Beschreibung:

1,884cc DOHC Inline 4-Cylinder Engine Single Twin-choke Weber Carburetor 100bhp at 5,500rpm 4-Speed Manual Transmission Coil Spring Suspension 4-Wheel Hydraulic Alfin Drum Brakes *Desirable 1900 'Corto' Coupe in elegant Pinin Farina design *Just over 29,700 kilometers from new and one owner for nearly 50 years *Recent sympathetic refurbishment performed *Eligible for the most exclusive events, including the Mille Miglia THE ALFA ROMEO 1900 Alfa Romeo'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 realized in the form of two high performance derivatives. Launched in 1951, the 1900 Sprint featured bodywork by Pinin Farina (Cabriolet) and Touring (Coupe), both models utilizing the 100bhp engine of the 1900TI sports saloon. An immensely influential design, Touring's Sprint was designed to offer family-sized accommodation in a two-door sports Coupe format and its heart-shaped vertical grille with flanking horizontal intakes would become an Alfa trademark on later models. Shortly after the Series 2 arrived in early 1954, the model was mildly restyled and upgraded as the Super Sprint, gaining a 1,975cc, 115bhp engine and five-speed gearbox. Although commissioned to produce the factory's official cabriolet model, Pinin Farina also built coupés on the 1900 Sprint chassis. According to the seminal book 'Millenove' by H-J Döhren, only 100 examples of the stunningly beautiful Pinin Farina coupé were built on the short 1900 Sprint chassis between 1952 and 1953. Although its coupé featured a steel body, as opposed to the Touring Superleggera design with its aluminum panels over a tubular steel supporting structure, Pinin Farina used weight saving methods in its design, employing steel panels with a thickness of just 0.7 mm, while the bonnet, boot lid and dashboard were all aluminum. As a result, the much rarer Pinin Farina 1900 coupé weighs just 50kg more than the Touring variant, enough for a very lively performance from the 100bhp engine, the top speed claimed being a very respectable 180km/h (111mph). THE MOTORCAR OFFERED This exquisite example of the elegant Pinin Farina designed and built 1900 Corto - chassis no. 01647 - boasts a well-documented history and well-preserved condition throughout. According to a letter on file from Mr. Peter Marshall - the 1900 model registrar of the UK Alfa Romeo Owners Club - 01647 was completed about the 10th car from the end in the built sequence. Mr. Marshal further points out, that just 37 examples are known to exist today, and that the example on offer here does indeed retain its original, matching numbers engine. According to Mr. Marshall, 01647 was purchased new by Lady Moira Forbes, an American heiress who was the wife of Count Theo Rossi di Montelera of the Martini & Rosso family. 01647 would remain in this ownership until 1956, when it was purchased by Mr. Augusto Vessetti, a gentleman who's occupation is believed to have been engineer at the Pinin Farina factory. Mr. Vessetti would keep the sporting Alfa Romeo for about a decade, before selling it to Mr. Maurizio Minuto. Mr. Minuto - a car dealer of trade - would intended on preserving the rare Alfa Romeo, as opposed to driving it, and the car would remain in his ownership until 2015, at which point it had just over 29,40