STORY OF THE DAY: Fifth on the Roads of Avellino

Enrico Ziegler drove the number 28 Alfa Romeo 1750 GS TF to fifth place in the event identified as the Principe di Piamonte on 24 July 1932. The race was associated with the demanding road circuit at Avellino in southern Italy, where gradients, bends and summer conditions tested both car and driver. Ziegler’s finish placed the 1.75-litre Alfa among the leading classified entries.

The day’s distinction came from extracting a sound result from a proven design at a time when larger 8C Alfa Romeos were becoming the Scuderia’s principal weapons. Ziegler avoided the mechanical failures and incidents that regularly shaped these road contests, bringing the number 28 home fifth. With no championship at stake, the achievement rested on the result itself and the difficulty of completing the course competitively.

The 6C 1750 Gran Sport Testa Fissa used a supercharged 1.75-litre inline-six with twin overhead camshafts. The fixed-head construction aided rigidity and sealing, while the light chassis and compact body kept the car responsive. Its manageable power delivery, strong brakes and agility were well matched to a southern Italian circuit defined more by changes of direction and elevation than by uninterrupted speed.

Enrico Ziegler was an Italian competitor active in the country’s sports-car and road-racing scene during the early 1930s. Surviving records provide less biographical detail than for the era’s factory stars, but his fifth place establishes him as a capable entrant in a demanding national event. Here, his significance lies in preserving a strong result for the smaller Alfa amid more powerful opposition.