1932 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750

The Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 was light and nimble with excellent road-holding characteristics and plenty of reliable power. Its all-alloy straight-six was designed by Vittorio Jano and in its ultimate configuration, used twin overhead camshafts, hemispherical combustion chambers, and a roots-type supercharger. It was built in three series between 1930 and 1933, and in both Gran Sport and Testa Fissa forms, the 6C 1750s won nearly every major sports car race of its era, including the 24 Hours of Spa, Monza Grand Prix, Brooklands Double Twelve, and the Mille Miglia.

The Alfa Romeo 6C, with the '6C' in reference to its six-cylinder engine, was produced from 1927 through 1954 beginning with the 6C 1500 of 1927 to 1929. It was introduced at the Milan Motor Show in 1925 and began series production in 1927. The engine's displacement measured 1,487 cc (thus, the 1500 portion of its name) and the early examples were bodied by James Young and Carrozzeria Touring. The 6C Sport model arrived in 1928 and its dual-overhead-camshaft engine earned many race victories, including the 1928 Mille Miglia. Of the approximately 3,000 examples of the 6C 1500 produced, around 200 had the DOHC version of the engine and ten with superchargers (known as Super Sport).

The 6C 1750 arrived in 1929 with a 1,752cc engine with the base version using a single overhead camshaft while the Super Sport and Grand Sport used a double overhead camshaft. A supercharger was available, and most examples were sold as rolling chassis with coachwork provided by Zagato, Castagna and Touring Superleggera. Sport touring or spider bodies were popular, and perhaps as few as three were given coachwork by Carrosserie Figoni and another three by James Young. Wheelbase sizes varied, with the Turismo version measuring 122-inches, the Sport and G.T. being 115-inches, the GT Compressor at 124.4 inches, and the Super Sport and Gran Sport measuring a short 108.1-inches. The suspension was independent at the front with torsion bars and unequal-length wishbones, while the rear employed a live axle suspended on trailing links and a one-piece torsion bar. The gearbox was a four-speed manual unit and four-wheel mechanical drum brakes provided the stopping power. The mechanical braking system used large drums actuated by a transmission system. The pressed steel frame was perfectly balanced and rigid due to its reinforced axles. The leaf springs were mounted outside the car body instead of beneath the side members, and the lower center of gravity greatly improved its performance. Its balance was further perfected by placing its fuel tank further back, positioning the weight above the rear wheels which aided in axle balance.

When the supercharger was installed, it endowed the water-cooled 6-cylinder engine with greater horsepower and torque. In Gran Sport configuration, the engine developed approximately 85 horsepower and gave the nimble vehicle a top speed of around 90 miles per hour. With and without a volumetric compressor, output from the 6C 1750 engine ranged from 46 horsepower of the Turismo version to the 102 hp of the Gran Sport 'Fixed Head.' The latter was a special version built in limited quantities with its cylinder head and crankcase cast in a single block to eliminate the seals. Weighing a mere 840kg, these versions had a top speed of 105.6 mph.

During the 1929 season, the 6C won every major racing event in which it was entered, including the Grand Prix of Spain, Tunis, Monza, Belgium, Ulster TT, Brooklands Double Twelve, and the Mille Miglia. The car was victorious at the 1930 Mille Miglia and the Spa 24 Hours. Tazio Nuvolari drove one to an overall victory at the IV Coppa delle Mille Miglia. Giuseppe Campari repeated this feat in 1931 with his.

During its production lifespan, Alfa Romeo produced 2,635 examples of the 6C 1750, including 369 examples of the Super Sport and Grand Sport.

by Dan Vaughan

Gran Sport by Zagato
Chassis number: 10814400
Engine number: 10814400

In 1925 the Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 was introduced in Milan. These Young and Touring coach-built Alfas would help Alfa Romeo to become one of the most powerful sports car and grand prix constructors of the time. By 1928, Alfa Romeo was dominating the racing scene and would win many races, including the challenging Mille Miglia.

The 6C 1500 would lay the foundation for Alfa Romeo's rise to dominance. When the 6C 1750 would be introduced in Rome in 1929, Alfa Romeo would become thoroughly ensconced at the top of the racing scene. Evolutions of the 6C 1750 would go on to win the Mille Miglia back-to-back in 1929 and 1930. An example would also go on to score victory at the 1930 Spa 24 Hours.

A lightweight sports car, the 6C 1750 Gran Sport Spider was a rather simple and straight-forward design. It offered good handling. But what made the car such a strong contender was its power. The Gran Sport Spider would include a Roots-Type Supercharger and would boost the power of the engine from around 70 bhp up to 100 bhp. The increase in horsepower meant top end speeds almost double of normal cruising speeds.

Such power and speed would make the 6C 1750 Gran Sport one of the most sought-after and longed-for chassis in racing. Combined with the beautiful tastefully simple bodywork from Zagato and the car would become desired by more than just serious racers.

One of the most desired examples of the 6C 1750 Gran Sport Spiders would be part of the Gooding & Company auction in Pebble Beach in August of 2011. Chassis 10814400 would be one of the last examples ever produced. By the time this particular chassis had been produced by Alfa Romeo and Zagato the car had been refined and tweaked to its absolute limits.

Therefore, this particular example of the 6C 1750 Gran Sport Spiders represents the absolute best the car had to offer. The refinement would be particularly visible in this particular model. By the time Zagato had gotten around to building the body for this particular chassis the carrozzeria had begun to evolve and transition to newer, cleaner designs. This would be readily apparent in the Gran Sport Spider as it would end up resembling the soon to be famous 8C 2300.

A mix of the present and the future, the bodywork on 10814400 would be truly unique and quite remarkable. Underneath, the car was similar to its fellow 6C 1750 compatriots. The car would have a 1.7-liter DOHC Inline six-cylinder engine and a Roots-Type Supercharger to boost power up to 100 bhp. The car would also include a four-speed manual gearbox, a live-axle suspension with semi-elliptical leaf springs and shock absorbers and four-wheel drum brakes.

Laid over top of the old would be the new. The car would feature an 8C-style grille, a more-steeply raked windscreen and a top that fit entirely underneath the back of the car. This simple and very elegant body style would be found on only the last ten models of the 6C 1750 Gran Sport Spider to roll out of the Zagato factory. This would make these models an important connection between the 6C and the 8C, and therefore, very valuable pieces of Alfa Romeo history.

The particular model presented at auction this year would be produced in 1932 and would be certainly sold. However, tracking of automobiles prior to World War II is almost an exercise in futility. Therefore, nothing is really known of the car until it appears in the Netherlands some time before the 1950s. A photograph of the car shows it wearing Dutch registration.

After its period of Dutch ownership the car would make its way to Switzerland. This period of ownership would be brief and the car would end up making its way to the United States as the property of Bill White. The car would remain with White for a number of years but it would eventually be resold.

Don Dixon of Texas would end up the owner of the car. Almost immediately upon taking ownership of the car, Dixon would have the car undergo restoration by the noted Chicago restorer Fran Roxas. In 1985 the work was completed. That same year, Dixon would be invited to display the car at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. In that event, the 6C 1750 would end up earning a Third in Class.

Oscar Davis would come to acquire the car the next season. The car would begin to take part in a number of rallies and other events. The craftsmanship and rarity of the car would end up earning the car great respect and a Best in Class award at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance in 1996.

Over the next few years, the car would be bought and sold a number of times and would undergo some modifications. The finish would be changed to its present darker shade of red and the interior would be fitted with natural brown leather.

Presented at this year's auction is just one of ten Zagato-bodied 6C 1750 Gran Sport Spiders that represented the future as well as the past all in one. Rare, exquisite and in many ways an original this Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 would end up earning $1,540,000 at auction.

Sources:

'Lot No. 110: 1932 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Series V Gran Sport', (http://www.goodingco.com/car/1932-alfa-romeo-6c-1750-series-v-gran-sport-1). Gooding & Company. http://www.goodingco.com/car/1932-alfa-romeo-6c-1750-series-v-gran-sport-1. Retrieved 23 August 2011.

Wikipedia contributors, 'Alfa Romeo 6C', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 9 July 2011, 10:58 UTC, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alfa_Romeo_6C&oldid=438560060 accessed 23 August 2011

'Alfa Romeo 6C 1750', (http://www.alfaworkshop.co.uk/alfa-romeo-6c-1750.shtml). Alfa Workshop: Run by Enthusiasts for Enthusiasts. http://www.alfaworkshop.co.uk/alfa-romeo-6c-1750.shtml. Retrieved 23 August 2011.

'Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Grand Sport Spyder by Zagato, 1930', (http://www.museostradale.com/stmichaels/alfa_6c1750_gszagato_1930.htm). Museo Stradale. http://www.museostradale.com/stmichaels/alfa_6c1750_gszagato_1930.htm. Retrieved 23 August 2011.

by Jeremy McMullen

Spyder by Zagato
Chassis number: 10814402

By the late 1920s, Nicola Romeo had left and Alfa was running short of money because of defense contracts that ceased. Benito Mussolini was in full control of the government at the time and was willing to bail out any company willing to do his bidding. Alfa would take the hand of Mussolini's government and would become an instrument of Mussolini's Italy. Immediately the company was given the task of designing cars for the wealthy. It would be during this period that Alfa Romeo would produce the 6C.

Designed by Vittorio Jano in 1929, the 6C would come with a 1,752 cc 6-cylinder engine capable of producing 85 bhp. The car's design would find it very favorable to drive on both the street and the track. Its excellent handling and reliable engine, along with its attractive body styling, would make the 6C one of the most sought after Alfa Romeo models.

One of those rare and sought after models of the 6C Gran Sports is chassis number 10814402. The one offered at the RM Auction in Monterey in August 2011 was just one of the highly desirable 5th series evolutions. The stylish lines of the car's coachwork were the result of the work of Carrozzeria Zagato of which only a very few were ever to be fitted on an Alfa Romeo chassis.

Its beginnings are shrouded in some mystery. However, the car would be purchased and shipped to the Netherlands. It would remain in the Netherlands until the war's end. After a brief stint in Belgium, the car would be purchased by William McMakin of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During this period of ownership, McMakin would have a 6C 1750 GTC engine put in the car and would remain to this very day.

The car would find its way into the hands of Jackson Brooks, the noted Alfa Romeo collector. After a number of other owners, including Homer Tsakis, the car would end up in the hands of Sultan Karim of Vancouver, British Columbia. The car would be resold again in 2001.

Complete with the inline 6-cylinder engine, its Roots-type supercharger, four-speed manual transmission and mechanical drum brakes, the Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS does show some signs of wear and chipping due to years of use. However, its reliability and exceedingly rare Zagato bodywork more than overcome its blemishes.

As quoted by A. Cherrett in Alfa Romeo 6C, 'Of the fifty-odd 5th Series Gran Sport chassis still recorded, twenty-three had (or still have) two-seater Zagato coachwork—and is without counting the ‘doubtful' and ‘fake' so-called Zagato bodied at present on record. The one presented this year was one of those twenty-three that is genuine and still retains the two-seater Zagato coachwork.

Known as a formidable competitor during its racing days, this 6C would very much be competing for top price. Estimates had the nimble, sprite and fashionable car reaching as high as $850,000-$950,000. At auction, the lot was sold for the sum of $935,000, including buyer's premium.

Sources:

'Featured Lots: Lot No. 241: 1932 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS 5th Series by Zagato', (http://www.rmauctions.com/FeatureCars.cfm?SaleCode=MO11&CarID=r270&fc=0). RM Auctions. http://www.rmauctions.com/FeatureCars.cfm?SaleCode=MO11&CarID=r270&fc=0. Retrieved 16 August 2011.

Wikipedia contributors, 'Alfa Romeo', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 15 August 2011, 20:29 UTC, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alfa_Romeo&oldid=445033719 accessed 17 August 2011

by Jeremy McMullen

Spyder by Zagato
Chassis number: 6C10814391

The 6C 1750 could be purchased in one of three versions: a naturally aspirated Turismo, a twin-cam Sport, and the supercharged Gran Sport or Super Sport. The supercharged versions, as used by the factory, were lightweight and powerful.

This automobile with chassis number 6C10814391, is very original, completely unrestored example of the ultimate variation of the Alfa Romeo 6C 1750. Of the three 1750 body configurations, the Grand Sport was a short chassis, supercharged model, and this example is made even more dashing with its lightweight Zagato coachwork. Zagato was the master of the Superleggera principle of building aluminum body panels over a small gauge steel framework. Just over 300 Grand Sports were built between 1929 and 1933, and they won the Mille Miglia as well as many other road races in the hands of drivers such as Tazio Nuvolari and Achille Varzi.

The certificate of origin on this fifth-series Gran Sport was issued on August 3, 1932. It was sold by Alfa Romeo dealer and race organizer Oreste Peverelli to Sig. Renato Lo Cascio and given registration number 6857 CO. The car wore this two-place Zagato body and a number of distinguishing characteristics. It has the rare waterfall grille and flowing fenders, a design that was applied to only three examples. Other features include a trail of rivets along the bonnet, distinctive single-plane bumpers, a radiator without a temperature gauge and coachwork that is two inches wider at the back when compared with similar Zagato bodies.

In the late 1940s, this car was sold to Ralph Stein and would remain in his care for the next two decades. It was sold in 1971 to David Tunick of Greenwich, Connecticut. The car was stored for many years which helped preserve its original condition. After Mr. Tunick passed away, the Alfa Romeo was displayed in the Preservation Class at Pebble Beach where it won Second in Class.

In 2001, the car was sold to a gentleman living in France. At the time, the care had 13,654 original kilometers. While in his care, the engine was completely rebuilt and it later participated on the Mille Miglia Storica on three separate occasions.

Later, the car returned to the United States and into the care of its fifth owner. Since then, the car has been given a comprehensive mechanical rebuild in preparation for vintage racing and touring.

In 2007, the car was on display at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where it successfully completed the Tour d'Elegance and was placed in the Pre-war Preservation Class.

In 2010, this Alfa Romeo 6C was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. As bidding came to a close, the lot had been sold for the sum of $1,540,000, including buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Gran Sport by Figoni
Chassis number: 10814377
Engine number: 10814377

The Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport was one of Alfa Romeo's most capable sports-racing cars. Fitted with competition bodywork, Tazio Nuvolari drove one to overall victory at the 1930 Mille Miglia. This unusual Gran Sprot was ordered as a bare chassis by the French Alfa Romeo importer, and the final assembly and bodywork was completed by the French Carrosserie Figoni in Paris. The cabriolet is one of two 6C 1750 GS cabriolets. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the car was owned by Sir John Dillwyn-Venables-Llewelyn in wales, and he had it restored by two Alfa Romeo experts, Jim Stokes and Blakeney Motorsport in the United Kingdom. Using an original photo, the car was returned to its original color scheme of white body and black fenders.

Gran Sport by Figoni
Chassis number: 10814377
Engine number: 10814377

The Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport was designed by Vittorio Jano and built in three series between 1930 and 1930. The supercharged all-alloy straight six had twin overhead camshafts, hemispherical combustion chambers, and a roots-type supercharger. The vehicle's lightweight characteristics, advanced chassis, and powerful engine made it suited for both road and track. In both Gran Sport and Testa Fissa forms, 6C 1750 examples won nearly every major sports car race of the day, including the 24 Hours of Spa, Brooklands Double Twelve, Monza Grand Prix, and the Mille Miglia.

The 6C 1750 was sold as a bare chassis and most received coachwork by prominent Italian coachbuilders, including Zagato, Touring, and Castagna. Most of the body styles were touring or spider bodies. A few examples were bodied by Carrosserie Figoni located in Boulogne-sur-Seine. The company was founded by Giuseppe Figoni who later partnered with Ovidio Falaschi.

Figoni's first body on an Alfa Romeo chassis was a lightweight tourer built for Raymond Sommer's short-chassis 8C 2300. The car later won the 24 Hours of LeMans in 1932 with Sommer and co-driver Luigi Chinetti.

This particular example is the first of approximately 30 Series V Gran Sport chassis built for 1932. It was delivered new to France and retains the appropriate 'Alfa Romeo Paris' radiator badge and French-language data plates, reading 'Grand' rather than the Italian Gran Sport. The 'Alfa Romeo Paris' badge refers to the cars that Luigi Chinetti imported prior to 1933 into France and sold through his Paris agency.

This Alfa also has the French-language wheel knock-offs and rare adjustable shock absorbers. It was one of the few examples to received coachwork by Figoni, who fitted a two-seat Roadster body. It has a fold-flat windscreen, flowing fenders, and two-tone paint scheme. The car was completed in October of 1932.

It is believed that the car's first owner may have been Pierre Louis-Dreyfus. It was registered in Paris until August of 1932, when it was sold to Sté Tricotage de l'Ariège et Bonneterie de Garonne Réunis, a company in Toulouse, France. The company's CEO was José Soler Puig. In December 1934, Mr. Puig sold the Alfa Romeo to a new owner in the Paris area, and it was registered there as '9084 RJ 4.' It remained in Paris until December of 1947, when it entered the care of Yvonne Chassagne of Cannes, France. Soon after, it was sold to David L. Jayet and remained with him until 1953. Several years later the car was exported to the United States, and resided on the East Coast of Florida. In the mid- to late-1960s, the Alfa Romeo was sold to William S. Comer of Lake Park.

After Mr. Comer's passing in January of 1947, his estate sold the Figoni-bodied 6C 1750 to Gene Cesari, who purchased the car sight-unseen. Two decades later, it was treated to a restoration. The restoration was not yet completed when it was sold in December of 1997 to Sir John Venables-Llewelyn of Wales, who had the work completed by Jim Stokes. The previous owner acquired the Alfa Romeo from Sir Venables-Llewelyn around 2014 and immediately commissioned a more comprehensive restoration, bringing it back to its original specification. The body was finished in its original two-tone color scheme. The work was completed in late 2015 and since then has seen very little use under the current ownership.

by Dan Vaughan

GTC Cabriolet by Farina

Beginning in 1931, Alfa Romeo offered the 6C 1750 GTC - the chassis, axles, suspension, brakes, steering, wheels, half-shafts and gearbox were all quite different from earlier 1750s. They were more akin to the 8C 2300, making them virtually an 8C - with a 1750 supercharged engine. Not surprisingly, today many 6C 1750 GTCs have been converted into 8C 2300 cars - usually with their chassis shortened. There are very few matching-number original survivors of this model that remain in their original configuration. This car features elegant original coachwork by Stabilimenti Farina.

The Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 was introduced near the end of the 1930's. The 6C name was derived from the engine size, an inline-six while the 2500 represented the engine's cubic-centimeter displacement size.

The engine was a version of Vittorio Jano designed a six-cylinder engine. The 6C was available in a plethora of body styles and wheelbases and was produced during two different times in history. Most of the coachwork was handled by Touring of Italy or by Pinin Farina. The body styles ranged from coupes and convertible to a four-seater salon. In 1939 Alfa Romeo introduced the SS version, a short-wheelbase model, dubbed 'SS' for Super Sport, that had a high-compression 6C engine rated at 105 horsepower. It was the top-of-the-line 6C model that married style and performance together to create the perfect road-going vehicle.

World War II had interrupted production for many automobile manufacturers. During this time many switched their efforts to support the war, such as building engines for marine and aircraft or by producing vehicles that were suitable for wartime. When Alfa Romeo resumed production, their vehicles were similar to those they had offered in 1939. The main difference was that Alfa Romeo now bodied the cars themselves rather than providing the rolling chassis for custom coachbuilders to body. The designs had become standard but they were still based on sketches and designs produced by coachbuilders such as Pinin Farina and Touring. Pinin Farina built exclusive bodies such as the Cabriolet. These vehicles were elegant and stylish and had a price tag that matched. Touring built the Coupes which became known as the Villa d'Este in 1949 after winning the famous Concours d'Elegance Villa d'Este. When outfitted with the Superleggera, meaning lightweight, bodies were capable of speeds in excess of 100 mph.

The engines were similar to the Jano designed six-cylinder power plant, capable of producing 110 horsepower. Independent suspension was installed to soften the ride while improving performance and handling characteristics. A four-speed manual transmission was similar to the one used prior to the onset of the war.

The history of the Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 automobiles are extensive. The various designs and body-styles matched with their mechanical capabilities make this one of the finest Alfa Romeos ever produced.

by Dan Vaughan