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1934 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Cabriolet

Completed in early 1934, this 8C 2300 was delivered as a rolling chassis to Joseph Figoni's Paris workshop. There, an elegant cabriolet body was created. The car was purchased by Raoul Calvayrac, who managed to hide the car on his estate, during the German occupation. In the early 1950's, the Figoni Cabriolet was brought stateside and eventually sold to Ohioan, Jim Ibold. He cherished the car for over four decades, and for most of those years, it shared a garage with his 8C 2900. Ibold preserved the Alfa Romeos and only replaced parts when it was strictly necessary.

Patrick Ottis purchased the car from Mr. Ibold and worked diligently to maintain its originality until it was sold to the current owner.
Alfa Romeo's road-going 8C 2300 was sold as a bare chassis in short- and long-wheelbase variants. It had proven its mettle at the highest level of motorsport competition, with numerous victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Mille Miglia, and the Targa Florio. Its single-seater sibling, the Tipo B (P3), won six races in its debut season, including the Grand Prix of Italy, Germany, and France. Offering the finest mechanical sophistication of its era, the coachwork applied to the 8C 2300 was equally impressive. Included in the short-list of famed coachbuilders was Carrosserie Figoni, which had been established by Italian expatriate Giuseppe 'Joseph' Figoni and headquartered in Boulogne-sur-Seine near Paris. The company fostered a reputation for its exceptional build quality, attractive styling, luxurious interiors, and fine woodwork. Figoni's later partnership with Ovidio Falaschi led to many of the most spectacular and memorable coachwork in the late 1930s.

Figoni's first opportunity to cloth an Alfa Romeo chassis was for Raymond Sommer's short-chassis 8C 2300. The lightweight tourer was driven to victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1932 with Sommer and co-driver Luigi Chinetti. Figoni would later build bodies for seven long-chassis 8C 2300s between 1932 and 1935, including five cabriolets, a roadster, and a faux cabriolet.

This Cabriolet Décapotable is a two-door, four-seater built by Figoni and mounted on a third-series 8C 2300. It was first registered in Milan in May 1934 and shipped to Paris where it was given its Figoni body. The work was completed in November 1934 and delivered to a M. de Calverra of Levallois-Perret, a suburb of Paris. It is believed that the car's first owner was Raoul Calvayrac, who registered the 8C 2300 in Paris as '2205 RJ 8.'

It is believed that this Alfa Romeo remained with M. Calvayrac through World War II, hidden on his property and surviving the devastation of the war. When peacetime resumed, M. Calvayrac relocated to the French Riviera and kept the 2.3 at his residence in Cannes.

In 1949, the Alfa Romeo was acquired by an American named Hubert Harmon, who shipped it from Marseille to New York. Remaining in Mr. Harmon's care for a short six months, it was soon advertised for sale in The New York Times, where it caught the attention of Jim Ibold. A short time later, Mr. Ibold took a train from Cincinnati, Ohio, to New York City, paid Mr. Harmon $2,000, and drove the Alfa Romeo back to his home. The car remained in his care for the next five decades.

In 2004, the Alfa Romeo entered the care of Patrick Ottis, and a year later, was shown in unrestored condition at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. A sympathetic soon commenced, returning it to its original splendor, including its original two-tone color scheme. After the work was completed, the car was shown at the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where it won First in Class in the Alfa Romeo 8C class. It was later exhibited at the Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance and successfully participated in several 1,000-mile Alfa Romeo 8C tours. It was later sent to Europe, where it was displayed at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, and then driven to the Calvayrac family chateau, where it resided when it was new.

In 2016, this Alfa Romeo entered the care of its current owner. Since that time, it earned Best in Class honors at the 2018 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance and Third in Class at the 2022 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2024

Provenance *
* Please note, dates are approximate

2024 Gooding & Company : Pebble Beach

Pre-Auction Estimates :
USD $4,000,000-USD $5,000,000 
Lot was not sold

2020 Bonhams : Quail Motorcar Auction

Pre-Auction Estimates :
USD $6,500,000-USD $7,500,000 
Lot was not sold

Recent Sales of the Alfa Romeo 8C 2300

(Data based on Model Year 1934 sales)
1934 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Lungo Spider by Eagle Coach Works
Chassis#: 2311237
Sold for USD$4,075,000
  2024 RM Sothebys : Monterey
1934 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 image  1934 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 image  
1934 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 'Le Mans' Tourer
Chassis#: 2311221
Sold for USD$2,877,947
  2013 Bonhams - The Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale
1934 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 image  1934 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 image  

Alfa Romeo 8C 2300s That Failed To Sell At Auction

1934 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300's that have appeared at auction but did not sell.
VehicleChassisEventHigh BidEst. LowEst. High
1934 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Cabriolet Décapotable Coachwork by Figoni23112392024 Gooding & Company : Pebble Beach $4,000,000$5,000,000
1934 ALFA ROMEO 8C 2300 CABRIOLET DECAPOTABLE23112392020 Bonhams : Quail Motorcar Auction $6,500,000$7,500,000
1934 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Long Chassis Tourer23112222019 Bonhams : The Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale $4,000,000$5,000,000

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1934 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300

Additional valuation insight and sales data
History
Specifications
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Other Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 model years

1934 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Vehicle Profiles

1934 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 vehicle information
Cabriolet
Coachwork: Figoni & Falaschi
Chassis #: 2311239
Engine #: 2311239
1934 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 vehicle information
Corto Le Mans Spider
Coachwork: Brianza
Chassis #: 2311249
1934 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 vehicle information
Spider
Coachwork: Touring
Chassis #: 2311221

Vehicle information, history, and specifications from concept to production.