Since the early days of Grand Prix racing many attempts were made to enter the Formula One and pre-war Grand Prix era. The period 1885 – 2022 contains over 650 Unraced projects. Every now and then new projects appear on the surface. To share with you all the stories i decided to summarize the stories per year. Don’t you worry, all the stories will be researched and eventually published. This is the summarized overview of the 1953 season.
Alfa Romeo 159 dragster / back seater
The prototype car for the Alfa Romeo 160. The Italian constructor adapted an Alfa Romeo 159 to the concept idea of placing the seating position of the driver behind the differential. Like a dragster. The car was fitted with a flat V12 2.5l engine. Alfa Romeo test driver Consalvo Sanesi tested the back seater back in 1952 and 1953 at Monza. Sadly, there ain’t much info available about this car because this all happened in secrecy.
EMW Monoposto
The early 1950s was a mix of different cars, as the was ended in 1945 and most of the European countries were rebuilding their countries there was more or less a shortage of everything. While they kept racing with pre-war Grand Prix cars a new era was to come. An era with Formula 2 regulations. It would be cheaper and easier to drive. New regulations would follower in mid 1950s. In 1953 the EMW Monoposto appeared on the paddock during the last official Formula 2 race at Bernau. The good old BMW 318 engine powered the monoposto.
Edgar Barth was the lucky one that was to race with the car. Already during the free practice the car showed some problems. Eventually the suspension would collapse. It was the end of the adventure. Well almost, in 1954 the car was seen on the circuits again. Though, still in the old F2 configuration it was not classified what so ever. Some side info the EMW was more likely the BMW company behind the iron curtain.
Gvb F2
There was another German driver ready to enter the Formula 2 season in 1953. Formula 3 driver Bobby Kohlrausch had several plans for his car. The plan was to convert his Formula 3 to a Formula 2 car and supercharge his small 500cc engine. Sadly, Bobbly died due a heart attack. The GvB F2 didn’t materialise.
MSM-Lancia
Another German attempt. MSM standing for “Mauritz von Strachwitz München” (a baron) was a German F2 car. Mauritz constructed the car despite knowing the Formula 2 would not continue after 1953.The MSM was powered by a slightly changed Lancia Aurelia V6 engine. While the chassis was constructed by Rupflin. Mauritz was not permitted to race at Avus and to race the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. Due to a road accident earlier in the year, he lost his driver and race license. The however was seen during the pre-practice session at the Nürburgring.
The Famost
This is a project I have no further information on than this. The famost seemed to be an East-German attempt to construct a Formula 2 or a proper Formula 1 car. It seems the project was somehow backed by Moscow. It is said that the car was based on the Auto Union Type D while it was fitted with an unknown V12 1,5L engine.
