1943 Alfa Romeo 6c 2500 Pinin Farina Sport Cabriolet
I have been a "search and rescuer" of rare vintage cars for over 25 years. This is one of the rarest. A chance encounter in 1996 led me to this 1943 Alfa Romeo 6c 2500 Pinin Farina Sport Cabriolet. Nestled comfortably in the hills above Beverly Hills, CA since 1955, it was not for sale. The wonderful widow who owned the car, Mrs. C, was not ready to part with the car that she and her husband had stylishly cruised Hollywood Boulevard so many years ago.
I kept in touch with Mrs. C and 8 years later, when she decided to sell her house and move, she agreed to sell me the Alfa. Above is a photo of the view that the 6c had for 52 years.
The car was parked in 1955. New registration and plates were purchased for 1956, but were never used. Here is a photo of the car as discovered.
The incredible 1910 house that was home to the Alfa had seen better days. The faded blue door in the lower right of the photo led to a room under the garage where some of the Alfa's miscellaneous parts where stored.
Unveiling such a rare and fantastic automobile is incredibly exciting. Also, not knowing what the car looked like bred a great deal of impatience as the car sat, waiting to be extracted and put on the flatbed.
Once out in the open, it's truly beautiful lines were revealed. 18" wire wheels are a thing of beauty....!
Once back at the shop, it was time to research the Alfa. An exhaustive search through tons of Alfa books revealed little except that it was definitely a pre-war chassis, and probably Pinin Farina coachwork, based on the emblem shown on the back of the seat, and repeated on the glove box door.
The answer came when I consulted the "Bible" on Alfa Romeo 6c 2500 cars, Tito Anselmi's book "Alfa Romeo 6c 2500". The car was built on August 31, 1943, cabriolet coachwork by Pinin Farina. On page 110 there is a photo of a nearly identical car, and the text indicates that 4-6 examples of this model were built, each with different details such as divided windshield and placement of lights. Above is a photo of the original data plate.
Unfortunately the engine and transmission were removed in 1956, given to a local mechanic for rebuild, and never picked up. The original drive shaft and rear end were in the car.
Although it had covered just 33,360 km, (20,683 miles) the Alfa needed a complete restoration.
It is very large, on par with the Mercedes of the era. The hole for the floor shift gear change (pre-war) can be seen.
Four adults would cruise comfortably. The center arm rest in the rear seat folds down.
Beautiful original headlights are in nice shape. The marker lights were probably added along the way, as there is evidence of trafficators behind the doors..
Door panels are wood, covered in leather. The interior was originally a natural color, died dark blue at some point. I believe the exterior was originally black.
Here is a close up of the tach.
The brakes are a work of art.
An original 18" spare.
Front suspension detail and steering box.
Engine compartment.
Chassis, looking from front to rear. Notice the holes drilled in the frame for lightening.
Here are some more shots of this incredible Alfa Romeo:
There were only 4-6 of these built, each one being unique.
This car was sold on eBay in April, 2006 for $50,200
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The other Barn Finds:
Fast Cars of California
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