Lot 225: 1955 Alfa Romeo 1900C Super Sprint Coupé
Coachwork by Carrozzeria Touring

‘The final flowering of the 1900 was the Super series, of which the Berlina, or saloon, and the 1900C Super Sprint were produced from 1953 to 1958… the Super series was mainly distinguished by the fact that the engine was enlarged… raising capacity from 1,884cc to 1,975cc. The 1900C Super Sprint could achieve 118mph…’ – ‘Alfa Romeo - A History’, Hull and Slater, 1964.
Its factory devastated by wartime bombing, Alfa Romeo did not resume car production until 1947, the pre-war 2500C standing the Milan marque in good stead until 1952. The firm’s first all-new offering of the post-war period arrived in 1950. 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 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 Sprint featured bodywork by Pinin Farina (cabriolet) and Touring (coupé), both models utilising the 100bhp engine of the 1900TI sports saloon. The Touring-bodied Sprint Coupé attracted such public acclaim that it was subsequently adopted as the basis for all future ‘aerodynamic’ Alfa Romeo coupés. One direct descendant was, of course, the lovely little Giulietta Sprint in which the family resemblance is immediately obvious.
The Sprint Coupé was designed to offer sporting performance together with ‘2+2’ accommodation - guaranteed to appeal to the sports car enthusiast with a family - while the heart-shaped vertical grille with matched horizontal side intakes became an Alfa trademark on later models. In June 1954 the engine was enlarged to 1,975cc and the model re-designated as the ‘Super Sprint’. With 115bhp on tap and possessing an excellent power-to-weight ratio courtesy of the aluminium-alloy body, these cars could top 118mph. They shone in competitions of all kinds. A total of 949 Sprints and 854 Super Sprints had been made by the time production ceased.
This very good example of a landmark model from one of motoring’s most charismatic marques was sold new in Italy in August 1956 and comes with Alfa Romeo Automobilismo Storico letter of authentication. Restored in Norway (at date unknown) it benefits from more recent work (undertaken 2006/2007), the engine and carburettors having been reconditioned, the clutch replaced and the brakes overhauled. Equipped with a 1970s-period Halda Tripmaster, this car is eminently suitable for such historic racing, rallying and touring events as the Mille Miglia, Coppa d’Italia or Marathon Rally. Combining genuine historical significance with sporting characteristics and Alfa Romeo’s inherently race-bred pedigree, this 1900C Super Sprint comes with original service booklet, FIA papers and Belgian registration documents.