MPC#025 - Solved - Alfa Romeo 412 4500 Daetwyler

[Iluvatar]

Not 412, 12C/316 I believe. But the story of the cars is both vague and intriguing...So I'm curious to hear where you have your info from.

Why not a 412??

[Ecnelis]

Are you trying to say it's Tipo 412?

This looks like it - 1939 Alfa Romeo 412 Biposto...

[mekubb]

Not 412, 12C/316 I believe. But the story of the cars is both vague and intriguing...So I'm curious to hear where you have your info from.

Why not a 412??

Because I haven't be able to find a 412 that resembles your puzzle car, so that's why I'm not sure. But as I said earlier, the history of the 12C cars is not quite clear. Just look at the story of the 12C37 from Argentinian driver Bucci, there are 2 cars, one in Holland and one in the UK (I believe). I spoke to the Dutch owner recently and it is worth a feature on Autopuzzles... may be I will do that someday !

So to solve your puzzle, is it a 12C/412 ?

[Iluvatar]

What should I do now?? the car is indeed the Schlumpf's 412 posted by Ecnelis... but who deserves the point? mekubb or Ecnelis??
I see you are both online now... so... let's see who is the first to tell me the driver and owner of the car in the puzzle picture... it's easy!

LOCKED for Ecnelis and mekubb!!

[Ecnelis]

Willie Daetwyler?

[Iluvatar]

Willie Daetwyler?

Yes! One point for you!

[Iluvatar]

The car was succesfully raced by Daetwyler in the 1953 season, in both GP and Sport version (with or without the fenders).
Three scans of period magazines...

[Iluvatar]

...and a modern pic from Mulhouse...

[Iluvatar]

On AlfaBB the car is identified as chassis 412038, but I have found this picture where is claimed to be 412152...

[nicanary]

Thank goodness this has been solved! It was pretty obvious the car was not a single-seater - there's enough room in there to hold a cocktail party. Simon Moore the respected Alfa historian also thought it was 412038 renumbered, but changed his mind in a later edition of his history. The car was raced and hillclimbed by Willy-Peter Daetwyler until 1952, when it was rebuilt with the more modern style of body by (reputedly) Michelotti - the idea was to have detachable wings so that he could enter single-seat races and also sports car events.

The puzzle photo was taken 19 July 1953 at the Susa-Moncenisio hillclimb, which he won outright. The "Schlumpf" museum, or whatever it's called now, have the colour scheme all wrong - Daetwyler always painted his cars in the Swiss national colours.

[nicanary]

This photo shows the car prior to the rebody, with the original Touring design, and again in Swiss colours.

[ropat53]

Is this the same car, it doesn't seem to have any sign of holes to attach wings?

[nicanary]

Is this the same car, it doesn't seem to have any sign of holes to attach wings?

It looks like the same car. I must admit I have no idea how the wings were attached, but the information came from a thread specific to this car, in a well-known specialist website.

[mekubb]

Passing through the fields. What car is this, who designed it, who is driving and what is the event. All this for 'just' one point !

[mekubb]

Too difficult for Experts... Pros ?

[nicanary]

It's Willy-Peter Daetwyler's Alfa Romeo 412, which he had rebodied so that it could race as a single-seater or a sports car. The design is reputed to be by Michelotti.

I'm looking for the event, but meanwhile I'm afraid it's a repost
www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=26102.25

[mekubb]

Yes seems to be a repost looking at your link, no idea why it didn't pop up when I checked it before posting it. It's indeed Daetwyler's Alfa Romeo 412 by Michelotti, locked for you to find the event.

[nicanary]

Aosta - Grand St Bernard?

[mekubb]

No, less known...

[nicanary]

I had to join a German-language site to solve this one! I've seen this image before on another site, but it's been removed from the internet, and the puzzle image is now only in one place. My knowledge of German goes back to school in 1969, but I think the hillclimb is Mitholz to Kanderstag.

[mekubb]

I had to join a German-language site to solve this one! I've seen this image before on another site, but it's been removed from the internet, and the puzzle image is now only in one place. My knowledge of German goes back to school in 1969, but I think the hillclimb is Mitholz to Kanderstag.

Always good to do fresh up your language skills  Yes, it's the hillclimb to Kandersteg, point added

[Iluvatar]

http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=26102.0

[Carnut]

Merged.
Maybe you could add the original picture again Iluvatar?

[Iluvatar]

Merged.
Maybe you could add the original picture again Iluvatar?

done!