Description
1949 ALFA ROMEO 6C 2500 SS CABRIOLET
COACHWORK BY PININ FARINA
CHASSIS NUMBER. 915.870
- One of only 63 short chassis built
- Delivered new in Sicily, resold in Sicily (1955) Rediscovered in 2003 and on to Switzerland
- Classic Pinin Farina style
- Right handlebar
“The current Alfa Romeo hides as beautiful a chassis as ever with independent four-wheel suspension and a six-cylinder with double overhead camshaft without supercharger…” – The Autocar, July 11, 1947.
The Portello factory, destroyed by wartime bombing, only resumed car production in 1946 with, inevitably, a pre-war handover, the 6C 2500 in several new guises that formed the basis of the Milanese brand's post-war recovery. Destined to be the last of the Alfas with a separate chassis, the 2500 debuted in 1939 and was a development of the previous 2300. Internally styled but heavily influenced by Touring, the five-seater Freccia d'Oro (Golden Arrow) sport sedan was built alongside coupe and convertible versions with bodies from Pinin Farina, Touring and Ghia, plus a six- or seven-seater Berlina on a longer wheelbase.
The Alfa tradition of building drivers' cars par excellence was continued by the 2500, because although the box section chassis was no longer state-of-the-art, it had fully independent suspension, generous brakes, quick-acting steering and an unusually smooth column-mounted gear selector. The engine was of course the latest version of Alfa's race-developed double overhead camshaft 'six', its 2.443 cc displacement achieved by increasing the bore of the 2300. Maximum power ranged from 90 hp in the Sport with single carburetor disguise to 105 hp in the Super Sport with three carburetors. Significantly lighter than the sedan, the latter could easily exceed 100 mph. The short wheelbase Super Sport (SS) chassis was produced until 1951, when 383 were produced. Most of these custom, hand-built cars were produced by Touring as Superleggera coupes, while the rest were given convertible bodies by Pinin Farina.
This Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS has a two-seater convertible bodywork by Carrozzeria Pinin Farina. The late 6s was a period of exceptional creativity for Pinin Farina, the 2500C 6 chassis, especially the Super Sport version, giving the Italian maestro the freedom to experiment with new lines and design solutions. Indeed, a 2500C 1 SS with a body similar to this car took 1949st place at the Villa d'Este competition in XNUMX.
