 |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |
1957 Alfa Romeo 1900 CSS news, pictures, and information | ||
| Tweet | ||
 |  |  | Convertible Coachwork: Ghia |
Alfa Romeo's legendary 1900 was a favorite chassis for coachbuilders of the day to exercise their creativity and develop automotive works of art. Even the famous B.A.T. cars (Berlina Aerodinamica Technica) developed by Alfa Romeo and Bertone were based on the 1900.
One of the coachbuilders using the 1900 was Ghia-Aigle, a Swiss company originally established in Aigle, Switzerland in 1948 as a subsidiary of Carrozzeria Ghia. The strategy was to make heavy use of the Ghia designers and leverage the Ghia name in the marketplace. The company became independent in 1953 and the next year relocated to Lugano, Switzerland. The company continued in operation until 1988.
Some of the greatest names in design worked under the Ghia-Aigle banner for part of their careers: Mario Boano (1948-53), Giovanni Michelotti (1948-1957) and Pietro Frua (1957-1960).
In addition to the beautiful Alfa Romeo 1900 CSS displayed here, the Ghia-Aigle portfolio includes production designs, special editions, or one-offs based on cars such as the Delahaye 135, Austin Healey 100 spider, Fiat 500 spider, Chevrolet Corvette, and numerous others.
 |  |  | Coupe Coachwork: Touring Chassis Num: 10312 Engine Num: AR1308*10335 |
This coupe was sold in Milan on February 26th of 1957. There are few records of its early life, and little is known of its history until the car surfaced decades later in California. Robert Hackman purchased the car at that time and commissioned a complete restoration. Upon completion, the car was shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where it awarded second place in class devoted to Italian custom coachwork. A short period of time later, the car was sold to a Belgian collector. In 2001, Scott Kilon of New York purchased the car and returned it to the United States. Since that time, it has been shown at several events including Le Belle Macchine d'Italia, AACA National Fall Meet in Hershey, the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance, Radnor Hunt Concours, and the New Hope Auto Show.
In 2011, the car was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction in Scottsdale, Az. It was estimated to sell for $150,000 - $180,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $176,000 including buyer's premium.
By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2011
Much of Europe was devastated by bombing and attacks during World War II and factories that had been producing vehicles switched to producing materials and vehicles in support of the war efforts. The war ended in 1947 and by 1950 Alfa Romeo had a new vehicle ready for serious production. It was designed by Dr. Orazio Satta Puliga and was the first Alfa Romeo to use unitary construction. Under the hood was a four-cylinder engine with dual-overhead-camshafts which was a tribute to the companies racing history. The suspension was also sporty with an Independent front suspension with wishbones and coil springs. In the rear was a live rear axle.
This was a very important vehicle for Alfa Romeo as the company struggled to regain its market-presence after the war. The 1900 was produced by Alfa Romeo in a variety of bodystyles with the sedan being the most popular. Though custom coachbodies was not as prevalent after the 1940's, nearly every major Italian Coachbuilder created a coupe or cabriolet version of the vehicle. Part of the popularity was the vehicles sporty characteristics which made it easier for the coachbuilder to design and create attractive bodies.
Touring created three series of Super Sprints on a shortened version of the chassis. As mentioned before, the majority of the vehicles were sedans and only 10% of the vehicles created sat atop a shortened (corto) chassis. It is estimated that Touring created around 965 examples of the corto chassis, each were hand built and created as a special-order purchase. Many of the details were left up to the consumer to cater to their every wish and desire.
The examples created by Pinin Farina were mostly cabriolets. Zagato created 41 examples with most being coupes and two being convertibles. The bodies by Zagato are considered some of the most memorable and exciting of all the custom built Alfa Romeo 1900's.
When the 1900 was first introduced it was powered by a four-cylinder engine that produced an adequate 90 horsepower. A few years later the Ti version was introduced which raised the horsepower to about 100. Throughout the years, horsepower would again be improved and specifications varied.
Production of the 1900 lasted for ten years with more than 21,000 examples produced.
By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2007
This was a very important vehicle for Alfa Romeo as the company struggled to regain its market-presence after the war. The 1900 was produced by Alfa Romeo in a variety of bodystyles with the sedan being the most popular. Though custom coachbodies was not as prevalent after the 1940's, nearly every major Italian Coachbuilder created a coupe or cabriolet version of the vehicle. Part of the popularity was the vehicles sporty characteristics which made it easier for the coachbuilder to design and create attractive bodies.
Touring created three series of Super Sprints on a shortened version of the chassis. As mentioned before, the majority of the vehicles were sedans and only 10% of the vehicles created sat atop a shortened (corto) chassis. It is estimated that Touring created around 965 examples of the corto chassis, each were hand built and created as a special-order purchase. Many of the details were left up to the consumer to cater to their every wish and desire.
The examples created by Pinin Farina were mostly cabriolets. Zagato created 41 examples with most being coupes and two being convertibles. The bodies by Zagato are considered some of the most memorable and exciting of all the custom built Alfa Romeo 1900's.
When the 1900 was first introduced it was powered by a four-cylinder engine that produced an adequate 90 horsepower. A few years later the Ti version was introduced which raised the horsepower to about 100. Throughout the years, horsepower would again be improved and specifications varied.
Production of the 1900 lasted for ten years with more than 21,000 examples produced.
By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2007
The Alfa Romeo 1900 Series was produced from the very early 1900s through 1959. It was designed by Italian designer, Orazio Satta, and became the company's first car built on a production line. This vehicle signaled a radical departure from the type of business Alfa Romeo had constructed in the pre-War era. This shift towards an affordable production automobile was a necessary evolution for the company and a gamble that would prove to be the correct endeavour. In the pre-War era, the company had created expensive and powerful performance machines. Other marque's, such as Delahaye and Talbot Lago, had also be renowned for their performance machines, and had continued to cater only to this type of business in the post-War era. By the close of the 1950's, Alfa Romeo was still in business, while Talbot and Delahaye both were not.
In keeping with Alfa Romeo's tradition, Satta was given the difficult task of creating a vehicle that was affordable and could be mass produced, yet still retain the company's heritage of quality and performance. What was created was a major advancement, as the vehicle was given a unitary construction where the body worked as part of the chassis and housed many of the mechanical components. Prior to this, the body and chassis had been constructed separately, which was a traditional method by most marque's. The unitary construction made mass production much easier, allowed cost to remain low, and kept the vehicles performance to maximum. The major drawback to this type of construction was the difficulty it provided with custom coachwork.
The design of the vehicle was perfected by the Alfa Romeo designers with the help of wind tunnels. The vehicle was given a very aerodynamic body that was elegant and memorable. Under the bonnet was a four-cylinder engine that displaced 1884cc and fitted with dual overhead camshafts. Horsepower was impressive considering the engines size, rated at around 90 which put it on par with the larger 6C 2500 six-cylinder engine. The engine was placed in the bay at a longitudinally angle, matted to a four-speed manual gearbox with steering-column levers, and powered the rear wheels. Top speed was achieved at just over 105 mph.
The vehicle was attractive, sporty, and elegant. It was a fine addition to Alfa Romeo's proud heritage and their quest to create a more affordable, mass produced automobile. 7,400 base model examples were produced between 1950 through 1954 making it their most popular vehicle to date.
One year after the vehicles introduction, Alfa Romeo introduced the Ti and Super versions. Both were created in a way that provided flexibility to coachbuilders to create a wide range of custom bodies. The list of builders included Ghia, Touring, and Pinin Farina. The list of body styles ranged from racing machines to two-seater luxury automobiles. The Super body style had a shorter wheelbase and was an excellent platform to create sporty versions of the 1900.
By 1954, Alfa Romeo introduced a larger engine that increased horsepower even further. The top-of-the-line version in terms of performance was the Super Sprint, which offered 115 horsepower. It seems that after Alfa Romeo secured their initial goals of creating an affordable automobile, they immediately searched for ways to improve upon its performance.
By Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2007
For more information and related vehicles, click hereIn keeping with Alfa Romeo's tradition, Satta was given the difficult task of creating a vehicle that was affordable and could be mass produced, yet still retain the company's heritage of quality and performance. What was created was a major advancement, as the vehicle was given a unitary construction where the body worked as part of the chassis and housed many of the mechanical components. Prior to this, the body and chassis had been constructed separately, which was a traditional method by most marque's. The unitary construction made mass production much easier, allowed cost to remain low, and kept the vehicles performance to maximum. The major drawback to this type of construction was the difficulty it provided with custom coachwork.
The design of the vehicle was perfected by the Alfa Romeo designers with the help of wind tunnels. The vehicle was given a very aerodynamic body that was elegant and memorable. Under the bonnet was a four-cylinder engine that displaced 1884cc and fitted with dual overhead camshafts. Horsepower was impressive considering the engines size, rated at around 90 which put it on par with the larger 6C 2500 six-cylinder engine. The engine was placed in the bay at a longitudinally angle, matted to a four-speed manual gearbox with steering-column levers, and powered the rear wheels. Top speed was achieved at just over 105 mph.
The vehicle was attractive, sporty, and elegant. It was a fine addition to Alfa Romeo's proud heritage and their quest to create a more affordable, mass produced automobile. 7,400 base model examples were produced between 1950 through 1954 making it their most popular vehicle to date.
One year after the vehicles introduction, Alfa Romeo introduced the Ti and Super versions. Both were created in a way that provided flexibility to coachbuilders to create a wide range of custom bodies. The list of builders included Ghia, Touring, and Pinin Farina. The list of body styles ranged from racing machines to two-seater luxury automobiles. The Super body style had a shorter wheelbase and was an excellent platform to create sporty versions of the 1900.
By 1954, Alfa Romeo introduced a larger engine that increased horsepower even further. The top-of-the-line version in terms of performance was the Super Sprint, which offered 115 horsepower. It seems that after Alfa Romeo secured their initial goals of creating an affordable automobile, they immediately searched for ways to improve upon its performance.
By Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2007
| RM Auctions In Association With Sotheby's To Showcase Automotive Artistry At New York Sale | |
 | • RM Auctions, in association with Sotheby's, announces exclusive New York collector car auction, November 21 • Groundbreaking sale to celebrate the automobile as an art form and feature an elite, handpicked selection of approximately 35 significant motor cars • Early highlight: bespoke, one-off 1956 Aston Martin DB 2/4 MkII 'Supersonic' embodies wonderful concept of 'rolling sculpture' BLENHEIM, Ontario (April 30, 2013) - RM Auctions, in association with Sotheb...[Read more...] |
| POW! BAM! ZOOM! The Original 1966 TV Batmobile To Cross Auction Block At Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale | |
 | Holy Grail of TV Star Cars to be Sold for First Time January 19, 2013 Barrett-Jackson, the World's Greatest Collector Car Auctions™, announced today that it will offer one of the most recognized and popular pieces of entertainment history worldwide, at its 42nd annual Scottsdale www.barrett-jackson.com/scottsdale/ auction in January – the only 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car which was heavily modified by legendary customizer George Barris to become the original 1966 Batmobile in the l...[Read more...] |
 1957
Alfa Romeo
models |
| Alfa Romeo 1900 Primavera |
| Alfa Romeo 3500 Supersport |
| Alfa Romeo Giulietta |
| Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce |
| Similar Automakers | |
| Citroen | Fiat |
| Lancia | Morgan |
| Opel | Peugeot |
| Renault | Seat |
| Skoda | Vauxhall |
| Similarly Sized Vehicles from 1957 |
| BMW 507 |
| Cozzi Jaguar |
| Ferrari 250 GT |
| Ferrari 250 GT Ellena |
| Ferrari 250 GT TdF |
| Alfa Romeo: 1951-1960 |
| Similar Automakers |
| Other models by Alfa Romeo |
| Related Articles and Event Coverage |
| The Scottsdale Auction - Gooding & Company |
| The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering |
| Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance |
| Alfa Romeo Owners Club National Convention |
| 147 156 164 1750 1900 SS | 2000 24HP 2600 6C 8C | 8C 2600 90 Alfetta Arna BAT | Giulia Giulietta Junior Zagato Milano Montreal | P3 RL Spider Sprint Zagato SZ | Tipo 158 Alfetta Tipo 33 TZ |
