Description
Chassis number: 6C101014859
Engine No: 101014949
Documents: US title
Believed to be one of the few GTCs produced by Touring with a Coupé Royal body
Restored in Italy in the mid-30s by leading Alfa Romeo experts
Has been part of a well-known Italian collection for XNUMX years
Expertly maintained with recent recommissioning to keep it in top condition
The 6C 1750 Gran Turismo Compressore Series V, GTC for short, represents the penultimate evolution of the 6C 1750. The elegant, supercharged grand tourer, produced from 1931 to 1932, was born from an attempt to revive the 6C model line in the wake of the newly released and impressively sporty 8C 2300. It combined a detuned version of the more powerful 6C Gran Sport's 1.752 cubic centimeter supercharged engine – good for a claimed 80bhp – with a sleek, long-wheelbase chassis suitable for refined saloon bodies. The GTC's improved chassis included semi-elliptic springs, adjustable shock absorbers, larger brakes and axles and a gearbox derived from the 8C. With the higher specifications came a higher price. Wealthy customers carefully chose bodies for the chassis from the best coachbuilders, including Castagna, Touring, Zagato and others. Although not at the level of a true sports racer, the GTC was nevertheless eminently capable: two specially constructed, lightweight competition variants took part in the 1932 Mille Miglia, one of which finished fourth in the overall standings and the closed car production class won.
The example offered here appears to be the third to last of just 66 GTCs produced in 1931, based on its chassis number, and is believed to be one of the few ever fitted with Carrozzeria's sleek Coupé Royal body Touring. The two-door, four-seat body showed nascent aerodynamic principles, evident in the streamlined fenders, unusually curvaceous roof and sloping trunk, designed not for luggage but to store spare wheels without causing turbulence. Touring is said to have wistfully nicknamed his Coupé Royal body style “Fugientem Incurro Diem” – roughly translated from Latin and meaning “And time flies”.
The history of this GTC remains elusive before 1983, when Ugo Isgró of Silea, Treviso, Italy, purchased it from a gentleman from Turin. Isgró consulted with renowned bodywork restorer Dino Cognolato of Carrozzeria Nova Rinascente in Vigonza, Padua, to have the bodywork restored. Photos taken at the time show that the car is in very poor condition, even without an engine. Closer inspection revealed telltale signs – the single chrome trim on each door (at least one other known GTC Coupé Royal had three trim bars) and the running boards and front fenders showed signs of previous modifications – pointing to chassis number 101014859 possibly the two-tone GTC depicted in historic photographs of the 1931 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este. Said to have been built for an Italian marquis named Annibale Prosperini, the car, with its sleek silhouette and new, curved running boards that overlap the front fenders, captivated attendees and ultimately won his class.
Carrozzeria Nova Rinascente recommissioned the bodywork, including the expert reconstruction of the sloping trunk and restoration of the overlapping running boards and front fenders to the correct specifications. After completing the work in 1984, now beautifully finished in the striking yellow and black livery it wears to this day, Isgró sold the car to noted Alfa Romeo collector Umberto Genovese in 1985. He in turn commissioned the highly regarded Bonfanti Garage in Bassano del Grappa, Vicenza, to restore all mechanicals to full factory specifications. Shop owner and master restorer Gigi Bonfanti – hallowed in the halls of Alfa Romeo for his deep technical knowledge and abiding passion for the brand – would oversee all mechanical work, including sourcing and installing a correct, supercharged, 1.752 cubic centimeter inline, six-cylinder engine. Finally fully restored, both cosmetically and mechanically, the GTC remained in Genovese's collection for the next 30 years, continually maintained and serviced by Bonfanti Garage.
This cherished GTC, purchased by the current owner in 2015, is still lovingly maintained and driven economically. Before being imported into the United States in late 2016, Bonfanti Garage recommissioned several components, including the clutch and radiator. The sale is accompanied by copies of previous Italian registration documents, photos of the 80s restoration and maintenance invoices for work carried out under the current owner.
Although no documents have survived that definitively confirm that this car belonged to Marquis Prosperini, intensive research by marque experts points towards that conclusion. Regardless, as possibly the only surviving 6 1750C 1931 GTC Coupé Royal that has been restored to factory specifications, it represents a truly rare opportunity for the discerning Alfa Romeo enthusiast.
