Eligible for the Mille Miglia
1928 Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 Spider Corto

• Delivered new in Argentina
• Fitted with the great Vittorio Jano in-line 6
• Important history file

"The 1750, and for that matter the 1500... must be among the finest ever made both from the point of view of engineering and driver satisfaction."- Michael Frostick, Alfa-Romeo-Milano.
It was Enzo Ferrari, no less, who persuaded Vittorio Jano to leave FIAT's racing department and join him at Alfa Romeo. One of the most gifted and influential automobile engineers of all time, Jano would not only supervise Alfa Romeo's Grand Prix racing programme but also design its road cars. This happy state of affairs resulted in the latter emerging as some of the most exciting of their day, establishing the Milanese marque's reputation for producing sporting drivers' cars second to none.
Jano arrived at Alfa in 1923 and by the following year had produced one of the most fabulous racing automobiles of all time: the legendary P2. As well as bringing Alfa much valuable publicity by virtue of its outstanding Grand Prix successes, the P2 provided the basis for Jano's first production model. Announced in 1925 but not produced for another two years, the 6C 1500 was designed as a fast touring car combining light weight with sparkling performance. The latter was achieved courtesy of a 1,487cc inline six-cylinder engine based on the P2's straight eight and producing 44bhp in single-overhead-camshaft Normale form. The cylinder head was non-detachable, being cast in one piece with the cylinder block, and a four-blade fan was driven from the front of the camshaft via a friction clutch. The crankshaft ran in five main bearings and also drove, via a cross-shaft, the water pump and dynamo. Two chassis lengths were offered: 4,052mm (wheelbase 3,100mm) for six- or seven-seater coachwork, or 3,822mm (wheelbase 2,900mm) for four-seaters.
Twin-overhead-camshaft Sport and supercharged Super Sport models followed, the latter being the first of its type to feature the classic open two-seater coachwork by Zagato that is forever associated with sporting Vintage-era Alfas. The 1500's competition career, aided by its mechanical longevity, extended far beyond its production, which ceased in 1929 on the arrival of the 6C 1750.

This Alfa Romeo 1500 is a rare model with a short chassis, number 0110910, and appears to have been ordered by Juan A. Roccatagliata (Concesionario Exclusivo para la Argentina & Uruguay) according to an invoice available in the file. We are unfortunately unable to confirm that it relates to this car. It was then purchased new in 1928 by one Mr Pertoni, in Argentina. We then pick up its trail, still in Argentina, during the 1970s, in the hands of Cacho Pieres, president of the CAC (Club de Automóviles Clásicos). It was during this period that the coachwork was modified, keeping the original front portion, but opting for a sportier rear, coupled with a dickey seat. In 1996, it was acquired by Albrecht Guggisberg, who imported it to Europe, before it passed into the hands of Henri Lalanne, the well-known Bugatti collector. The latter then apparently passed it on to Pur Sang Argentina in exchange for another car, in order for it to be used as the model for the South American artisan's creations. It was in fact Cristian Bertschi, a pre-war Alfa Romeo specialist from the South American automobile scene, who came across it in around 2006 in the Pur Sang atelier, partially dismantled but complete and in good condition. On 27 January 2009, Pur Sang sold it and it was registered on 6 July 2010 to Pablo Marcelo Villanueva. Thus, in October 2011, the car was exhibited at AutoClásica San Isidro, in Buenos Aires. On 28 September 2012, Mr Villanueva sold the Alfa Romeo to Alberto Mieres, a relative of the Formula 1 driver Roberto Mieres, who completed some cosmetic work before taking part in the Club Automóviles Clásicos Desafío Vintage on 9 July 2015.
It was in 2017 that the 6C was imported to Europe, more precisely to Trieste, where it took part, still in the hands of Alberto Mieres, in various local rallies. Mieres eventually parted with the car in 2018, selling it to Dutch specialist, The Houtkamp Collection. It was from the latter that the current owner acquired the 6C.
Today, the car bears the elegant but sporty coachwork of a roadster with a fold-down windscreen, in the style of James Young. It is fitted with engine 0110882, which, according to what is known of the car's history, was installed by Mr Pieres in the early 1970s. The engine is fitted with an S.U. carburettor, but the car is sold with a spare standard Zenith carburettor. Most of the numbers cast on the car's various parts appear to match Alfa Romeo's original fonts: 000110910 on the rear of the chassis, 60-0110882 on the rear left engine mount, 0120869 on the clutch housing, 882 on the bonnet frame, 015891 on the steering casing, 0160001 on the front axle, NR12781 on the gear stick mount. Lastly, and to improve its ease of use, this 6C was also fitted with a modern electric starter.
This is a rare opportunity to acquire one of the milestones of Italian automobile history, a real short-chassis 6C from 1928, eligible for many races, notably the Mille Miglia. It will be sold with a file of historical documentation, its FIVA identity card, its European customs clearance documents, and its Argentinean registration documents.