Gallery Highlight: A Driving Legend’s Custom Car

This 1933 Alfa Romeo, currently on loan to the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, was custom made for Anna Maria Peduzzi, the first woman to drive for renowned Scuderia Ferrari – the most successful racing team in history. Born in Italy in 1912, Peduzzi was a pioneer in the male-dominated sport of motor racing before and after World War II. She competed in more than 50 races between 1933 and 1961, including the famed Mille Miglia (1000 miles), and achieved multiple podium placements throughout her career.

As its formal name indicates, the Scuderia Ferrari 1933 Alfa 6C Gran Sport 1500 ‘Testa Fissa’ Zagato was designed in collaboration with Carrozzeria Zagato – the legendary coachbuilder behind some of the most beloved car models in the world, including the Aston Martin Vanquish and the Porsche Carrera GT.

It has the distinction of being the last Gran Sport chassis produced with a 6C ‘Testa Fissa’ (fixed head) engine, specially prepared for competition in the 1500 cc (1.5 litre) class, and it also features custom competition coachwork designed for Peduzzi and team Ferrari.

As with all race cars of the era, this example offered very little in the way of driver protection; Peduzzi and her counterparts would have worn thin, lightweight fibreglass hardhats, and no seat belts. Furthermore, controlling these very powerful but primitive machines at high velocities with no power-assisted steering or brakes required a significant amount of physical strength, making the overall experience a high-risk, gruelling endurance test.

Plan your visit today to see this unique vehicle – along with other highlights from the history of sport – in person.