Alfa Romeo 6C

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  6C 1750 Gran Turismo Compressore Touring Superleggera, 1931
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  6C 1750 Gran Turismo Compressore, 1932
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  6C 1750 Gran Sport Zagato
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  Giuseppe Campari on Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Compressore; standing in centre (from left) Enzo Ferrari and Achille Varzi
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  Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Garavini
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  1929 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 by James Young
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  1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS Touring Superleggera ‘Flying Star’ - built specifically for the 1931 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.
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  1931 6C 1750 Gran Sport with bodywork by Walter Freund.

Lopresto's 6C 1750 GS Zagato-Aprile at Rétromobile, Paris, 2015.

The 1931 6C 1750 with license plate number "3710 SV" and chassis/engine number #10814331, which is currently owned by notorious rare car collector Corrado Lopresto, is a unique example, whose story is told in Lopresto's bilingual 2015 Skira book Best in Show – Capolavori dell'auto italiana dalla collezione Lopresto – Italian Cars Masterpieces from the Lopresto Collection.

The English-language section about this car tells:

Born with a spyder body by Zagato, this car is a 6C 1750 Gran Sport with Compressor, the sportiest version of the Milanese 6-cylinder, and was sold new to Giovanni Battista Aldo Barabini of Genova in 1931.
After several changes of ownership the car goes back to Alfa Romeo, to be resold in 1933 to Dino Carabba, who in 1934 enrolls in the Varese-Campo dei Fiori [rally], coming in fourth in class and eleventh overall.
In those years, the 6C probably runs in minor races, changing hands three times before being sold to the body shop Giuseppe Aprile of Savona, in August 1938. Less than a year after, the car is purchased by Brunello Feltri of Altare, province of Savona, but meanwhile, Aprile has completely rebuilt the body of the car with a new ["more" is written here in the Italian-language section] modern and elegant look.
The design, so well executed, indicates the work of the most famous designer of that time: Mario Revelli di Beaumont, father of this and many other beautiful bodies.
The car so transformed survives the war unscathed and changes ownership again in 1956, in Liguria, where it remains still today, rediscovery yet in order [sic],[16] although with some modifications.
The painstaking restoration work has restored it to its original splendor, as well conceived by Revelli: a unique car that blends the great elegance to the sporty temperament of mechanics.

A plush version of the car, manufactured by Vitale Barberis Canonico, was also given, together with the book, to some of Lopresto's friends.

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  1934 6C 2300 Pescara
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  6C 2300 Touring Superleggera Spyder
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  1938 6C 2300 B Mille Miglia Spyder
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  1937 6C 2300 B Pescara Pinin Farina Berlinetta
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  1938 6C 2300 B Touring Superleggera Berlinetta
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  1935 6C 2300 Sport Touring Superleggera Pescara Spyder. Mille Miglia 1936 entrant and ex Benito Mussolini car[29]
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  1937 6C 2300 B Pescara
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  1938 6C 2300 B Ministeriale

Alfa Romeo Aerodinamica Spyder
The Aerodinamica Spyder at the 2012 Goodwood Revival
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,800 mm (110.2 in)
Length	4,750 mm (187.0 in)
Width	1,720 mm (67.7 in)
Height	1,030 mm (40.6 in)
Kerb weight	950 kg (2,094 lb) (dry)

The Alfa Romeo Aerodinamica Spyder was a one-off mid-engine streamlined prototype, built by brothers Gino and Oscar Jankovitz in connection with Alfa Romeo between 1935 and 1937 in Fiume (today Rijeka), and should have been powered by an Alfa Romeo 12-cylinder engine.[30] The construction of the car took many years, while technical changes had to be made due to the testing period from 1936 to 1937. The Aerospyder represents:

• The first “modern” mid-engined sports car design.[31]
• The first mid-engined car with central driving position (albeit Lancia deposited a patent for a centrally driven design in 1934).[31]
• The first car designed to take account of newly developed principles of aerodynamics, to provide low drag both externally and internally.[31]
• The first car which was designed for high speeds, by using a body which fully enveloped the underside of the car to reduce air turbulence beneath it and an aerodynamic front design to reduce front lift of the car[31]

Between 1935 and 1937 the Jankovits carried out the construction; a "rolling chassis" could be registered in Fiume (number plate: 2757 FM) tested, and subsequently modified.

The engine compartment of the Alfa Aerodinamica Spyder

The No.700316 6C 2300 Tipo Turismo straight-six engine placed behind the driver was Alfa Romeo: 2,309 cc, iron block, light alloy head, chain-driven dual overhead camshafts, spur gears, wet sump lubrication. The Jankovits fitted exhaust pipes of equal length and improved intake of air to reduce the pressure drop. Later the engine was upgraded with three dual Weber 36 D 04 carburettors, a configuration used on the 6C 2500 SS of 1939. The transmission was the 4-speed gearbox from the 6C 2300, mounted with a Hardy disc behind the engine originally fitted, which they removed. A differential unit from a Lancia Lambda was later fitted instead. A unique pre-selector gear change system was also developed. The clutch was hydraulically assisted.

The ladder chassis was made by Alfa Romeo for the central-mounted engine, with straight rails from front to the rear end of the car; it was numbered 700316 in accordance with the engine number. The final suspension was all-independent, with "silent bloc" bushes; at the front it consisted of double wishbones, with a thick sheet steel (4 mm) upper wishbone, lever-arm Houdaille hydraulic dampers, longitudinal torsion bars, and lower location through a transverse leaf spring; at the rear it had swing axles and radius arms, with a transverse leaf spring and longitudinal torsion bars.

Steering was worm and sector with Hardy disc. Brakes used a two-circuit hydraulic system (two fluid distributors and two master cylinders, one for the front and one for the rear), Lockheed-type duplex brakes with 17-by-2-inch (432 mm × 51 mm) drums all round. An equaliser was fitted, which could avoid overbraking by changing the distribution of braking force between the front and rear brakes during driving. 5.50–18 racing crossply tyres were mounted on Alfa Romeo 18-inch Rudge-type wire wheels.

The Aerodinamica Spyder at the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed

The aerodynamic shape of the car was designed by Oscar Jankovits, probably inspired by contemporary aerodynamic theories such as Paul Jaray's,and built at the Jankovits' garage between 1935 and 1937. It was a barchetta with central driving position and fully integrated wings (pontoon styling). The bodyshell was streamlined to minimise turbulence in the air flow, fully enveloping the underbody and integrating door handles and lights. A horizontally mounted radiator made it possible to design an exceptionally low front profile for a pre-war car. Air inlets were positioned in zones of high air pressure, and hot air outlets from the engine and brakes in areas of low pressure. Top speed was in excess of 140 mph (225 km/h).

During the Second World War the completed prototype remained hidden in the Jankovits' garage in Fiume. After the war the Jankovits, in need of money, had to sell their car to an Anglo-American officer. On Christmas Eve 1946, with a temporary registration document, Gino Jankovits drove the Aerospyder through the closed border into Italy causing a border shootout. Then the Alfa disappeared for about 30 years until it was rediscovered in England. In 1978, well-known Alfa Romeo historian Luigi Fusi put the then-owner of the car in contact with the Jankovits, and tried to buy the car for the Alfa museum. The acquisition failed, but the prototype had been painted blue, and then green as this was the original colour. The car still has its original licence plate and registration documents.

1949 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Sport "Freccia d'Oro"

The 6C 2500 Freccia d'Oro (Golden Arrow) was the first postwar Alfa Romeo. 680 were built until 1951, with bodies by Alfa. The car was a Berlina bodystyle with 5–6 seats based on the 2500 Sport. It has a wheelbase of 3,000 millimetres (120 in) and it weighs 1,550 kilograms (3,420 lb).[44] With a 4-speed manual gearbox this 90 bhp (67 kW) car could achieve a top speed of 155 kilometres per hour (96 mph).

1949 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport Villa d'Este (Touring Superleggera) at the 2014 Lime Rock Concours d'Élegance.

The 6C 2500 Villa d'Este was introduced in 1949 as a Berlinetta with coachwork by Touring Superleggera of Milan. The Villa d'Este used the 6C 2500 Super Sport chassis with a 110 bhp six-cylinder, 2,443 cc engine. Alfa Romeo chose the name 'Villa d’Este' after this design won the Concorso d’Eleganza,[45] which was held at the historic resort on Lake Como in northern Italy. The 'Villa d'Este' was Alfa's last handbuilt model, with only 36 examples being built (including 5 cabriolets). 6C 2500 production ended in 1952 (although a couple of racing examples were produced in 1953).

Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Coloniale

The 6C 2500 Coloniale was a staff car version of the third series 6C 2500.[46] It was commissioned in 1938 by the Italian Ministry of Defence, for military use in the Italian colonies.[47] Two prototypes of the 6C 2500 Coloniale were manufactured in 1939. One of them was shipped to Italian East Africa, where Giambattista Guidotti[lower-alpha 1] had been instructed to conduct testing in the harsh operational conditions. The car was the first to be manufactured using technology developed by the renowned Carrozzeria Touring, the Superleggera. The car had two spare wheels, a fuel tank of 120 litres and four additional reserve tanks with a capacity of 70 litres of gasoline. In addition there was a locking differential, engaged from the dashboard by the driver. Regular production began in 1941 and the first batch of 150 vehicles was delivered between 1941 and 1942; production was then halted due to war events[47] Total production amounted to 150 series cars plus two prototypes.

The 6C 2500 Pinin Farina was manufactured during the Second World War until 1943, when Alfa Romeo manufacture was switched to the technical needs of the army. The vehicles of the 1943 build series had only their chassis and the transmission assembled on the factory production line; the bodywork and interior build being undertaken by the Italian design studio Pinin Farina.

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  1939 6C 2500 Cabriolet by Gebrüder Tüscher of Zurich. Chassis no: 913014
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  6C 2500 Super Sport Corsa, rebodied to Mille Miglia Spyder configuration by Conrad Stevenson.[48]
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  1939 6C 2500 Sport Castagna Berlinetta
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  6C 2500 Super Sport Pinin Farina Cabriolet
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  6C 2500 Super Sport Pinin Farina Berlinetta
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  1939 6C 2500 Sport Touring Superleggera Berlinetta
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  1948 6C 2500 Super Sport Touring Superleggera Berlinetta
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  1948 6C 2500 Competizione Berlinetta (bodied in-house)
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  1949 6C 2500 Super Sport 'Villa d'Este' Touring Superleggera Berlinetta
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  1949 6C 2500 Super Sport 'Villa d'Este' Touring Superleggera Berlinetta at the 2014 Mille Miglia.
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  1942–1946 6C 2500 Pinin Farina Cabriolet Speziale

In 1950 a 6C 3000 engine from the prototypes was tuned for racing and installed in a 6C 2500 Competizione, which became the 6C 3000 C50.[50] Being based on a 6C 2500 chassis, the car had a ladder frame with a 2.50 m (98 in) wheelbase, and a dry weight of 870 kg (1,918 lb).[50] Three twin-choke carburettors and a raised compression ratio brought the output of the three-litre straight six to 168 PS (124 kW).[50] This one-off racing car was entered at the 1950 Mille Miglia with number 740, driven by Sanesi and Bianchi; the car did not finish the race, as the two had to withdraw near Ferrara.[50]

Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 CM
Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 PR

The 6C 3000 CM spider of Museo Storico Alfa Romeo at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2009
Constructor	Alfa Romeo
Technical specifications[53]
Chassis	Tube spaceframe with backbone
Suspension (front)	Double wishbones, coil springs, hydraulic dampers, anti-roll bar
Suspension (rear)	De Dion tube, torque arms, coil springs, hydraulic dampers
Wheelbase	2.25 m (88.6 in) (CM) 2.20 m (86.6 in) (PR)
Engine	3,495 cc (213.3 cu in) (CM) 2,943 cc (179.6 cu in) (PR)
Transmission	5-speed, limited slip differential
Weight	960 kg (2,116.4 lb) (CM coupé) 930 kg (2,050.3 lb) (CM spider) 920 kg (2,028.3 lb) (PR)
Brakes	Hydraulic, drums, rears inboard
Competition history

In 1952 engine parts of the 6C 3000 were used again on the 6C 3000 CM—for Competizione Maggiorata or Competition Enlarged Displacement.

The powerplant comes from a project by Giuseppe Busso. It differed from its predecessor by still using several components of the 3-litre engine from the 6C 3000 prototype, but engine capacity was increased to 3,495 cc (213.3 cu in).

The chassis was a tube frame based around a centre backbone; suspension was by double wishbones and De Dion tube at the rear.[51] Six examples were built: four coupés and two spiders, bodied by Carrozzeria Colli.[51][54][55]

A coupé was driven by Juan Manuel Fangio and Giulio Sala to a second overall finish at the 1953 Mille Miglia.[51][56] For the Mille Miglia the engine had been tuned to put out 275 PS (202 kW).[51] Fangio was leading the race, but a problem with the steering forced him to slow down. Again with Fangio at the wheel, a spider won the 1st Gran Premio Supercortemaggiore held in Merano in 1953.[51]

1960 Alfa Romeo Superflow IV

With the end of its racing career, the 1953 Supercortemaggiore winner 6C 3000 CM spider was used by the Experimemtal Department of Alfa Romeo for testing new components. Amongst them were disc brakes, installed in 1955, which are still present today on this vehicle,[51] part of the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo collection.

The ex-1953 Mille Miglia coupé was given to Pinin Farina, and rebodied four times into four different show cars:[57]

• 1956: Alfa Romeo Superflow. Shown at the 1956 Turin Motor Show, coupé body with plexiglas front wings and tail fins.
• 1956: Alfa Romeo Superflow II. Shown at the 1956 Paris Motor Show, coupé body with steel wings and tail fins.
• 1959: Alfa Romeo Spider Super Sport. Shown at the 1959 Geneva Motor Show, roadster body without tail fins.
• 1960: Alfa Romeo Superflow IV. Shown at the 1960 Geneva Motor Show, coupé body without tail fins. The car survives today in this last configuration.

One of the two 6C 3000 CM spiders was modified to cope with the new rules of the International Sport Category, enacted in the 1954 season, which limited engine capacity to 3 litres.[52] The 3000 CM's 3.5-litre straight-six was de-stroked to 2,943 cc.[52] This car was renamed 6C 3000 PR, for Passo Ridotto or Reduced Wheelbase, as the wheelbase was shortened by 50 cm (19.7 in).[52][56] The 6C 3000 PR was entered at the 2nd Gran Premio Supercortemaggiore held at Monza in 1954, driven by Sanesi; the vehicle was written off in a crash, in which Sanesi was also injured.[52]