1942 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500

The long-lived Alfa Romeo 6C name began in the 1920s and continued through 1954, referencing the company's straight-six engine built in various configurations, and designed for several purposes, including road, race, and sports cars. The genesis of the 6C was the 1500 version, which set the standard for lightweight, high-performance road cars and was followed in 1929 by the 6C 1750. The next evolution of the 6C came in 1934 and nearly doubled the displacement of the car it succeeded. Known as the 6C 2300, it continued the tradition of being a highly competent automobile capable of providing excellent performance with multi-passenger coachwork.

The Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 that replaced the 6C 2300 in 1939 employed the basic engine design as its forebearers, and again, the name change signaled a new displacement size. The larger displacement was affected by an increase in the cylinder bore of two millimeters, and additional improvements were made to the cylinder head for better aspiration, and compression increased from 6.5:1 to 7.1:1. In Sport guise, the engine produced a respectable 95 horsepower with performance enhanced by the Superleggera chassis construction developed by Felice Bianchi Anderloni of Carrozzeria Touring.

6C 2500 Engine Specification

The Vittorio Jano-designed inline straight-six engine powering the 6C 2500 displaced 2,443cc with a 70 mm (2.8 inch) bore and a 72 mm (2.8 inch) stroke. It has a cast iron block, aluminum cylinder head and twin overhead cams. Built in varying specifications, including with one or three Weber carburetors, the DOHC unit produced between 87 and 145 horsepower. The most potent version was installed in the Competizione and, with the triple carburetor setup, improved cylinder head, and increased compression, produced 145 bhp at 5,500 RPM. The transmission was a four-speed manual unit.

6C 2500 Mechanical Speficaition

The steel ladder frame chassis was offered with three wheelbase sizes, including a 106.3-inch platform for the Super Sport, a 118.1-inch wheelbase for the Sport, and a 128-inch unit for the Turismo. The suspension was independent and braking was handled by four-wheel hydraulic drums.

Bodywork was created by a variety of coachbuilders but the majority were crafted by Touring Superleggera of Milan.

6C 2500 Production and Body Styles

The Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 was produced from 1938 to 1952 (temporarily postponed during World War II) and was replaced by the 1900. It was one of the most expensive automobiles of its era and was the final 6C built. Approximately 152 examples were the 6C 2500 Coloniale, thirteen of the 6C 2500 Sport, 413 6C 2500 Super Sport Coupes, 8 6C 2500 Super Sport Spyder Corsa, 8 6C 2500 Sport Pinin Farina, 3 6C 2500 Competizione, 36 6C 2500 Villa d'Este, and 680 6C 2500 Freccia d'Oro. Total production was approximately 2,594 units of all chassis variants built between 1939 and 1953. (Note, the production records for this period are incomplete, and production figures continue to vary, with some estimating as few as 2,200 units were built).

The 6C 2500 Freccia d'Oro (Golden Arrow) Berlina, with seating for 5/6 passengers, was based on the 2500 Sport and was the first postwar Alfa Romeo. It was powered by a 90 horsepower engine, used a four-speed manual gearbox, and rested on a 120-inch wheelbase.

The 6C 2500 Villa d'Este used the 6C 2500 Super Sport chassis and wore Touring Superleggera coachwork, most with Berlinetta body styles. Introduced in 1949, it was named Villa d'Este after the design won the Concorso d'Eleganza. Production ended in 1952 with after 36 examples were built, including five cabriolets. The 2,443cc engine produced 110 horsepower.

The Tipo 256 (6C 2500 Super Sport)

The Tipo 256 was built in 1939 and 1940 to race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Mille Miglia. These racing versions of the 2500 were built in Super Sport Spyder Corsa and Berlinetta Touring body styles and powered by a 125 horsepower version of the 6C engine. Approximately twenty Tipo 256s were produced with chassis numbers in the following ranges: 915006 to 915015 and 915020 to 915029. Most examples were campaigned by Alfa Corse, although a number were reserved for privateers, including Count Franco Mazzotti, Sigfrido Koelliker, and Benito Mussolini.

The Tipo 256 is historically significant as it represents the final collaboration between Scuderia Ferrari and Alfa Romeo.

Carrozzeria Touring

When Anderloni and partner Gaetano Ponzoni purchased Carrozzeria Falco in 1926, the name was changed to Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera S.r.l. Based in Milan, Italy, it was in close proximity to Alfa Romeo and several other Italian marques, including Isotta-Fraschini and Citroen. As a leader in design and aerodynamic research, including having its own wind tunnel for testing, Touring was able to create efficient designs that, in turn, complemented the high-performance nature of the Alfa Romeo engines. The lightweight Superleggera construction technique used small diameter tubes to form the body's shape, with the framework strengthened and covered by thin alloy panels. The first Touring-built car with the Superleggera system was the Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B, which contested the 1937 Mille Miglia.

In form and function, the Touring-built Alfa Romeos were elegant in conception and execution and finely crafted works of art.

Carrozzeria Ghia

Carrozzeria Ghia & Gariglio was established in 1916 by Giacinto Ghia and Gariglio in Italy as an automobile design and coachbuilding firm. Their services were in high demand thanks to its successful application of lightweight aluminum coachwork. During World War II, the company's factory was destroyed during an air raid in 1943, and a year later, Ghia passed away. After the war, Mario Boano and Giorgio Alberti purchased the firm, and the Ghia-Aigle subsidiary was established in Aigle, Switzerland, in 1948.

Sig. Boano was a veteran of the Italian coachbuilding industry, having worked for both Pinin Farina and Stabilimenti Farina prior to World War II. Boano would leave the company in 1953, and ownership passed to Segre in 1954 and continued through 1957, when Giovanni Savonuzzi became Direttore Tecnico Progettazione e Produzione Carrozzerie e Stile and continued to improve upon the legacy of Carrzoeria Ghia.

Among the company's memorable designs were the so-called 'Gioiello' and 'Supergioiello' sporty cabriolets built on the Fiat 1100 and Fiat 1400. 'Supergioiello,' meaning 'Super Jewel,' is believed to be the work of Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti.

At least four coupe Supergioiello bodies were built atop the Alfa Romeo 6C 2500. They featured steeply raked windscreens, compact greenhouses, graceful profiles, and wheel discs. The first example was purchased by Prince Igor Troubetzkoy for his wife, Barbara Hutton, and the second example made its debut in May 1950 at the Torino Auto Show. The third example was unveiled in August of 1950 at the Concorso d'Eleganza del Lido di Venezia where it wore an attractive two-tone color scheme. The fourth and final example also had a two-tone color scheme, plush subtle tail fins, flush door handles, and redesigned frontal treatment.

Carrozzeria Pinin Farina

Of the 425 Super Sport chassis built between 1942 and 1953, approximately 171 were clothed by Pinin Farina, including 63 as cabriolets. The Pinin Farina cabriolet built on the SS short chassis was a two-seater roadster with post-war modern styling. The coachwork was made of steel, with aluminum sometimes used for the hood, doors, and trunk lid. At least four were built entirely in aluminum.

Carrozzeria Bertone

Bertone bodied at least one Coupe with a design penned by Mario Revelli di Beaumont.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible by Touring
Chassis number: 915128
Engine number: 923928

The 6C 2500 was produced from 1939 until 1943. It was the last series with a separate body and frame and all-coach built bodies.

This Touring body is all aluminum and well powered with soft suspension, light steering and more nimble handling that their bulk suggested.

This Touring Convertible is powered by a twin over-head cam, in-line, 6-cylinder, 2,443 cc, engine, developing 87 horsepower coupled to a 4-speed manual transmission. The chassis consists of all-independent suspension, with front helical springs and rear torsion bars with stopping provided by drum brakes. The car weighs about 3,790 pounds and has a top speed of 89 mph.

This vehicle was built in June of 1942. It was delivered to its first owner in April of 1943 with its cabriolet body being finished nearly a year later. The first owner was General Von Carnap in Berlin, who purchased several examples which are belived to have been divered for ranking German officers.

The car is believed to be one of only three cars bodied by Touring in this style. The two other cars still survive, but this is the only one with its original engine.

The history trail is not fully known until it was acquired in 1960 by a Texan resident named Donald Vesley. It remained in his possession until 1974 when it was purchased by Lew Lazarus, later selling it to Dale Finstrom, and then back to Lazarus. It was then sold to John Siebert in Uxbridge, Ontario in the early 1980s. After a full restoration, the car was sold to Paul Myers in 1989 who retained it until 1997.

The car was shown at Pebble Beach, is a CCCA Senior National First Prize winner where it was judged 100 points. It was shown at Meadow Brook and earned a Most Elegant Sports Car Award at the 2005 Amelia Island Concours. It was Best-in-Class at Greenwich, Connecticut in 2008 and has been invited to attend the 2009 Pebble Beach Motoring Classic. It has also been invited to the 2009 The Quail Motorsports Gathering and the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

In 2008 it was brought to the Hilton Head Classic Auction presented by Worldwide Group Auctions where it was estimated to sell for $400,000 - $500,000. On auction day, the car was sold for $345,400 including buyer's premium.

SS Coupe by Bertone

This 1942 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Bertone Coupe was designed by Mario Revelli di Beaumont and is a one-off example. Found many years ago in a barn in Massachusetts, it returned to Italy and a major restoration was completed just in time for the Pebble Beach Concours in 2010. It also appeared at the Hilton Head Concours and will return to Italy following the Amelia Island Concours in 2011.

Spyder
Chassis number: 915.515
Engine number: S923907

Alfa Romeo introduced the model 6C 2500 at the end of the 1930's. The name referenced the number of cylinders and displacement of the engine, which was the handiwork of Vittorio Jano. The 6C was available in the plethora of body styles, and wheelbases and most were delivered with custom coachwork. The coachwork was supplied by companies such as Touring of Italy or Pinin Farina.

This 1942 Alfa Rome 6C 2500 SS Spider is chassis no. 915.515 with engine no. S923907. Characterized by historian Griffith Borgeson as a 'bridge to post-World War II production' with superior performance achieved by increased compression and triple-carburetion.

This car was purchased in Italy in the 1980's by a New York car collector who entered the car in the 1987 Millie Miglia. One of thee earlier-style 8C 2900 bodies commissioned by Corrado Cupellini, this SS Spider was restored in its entirety from 1994 through 1997.

Cabriolet by Pininfarina

Legendary at the house of Pininfarina as the famous lost 'anti-Salon Car', this 1942, 6C2500 Alfa was purchased and bodied in 1946 by Pininfarina as the 1946 Paris Show Car. Flamboyant in the extreme, its extensive use of lucite and chrome combined with a coachwork design far ahead of its time, it foreshadows the automotive style of the mid-1950's and clearly stood out amid the drab postwar design in 1946 post war Europe. However, France spitefully banned autos from former enemies Italy and Germany from the 1946 'Salon de l'Automoible.' Irate at hearing the news, Pinin drove the Alfa overnight from Lausanne to Paris where he parked it directly in front of the Grand Palais Salon on the opening day, and called the press, staging his own 'Anti Salon.' The car later went on to win the best-in-show at the 1947 Concours d'Elegance of Monte Carlo. Pinin then re-purchased and drove the Alfa as his personal vehicle and then sold it to Austin where it was used as a design mule and personal car of Austin's managing directory, George Harriman. Bob Koto who led the Austin design team for Loewy and Associates, purchased the car and brought it to America. Damaged slightly in transit, Koto took the car to Loewy's workshop to repair it, and Raymond Loewy insisted on a color change to bottle green. Since then, it has been returned to its original nitro-cellulose based metallic champagne paint color.

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