Alfa Romeo Monza

Book excerpt: This book tells the remarkable history of an Alfa Romeo Monza and its characterful drivers and owners, some with life stories worthy of a movie script. Built in 1933, ‘221130’ was raced that year by the Hon. Brian Lewis and won its debut at Brooklands and the arduous Mannin Moar race on the Isle of Man. The car continued to be raced until the war by John Cobb (1934) who later was a land speed record holder, Luis Fontes (1935) who was also an aeroplane racer, Anthony Powys-Lybbe (1936–37) and Fay Taylour (1938) who was interned during the Second World War for her Fascist links, at venues as diverse as Vila Real (Portugal) and Phoenix Park (Ireland). Post-war, a succession of notable owners included Peter Hampton, the Hon. Patrick Lindsay and Hubert Fabri, all passionate collectors, to arrive at its status today as one of the more important surviving Monzas, and a car with so much charisma and historic interest that it is a most worthy addition to the acclaimed ‘Great Cars’ series