ALFA ROMEO ALFETTA

305ci small block Chev, cast block, Brodix aluminium heads, Lucas Mckay mechanical injection

Alfa Romeo Alfetta two-litre transaxle, Ford Atlas LSD, mechanical oil pump and spray jets, dog-engagement internals

Wishbone front, Alfa Romeo Alfetta Di Dion tube rear, alloy Koni period IndyCar adjustable shocks

AP Racing calipers, 10-inch front and rear discs

13x11-inch and 13x14-inch alloy or magnesium wheels

As per original build

As per original build

Timed at 190mph on original Pukekohe back straight during 1983/’84 season

any long straight. By now, Ian had switched jobs and started working in the racing industry in the US (he travelled home whenever he could to race). It was fellow-Kiwi Jimmy Stone (later of Stone Brothers Racing V8 Supercars fame) who got Ian into the racing industry, with him ending up at the legendary Marc VDS team, owned by wealthy Belgian racing enthusiast Count Rudi van der Straten, whose family had established the Stella Artois brewing company. It was while at Team VDS that Algie gained a wealth of knowledge, which filtered through to the Alfetta. He later moved to Jim Trueman’s Truesport Racing Indycar team.

After its troubled first season, the Alfetta sprouted a deep front-chin spoiler and huge rear wing, which helped hold it to the ground. In addition, the suspension was dialled in and improved, and the car repainted bright red. The rear wing caused further controversy in the Sports Sedans ranks. The rules stated that wings could only be as wide as the vehicle’s roof. Algie’s wing was as wide as the car itself. Eventually, it was narrowed to the legal width. The rear scoops were found to be inefficient, as they were sitting in a dead-air zone. So the radiator was moved into the empty engine bay where cold air entered from the nose and exited out a hole cut in the bonnet. The base of the windscreen was opened up to duct air to the fuel-injection trumpets. The trumpets themselves required a Perspex cover, so that Algie could see where to turn through righthand corners from his back-seat driving position. The rear flares were widened and opened at the back to allow heat to escape.

A flat aluminium sheet was mounted under the car on an angle to aid downforce. In addition, Ian added a Magnahelic gauge to the instrument cluster which was attached to pressure taps mounted in various places beneath the car. This was another trick he’d learned in the US. By clicking through the gauge, he could read the low pressure at the various tap points, and adjust the ride height to suit.

In 1984, Algie imported an exotic Milodon aluminium engine block and Brodix heads. The Milodon offered a significant weight advantage over the old iron Chaparral unit.

After a few years of development, the Alfetta became one of the cars to beat in Sports Sedans racing, which grew stronger throughout the 1980s. Indeed, such was the popularity of these wild cars, they drew the crowds in their droves. They were loud, spectacular, and highly explosive, often literally! The ultimate encounters had South Island OSCA cars venturing north to take on the sports sedans. Although the rules for each group differed slightly, they were similar in performance, and the North–South battles became the most spectacular encounters of the decade.

In 1988, MotorSport New Zealand (MSNZ) finally awarded Sports Sedans racing championship status. That year was also the last season that Ian Algie raced the Alfetta. His commitments in the US made it harder to get down to New Zealand each summer. During its last two seasons, the Alfetta