1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Spyder

When Enzo Ferrari personally recruited the young engineer named Vittorio Jano in late 1923 FIAT, it marked a downturn for the Turin firm's fortunes and a coup de grace for Alfa Romeo. Jano's first project at Alfa Romeo was the new grand prix car, the P2, which was met with tremendous success and numerous victories. By 1926, Jano had succeeded Giuseppe Merosi as Alfa Romeo's head of design and was working on a touring car that was powered by a brand-new overhead-cam, 1.5-liter, inline six-cylinder engine. The 6C 1500 officially entered production in 1927, and the Sport Version, which followed a year later, was given a twin overhead cam that raised power by 10 horsepower. The Normale and Sport versions rested on a 114-inch wheelbase platform and were generally given saloon or four-seat tourer coachwork.

Alfa Romeo introduced their 6C 1500 Super Sport in 1929. With the help of the optional Roots supercharger, horsepower was increased to 76. During the two series of 6C 1500 production, which lasted until late 1929, only a small number of examples were produced. By this point, the displacement had been enlarged to 1752 cubic centimeters, resulting in the 6C 1750. The new 6C 1750 was produced in four more which were gradually improved over the next six years. During its production lifespan, nearly 2,600 examples were produced, many of which were equipped as the single-cam Turismo version (the replacement for the Normale) and were given Alfa's long 122-inch chassis. Produced in small numbers were the Sport models, which had a 114-inch chassis and were equipped with the twin-cam 1750 engine. Most of these cars were given Alfa saloon coachwork and were soon renamed Gran Turismo. The Super Sport examples had an even shorter platform, measuring 108 inches, and were available with finned alloy superchargers and intake manifolds. These cars were coach built to individual customer orders by coach-builders such as Castagna, Touring, and Zagato.

The Super Sport name was updated in 1930 to Gran Sport. These cars were given a sloping radiator that gave the vehicles a more rakish appearance and increased the surface area of the radiator for improved cooling. With the help of the Roots supercharger, horsepower power was rated at 85. In total, approximately 106 examples were produced before the introduction of the sixth and final series of cars in 1933.

This particular example is a 6C 1750 Gran Sport with Sport Spider coachwork by Zagato and chassis number 10814313. Factory records of the car were destroyed during World War II, but it is believed the car was constructed in March or April 1931. This example is the 13th of approximately 106 examples of the fifth-series 6C 1750 Grand Sport.

It is believed that the car was first registered in Switzerland in 1933. By the late 1940s, it was in the care of a student in Geneva named Lucien Dorier. In June of 1950, Mr. Dorier sold the car to Guido Arioli, who lived in nearby Tinizong. It is believed the car has spent most of its life in Switzerland. By the 2000s, it was owned by Peter Groh, who had commissioned a substantial restoration, which began in 2005. The work was completed in April 2009 with invoices totaling over 100,000 Swiss francs.

The current caretaker acquired the car in 2011 and had it imported to the United States. In 2012, it was shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where it competed in the European Classic : Sports Racing Class.

Since it has come into the current caretaker's possession, it has been used sparingly.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2015

The Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 was produced in six series from 1929 to 1933. A total of 2579 were built, of which about 360 were supercharged GS models. Most 6C 1750s were sold as rolling chassis and bodied by coachbuilders. Zagato was the mast of the Superleggera method of placing aluminum body panels over a small-gauge steel framework. The 6C 1750s gained an enviable reputation for speed and reliability and were entered in many races. Alfa Romeo's most famous victory came in the 1930 Mille Miglia when the 1750s took the first four places, catapulting the Italian sports car into the history books.

n 1930, the Super Sport name was updated to Grand Sport, and these cars featured an ingenious sloping radiator that not only gave the car a more rakish appearance but also increased the surface area of the radiator for improved cooling. The 6C 1750 Grand Sport Standard was equipped with the Roots supercharger, which developed an unprecedented 85 horsepower. Approximately 106 examples were produced.

In factory competition form, the 6C 1750 firmly thrust Alfa Romeo into the winner's circle. With five major victories in 1929 alone, including Giuseppe Campari's triumph at the Mille Miglia, the 6C 1750 took the top three places at the 1930 Tourist Trophy and the 1930 Mille Miglia.

The quintessential pre-war Alfa Romeo, the Zagato-bodied 6C Gran Sport certainly inspired and set imaginations aflame with its simple, aggressive lines. It was, after all, such a lovely technical design that even the great Tazio Nuvolari and Achille Varzi would soon be behind the wheel of Alfas.

The Gran Sport would help to define the age. Developed by none other than the famous Vittorio Jano, the Gran Sport would be the fifth generation of the Sport that had its roots in the P2 of the mid-1920s.

In total, only 106 examples of the Gran Sports would be built. Chassis 10814313 would be the 13th example and would be one of just 76 that would be produced over the course of 1931. So, not only is this particular car one of the iconic pre-war Alfa Romeos, it is more exclusive than just that.

The 6C 1750 would reflect the improvements made to the car over time. Powered by a 1.75-liter supercharged inline six-cylinder engine developing some 85bhp, the 1750 Gran Sport would take Alfa Romeo to the top. Winning the Mille Miglia, Tourist Trophy, and many other significant races of the period, there was no doubt as to the abilities of the car. And it would be this kind of performance that had caused Nuvolari and Varzi to drive for Alfa Romeo.

Though a point of conjecture, it is believed this particular example was constructed during the early part of 1931. Sporting bodywork by Zagato, 10814313 would not only be one of just 106 examples of the 6C 1750. Bearing spider coachwork, this particular car belongs in an even more select but very desirable troop.

Registered in the early 1930s, the car would later be found in Switzerland in the late 1940s. At that time, it would be owned by a student, Lucien Dorier. Dorier would sell the car in 1950 to a gentleman living nearby and would seemingly remain with that owner for decades before it became the property of Peter Groh sometime in the early 2000s.

Groh would set about having the car restored. This work would begin in 2005 and would take part, at least a good majority of it, right there in Switzerland. Still with its original engine and many other authentic components, a great deal of care would be taken to preserve the car's authenticity. When completed, the original engine, carburetor, gearbox, clutch, steering column, brakes, axles and electrical systems would be right where they had been assembled more than 70 years prior.

For more than 70 years, the 1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 had made its home in Europe. However, in 2011, when its current owner purchased the car, it made the journey to the United States and has remained, providing North America with a truly special piece of European automotive history.

Perhaps the greatest of the pre-war Alfas, highly original, remaining with its original engine and adorned in the coveted Zagato spider bodywork, 18014313 is a truly special and 'gran' Alfa Romeo Sport worthy of adoring praise and an experience never to be forgotten.

The 1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Spider, chassis 10814313, would be offered for sale as part of RM Auction's event in Amelia Island in March of 2015. Given its exclusiveness and links to such legends as Nuvolari, Varzi, Jano, and Ferrari, the car would garner pre-auction estimates ranging from between $2,300,000 and $2,600,000.

By Jeremy McMullen