1935 Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 Aerodinamica Spider

This elegant Aerodynamica Spider, known as the Aerospider, was a clandestine project built to win high-speed races. It is a one-off vehicle that has mid-engine placement, a central driving position, and an aerodynamic body meant to cheat the wind.

The project was spear-headed by Vittorio Jano, Alfa Romeo's chief engineer. Alfa Romeo had been a dominate force on the race track of Europe, but competition was coming from all angles. Auto Union had their mid-engine Type A 'Silver Arrow' and Daimler-Benz had their DOHC, supercharged straight-eight engine. Italy's national pride was on the line, and Jano was under pressure to answer. Jano had partners and financers in this project - brothers Gino and Oscar Jankovits of Fiume, Italy.

Development time was limited which meant Jano was unable to experiment with an all-new chassis layout. Instead, Jano focused on developing more power and placing the engine in a front-engined single-seater. Not putting all his eggs in one basket, Jano made a clandestine deal with the Jankovits brothers for a mid-engined sports racer to be made off-shore.

Jano provided Jankovits with Alfa Romeo parts and his expertise. Jankovits built, tested, and developed the vehicle in Fiume. Chassis number 700315, a 6C 2300 chassis, was shipped to Fiume. The engine bay was large enough to house a V12, but instead was given a six-cylinder engine modified with triple Weber 36 D04 carburetors.

Development of the car continued over several years, until Jano was fired from Alfa in 1937, just prior to the car being finished. This meant that an chance to fit a new V12 vanished. The Jankovits kept the Aerospider and had it registered for street use. The car still wears the original Fiume license plates.

To make the car more suitable to road use, the car was given a large windscreen, bumpers and turn signals. In 1946 Jankovits used the aerodynamic racer to break through the communistic border from Yugoslavia to Italy. They were free but short on money, so they sold their prototype to an Anglo-American soldier.

This Alfa Romeo was rediscovered in England in 1967. It went back to Italy in 2002 and in 2008, the car was restored to its original purpose of a high-speed racer.

By Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2010