Alfa Romeo 155 Silverstone - RR Touring Car week

[Speedman]

The most significant car of the modern BTCC era? The car that signalled the end of the BTCC, The car that made the BTCC, The car that bent the rules. What ever you call it it is one of the most memorable cars of the Super Touring Era.

In the early 1990s Alfa was having lots of success with its 155 in Europe, in 1993 at the World Cup they entered but were soundly thrashed by Ford and the Mondeo of Radisich so decided to try for a homologation special. The Silverstone, from the show room it was fairly standard with a tiny splitter and rear wing.



But in the boot lurked a selection of rivets and plastic packing pieces that when applies turned it into a bewinged monster that had far more downforce than anything else on the grid, it was kinder to its tyres and romped off into the distance in the hands of Gabriele Tarquini.





From its first season there are a couple of stand out moments, Knockhill, race one, Tim Harvey. Nothing more needs to be said really!





And the final race of the season, starting from the back of the grid Tarquini scythed through the pack, over taking everyone up to 4th I think before riding high on two wheels out of the chicane.



By mid season a lot of the other teams had aero packages and by 1995 Alfa were also rans with Warwick and Simone.


;D

[dbizzle]

May 16, 2011 21:01:43 GMT Speedman said:

Wow, that brings back some memories! I had exactly the same poster signed by the drivers at Brands Hatch. Had it up on my bedroom wall for years.

[horace]

May 16, 2011 21:01:43 GMT Speedman said:

I was at knockhill that day and remember walking the pits and seeing that car in the garage after that shunt. That was the day I realised how important a roll cage is.

[johnnycogs]

May 17, 2011 9:02:00 GMT horace said:

May 16, 2011 21:01:43 GMT Speedman said:

I was at knockhill that day and remember walking the pits and seeing that car in the garage after that shunt. That was the day I realised how important a roll cage is.

Snap! I always hated the 155 silverstone... I was only a young un, but I saw the wings n splitters system as a cheat... I now know they just cleverly exploited a grey area in the rules..... I would love to own one nowadays because although I firmly believe it was the car that killed good ol' touring cars, it's also the legend that formed modern saloon car racing....
An important racer, no matter how you judge it...

[BenzBoy]

Ah, one of my favourite BTCC cars. I remember sitting in Tarquini's car at a car show when I was a young 'un.

[Garry]

The standout thing I remember was that they swept all before them in 1994, but 1995 was a terrible season for Alfa. Wether it was the car, or the lack of Tarquini initially (he came back and replaced Warwick for one round, then Simoni for the latter half of the season), we'll never know but they didn't reach the heights, the best finish was Tarquini's 4th places at Brands Hatch and Snetterton.

[CIH]

You're info is a little off. They ran the specal highwing for the first few races in '94 but were banned and had points dockd after a complaint from Ford and Vauxhall. Alfa pulled out of the Oulton Park meet in protest. Points were reinstated after appeal but the wing remained banned. This is what the wing looked like "deployed"



For the 95 season aero package rules applied to close the loophole and level the field somewhat



Tarquini himself said in '95 the Prodrive-run 155 wasn't so different fom the year before, which shows how quickly things were developing back then.

I reckon the Old Spice sponsorship was jinxed as Nissan had a decent season in 93 but an aweful sesaon in 94 in OS colours lol.

[oddball]

One of my favourite touring cars.

I remember going to the opening race of the year (but can't remember if it was '94 or '95!) at Thruxton. The traffic was at a standstill so I parked on the grass verge down a sideroad about two miles from the circuit and walked. I made it in time for the race - unlike a lot of people who were still sat in their cars on the A303!

[AB car pix]

Yeah, CIH is right was only the first two races they actually ran the splitter in the outward position and the spoiler jacked up. The jacking kit is actually steel and adjustable. I bought the last one Alfa had available a couple of years ago and its currently on my V6....





Recently I've also bought a 155 Cloverleaf 4 (commonly known a Q4). Quite a rare beast with full Delta Integrale Evo running gear. Its got quite a few mods and running 1.2 BAR of boost. Will be getting paintjob and Silverstone spoilers soon too...

[CIH]

Funny that as I had toiuble trying to find images of road going Silverstones with high wings

[whizzman]

Some more interesting information.

The engine was a 16V, non twin spark. Built from the 8V bottom end of the 164 2.0 turbo (more commonly used on the Delta Integrale 8V) and the head of the 155 Q4 (16V Delta Integrale evo 2) with the inlet and exhaust reversed. The engine is tilted way back in the bay and the exhaust headers run right between the engine and the firewall. The front of the car has a large airbox. The production cars of those years had 8V twinspark engines with the inlet on the rear and the exhaust at the front.

The car started out as almost all metal, in 1995 it had lots of parts made from carbon and glass fiber.

[rodharris83]

One of my favourite pics...

[Garry]

Needs more photos.

[EmDee]

I has a 155, thing is I'm being given a company car and as my daily I might have to get rid. Really don't want to, it's a lovely thing.



Fantastic cars, and very reliable. Anyone fancy one?

[loudandproud205]

Left a hell of a bench mark for the 156 to follow on from.

[robinmasters]

The pictures really don't do these justice. The edges are so sharp. Saw one yesterday in a car park, and in a row of moderns it looked like something from another planet.

[duffusdipspinner]

I know this is an old thread, but the car in the 1st photo is mine.
I've owned it since 2001.
Not mentioned is the Silverstone also had an adjustable front splitter just like the 1994 BTCC cars