1932 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Spyder

By the late 1920s, Nicola Romeo had left and Alfa was running short of money because of defense contracts that ceased. Benito Mussolini was in full control of the government at the time and was willing to bail out any company willing to do his bidding. Alfa would take the hand of Mussolini's government and would become an instrument of Mussolini's Italy. Immediately the company was given the task of designing cars for the wealthy. It would be during this period that Alfa Romeo would produce the 6C.

Designed by Vittorio Jano in 1929, the 6C would come with a 1,752 cc 6-cylinder engine capable of producing 85 bhp. The car's design would find it very favorable to drive on both the street and the track. Its excellent handling and reliable engine, along with its attractive body styling, would make the 6C one of the most sought after Alfa Romeo models.

One of those rare and sought after models of the 6C Gran Sports is chassis number 10814402. The one offered at the RM Auction in Monterey in August 2011 was just one of the highly desirable 5th series evolutions. The stylish lines of the car's coachwork were the result of the work of Carrozzeria Zagato of which only a very few were ever to be fitted on an Alfa Romeo chassis.

Its beginnings are shrouded in some mystery. However, the car would be purchased and shipped to the Netherlands. It would remain in the Netherlands until the war's end. After a brief stint in Belgium, the car would be purchased by William McMakin of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During this period of ownership, McMakin would have a 6C 1750 GTC engine put in the car and would remain to this very day.

The car would find its way into the hands of Jackson Brooks, the noted Alfa Romeo collector. After a number of other owners, including Homer Tsakis, the car would end up in the hands of Sultan Karim of Vancouver, British Columbia. The car would be resold again in 2001.

Complete with the inline 6-cylinder engine, its Roots-type supercharger, four-speed manual transmission and mechanical drum brakes, the Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS does show some signs of wear and chipping due to years of use. However, its reliability and exceedingly rare Zagato bodywork more than overcome its blemishes.

As quoted by A. Cherrett in Alfa Romeo 6C, 'Of the fifty-odd 5th Series Gran Sport chassis still recorded, twenty-three had (or still have) two-seater Zagato coachwork—and is without counting the ‘doubtful' and ‘fake' so-called Zagato bodied at present on record. The one presented this year was one of those twenty-three that is genuine and still retains the two-seater Zagato coachwork.

Known as a formidable competitor during its racing days, this 6C would very much be competing for top price. Estimates had the nimble, sprite and fashionable car reaching as high as $850,000-$950,000. At auction, the lot was sold for the sum of $935,000, including buyer's premium.

Sources:
'Featured Lots: Lot No. 241: 1932 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS 5th Series by Zagato', (http://www.rmauctions.com/FeatureCars.cfm?SaleCode=MO11&CarID=r270&fc=0). RM Auctions. http://www.rmauctions.com/FeatureCars.cfm?SaleCode=MO11&CarID=r270&fc=0. Retrieved 16 August 2011.

Wikipedia contributors, 'Alfa Romeo', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 15 August 2011, 20:29 UTC, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alfa_Romeo&oldid=445033719 accessed 17 August 2011

By Jeremy McMullen