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Auction archive: Lot number 246•

From the Estate of the late John J. Dalessandro 1955 Alfa Romeo 1900C Super Sprint Berlinetta Coachwork by Zagato Chassis no. AR1900C02056 Engine no. AR 00204-00914 (see text)

Estimate
US$0
Price realised:
US$557,000
Auction archive: Lot number 246•

From the Estate of the late John J. Dalessandro 1955 Alfa Romeo 1900C Super Sprint Berlinetta Coachwork by Zagato Chassis no. AR1900C02056 Engine no. AR 00204-00914 (see text)

Estimate
US$0
Price realised:
US$557,000
Beschreibung:

There are few more exciting combinations of names in the field of sports cars than Alfa Romeo together with Zagato. From the earliest days of the Alfa brand, the local coachbuilder was in touch with the demands of Alfas clientele and from their hallowed establishment exquisitely proportioned sports two seaters graced many of the pre-war 6 and 8 cylinder cars with which sporting achievement became synonymous. Into the Fifties and Zagato continued the trend with a select series of exquisite berlinettas, they were clearly back on form. The underpinnings were Alfa’s renowned 1900C Super Sprint. Design of the post-war Alfa Romeos was entrusted to Orazio Satta who embarked upon a systematic evaluation of vehicle dynamics directed at minimizing mass and aerodynamic resistance and maximizing roadholding and handling. The result of Satta’s design philosophy and systematic refinement of design parameters was the Alfa Romeo 1900. The 1900 debuted in late 1950 as a 4-door saloon, of unit body design which employed parallel A-arm front suspension and a lightweight live rear axle with coil springs and tubular shocks. In this form it was powered by a 1,884cc iron block, aluminum head, dual overhead camshaft, four-cylinder engine making a modest 80 horsepower when introduced, but the Alfa Romeo 1900’s performance credentials were soon endorsed with the 100 horsepower 1900C which Italian coachbuilders quickly recognized as the ideal basis for low production and individual custom coupé and spyder bodies. Further performance development brought the 1900 to its ultimate specification with 1,975cc and 115 horsepower, the 1900C Super Sprint and 1900 T.I. There can be no denying that Touring and Pinin Farina also created desirable coupés and cabriolets, but the ultimate Alfa Romeo 1900Cs were the few, select, Zagato cars. Intended for racing, only 39 “esse esse zetas” were built. Their aerodynamic efficiency and light weight extracted the maximum from Alfa’s 1900 design and the 1955 Alfa Romeo 1900C Super Sprint Zagato Competition Berlinetta offered here has been described as one of the finest examples of this exclusive high performance Alfa Romeo in existence. Originally delivered to racing cyclist Mario Binda in Milan on 5th August 1955, chassis ‘02056’ was soon exported to the USA where by 1961 it was owned by one J C Edwards in California. At this time the engine block and cylinder head were replaced with Alfa Romeo 2000 equivalents, before the car was acquired by Jay Jacobs and then Philip Musser of Pt. Richmond. In the late 1980s well-known Alfa Romeo connoisseur Said Marouf purchased ‘02056’ for his world class Alfa collection, entrusting it to multiple trophy winning restorers Paolo and Nino Epifani in Berkeley (CA) for a complete rebuild to the highest standards. Chassis ‘02056’ was displayed at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 1990 where it achieved third place in its class against the most intense competition in the world. Little used subsequently, it was acquired from Mr Marouf via Brooks/Bonhams by the former Dutch owner in January 2001 with only 2,000 post-restoration km showing on its odometer. Upon re-importation to Europe ‘02056’ was stripped and repainted in deep Burgundy red by Fabio Calligaris in Milan and the original 1900 Super Sprint Abarth exhaust system was restored. The car was twice displayed at the Palace Het Loo Concours where it won the Alfa Romeo class in 2003 and at the Schwetzingen European Concours in 2003 where it was the winner of the post-war Alfa Romeo class. In 2005 it was an invited participant in the 2005 Concorso di Eleganza at Villa d’Este. While in its previous ownership, its former owner a noted connoisseur of the marque once commented to Bonhams that “The car’s handling is light and predictable, completely different from the much heavier feeling Touring bodied cars. The suspension is very well set up: sporty but comfortable. One can drive the car all day, even on the highway. The lighter weight is

Auction archive: Lot number 246•
Auction:
Datum:
14 Aug 2009
Auction house:
Bonhams London
Carmel, Quail Lodge Quail Lodge's West Field 7000 Valley Greens Drive (at Rancho San Carlos Rd) Carmel CA 93923 Tel: +1 415 391 4000 Fax : +1 415 391 4040 motors.us@bonhams.com
Beschreibung:

There are few more exciting combinations of names in the field of sports cars than Alfa Romeo together with Zagato. From the earliest days of the Alfa brand, the local coachbuilder was in touch with the demands of Alfas clientele and from their hallowed establishment exquisitely proportioned sports two seaters graced many of the pre-war 6 and 8 cylinder cars with which sporting achievement became synonymous. Into the Fifties and Zagato continued the trend with a select series of exquisite berlinettas, they were clearly back on form. The underpinnings were Alfa’s renowned 1900C Super Sprint. Design of the post-war Alfa Romeos was entrusted to Orazio Satta who embarked upon a systematic evaluation of vehicle dynamics directed at minimizing mass and aerodynamic resistance and maximizing roadholding and handling. The result of Satta’s design philosophy and systematic refinement of design parameters was the Alfa Romeo 1900. The 1900 debuted in late 1950 as a 4-door saloon, of unit body design which employed parallel A-arm front suspension and a lightweight live rear axle with coil springs and tubular shocks. In this form it was powered by a 1,884cc iron block, aluminum head, dual overhead camshaft, four-cylinder engine making a modest 80 horsepower when introduced, but the Alfa Romeo 1900’s performance credentials were soon endorsed with the 100 horsepower 1900C which Italian coachbuilders quickly recognized as the ideal basis for low production and individual custom coupé and spyder bodies. Further performance development brought the 1900 to its ultimate specification with 1,975cc and 115 horsepower, the 1900C Super Sprint and 1900 T.I. There can be no denying that Touring and Pinin Farina also created desirable coupés and cabriolets, but the ultimate Alfa Romeo 1900Cs were the few, select, Zagato cars. Intended for racing, only 39 “esse esse zetas” were built. Their aerodynamic efficiency and light weight extracted the maximum from Alfa’s 1900 design and the 1955 Alfa Romeo 1900C Super Sprint Zagato Competition Berlinetta offered here has been described as one of the finest examples of this exclusive high performance Alfa Romeo in existence. Originally delivered to racing cyclist Mario Binda in Milan on 5th August 1955, chassis ‘02056’ was soon exported to the USA where by 1961 it was owned by one J C Edwards in California. At this time the engine block and cylinder head were replaced with Alfa Romeo 2000 equivalents, before the car was acquired by Jay Jacobs and then Philip Musser of Pt. Richmond. In the late 1980s well-known Alfa Romeo connoisseur Said Marouf purchased ‘02056’ for his world class Alfa collection, entrusting it to multiple trophy winning restorers Paolo and Nino Epifani in Berkeley (CA) for a complete rebuild to the highest standards. Chassis ‘02056’ was displayed at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 1990 where it achieved third place in its class against the most intense competition in the world. Little used subsequently, it was acquired from Mr Marouf via Brooks/Bonhams by the former Dutch owner in January 2001 with only 2,000 post-restoration km showing on its odometer. Upon re-importation to Europe ‘02056’ was stripped and repainted in deep Burgundy red by Fabio Calligaris in Milan and the original 1900 Super Sprint Abarth exhaust system was restored. The car was twice displayed at the Palace Het Loo Concours where it won the Alfa Romeo class in 2003 and at the Schwetzingen European Concours in 2003 where it was the winner of the post-war Alfa Romeo class. In 2005 it was an invited participant in the 2005 Concorso di Eleganza at Villa d’Este. While in its previous ownership, its former owner a noted connoisseur of the marque once commented to Bonhams that “The car’s handling is light and predictable, completely different from the much heavier feeling Touring bodied cars. The suspension is very well set up: sporty but comfortable. One can drive the car all day, even on the highway. The lighter weight is

Auction archive: Lot number 246•
Auction:
Datum:
14 Aug 2009
Auction house:
Bonhams London
Carmel, Quail Lodge Quail Lodge's West Field 7000 Valley Greens Drive (at Rancho San Carlos Rd) Carmel CA 93923 Tel: +1 415 391 4000 Fax : +1 415 391 4040 motors.us@bonhams.com
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