While virtually every Alfa Romeo is indeed a work of art in its own right (except you, Arna), there are some creations that stand head and shoulders above the rest. The 33 Stradale, the C52 Disco Volante, and the 1750 GTV are just some of the creations that come to mind. But this 1953 Alfa Romeo 1900C Sprint Supergioiello is a different proposition. Both stunning and rare, it even boasts its own race history. And it’s up for auction, too.
The Alfa Romeo 1900 was the company’s first monocoque design and was also the first to be built on a production line. If you were a coachbuilder, these developments would likely be a little concerning to your craft, but Alfa threw the carrozzerias a bone. They decided to supply a number of coachworks with a unique chassis that could be used to create a more premium offering.
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The most famous designers in the world got to work on the 1900 platform, including Zagato, Touring, Pininfarina, and Bertone. The Supergioiello was crafted by Ghia and turned out to be one of the rarest. What’s on offer here was thought to be one of less than 18–20 ever made, with only six of those being finished.
This particular specimen was originally purchased for competition use by Gumersindo Garcia Fernandez, who raced it in the 1955 Rallye Monte-Carlo, among other events. It was then sold on to another rally driver, who continued to run it until 1961 when an accident was reported to have put a stop to its competitive days.
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The car was later discovered to be fitted with a different nose from Carrozzeria Touring due to the complexity of the original design. But thanks to a restoration effort by a Portuguese collector, the car’s original Ghia coachwork was recreated by Cognolato, a company that has specialized in restoring some of the most iconic designs from Italian coachbuilders.
The car’s most recent restoration returned it to its original shade of Rame Metallizzato (Metallic Copper), with the livery bearing its original “400” competition number. Since work was completed, the car has driven just 78 km (48 miles).
The auction, hosted by Car & Classic, ends on September 24, with a guide price of £640,000 (roughly $798,000 at current exchange rates).
