Lot 536: 1966 Alfa Romeo 2600 Spyder
Coachwork by Touring of Milan

Although Alfa Romeo returned to automobile manufacture fairly quickly after World War II, it was not until 1950 that a new design became available. This was the 1900, a unit body sedan with a twin overhead cam 1,884cc four-cylinder engine. It was the first Alfa built on a real production line � all previous cars had been largely hand-built �and also the first with left-hand drive. Until 1950, Alfa production had hovered around 400 units annually. With the 1900, this increased almost tenfold. A 1900C Sprint coupe was introduced with body by Carrozzeria Touring and a Spyder cabriolet by Pininfarina, both built in much smaller quantities.

In 1958, Alfa came out with a new sedan, which, with larger 1,975cc engine, was called the 2000. There was, not surprisingly, a 2000 Spyder, by Touring, and a 2000 Sprint coupe by Bertone, the latter introduced in 1960. Spyder and Sprint production comprised nearly half of all 2000 sales. The 2000 sedan had the uncommon feature of a column-mounted shifter for the five-speed transmission, while the Spyder and Sprint retained the usual floor-mounted gearchange.

In 1962, Alfa Romeo fitted its 2000 models with a new 2,584cc six, creating the 2600. A wholly-new alloy engine, it was the last vestige of the twin cam straight six, an Alfa staple since the 1920s. Introduced at the �62 Geneva show, it was offered as a sedan, a coupe and a 2+2 spyder by Carrozzeria Touring. Three years later, at the Frankfurt show, two additional styles were added, a fastback Sprint coupe by Zagato and a six-window De Luxe sedan by OSI.

The Sprint and Spyder models had three two-throat horizontal Solex carburetors, making 145bhp at 5,900 rpm. Transmission was a five-speed manual, and four-wheel power-assisted disc brakes were adopted in 1963.

Intended as a flagship line for the marque, the 2600 proved somewhat of a disappointment, with barely 11,000 sold, far fewer than the four-cylinder Giulietta and Giulia models. This was perhaps because Alfa was devoting more development effort to the four-cylinder cars, leaving the 2600 as the legacy of the 1900 and 2000 cars, which dated back to 1950. The most popular 2600 was the Sprint coupe, with nearly 7,000 built. The flagship niche was effectively taken by the 1750, essentially an updated Giulia with a larger, 1,779cc four-cylinder engine, in 1968.

This 2600 Spyder was imported to the U.S. by a Naval officer in the early 1980s. Initially domiciled in Florida, it migrated to Maine when the officer was transferred. It was purchased by the current owner in 1984.

The car was stripped and repainted in 1984, and freshened in 2000. It has been used as a regular summer driver since �84, runs well and is entirely reliable. The dark blue paint and contrasting red leather interior are entirely presentable. While Alfa Spyders are relatively common in the United States, with but 2,255 built in seven years, the 2600 version is comparatively rare. This is an opportunity to acquire quite the uncommon Alfa.