Description
THE ALFA ROMEO 1750 GTC
The sporting career of the 6C 1750 GTC model included a victory in the sedan class in the 1931 Mille Miglia (Minoia). Their mechanical lifespan extends well beyond production, which ceased in 1933.
During the 1920s and 1930s there were two coachbuilders with whom Alfa Romeo had the closest ties, Zagato and Touring, both of Milan. As the brand developed, it was these companies that could best interpret the chassis, and during this period they dressed the cars leaving the nearby factories with the most beautiful bodywork, akin to art forms of elegance. Touring has done very few “Coupe Royale” bodies on the 6c1750 GTC chassis of which this may be the only original survivor – the history of which has been known since 1949.
Chassis 101014832 is a 5th series car that was delivered as the 32nd car built in 1931 and was one of only 66 examples delivered that year, in a three-year production run of 159 units. It is known to have been sold new in its home country, where it survived the war years, first appearing in collector circles in October 1949 when it was imported into the UK and registered KXO 590. An old advertisement on file shows it in much the same form as today offered for sale through Character Cars of Wimbledon for the princely sum of £625 towards the end of 1950, a very high price for the period. According to the sales pitch, it has recently been “repainted, reupholstered and the brightwork replated.” Interestingly, that 1950 ad shows the car fitted with a rearward sloping 8c style radiator, as fitted today.
A chain of British owners followed, Arthur Finch between 1961 and 1962; John Cameron from 1963 to 1970 and possibly afterwards the famous collector and racer Hamish Moffatt. In 1983 it returned to Italy to join the Medici Brothers' collection for a short time, before entering the long-term custody of noted collector Alfredo Celli, who would keep the car for almost 30 years. At that time it was registered with the Automotoclub Storico Italiano and received a FIVA passport.
In 1995 it was a little tired and it was decided to treat it to a refresh, an exercise that led to a complete restoration. The owner was able to call on the services of Carlo Felice Bianchi Anderloni, the second generation of Touring's founder. In the course of the process it was revealed that the convertible top which had been sealed in a closed configuration for some time in the post-1950 period was indeed to be fully convertible and was returned to its original drophead Coupe Royale form.
The bodywork and cosmetics were entrusted to the esteemed workshops of Dino Cognolato, who converted the bodywork to reveal the original royal blue and black livery that the car now wears again. While the mechanical aspects were handled by respected engineer Gianni Torelli, whose versatile skills can handle the extremes of high-revving Italian twin-cam sub 1 liter engines, right up to the gargantuan Bugatti Royale of over a dozen liters.
The completion of this work took place in 1996, after which it was first exhibited at the then popular Louis Vuitton Classic in the Parc de Bagatelle in Paris, where its condition was immediately appreciated with a class victory of the 'Grandes Classiques des Années 20 & 30'.
After two more decades in Italian ownership, during which it continued to be displayed and enjoyed some nine years ago, it was put up for sale, and the Alfa arrived in the sympathetic hands of a well-known connoisseur and long-time 'Alfisti' in the UK Kingdom, of which it is offered today. Being an enthusiast of the brand and familiar with the aesthetics of these cars, he opted to return to the canted radiator version more common on the 8-cylinder cars, although the Celli-mounted upright original GTC radiator was the car accompanies.
Usability and reliability have benefited from work in the UK by Jim Stokes Workshops (upgraded oil and water pumps and carburettor jet conversion) and Neil Twyman Racing Ltd (re-wringing and re-commissioning). A longer rear axle ratio (3,9:1 from an 8C) is fitted instead of the 5:1, and the car travels very easily above the UK legal limit of 70mph, with a remarkable top speed of around 90mph, all that time manageable and docile for normal road use in modern traffic.
An owner wanting more competitive performance can opt for the engine upgrade now available from Jim Stokes Workshops, where 1750 engines now produce power comparable to that of the 8c in that period. But the engine is equipped with all original parts, including the correct Memini carburetor. Gearbox conversions from JSWL are also available to avoid the double declutching of the original.
Although it has a surprisingly modest capacity for a chassis of this caliber, thanks to its supercharger it was deemed to provide more than adequate performance for modern traffic, almost 90 years after it was produced. Judging by his performance and confidence in the car, after significant delays in shipping the car to the US earlier this year, the owner had no hesitation in simply driving the Alfa off the Savannah ship and straight to Amelia Island. That trip was covered in mostly torrential rain, but the car 'didn't miss a beat', covering the 130 miles in as many minutes!
This supercharged Grand Touring supercharged Alfa Romeo offers a wide range of driving options, from the Concours lawns to long-distance touring, or the Mille Miglia in a comfortable, fully convertible form and inimitable style. As Luigi Fusi noted in his reference book on the brand: “This car was in high demand by an elite of amateurs who liked comfort combined with sporty touring characteristics.” Or as Henry Ford is said to have said: “If an Alfa Romeo passes by, I raise my hat”!
