The Alfa Romeo 8C was an Italian sports car of the early 1930s. The Alfa Romeo 8C was powered by a 2300 cc in-line eight-cylinder engine providing between 140 and 175 hp, varying with model, and a top speed of 170 kmh. The Alfa Romeo 8C was a successful racing car during the 1930s, winning Grand Prix races and the Le Mans 24 hour race. Research Alfa Romeo 8C
Delage were a make of successful French cars, including Grand Prix cars made between 1905 and 1953. In 1908 Delage driving his own make of car won the 500 km Dieppe Grand Prix clocking an average speed of 50 mph, and in 1911 the X type designed by Michelat won the Coupe de l'Auto at Boulogne. Research Delage
Lotus was a motorcar company founded in 1952 by Colin Chapman, who built his first racing car in 1948, and also developed high-powered production saloon and innovative sports cars, such as the Lotus-Cortina and Lotus Elan. Lotus has been one of the leading Grand Prix manufacturers since they entered Formula One 1960. Jim Clark, twice world champion, had all his Grand Prix wins in a Lotus. The last Lotus world champion was Mario Andretti in 1978. After Colin Chapman's death, the company won some Grand Prix with Ayrton Senna. Without Chapman's innovative direction, the team never regained its momentum, and after a series of management changes the directors Peter Collins and Peter Wright made heroic efforts to keep the team going until the end of the 1994 season, when underfunding and debts forced it into administratorship. David Hunt, brother of James Hunt, bought the company from the administrator and tried, unsuccessfully, to find sponsors to enable Lotus to continue and develop a new race car. In January 1995 a world famous name in motor racing ceased to exist. Research Lotus
Barry Sheene was an English motorcycle racer. He was born in 1950 at London and died in 2003 of throatcancer. He was 500cc world champion in 1976 and 1977, riding for Suzuki, though he was perhaps best loved for his natural good looks, charm and survivability, enduring horrendous crashes during his career. In 1978 he was awarded the MBE . After suffering a terrible crash in 1982 (he smashed into a bike lying across the Silverstone track during a British Grand Prix practice) in which both his legs were rebuilt with metal pins and plates, he retired from motorcycle racing in 1984 and moved to Australia where he became a televisionstar - though he returned to win the Jester International Classic race on a Molnar FWDManx at Donnington park, England in July 2001. Research Barry Sheene
Fausto Coppi (the 'Championissimo') was an Italian road-race cyclist. He was born in 1919 and died in 1960. He was the first person to win both the Tour de France and the Giro D'Italia in the same year. During his career he won the Giro D'Italia five times, the Tour of Lombardy five times, Milan-San Remo three times, the Grand Prix Des Nations twice and the Tour de France twice. Research Fausto Coppi
Georges Bizet (real name Alexandre Cesar Leopold Bizet) was a French composer. He was born in 1838 near Paris and died in 1875. He studied with brilliant success at the Paris Conservatoire, and gained the Grand Prix de Rome in 1857. He had several operas put on the stage, with indifferent success, but his chief work, Carmen, brought out shortly before his death was vety successful. Research Georges Bizet
Paul Jacques Aime Baudry was a French painter. He was born in 1828 and died in 1886. He took the grand prix de Rome in 1850, and exhibited many important works, of which the better known are his Charlotte Corday and La Perle et la Vague. The decoration of the foyer of the New Opera House at Paris was entrusted to him - an enormous work, occupying a total surface of 500 square metres, but admirably accomplished by him in eight years. Research Paul Baudry
Samuel Barber was an American composer. He was born in 1910 at West Chester and died in 1981. He trained at the Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia. One of the best-known American composers of the neo-romantic school, he received the Prix de Rome in 1935, Pulitzer Travelling Scholarships in music in 1935 and 1936, a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1945, and the Pulitzer Prize for music in 1958 and 1963. Among his compositions for orchestra are the overture to The School for Scandal written in 1933, Adagio for Strings written in 1936, and two symphonies written in 1936 and 1944; concertos for violin written in 1940, cello written in 1945, and piano written in 1962; and the ballets Medea written in 1946. He also composed works for chorus, chamber ensemble, and piano, and he is noted for his songs. His first opera, Vanessa written in 1958, has been recorded. His second opera, Anthony and Cleopatra written in 1966, was commissioned for the opening performance at the new Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. Research Samuel Barber
Stirling Moss is an English motor-racing driver. He was born in 1925. He was especially successful in the 1950s, winning various Grands Prix and other competitions, though the world championship always eluded him. Research Stirling Moss
The AVUS Race Track was a German motor racing track used to host the 1926 and 1959 German Grand Prix. It was opened in September 1921, and fell into disuse in 1967. Research AVUS Race Track
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Research Alfa Romeo 8C
