Alfa Romeo has confirmed it will send Hans Stuck’s 1977 Watkins Glen Alfa Romeo-powered Brabham BT45 to Florida as the centerpiece of the “Cars of Hans Stuck” class for the 21st annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, to be held March 11-13 on the fairways of The Golf Club of Amelia Island at The Ritz-Carlton.
This is the car that the second-generation German racer put on the front row for the 1977 United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, and gave the 100,000-plus fans a wonderful show of extraordinary car control in soaking conditions.
Stuck’s lap time at The Glen that day was bested only by reigning F1 World Champion James Hunt. When the green flag fell, Stuck guided the brilliant red machine craftily through the fog and mist to lead the first 14 laps, conducting a wet-weather master class for a field that included six drivers who would wear the World Champion’s crown. A broken clutch cable eventually took him out of the race.
“I was at Watkins Glen in 1977,” said Bill Warner, founder and Chairman of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, “and have great memories of Stuck’s Brabham and the great sound of that 12-cylinder Alfa Romeo engine. “We’re honored that Alfa Romeo has sent this car from their fabulous museum in Arese, Italy, to honor Hans Stuck.”
For more information about the 2016 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, please visit www.ameliaconcours.org
