The superb 2300cc engine is the handiwork of Vittorio Jano, who joined Alfa Romeo from Fiat in 1923. The straight eight-cylinder design uses two identical four-cylinder blocks, with a dry sump oiling system. The two-piece crankshaft rides on ten bearings and has camshaft and supercharger drives located mid-block. It produces 142 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and feeds a four-speed gearbox. There are large finned drum brakes at each corner.