1954 Alfa Romeo 1900C Coupe, Coachwork by Pinin Farina

1954 Alfa Romeo 1900C Coupe
Coachwork by Pinin Farina
Chassis no. AR1900C.01647
Engine no. AR1308.00648
1,884cc DOHC Inline 4-Cylinder Engine
Single Twin-choke Weber Carburetor
100bhp at 5,500rpm
4-Speed Manual Transmission
Coil Spring Suspension
4-Wheel Hydraulic Alfin Drum Brakes

*Desirable 1900 'Corto' Coupe in elegant Pinin Farina design
*Just over 29,700 kilometers from new and one owner for nearly 50 years
*Recent sympathetic refurbishment performed
*Eligible for the most exclusive events, including the Mille Miglia

THE ALFA ROMEO 1900

Alfa Romeo's first all-new offering of the post-war period arrived in 1950. Designed by Dr. Orazio Satta Puliga and intended for volume production, the 1900 was the first Alfa to employ unitary construction and - in keeping with the company's sporting heritage - was powered by a twin-overhead-camshaft engine. A four-cylinder unit, the latter displaced 1,884cc and produced 90bhp, an output sufficient to propel the four-door saloon to 93mph.

Although ostensibly a humble family conveyance, the 1900 was endowed with sporting credentials which extended beyond its type of power unit, owners enjoying the benefits of wishbone and coil spring independent front suspension and an exceptionally well located live rear axle. It should have surprised nobody therefore, when the 1900's potential was realized in the form of two high performance derivatives. Launched in 1951, the 1900 Sprint featured bodywork by Pinin Farina (Cabriolet) and Touring (Coupe), both models utilizing the 100bhp engine of the 1900TI sports saloon.

An immensely influential design, Touring's Sprint was designed to offer family-sized accommodation in a two-door sports Coupe format and its heart-shaped vertical grille with flanking horizontal intakes would become an Alfa trademark on later models. Shortly after the Series 2 arrived in early 1954, the model was mildly restyled and upgraded as the Super Sprint, gaining a 1,975cc, 115bhp engine and five-speed gearbox.

Although commissioned to produce the factory's official cabriolet model, Pinin Farina also built coupés on the 1900 Sprint chassis. According to the seminal book 'Millenove' by H-J Döhren, only 100 examples of the stunningly beautiful Pinin Farina coupé were built on the short 1900 Sprint chassis between 1952 and 1953. Although its coupé featured a steel body, as opposed to the Touring Superleggera design with its aluminum panels over a tubular steel supporting structure, Pinin Farina used weight saving methods in its design, employing steel panels with a thickness of just 0.7 mm, while the bonnet, boot lid and dashboard were all aluminum. As a result, the much rarer Pinin Farina 1900 coupé weighs just 50kg more than the Touring variant, enough for a very lively performance from the 100bhp engine, the top speed claimed being a very respectable 180km/h (111mph).

THE MOTORCAR OFFERED

This exquisite example of the elegant Pinin Farina designed and built 1900 Corto - chassis no. 01647 - boasts a well-documented history and well-preserved condition throughout. According to a letter on file from Mr. Peter Marshall - the 1900 model registrar of the UK Alfa Romeo Owners Club - 01647 was completed about the 10th car from the end in the built sequence. Mr. Marshal further points out, that just 37 examples are known to exist today, and that the example on offer here does indeed retain its original, matching numbers engine. According to Mr. Marshall, 01647 was purchased new by Lady Moira Forbes, an American heiress who was the wife of Count Theo Rossi di Montelera of the Martini & Rosso family. 01647 would remain in this ownership until 1956, when it was purchased by Mr. Augusto Vessetti, a gentleman who's occupation is believed to have been engineer at the Pinin Farina factory. Mr. Vessetti would keep the sporting Alfa Romeo for about a decade, before selling it to Mr. Maurizio Minuto. Mr. Minuto - a car dealer of trade - would intended on preserving the rare Alfa Romeo, as opposed to driving it, and the car would remain in his ownership until 2015, at which point it had just over 29,400 kms on the odometer - a figure that is documented to be original in form of a letter from Mr. Minuto.

In the previous ownership, the Pinin Farina Alfa Romeo was given a thorough yet sympathetic restoration, where great care was taken to not disturb the originality of the car. The work performed included addressing various mechanical and cosmetic aspects of the car. The impressive history file includes receipts from this work, Peter Marchalls report on the car, copies of the old Automobile Club d'Italia records, FIVA Identity Card and period Alfa Romeo 1900 paraphernalia. Additionally, a period tool kit is offered with the sale of the car.

While in the consignor's ownership - a Southern California based European sports car enthusiast with a taste of the finest models available anywhere - 01647 has toured the West Coast Concours circuit with excellent results, including a 1st in Class Award at the 2017 Carmel Concours on the Avenue during the Monterey car week, and most recently at the 2017 Palos Verdes Concours, where yet another 1st in Class Award was given to the Blue Pinin Farina Coupe. With just 29,744 kilometers recorded on the odometer at the time of cataloguing - a figure indeed believed to be the actual mileage since new - this sporting Corto Alfa Romeo 1900 must be among the most genuine examples of the rare breed. The car is beautifully presented on glistening Borrani chrome wire wheels shod on period Michelin X tires, and offers and entry to the most discerning concours and driving events globally, such as the Mille Miglia Storica or Colorado Grand. The beautifully proportioned Pinin Farina Coupe coachwork matches the size and chassis layout of the 1900 Corto perfectly, and the torquey dual overhead cam engine offers plenty of power. The large Alfin drum brakes are competition derived, and the coil spring suspension will ensure great road holding on twisty mountain roads. Here is a chance to acquire a rare, coachbuilt Italian marvel, form one of the most romantic periods of motoring.