As the threat of the World Touring Car Championship rose ahead of its planned 1987 debut season, the stakeholders of Formula 1 were hoping to shut it down due to its strong manufacturer support and the ProCar Series was their alternative.
The proposed WTCC was put together by the New Zealand-based Strathmore Group initially, before the FISA installed Brabham team owner and Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone as the leader.
Sponsorship and the travel fund were lost due to both being aligned to Strathmore, so as a result the entry fees were extremely high when Ecclestone took on responsibilities.
Emerging later was the fact Formula 1 associates were worried about the impact of the fast-growing Group A regulations by stealing manufacturers away from the sports’s number one category.
When the WTCC spluttered through its maiden season of expense and controversy, Ecclestone proposed an alternative to Group A.
ProCar was conceived to feed manufacturers into Formula 1 by using the running gear and placing a body similar to the production version on top.
A prototype was developed by Alfa Corse for Ecclestone to showcase what the ProCar entries may appear like.
Based on the brand new 164, the exterior appeared fairly unaltered except for the rear wing mated with front and rear diffusers.
The body was made of carbon fibre, kevlar and nomex, featuring a fixed central section comprising the front doors in addition to the windshield.
Fake rear doors were part of the rear section, which when removed revealed Alfa’s final Formula 1 V10.
Other features included a bespoke aluminium-strengthened chassis designed by Brabham, with assistance from Dallara. A roll cage was bonded to the chassis and the body was suited to fit on the custom underpinnings.
Two examples were supposedly produced by Alfa Corse, with one appearing at the 1988 Italian Grand Prix driven by Riccardo Patrese.
First impressions were good due to the sound and its pace in a straight line, but the lack of downforce hurt its corner speed.
It wasn’t to last as the project was done by 1988 due to a lack of manufacturer interest, though the engine was destined for another stillborn project – Alfa Romeo’s SE 048SP Group C sportscar.