1947 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Cabriolet

Estimate:

£180,000-£225,000

110 hp, 2,443 cc dual overhead cam inline six-cylinder engine, four-speed manual synchromesh gearbox, independent front suspension with coil springs, independent rear suspension with swing axles and torsion bars, four-wheel drum brakes. Wheelbase: 106"

Without question, the 6C 2500 range of Alfa Romeos built from 1947 to 1952 marked the last generation of truly great Alfa Romeos. During World War II, the Allies bombed the firm’s Portello factory (a suburb of Milan), because it was producing weapons. Following the War, this prompted Alfa Romeo to change course and start building cars for the masses rather than continuing to build coachbuilt automobiles for the elite. Bombing raids of 14 February, 13 August, and 20 October, 1944 reduced Alfa Romeo to a mass of rubble; the October raid finally destroyed the Portello factory. During June and July of 1945, production would be re-activated, but only two chassis would be produced by the end of the calendar year. By 1947, when the 6C 2500 series of cars were introduced, Alfa had dug itself out of the damage and once again began civilian car production. The dual overhead cam six-cylinder engine was essentially an evolution of the pre-war 6C 2500, which was built in Turismo (five-passenger sedan), Sport and Super Sport versions from 1939-1943.

The newly-styled post-war series was referred to as the Freccia d’Oro, meaning Golden Arrow. The Golden Arrow name would be borrowed from the all-Pullman London to Paris train of the Southern Railway symbolising both speed and luxury. An elaborate brochure was created to promote the new products which featured a five-passenger berlina sedan, two-seater coupé and cabriolet, and four-seat convertible. These would be the last Alfas built with separate frame and body and the marque’s final coachbuilt automobiles. Bodies were supplied by Touring, Pinin Farina, Stabilimenti Farina, Boneschi and Ghia. Exterior styling was a combination of curves with fine details, including pop-out door handles so as not to disturb the smooth aerodynamic styling. Gone was the semi-rectangular grille of previous Alfas which had served on a series of different models for an entire decade. In its place was a long narrow triangle sweeping down from a narrow top with rounded corners to a point at the bottom and a series of crossbars protecting the radiator proper. Production was quite limited throughout the model run: 486 cars in 1947, 451 in 1948, 414 in 1949, and approximately 100 from 1950-1952.

This was also the first appearance of the shape which would become known as the Villa d’Este. It was applied to a coupé variation on the Super Sport theme by Touring of Milan. Much like today, the prestigious Villa d’Este Concours was held on the shores of Lake Como in northern Italy. Unlike today, however, where individuals show their perfect cars on manicured lawns, those concours were held to showcase the works of designers of the carrozzerie where new styling ideas for production and prototype cars would be highlighted to the buying public. Alfa Romeo would often be the recipient of awards, with 1949 perhaps being the year in which the firm received its most important accolades. The special 6C 2500 by Touring won both the Coppa d’Oro (selected by jury) and the Gran Premio Referendum (selected by the public) that year.

Typical of contemporary Alfa Romeos, front suspension is by parallel-trailing-arms as previously used on Alfa and Auto Union Grand Prix cars and later to be used on the Volkswagen Type 1 Beetle, Porsche 356 and various Aston Martins. The independent rear suspension is by swing axles with longitudinal torsion bars. Shocks are of the tubular-hydraulic type all around, along with drum brakes at all four wheels. A channel section X-frame chassis holds everything together while a four-speed synchromesh transmission is operated via a steering column-mounted shift lever in line with the fashion of the day. All would feature right-hand drive.

Under the hood resides an inline six-cylinder engine including a cast iron block and crankshaft carried by seven main bearings. A cast aluminium cylinder head supports two camshafts operating two valves per cylinder: one inlet and one exhaust. Combustion chambers are hemispherical. The cams are chain-driven from the front of the crankshaft to a sprocket just below the camshafts which in turn rotated the shafts via spur gears. The engine breathes courtesy of three sidedraft Weber carburettors with the engine producing 110 hp at 4,800 rpm and leading to a top speed of 171 km/h.

It could be argued that 6C 2500 was the automobile that helped generate much of America’s post-war enthusiasm for Italian cars. These were milestone automobiles and, in fact, the genesis of post-war automotive design. Enthusiasts saw them pictured in early issues of Road & Track and Speed Age, as well as The Autocar and The Motor from England. These beautiful cars were considered the very essence of clean styling and refinement so atypical of American cars of the era. And, one look under the bonnet revealed such exotic items as triple carburettors and twin overhead camshafts – the latter of which was reserved for Indy cars or dirt-track cars built by Frank Kurtis and the earlier Duesenberg – things considered quite radical in American cars of the time.

The 6C 2500 was a favourite of coachbuilders, and the car presented here wears stunning coachwork from Pinin Farina. Pinin was the nickname of Battista Farina (1893-1966) who began his career at his brother Giovanni’s Carrozzeria Farina. He visited America in the 1920s, learning much about mass production before founding Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930, thirty years before the company and his name would become Pininfarina. He is revered as one of the world’s great masters of elegant shapes and one of the largest influences on post-war styling. This 6C 2500 Convertible is no exception.

It was delivered new on 27 August, 1948 in Genova, Italy. In later years, it was imported to the United States and registered in South Carolina before it returned to Europe in 1999, when it was sold through Raymond Milo to a collector in the south of Holland, where it remained for the next eight years. Upon acquiring the car in 2007, the current owner found the car to be very complete with only the bumpers and original headlights missing. The engine, chassis and body were all intact, and only the floor pans had to be completely replaced, as they were beyond repair. According to the owner, the restoration work was quite straightforward, but states “I was meticulous in ensuring that every nut and bolt was double-checked to ensure accuracy and originality.” The only non-original component on the car today is the gearbox. As the 1947 gearbox does not have synchromesh features in first and second gears, this car has had a 1948 gearbox installed, which makes it much more pleasing to drive.

Having completed just 500 kilometres since its restoration, the car is road registered and was inspected along with receiving final adjustments and refinements in preparation for its new owner. A matching numbers, European specification car, it wears handsome 18-inch chrome plated wire wheels and features a stainless steel exhaust system. It has never been offered for sale at auction previously and comes complete with an extensive file including hundreds of photos documenting its restoration. With its fabulous styling, interesting history, and Pinin Farina coachwork, this Alfa will certainly be welcome at any major concours or automotive event anywhere in the world.