These vintage Alfas had left from Missoula, to Glacier Park, to Chico, then to Jackson Hole, Wyoming and finished in Big Sky. Car were from all over the country and sponsor Lexus even had their Lexus Street Rod travelling with them. There were 13 cars in the tour - 1931 to 1934 vintage. Most were "Italian Red" but the white one was thought to be Tasio Nuvolari's personal car.

Background of Alfa 8Cs

Only 133 8Cs (8 cylinder - twin overhead cam) were built in the early 1930s. Vittorio Jano of Alfa was the engineer behind these and the other Alfa sports cars of the era leading up to WWII. The Alfas 8C2300 first appeared in 1931. These early cars were used by their owners for pleasure, light touring or competition. The basic engine is 142 hp at 5,000 rpm - later versions were 180 hp. Engines used a Alfa built 2 lobe supercharger. The cars were extremely precise and as a practical demonstration of stability were driven at over 160km per hour on a straight road without the driver's hand touching the wheel. The 8Cs were produced in the Monza, LeMans and Mille Miglia versions. The great drivers of the era, Ascari, Camari, Nuvolari to Varzi took these cars to victories on road circuit throughout the world.

Footnote: data quoted above taken from "Viva Alfa" by David Owen & Alfa Pocket History by Gonzalo Alvarez Garcia.

The photos were taken at Chico Hot Springs in Paradise Valley are of Montana, September 19, 1999 by Doug Jenkins.