INTRODUCTION:

1. A minimum engine capacity of 1000cc and a maximum capacity of 4500cc for cars without
    supercharger.
2. A minimum engine capacity of 666cc and a maximum capacity of 3000cc for cars with supercharger .
3. A minimum weight of 400kg to 850 kg on a sliding scale depending on the engine capacity.
4. Free choice of fuel.
    The weight excluded fuel, engine oil and water.

  666 cc   40.639 cu. in.   400.000 kg     881.840 lbs.
  700 cc   42.714 cu. in.   406.555 kg     896.291 lbs. 
  800 cc   48.816 cu. in.   425.835 kg     938.795 lbs. 
  900 cc   54.918 cu. in.   445.115 kg     981.300 lbs. 
1,000 cc   61.020 cu. in.   464.395 kg   1,023.805 lbs. 
1,100 cc   67.122 cu. in.   483.675 kg   1,066.309 lbs. 
1,200 cc   73.224 cu. in.   502.955 kg   1,108.814 lbs. 
1,300 cc   79.326 cu. in.   522.235 kg   1,151.319 lbs.
1,400 cc   85.428 cu. in.   541.515 kg   1,193.823 lbs. 
1,500 cc   91.530 cu. in.   560.795 kg   1,236.328 lbs. 
1,600 cc   97.632 cu. in.   580.075 kg   1,278.833 lbs. 
1,700 cc  103.724 cu. in.   599.355 kg   1,321.338 lbs. 
1,800 cc  109.836 cu. in.   618.635 kg   1,363.842 lbs. 
1,900 cc  115.938 cu. in.   637.915 kg   1,406.347 lbs. 
2,000 cc  122.040 cu. in.   657.195 kg   1,448.852 lbs. 
2,100 cc  128.142 cu. in.   676.475 kg   1,491.356 lbs. 
2,200 cc  134.244 cu. in.   695.755 kg   1,533.861 lbs. 
2,300 cc  140.346 cu. in.   715.035 kg   1,576.366 lbs. 
2,400 cc  146.448 cu. in.   734.315 kg   1,618.870 lbs. 
2,500 cc  152.550 cu. in.   753.595 kg   1,661.375 lbs. 
2,600 cc  158.652 cu. in.   772.875 kg   1,703.880 lbs. 
2,700 cc  164.754 cu. in.   792.155 kg   1,746.384 lbs. 
2,800 cc  170.856 cu. in.   811.435 kg   1,788.889 lbs. 
2,900 cc  176.958 cu. in.   830.715 kg   1,831.394 lbs. 
3,000 cc  183.060 cu. in.   849.995 kg   1,873.898 lbs. 

1,000 cc   61.020 cu. in.   400.000 kg     881.840 lbs.    
1,100 cc   67.122 cu. in.   412.850 kg     910.169 lbs. 
1,200 cc   73.224 cu. in.   425.700 kg     938.498 lbs.    
1,300 cc   79.326 cu. in.   438.550 kg     966.827 lbs.    
1,400 cc   85.428 cu. in.   451.400 kg     995.156 lbs.      
1,500 cc   91.530 cu. in.   464.250 kg   1,023.485 lbs.    
1,600 cc   97.632 cu. in.   477.100 kg   1,051.814 lbs.      
1,700 cc  103.724 cu. in.   489.950 kg   1,080.143 lbs.    
1,800 cc  109.836 cu. in.   502.800 kg   1,108.472 lbs.       
1,900 cc  115.938 cu. in.   515.650 kg   1,136.801 lbs.    
2,000 cc  122.040 cu. in.   528.500 kg   1,165.131 lbs.      
2,100 cc  128.142 cu. in.   541.350 kg   1,193.460 lbs.      
2,200 cc  134.244 cu. in.   554.200 kg   1,221.789 lbs.       
2,300 cc  140.346 cu. in.   567.050 kg   1,250.118 lbs.       
2,400 cc  146.448 cu. in.   579.900 kg   1,278.447 lbs.       
2,500 cc  152.550 cu. in.   592.750 kg   1,306.776 lbs.      
2,600 cc  158.652 cu. in.   605.600 kg   1,335.105 lbs.       
2,700 cc  164.754 cu. in.   618.450 kg   1,363.434 lbs.      
2,800 cc  170.856 cu. in.   631.300 kg   1,391.763 lbs.      
2,900 cc  176.958 cu. in.   644.150 kg   1,420.093 lbs.     
3,000 cc  183.060 cu. in.   657.000 kg   1,448.422 lbs.      
3,100 cc  189.162 cu. in.   669.850 kg   1,476.751 lbs.     
3,200 cc  195.264 cu. in.   682.700 kg   1,505.080 lbs.      
3,300 cc  201.366 cu. in.   695.550 kg   1,533.409 lbs.    
3,400 cc  207.468 cu. in.   708.400 kg   1,561.738 lbs.     
3,500 cc  213.570 cu. in.   721.250 kg   1,590.067 lbs.    
3,600 cc  219.672 cu. in.   734.100 kg   1,618.396 lbs.      
3,700 cc  225.774 cu. in.   746.950 kg   1,646.725 lbs.    
3,800 cc  231.876 cu. in.   759.800 kg   1,675.055 lbs.    
3,900 cc  237.978 cu. in.   772.650 kg   1,703.384 lbs.      
4,000 cc  244.080 cu. in.   785.500 kg   1,731.713 lbs.      
4,100 cc  250.182 cu. in.   798.350 kg   1,760.042 lbs.      
4,200 cc  256.284 cu. in.   811.200 kg   1,788.371 lbs.     
4,300 cc  262.386 cu. in.   824.050 kg   1,816.700 lbs.      
4,400 cc  268.488 cu. in.   836.900 kg   1,845.029 lbs.     
4,500 cc  274.590 cu. in.   849.750 kg   1,873.358 lbs.     

Table supplied by Don Capps

Mercedes-Benz
After tests with both 4.5 and 3 litre engine variants Mercedes-Benz finally decided to build a 3 litre supercharged V12 engine for the 1938 season. The W 125 chassis was used with only smaller changes but the engine was mounted in at an angle and the driver sat alongside the propeller shaft. That enabled the new W 154 car body to be extremely low. To compensate for the smaller engine the gears were increased to five. Mercedes did much testing with the positioning of the fuel tanks, building two different body shapes. Just in case that the 4.5 litre cars would turn out to be superior, Porsche was assigned to start the construction of a 24 cylinder 4.5 litre engine.
      The team continued with their usual driver lineup consisting of Rudolf Caracciola, Manfred von Brauchitsch and Hermann Lang with Richard Seaman as junior driver. Walter Bäumer replaced Kautz as reserve.

Auto Union
When the season started the Auto Union team was in real confusion. Stuck had been sacked, head designer Porsche had left the team to work on the Volkswagen and Rosemeyer had died in a terrible accident during a world record attempt in January. The new designer Eberan-Eberhorst had constructed a 3 litre supercharged V12 engine for the new formula.
      The team started the season with Rudolf Hasse and Hermann Müller as drivers and Christian Kautz, moving from Mercedes, as junior driver with Ulrich Bigalke and Eward Kluge as reserves. Later in the season the team signed on Tazio Nuvolari and re-employed Hans Stuck.

Alfa Romeo
On 1 January 1938 Scuderia Ferrari was dissolved. Racing was now handled by the Alfa Corse works team based at Milan with Enzo Ferrari as team manager and Spaniard Wilfredo Ricard as head designer. Alfa Romeo built a new car resembling the 1937 12C-37 but with a much improved road-holding. The company built no less than three new 3.0 litre engines for the car, a straight 8 cylinder, a V12 and a V16. That was just too much and the development programs suffered.
      Tazio Nuvolari was to be the leading driver for the team but he resigned after the first race to join Auto Union. Brivio had retired so the Alfa Corse team had Giuseppe Farina, Mario Tadini and Carlo Pintacuda as drivers with Clemente Biondetti, Eugenio Siena, Emilio Villoresi. and Raymond Sommer to jump in occasionally. Halfway through the season Jean-Pierre Wimille also joined the team.

Maserati
In early 1938 the Maserati factory was taken over by the wealthy industrialist Adolfo Orsi and moved to Modena. Adolfo's son Omer Orsi became the new managing director. The Maserati brothers continued in the team on a 10 year contract. The works team made its comeback to GP racing with their new 3 litre 8CTF car. The new car proved to be extremely fast and able to challenge the Germans on equal terms but sadly the car also proved to be very fragile. As drivers functioned Count Trossi, Goffredo Zehender, Luigi Villoresi and Achille Varzi.

Delahaye
The O'Reilly-Schell's Ecurie Bleue functioned as a semi-works team. Delahaye started to develop a new 4.5 litre V12 engine and a new monoplace car, the Type 155. Meanwhile the team continued to use stripped Type 145 sports cars in GP racing. The driver lineup included René Dreyfus and Gianfranco Comotti.
During the season Ecurie Bleue came into a bitter fight with the French automobile club over subventions, the end result being that the team moved its base to Monaco and boycotted the French GP.

Bugatti
During 1937 the team received 400,000 francs from the Fonds de Course committee for further development. Bugatti constructed a supercharged 3 litre variant of their Type 50B engine for GP racing. The engine was put into the old Type 59 chassis and the combination was called Type 59/50B3. Jean-Pierre Wimille continued as works driver.

Talbot
Early in 1938 Tony Lago declared that Talbot should develop a 3 litre V16 engine for GP racing and immediately got a 600,000 francs subvention from the Fonds de Course committee. No V16 engine was ever seen but the team used an enlarged 4.5 litre variant of their 4 litre sports car engine for GP racing. Talbot also started the construction of two new car models, the MC 90 and the MD 90. Meanwhile the 4.5 litre engine was put into a variant of the T150C sports car chassis.

Alfa Romeo
7 August 1938 Alfa Romeo returned to Voiturette racing with their new 8 cylinder Type 158 "Alfettas". The cars were entered by the Alfa Corse works team and raced during the rest of the season by Emilio Villoresi, Clemente Biondetti, Francesco Severi, Raymond Sommer and test driver Attilio Marinoni.

Maserati
After the takeover by Adolfo Orsi, Maserati concentrated on both GP and Voiturette racing. The team entered new variants of their 4CM and 6CM cars with improved suspension and bodywork. As works dirivers the team entered Aldo Marazza, Count Trossi and Giovanni Rocco. Luigi Villoresi raced in the beginning for Scuderia Ambrosiana but later moved to the works team.
      Other top Maserati drivers during the year were Paul Pietsch with his white works/semi-works 6CM and Swiss driver Armand Hug, whose fine season included two victories. British driver Johnnie Wakefield also started the season with a Maserati before changing to ERA.

ERA
During the 1938 season ERA was working on their GP project. The new car took most of the little company's resourses and soon it became clear that ERA never would have a chance to compete with the Germans. So in autumn 1938 the decision was made to finish the GP car as a Voiturette, known as the ERA-E type. For the team's Voiturette racing the GP project proved fatal. There was money only for upgrading one C type car to what was to be called the D type. For works drivers Raymond Mays and Earl Howe the 1938 was a season with little success and much disappointment.
      After the terrible Delage adventure the White Mouse Stable bought an ERA-C for the 1938 season for "B Bira" Other ERA privateers included Arthur Dobson and Reggie Tongue and later also Johnnie Wakefield after having destroyed his Maserati.