1953 Alfa Romeo C52 Disco Volante

A spider and a coupe body style were built. Two units were built, one 'normal' and one with 'slim side-panels'. Aerodynamic features were studied with great attention, but this car wasn't ever mass-produced.

The early 1950s was an exciting time for many marques. Some were finding a dominant foothold in motorsports, other found success in exporting their products to other countries like the US, and Alfa Romeo continued to push the limits of design and technology. At the close of the 1951 season, Alfa Romeo retired from racing and switched those racing resources to R&D. Their first example of futuristic design, aided by the legendary coachbuilding firm, Touring, was the C52.

The C52 was lightly based on the 1900, featuring a suspension from their prior cars, with the rest being completely new. The new design rested on a new tubular spaceframe chassis, where prior Alfa's had been given tubular ladder frames. Mounted in the front was a 1900 engine, bored slightly to 3.3 inches and displaced 2 liters. It featured a new aluminum block, the prior units used cast-iron, two twin-choke Weber carburetors, and produced nearly 160 horsepower.

The Touring design was unusual, to say the least. The experimentation tried to limit wind resistance from all angles, be it from the front, rear, or side. The car was given the nickname 'Disco Volante,' meaning flying saucer. The top speed was achieved at around 220 km/h.

In 1953 two similar cars were built, a coupe and a spyder. The Coupe was most like the original spider, while the third example had narrower bodywork better suited for the restrictive demands and tight courses of hill climb competition. Even though they prepared for various types of competition, the cars never raced. The design and technology used in these rolling test beds did find their way into future Alfa Romeos, such as the 6C 3000 CMs and TZs that raced with much success.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2007