Driving the Alfa Romeo Twin-Cam
The 1750 GTAm might not have been the fastest car up the Goodwood hill, but few others looked or sounded as good
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is a terrible place to get to know a car. A short blast up a narrow driveway, one where thousands of eyes are on you and will all know your name for the wrong reasons if you crash, is never going to give you a proper impression of a car. But if you admit that handling, balance and grip are never going to be understood, you can focus entirely on the engine and drivetrain.
Perfect when you’ ve got an Alfa Twin Cam to exercise. Not just any Bialbero, though, a 1750 GT Am’ s 1985cc twin-spark on sliding throttle bodies.
A team of busy Italian mechanics help me start the engine with a series of fuel and ignition switches before simply turning the key. I am then guided out of the paddock to the start line. In true race car fashion, lots more revs are needed to get the car moving than initially seems sensible, but the sliding throttles, only designed to really work when fully open, aren’ t conducive to easy slow-speed manoeuvring. It’ s as if the whole car just doesn’ t want to move, not unless it has an open track ahead of it.
After what seems like hours of crawling around the Goodwood estate, forcing the Alfa to do what it hates, I get to the front of the queue and have the tree-lined opening straight ahead of me. Empty.
I make a conservative start. I don’ t want to break any historic parts or cook a clutch. Once rolling I open up the sliding throttle to its optimum position. Wide open.
It’ s normally all induction noise with this Twin-Cam. And I can certainly still hear the engine up front, the bark from the throttle bodies is hard-edged, metallic and angry. I’ ve been a passenger in a few other Twin-Cam Alfas and I know that they all make a similar noise, just not as intense as this engine. But as part of the GTAm orchestra, I’ ve got a blaring side pipe shouting its tune. It’ s not as musical as the intake, in fact, it really is just loud. But while I am enjoying the intake noise, I am fairly sure it’ s the exhaust that’ s raising my heart rate.
The surround sound made by the open throttles and the stubby side pipe crescendos before I come off the pedal and dip the clutch. There’ s a pause as I gently wiggle in another gear and start the madness again. I don’ t rev it too highly – 7000rpm because I don’ t want to break it – but it’ s intimidating and exciting every time the inlet and exhaust fight for attention.
This car has been faster, been driven better, been made to move with greater agility by more talented drivers than me. I am convinced of it. I am also sure that everyone who’ s been behind its wheel will remember the noise from this angry Twin-Cam long after they’ ve shut it off. The ringing in their ears was worth it.
32 The Engine Rebuilder Issue 01