand Prix 750 kg
- Engine
- Roots supercharged 4.1 L 4064 cc 60° V12, 370 bhp at 5800 rpm (12C-36), Roots supercharged 4.5 L 4495 cc 60° V12, 430 bhp at 5800 rpm (12C-37)
- Transmission
- 4-speed manual transmission
- Kerb weight
- 818 kg (1804 lb) (12C-36), 808 kg (1782 lb) (12C-37)
- Designer
- Vittorio Jano
Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.
More photos
Sources
- Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2306794CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa_Romeo_12CCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1371833031 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alfa_Romeo_12C_36_Tipo_C_noBG_1.jpgCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: User:Arnaud_25 / Freisteller, Bildbearbeitung & Retusche von Auge=mit · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.