Villoresi's 16-valve Maserati Wins Buenos Aires G.P.

The Buenos Aires Grand Prix, held over a tortuous 3-mile circuit in the city park, was a most interesting race. Last year Villoresi beat Varzi in two out of three of these races, so this time, instead of a Type 308 3-litre Alfa-Romeo, Varzi took out a 4.6-litre V12-engined 308 Alfa-Romeo, besides which he was said to possess a modified single-blower 11/2-litre Maserati. Wimille entered Raph’s 308 Alfa-Romeo; Farina the 3-litre 4-valve-per-cylinder, straight-eight Maserati which Villoresi drove at Indianapolis in 1946, and Ruggeri and Raph 16-valve Maseratis. However, Villoresi still won, by 38 sec., averaging 63.19 m.p.h. and making fastest lap at 69.15 m.p.h., his drive in the 75-mile final lasting 1 hr. 11 m. 46.6 sec. Landi’s 3-litre Alfa-Romeo was second and Fernandez (1 1/2-litre Maserati) third. In the first 45-mile heat Luigi won by 31.6 sec. at 66.45 m.p.h., after Wimille had retired with a defective gearbox on lap one. Varzi in the Alfa finished second, 17 sec. ahead of Puopolo’s 3-litre Maserati. Heat two went to Farina’s Maserati, by 14.3 sec., at 67.03 m.b.h., after a grand duel with Galvez’s 3-litre Alfa-Romeo. Landi was third. Galvez led for seven laps in the final, after which Luigi eased up to win comfortably when Farina experienced difficulties with his brakes.