To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' Monterey
event, 15 - 17 August 2019.
Estimate:
$275,000 - $350,000
- Superb example of Touring's esteemed five-window coupe
- Known history since new; retains its matching numbers
engine
- Fully restored and ideal for vintage touring
- Includes FIVA A2 passport
Designed by Dr. Orazio Satta Puliga and intended for volume
production, the 1900 was the first Alfa Romeo to employ unitary
construction. In keeping with the company's sporting heritage, it
was powered by a twin-overhead-camshaft, four-cylinder engine.
Launched in 1951, the 1900 Sprint featured cabriolet coachwork by
Pinin Farina or a coupe body by Touring. Both models utilized the
100 bhp engine of the 1900 TI sports sedan. In 1954, Alfa Romeo
updated its successful 1900 model line with a more powerful version
of the dual-overhead-cam inline four-cylinder motor.
For the short-chassis 1900C, this refresh resulted in the
competition-worthy Super Sprint, which has evolved into one of the
most collectable of the 1900 iterations. Revered for its
lightweight construction, performance capabilities, and classic
Carrozzeria Touring design, it is the embodiment of classic
post-war design in the great Italian grand touring tradition.
This 1900C Super Sprint coupe was delivered to its first owner on
11 January 1956, a Mr. Colombo of Pinerolo, near Turin, Italy. He
would retain ownership until 1982. It then passed through the hands
of several collectors in Holland over the next few decades before
being acquired by a Mr. Bacchi, who returned the Alfa Romeo to
Italy in 2010. Mr. Bacchi performed a comprehensive, authentic, and
detailed restoration with the goal of creating a beautiful but
reliable car for touring throughout Europe.
The current owner has enjoyed the fruits of Mr. Bacchi's labor by
using the car in several vintage automotive events, including the
Nuvolari and Terra Canossa Rallye in recent years, and reports the
Alfa Romeo proved to be both extremely reliable and a pleasure to
operate. Most recently, the 1900 was accepted as a participant in
the 2019 Pebble Beach Motoring Classic; it will be arriving in
Monterey after completing that event.
Featuring Touring's typically graceful, handcrafted aluminum
Superleggera coachwork that is finished splendidly in the striking
hue of Rosso Amaranto Vinaccia, this classic Alfa Romeo would make
an elegant, exciting, and purposeful addition to any
collection.
RM Sotheby's is pleased to confirm that this car retains its
matching numbers engine per FCA Heritage.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/mo19.