1946 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500

This unique Alfa Romeo was bodied by Pinin Farina in 1946. The three-seat cabriolet features many new innovations like the 'Anti Seismic' steering wheel patented by Mario Revelli di Beaumont, the period's most important Italian designer. It was sold to Giuliana Tortoli of Milan, and she showed it at a concours near Lausanne. The car attracted attention wherever it went and in 1947 it won the Grand Prix d'Honneur at the Monte Carlo Concours. Shortly afterwards the car was sold back to Farina, who used it as his own personal car until it was sold to the chairman of Austin Motors, Leonard Lord, in 1948. He used it as design inspiration for the Austin A90 Atlantic. Also at Austin was Holden 'Bob' Koto, employed by Raymond Loewy but sent to Austin to help design the A90. Upon completion of his assignment he was given the car as a bonus. The car is now freshly restored; the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance was its first showing at a concours since Monte Carlo in 1947.