Ngeminyaka yawo-1990, iBritish Touring Car Championship yayidlula kwesinye sezigaba zayo ezihamba phambili. Kwakukhona izimoto zazo zonke izinhlobo nezakho konke ukunambitheka: izimoto ngisho namaveni; amaSweden, amaFulentshi, amaJalimane, amaNtaliyane namaJapane; isondo langaphambili nangemuva.
I-BTCC, ngaleso sikhathi, yayingomunye wemiqhudelwano yejubane ebabazekayo emhlabeni futhi u-Alfa Romeo wanquma ukujoyina “iqembu”. Kwakungu-1994, lapho uhlobo lwe-Arese lucela i-Alfa Corse (umnyango wokuncintisana) ukuthi ihlanganise ama-155 amabili okokuqala kule sizini.
I-Alfa Corse ayizange igcine ngokuthobela isicelo kodwa yadlulela phambili, yasebenzisa igebe emithethweni eqinile (ikakhulukazi maqondana ne-aerodynamics) eyayithi kufanele kudayiswe izimoto ezingu-2500 zohlobo olufanayo.
Ngakho-ke i-155 Silverstone, isipesheli se-homologation esinesizotha, kodwa esinamaqhinga athile e-aerodynamic ayimpikiswano. Eyokuqala kube yi-spoiler yayo yangaphambili ebikwazi ukubekwa ezindaweni ezimbili, enye yazo ikwazi ukukhiqiza i-lift engaphezulu.
Eyesibili kwakuwuphiko lwayo olungemuva. Kuvele ukuthi lolu phiko olungemuva lwalunezisekelo ezimbili ezengeziwe (ezabekwa endaweni yemithwalo), oluvumela ukuthi libe sendaweni ephakeme futhi abanikazi bangakwazi ukulifaka ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, uma befisa. Futhi ngesikhathi sokuhlolwa kwangaphambi kwesizini, i-Alfa Corsa yayigcina le “mfihlo” igadwe kahle, ikhipha “ibhomu” ekuqaleni kwesizini kuphela.
Futhi lapho, inzuzo ye-aerodynamic yale 155 ngaphezu komncintiswano - i-BMW 3 Series, i-Ford Mondeo, i-Renault Laguna, phakathi kwabanye… - yayimangalisa. Kuyamangaza ukuthi uGabriele Tarquini, umshayeli wase-Italy u-Alfa Romeo akhethe “ukuthambisa” laba abangu-155, wawina imijaho yokuqala emihlanu yomqhudelwano.
Ngaphambi komjaho wesikhombisa nangemuva kwezikhalo eziningi, inhlangano yomjaho inqume ukuhoxisa amaphuzu i-Alfa Corse esewawinile kuze kube manje yase iyiphoqa ukuthi igijime ngophiko oluncane.
Lingagculisekile ngesinqumo, ithimba lase-Italy lakhalaza futhi ngemva kokubandakanyeka kwe-FIA, lagcina liphinde lathola amaphuzu futhi lavunyelwa ukusebenzisa ukucushwa ngephiko elingemuva elikhudlwana kweminye imijaho embalwa, kuze kube yi-1 July walowo nyaka.
Kodwa ngemva kwalokho, ngesikhathi lapho umncintiswano usuthuthuke ukuthuthukiswa kwe-aerodynamic, i-Tarquini yawina imijaho emibili kuphela kuze kufike umnqamulajuqu oshiwo. Ngemva kwalokho, emijahweni eyisishiyagalolunye elandelayo, wayezonqoba okukodwa futhi.
Kodwa-ke, ukuqala kwesizini okumatasatasa nokuvela okuvamile kwesiteji kuzuze umshayeli wase-Italy isicoco se-BTCC ngalowo nyaka, futhi isibonelo esikulethela sona lapha - i-Alfa Romeo 155 TS eno-chassis no.90080 - kwakuyimoto i-Tarquini agijima ngayo kumaphenathi. uhlanga, e-Silverstone, kakade enophiko "oluvamile".
Lolu phiko lwe-155 TS, obelunomnikazi wangasese kuphela ngemuva kokulungiswa kwalo mqhudelwano, luzodayiswa yiRM Sotheby's ngoJuni, emcimbini oseMilan, e-Italy, kanti ngokusho komdayisi uzodayiswa ngemali ephakathi kuka-300 000 no-300 000. lingama-40 000 Euro.
Mayelana nenjini ephila ngayo le “Alfa”, nakuba iRM Sotheby ingakuqinisekisi lokho, kuyaziwa ukuthi i-Alfa Corse ishaye lawa ma-155 TS ahlome ingu-2.0 litre block enamasilinda amane akhiqiza u-288 hp no-260 Nm.
Inqwaba yezizathu zokuthethelela ama-euro ayizinkulungwane ezimbalwa i-RM Sotheby's ekholelwa ukuthi izowahola, awucabangi?