1953 Alfa Romeo 1900C Coupé

Footnotes

Alfa Romeo's first all-new offering of the post-war period arrived from the 'Casa del Biscione' in May 1950 when a prototype was shown at the Turin Motor Show. Designed by Dr Orazio Satta Puliga and intended for volume production, the 1900 was the first Alfa to employ unitary construction and - in keeping with the company's sporting heritage - was powered by a twin-overhead-camshaft engine. A four-cylinder unit, the latter displaced 1,884cc and produced 90bhp, an output sufficient to propel the four-door saloon to 93mph.

Although ostensibly a humble family conveyance, the 1900 ('the family car that wins races') was endowed with sporting credentials which extended beyond its type of power unit, owners enjoying the benefits of wishbone and coil spring independent front suspension and an exceptionally well located live rear axle. It should have surprised nobody therefore, when the 1900's potential was realised in the form of two high performance derivatives. Launched in 1951, the 1900C (for Corto, meaning short chassis) Sprint featured bodywork by Pinin Farina (cabriolet) and Touring (coupé), both models utilising the 100bhp engine of the 1900TI sports saloon.

Carrozzeria Touring exhibited a prototype 1900C Sprint at Milan in 1951, with production of the 1st series commencing later that year. An immensely influential design, Touring's Sprint was designed to offer family-sized accommodation in a two-door sports coupé format and its heart-shaped vertical grille with flanking horizontal intakes would become an Alfa trademark on later models. Touring's design for the 1900C Sprint features delicately curved shapes and, thanks to the Superleggera patent, its weight was kept down to 1,000kg. Touring built three series: the model we offer here is one of the final 1st series cars and shows very few aesthetic differences from the 1951 prototype. Shortly after the Series 2 arrived in early 1954, the model was mildly restyled and upgraded as the Super Sprint, gaining a 1,975cc, 115bhp engine and five-speed gearbox. Production continued until 1959.

According to the Alfa Romeo Certificate of Origin, 'AR 1900 C 01486' was sold on 10th August 1953 in Ravenna, Italy. The body colour was Pearl Grey and it was identified as a 2/3-seater Touring coupé. In 2011 the current owner, a well-known collector from north-eastern Italy, bought the car. The 1900C Sprint was quite complete but in need of a complete restoration, which was later carried out under the watchful eye of the owner and with careful attention to detail. A complete dossier shows that all the stages of the restoration process were carried out in a highly professional manner. Several invoices document some of the expenses.

Today, the 1900C Sprint is in excellent condition: finished in an elegant grey-green metallic colour, it features a beige cloth and red vinyl interior. After the engine break-in, it has been tuned and the car is now ready to be driven any distance. This beautiful 1900C is eligible to participate in the most important classic car events and is sure to attract favourable attention at the 'most beautiful race in the world': the Mille Miglia.