1940 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500

The Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 debuted in 1939 as the successor to the 6C 2300 and was built upon the dynasty established by Alfa Romeo engineer Vittorio Jano. Production continued through 1952, with only a few examples built during the war years of 1940 to 1945. When peacetime resumed, the first new Alfa model was the 6C 2500 Freccia d'Oro (Golden Arrow) of 1946, of which 680 examples were built until late 1951. Of those, 383 examples were of the 6C 2500 SS with most of these clothed in closed coachwork either by the factory or various coachbuilders such as Touring and Pinin Farina. Most of the bodywork was built by Touring Superleggera of Milan.

The 6C 2500 used an enlarged displacement engine with an improved cylinder head and a raised compression ratio from 6.5:1 to 7.1:1 in top Super Sport tuning. Along with triple Weber carburetors, engine output was rated at 110 horsepower.

The steel ladder frame chassis was offered in three wheelbase sizes including a 128-inch platform for the Turismo, 118.1 inches on the Sport, and 106.3-inches on the Super Sport.

by Dan Vaughan

Sport Cabriolet
Chassis number: 915089
Engine number: 923853

The 6C-2500 was Alfa Romeo's last series with a separate body and from and all-coach built bodies. This car is one of 2 possible Graber-bodied prewar Alfa Romeo chassis. The car is equipped with a 2500 cc engine but may have originally been fitted with an earlier 2300 cc power plant.

The engine is an in-line 6-cylinder with twin overhead-cams, 2,443 cc displacement, developing 87 horsepower. This engine proved worthy of sports competition where quick and continuous acceleration was assured.

This car was delivered to Swiss owners who retained the car until purchased by the current owners in 1988. It was exported to the United States in the late 1990s. It has been shown at the 2003 Radnor Concours d'Elegance and the 2005 Amelia Island Concours. It was awarded the Spirit of Amelia Award. It has also won Best of Show at the 1987 show event in Switzerland.

This car has been driven less than 36,000 kilometers since new. In 2008, this Sport Cabriolet was offered for sale at the 'Sports & Classics of Monterey' presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $325,000 - $400,000 and offered with a reserve. A high bid of $341,000, including buyer's premium, was enough to secure new ownership. The lot was sold.

Sport Cabriolet

Regarded as Switzerland's finest coachbuilder, Graber built the cabriolet coachwork on this Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 in 1940 just as war halted most car production in Italy. The Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 was introduced in 1938 and most of the coachwork was created by Touring or Pinin Farina and ranged from coupes and convertibles to four-seat saloons. In 1939 Alfa Romeo introduced the Super Sport SS version, a short-wheelbase model that had a high-compression 6C engine rated at 105 BHP. It was the top-of-the-line 6C model that married style and performance to create the perfect road-going vehicle.

Coupe by Touring

The Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 was first introduced in 1938. As with all the previous Alfa Romeo models, the name is derived from the engine capacity and the number of cylinders. The 6C 2500 was the final iteration of the glorious 6-cylinder prewar Alfa engines. The 6C 2500 was available with a variety of body styles but most of the coachwork was handled by Touring or by Pinin Farina. In 1939 Alfa Romeo introduced the SS (or Super Sport) with a shortened wheelbase and a high-compression 6C engine with triple carburetors that was rated at 105 horsepower. This car has just been restored for its new owners in California.

The engine in the 1927 Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 was the basis for a series of engines that would eventually define the marque as one of the great manufacturers of the pre-war era. The Vittorio Jano-designed engine was expanded to 1752cc and became the 6C 1750, which, in various body styles and tunes, would become the backbone of Alfa Romeo production from 1929 to 1933. Two additional cylinders were later added, becoming the 8C 2300 and, ultimately, the 8C 2900.

In 1934, Jano introduced a new generation of Alfa Romeo engines, the dual overhead camshaft 6C 2300. The unit had a bore that measured 70mm and a stroke of 100mm. The long stroke gave the engine high torque for drivability. It was given hollow camshafts for superior lubrication resulting in better reliability. There was an improved light alloy cylinder head with chain-driven camshafts. Also adding to the reliability were the seven main bearings, single-piece block, and head castings, plus a dual-level sump that acted as an oil cooler.

In 1939, the bore was increased to 72mm, resulting in the 6C 2500 with 2,443cc displacement. This engine was mounted in brilliant chassis that reflected the company's history in Grand Prix competition. At both the front and rear were an independent suspension with parallel trailing arms at the front and swing axles at the rear. Coil springs could be found in the front, and torsion bars in the back.

Most of the 6C models were given custom coachwork.

by Dan Vaughan

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