STORY OF THE DAY: Third Completes an Alfa Touring Sweep

Archimede Rosa and Franco Comotti finished third in the Targa Abruzzo, completed at Pescara on 13 August 1934, with the number 23 Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeo 6C 2300. Teammates Franco Cortese and Francesco Severi won, ahead of Mario Tadini and Nando Barbieri. The three specially bodied 6C 2300s therefore occupied every place on the overall podium after 24 hours of racing.

The number 23’s result formed part of a team performance built on disciplined endurance rather than a single dramatic attack. Rosa and Comotti kept their closed Alfa running through day and night on the rapid Pescara road circuit while stronger-looking rivals fell behind. Their third place sealed a demonstration of preparation, aerodynamic efficiency and reliability for the new six-cylinder model.

The 6C 2300 used a 2,309 cc twin-overhead-camshaft inline-six designed under Vittorio Jano. For Pescara, Touring produced lightweight, streamlined berlinetta-style bodies sometimes known as Aternum, with enclosed accommodation offering better weather protection and reduced drag than an upright touring body. The combination of a flexible engine, light coachwork and endurance equipment was exceptionally well suited to the circuit’s long fast sections.

Archimede Rosa was an Italian driver with extensive experience in major road races and a regular association with Alfa Romeo and Scuderia Ferrari. Franco Comotti, also Italian, was a versatile sports-car and Grand Prix competitor who later raced internationally. Rosa’s endurance experience and Comotti’s speed made them an effective pairing, and their podium completed one of the clearest team successes of the early 6C 2300 programme.