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A rare 1950
Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Coupé with bodywork by Ghia and a
unique tubular chassis crafted by 'Gilco Milano' will be
one of the star lots at Bonhams Automobiles
d'Exception á Rétromobile, which will take place on
23 January during this year's edition of the Rétromobile
Salon at the Porte de Versailles in Paris. Estimates put
the price of this distinctive Alfa Romeo at around
250,000-280,000 euros.
Its Portello
factory devastated by wartime bombing, Alfa Romeo did not
resume car production until 1946 with, inevitably, a pre-war
carry-over, the 6C 2500 in a variety of new guises forming
the basis of the Milanese marque's post-war recovery.
Destined to be the last of the separate-chassis Alfas, the
2500 had debuted in 1939 and was a development of the
preceding 2300. Styled in-house, but strongly influenced by
Touring, the streamlined five-seater Freccia d'Oro (Golden
Arrow) sports saloon was built alongside coupé and cabriolet
versions featuring bodies by the likes of Pinin Farina,
Touring and Ghia, plus a six/seven-seater berlina on a
longer wheelbase.
The engine was, of course, the latest version of Alfa's
race-developed double-overhead-camshaft 'six', its 2,443cc
displacement having been arrived at by enlarging the bore of
the 2300. Introduced in 1934, the latter had been designed
by the legendary Vittorio Jano and was later developed by
Bruno Treviso, becoming the 2500 in 1939. Maximum power
ranged from 90bhp in single-carburettor Sport guise to
105bhp in the triple-carb Super Sport (SS) version.
The Alfa Romeo tradition of building driver's cars par
excellence was upheld by the 2500, for although the standard
box-section chassis was no longer state-of-the-art, it
nevertheless boasted all-independent suspension,
generously-sized brakes, fast-geared steering and an
unusually slick, column-mounted gearchange.
The latter enabled Alfa Romeo to claim the model was a full
five-seater, with three passengers accommodated in the front
and two - three at a pinch - in the rear. For all its
race-bred charm, the 6C 2500 represented Alfa Romeo's past
rather than its future, nevertheless standing the company in
good stead until the arrival of the thoroughly modern 1900
model in 1950. Production of it continued through until
1953, by which time a little fewer than 2,200 of these
handsome automobiles had been made, with 458 of them to
Super Sport specification.
This well-known Alfa Romeo carries exclusivity and exquisite
condition to its credit, being a finely restored example of
only four 'Supergioiello' or 'jewel' coupes, built by Ghia
in 1950. Better still, of the 4 that were built, 3 were
constructed on the standard Alfa Romeo chassis, while this
was the only constructed on a more advanced and distinctly
post-war tubular chassis manufactured by Gilco Milano. Those
that are not familiar with this company will no doubt know
the name of its proprietor, the company name being an
abbreviation of his names – Gilberto Columbo. Columbo would
of course go on to be one of the leading figures in
designing and building Ferrari and Maserati chassis through
the Fifties.
The original 1950 order for the car came from SIRCA, Milan's
largest car distributor in those days, who requested that
Gilco build chassis 64251 with this special frame to
accommodate the 6C running gear with all correct Alfa Romeo
6C 2500SS mechanical components. It has long been suggested
that the car was built to be given as a gift to Fangio, but
this appears to be hearsay rather something substantiated
firmly.
By the late 1950s the car had found its way into England
where it was discovered decades later in the early 1990s in
unrestored condition. From 1995 to 1998 an exhaustive
restoration ensued, some 5,800 hours of work being required
to return the car to its former glory and to the magnificent
order in which it remains today. That work is charted
through documents and photographs.
Presented in
blue livery with light grey leather interior, the stunning
result has been well appreciated ever since, particularly at
concours level. Most notably it recorded a class win, and
second prize overall at the Villa d'Este in 2001. It arrived
in a private collection of English and Italian Sports Cars
in 2006, since when it has been carefully stored, but not
actively used. On file are details of the restoration, its
former British log book and copy of the original chassis
drawing. Certainly one of the most elegant and unique cars
of immediate post-war era, this beautiful Ghia Alfa would be
at home once again on the concours circuit or could
theoretically campaign the Mille Miglia, its model having
run in the event in 1949.
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