One of
the most valuable lots set to go under the hammer at
Coys Legende et Passion at the Espace Fontvieille
in Monaco later on this afternoon will be a 1931 Alfa
Romeo 6C 2500S that was delivered from new to famous
pre-war privateer racer Count Trossi and which is
clothed with original Touring bodywork. Lot number 226,
which has a fascinating history along with a painstaking
restoration where the search for originality was
paramount, is estimated by Coys to be set to fetch
around 350,000-400,000 euros.
The
story of this car starts back in 1931 when Alfa Romeo
released its new 2.3 litre supercharged straight eight
engined 8C 2300. Three series were produced from 1931 to
1934. The racing cars of this type were known as Monzas
after their first successes at the famous Italian
circuit. In 1934 the 6C 2300 was introduced. This was an
all new design, unlike all Jano’s previous designs which
were traceable back to the P2.
The 8C 2900s of the later 1930s used detuned 2900
Monoposto engines and were some of the fastest
production cars of their day. Jano was replaced at Alfa
Romeo by Trevisan, who developed the 6C 2300 into the 6C
2500. This continued in production (in ever smaller
volumes) throughout World War Two. Production continued
until 1950 when the new 1900 saloon was introduced. The
6C 2500 is in many eyes the ultimate development of the
classic age of Alfa Romeo, being the final incarnation
of one of the greatest models by Vittorio Jano, the
greatest engineer of his time. The Alfa Romeo factory
team also ran a team of 6C 2500 Spyders on the 1940
Mille Miglia.
This car was delivered to Count Trossi, a significant
private entrant of Alfa Romeos in European events and
also an owner of an Alfa Romeo Touring Berlinetta,
amongst others. Count Trossi, ‘Didi’ to his friends, was
of an old Italian banking family. He was the second
president of Enzo Ferrari’s racing team and came in
second in the 1933 Mille Miglia, as well as competing
with some success in several other races and Grand Prix
before the war. He died in 1949.
A copy of the estratto cronologico, issued by the Reale
Automobile Club d’Italia, sheet number 12098, confirms
Count Trossi of Gaglianico as the first owner of chassis
915041 at a price of 79,500 Italian Lire. A later,
post-war estratto cronologico, issued by the Bologna
office of the Reale Automobile Club d’Italia, confirms
that this very car was sold to Luigi (Gigi) Platé on
11th October 1946. Gigi Platé was a very successful
racing driver, and it is believed that he used chassis
915041 for various local events, competing against such
legends as Franco Cortese, who competed a record 14
times in the Mille Miglia.
One of Platé’s successes was a respectable 4th in the
over 1,100 cc class at the 1946 Circuito di Luino race,
which was won by Cortese in his Lancia Astura. By the
1950s the car was in regular road use with a new Swiss
owner, a certain Mr Heinrich Saredi of Küssnacht am Rigi,
at the wheel. It changed hands again, passing to Mr
Alois Peyer of the same town; both owners are documented
in an official statement from the Swiss Generalstab. The
car remained in Switzerland until the 1980s, when it was
owned by a Mr Tognazzo and also a Mr Meyer.
The restoration of the car began at the start of the
1990s. As the car’s original body had been lost by the
late 1950s, the restoration was completed with the
re-clothing of the rebuilt chassis using an original
Touring body from another 6C, a Tipo 256 Corsa Spyder.
This body was located in South America, having been
removed and saved when the Tipo 256 was re-bodied in the
early post-war years. Copies of photographs when the
body arrived from South America are on file, and
additional louvres cut into the front can still be seen
on the car today. The body was carefully restored before
being fitted in 1999 and the result of this search for
authenticity is a car which, as well as having all
correct major chassis components, also carries the
original Touring body of a sister car. Following this
amazingly painstaking rebuild the car stunned spectators
when it made its post-restoration debut on the 2000
Mille Miglia retrospective.
The original Touring lines, being amongst the most
stylish of pre-war designs, still generate a reaction
with their flowing style and aerodynamic references.
This important pre-war Alfa Romeo is mentioned in the
authoritative book on the subject, Alfa Romeo 2500 6C by
Angelo Tito Anselmi. Finished in a dark shade of racing
red with a light tan leather interior, this car offers
stunning levels of both style and performance for a
pre-war design and would be very suitable for another
running of the Mille Miglia as well as many prestigious
events around the world. It is being offered this
afternoon along with current, British-issued FIA papers
and various documentation.
