Chacune des marques possède dans sa gamme, sa licorne. Ce modèle qui marqué son temps, l’histoire, aussi bien celle de la marque que celle de l’Auto avec un grand A ». Chez Alfa, il y en a eu des légendes mais la 1ère fut probablement la 6C 1750… Qu’on soit clair, avec ce genre de voiture, je m’efforce d’aller succinctement à l’essentiel du best of… Sachant que ceux qui en ont parlé sérieusement l’ont fait dans des bouquins, parfois même en plusieurs tomes. En tout cas, l’Alfa 6C 1750 est une des légendes de la marque, une de celles qui ont réellement posé la notoriété de la marque aussi bien sur la route que sur les circuits. Sa 1ère apparition s’est faite lors de l’Exposition Automobile Internationale de Rome en 1929. A l’époque, l’automobile n’est pas encore devenu le produit de con-sommation qu’il est aujourd’hui. Elle est réservée à une classe aisée ou sert pour le sport. Mis à part que les normes ne sont pas encore tombées dans la dictature routière, et sur des routes encore loin d’être surchargées, chacun fait c’qu’il veut avec son auto, tant qu’il ne roule pas sur les passants et les piétons ! Et ça se passe plutôt bien. Bon quand ça sort, généralement ce n’est pas beau à voir… oui niveau sécurité, on est en 1929 aussi… tout reste à faire ! 6C signifie 6 cylindres, même si la cylindrée n’est pas exceptionnelle, la famille 6C a vu le jour en 1925… du moins son châssis. Le moteur, en l’occurence un 1500 Avant l’arrivée du 1750 4 ans plus tard proposait 3 config’ simple arbres, double arbres et double arbres avec compresseur… respectivement normal, sport et super sport. La production est lancée en 1927, le châssis s’habille de 3 carrosseries, coupé, cabriolet et spider. En 29, la cylindrée du bloc passe donc à 1752 cm3. Il repose sur 2 châssis, un de 2m92 et un autre de 3m10 pour les modèles Turismo, Sport et Gran Turismo Avec des places arrière et la même chronologie mécanique. La Super Sport et son compresseur offrait une puissance de 84 ch. Et en 1929, cette puissance démoniaque était réservée presqu’exclusivement aux modèles de course. La 6C pouvait atteindre 145 km/h… sachant qu’à la fin des années 20, les voitures capable de dépasser les 160 km/h se comptaient sur les doigts d’une main ! A son actif, la 6C compte de nombreuses victoires en catégorie moins de l, notamment les Mille Miglia en 1929 et 1930 ainsi que 2 victoires au Mans en 30 et 32. Pour Alfa, la 6C a hissé la marque au niveau de l’élite et fait briller le biscione au firmament de la compétition, qui était le meilleur moyen de se construire un notoriété en Europe. Ses différentes carrosseries permirent également à certains noms du design, de faire parler d’eux, Touring, Zagato, Farina. Sa cylindrée évoluera au fil du temps, 1900, 2300 jusqu’à 2500. Mais celle qui offrait le meilleur compromis poids puissance restait la 1750, d’où sa consécration en collection aujourd’hui, puisque sa côte est au minimum d’1 million d’€. En 1931, Alfa montera en gamme en présentant sa 8C qui, comme son nom l’indique, passe au 8 cylindres. Mais ceci est une autre histoire… © Artcurial

• In the 1930s, the 6C 1750 possessed the unique ability to win both races and design awards•With outstanding power to weight ratio and perfect balance, the 6C 1750 launched technical traditions that continue todayThe flying man from Mantua13 April, 1930, just after 5am, the silent shadows beside Lake Garda are shaken by the rumble of an Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport spider Zagato driving at 93mph with its headlights turned off. At its steering wheel is Tazio Nuvolari, from Mantua, nicknamed 'Nivola'. Beside him, Gian Battista Guidotti, chief Alfa Romeo test driver at the Portello a key moment of a mythical Mille Miglia race. The race leader and presumable winner is Achille Varzi. However, some miles before the lake, in Verona, Nuvolari and Guidotti had come up with the unbelievable idea to turn off their headlights. Their only hope of beating their rival was to take him by was approaching. After the lake, the placid countryside would lead to the finishing line in Brescia. It was here that Varzi and his second driver Canavesi detected the echo of another engine but before they realised what was happening, they'd been overtaken by an identical car to their won. His average speed was This was the first time ever that the 100km/h average speed barrier had been broken in this legendary race, a record that made the front pages all over Europe. 10 minutes later, a stunned Varzi came second. Third to arrive was Giuseppe Campari. Fourth, Pietro Ghersi. Different kinds of drivers with one thing in common, they were all racing in the the 6C 1750. In the following hour and a half, other 6C models arrived, altogether eight out of the first case of what's called absolute supremacy, which was to be repeated that year with top three finishes in the Spa 24-hour race in Belgium, and in the Belfast Tourist Trophy. The 6C 1750 was simply the fastest car of its 6C familyVittorio Jano had taken charge of all Alfa Romeo product planning in 1926, and the 6C was his first creation. His task was to invent a brilliantly performing lightweight car that would win races and admirers, but also conquer new markets. The 6C combined structural simplicity with sophisticated engineering, the typical virtues of Jano's creations. However, it also offered something else that would turn out to become an Alfa Romeo speciality extremely high power. Jano had an astonishing ability to conjure horsepower from small engines and this allowed him to imagine what today we would call downsizing, designing engines with a displacement somewhere between 1-litre and the 2 or 3 litres of luxury models. Even back then, Alfa Romeo boasted the best power to weight ratio and was therefore the fastest. This engineering intuition led to a stream of cars that became innovationMerosi had previously developed highly original engines for the 1914 GP blocked by the outbreak of war, which went on to dominate future Alfa Romeo engine design two overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and dual ignition. The 6C 1900 GT and later the 6C 2300 and the 6C 2500 introduced further innovations, including independent wheel suspension and a new chassis with welded instead of riveted components, in order to boost handling and road holding performance of Alfa Romeo models became key elements of its 6C 1750The 6C 1750, presented in January 1929 at the Rome Motor Show, could be said to have expressed the 6C formula's full maturity. The engine was an evolution of the previous 1500 six-cylinder in-line engine. It was produced in various versions – single-shaft and double-shaft, with and without volumetric compressor and its power ranged from the 46hp of the Turismo version to the 102hp of the Gran Sport 'Fixed Head'. The latter was a special version, very few of which were produced the cylinder head and crankcase were cast in a single block in order to eliminate the seals and the risk of burning them, the weight was only 840kg and its top speed reached engine was not the only factor that made the 6C 1750 a peak of motoring innovation. It used a mechanical braking system, with large drums actuated by a transmission system. Its pressed steel frame was perfectly balanced and outstandingly rigid, boasting reinforced axles. The leaf springs were mounted outside the car body instead of beneath the side members, and the lower center of gravity greatly boosted cornering grip. The fuel tank was set further back, in order to obtain greater weight on the rear wheels and improve axle balance. In line with brand philosophy, all innovative solutions were applied to both racing cars and road more races it won, the more the model's technical reputation grew. From its launch, the 6C 1750 immediately achieved notable sales growth. Between 1929 and 1933, 2,579 models left the Portello factory for sale in Italy but also abroad, notably in Great Britain and the Commonwealth. An exceptional result, especially considering the car's status as a decidedly elite product. In Italy, for example, it cost between 40,000 and 60,000 lire equivalent to roughly seven years of an average bodybuilding eraThe 6C was ultra-fast but also beautiful. Its success owed a great deal to the coachbuilders who created its bodies master craftsmen capable of uniting the trades of saddler, panel beater, painter and upholsterer, artistic creators and stylists who left their mark on an the 1930s, it was normal for bare frames to leave production plants, equipped only with engine, gearbox and suspension. The customer purchased the car, and then commissioned a coachbuilder to create a practically unique bespoke body. The first bodybuilding department inside the Portello factory was not launched until 1933. It initially co-existed with the previous system of selling the basic bones of the car directly to customers and 6C 1750 offered exceptional opportunities for fine coachbuilder trims. Alfa Romeo's extraordinary mechanical and engineering base lent itself to the creation of some of the most elegant bodies ever built... designed by the finest stylists and bought by the most famous 6C 1750 GS Touring 'Flying Star'The 'Flying Star' was made to be as irresistible as its owner Josette Pozzo, millionaire, model and celebrity socialite. It was conceived especially to take part in the Elegance Competition of Villa d'Este in 1931, built by the Carrozzeria Touring of Felice Bianchi 6C 1750 Spider was a one-off creation a jewel of originality, elegance and attention to detail. It was entirely white, including underbody, wheel spokes, steering wheel and saddlery, with the only exception being its contrasting black Touring endowed the 1750 with new proportions, adding a series of elegant art nouveau aesthetic details, such as the suspended front and rear steps that extended from the wheel arches and crossed beneath the doors without touching each other. The 6C 1750 GS Touring won the Gold Cup for the most beautiful car at the Villa d'Este event and Josette herself drove it to receive the prize, dressed in a matching white outfit.

Thisexample, a Series V version of the 6C 1750, was completed by the Alfa Romeo factory and sent to the coachbuilder, Zagato, to be finished as a Gran Sport model. Its first owner was Piero Civita, residing near La Spezia, Liguria, acquiring the vehicle in October 1931 from Auto S.A. of Milan for a declared sum of 65,000 Italian lire. ^{Brand new 1/18 scale diecast car model of 1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Grand Sport Red diecast model car by CMC. Brand new box. Real rubber tires. Opening hood, doors and trunk. Metal framing of multiple body parts. Made of diecast with some plastic parts. Detailed interior, exterior, engine compartment. Windshield with a semi-fixed metal mounting-frame. Finely-woven metal grille to protect the radiator fins. Functional doors mounted on finely-recreated hinges. Dimensions approximately H-3 inches. Double-winged engine hood that opens to rest on metal studs. Luggage space with a functional lid behind the folded textile top. Precise recreation of the dashboard with all instruments and controls. Distinctive Alfa Romeo front end with the famous triple-headlight unit. Highly-detailed cockpit with upholstered leather seats and door trimmings. Perfectly-wired wheels with a light alloy rim, stainless steel spokes and nipples. Headlights fitted with mesh guards against stone-chip damages. The red caps are removable. Unscrew the central locking nuts with side-dependent right- and left-hand threads to remove the wheels. True-to-scale, authentic replication of the Spyder body customized by the renowned coach-builder Zagato. Functional brackets for holding the two spare wheels. Loosening a tommy screw releases the spare wheels. Hand-assembled precision metal model with right-hand drive, built from 1,800 single parts, of which 1,311 are made of metal. One lateral filler of the oil tank located within the cockpit, and one rear filler of the fuel tank made of stainless steel, each with a flip-open cap. Highly detailed 6-cylinder in-line engine, complete with all aggregates, pipes and cabling in addition to a front-mounted Roots supercharger and accessories. Elaborate undercarriage, which reveals a "cast metal" type of front/rear axles as well as the fine detailing of the mechanical brake riggings, leaf springs, and friction-shock absorbers, all being made of metal. In the 1930s, Alfa Romeo still didn’t produce their own bodyworks, but they bought In the case of the 6C 1750 GS, the body came from the coach-builder Zagato. This turned out to be a good choice, because again Zagato did a great job with his distinctive design language. The four-meter-long car had two spare wheels that were stowed in a rear well. In the event of bad weather, a textile top offered emergency cover or protection against rain. A striking feature of this car was the removable red plastic covers on the three headlights, which were intended to improve the aerodynamics of the 1750 GS was powered by a 6-cylinder in-line engine that Vitorio Jano, the brilliant chief engineer of Alfa Romeo, had developed. It generated a remarkable 85 hp at 4500 rpm. Several factory race cars had their cylinder heads welded testa fissa so that they could rev up to 5000 rpm, yielding a magnificent output of 102 hp. Whether equipped with 85 or 102 hp, the Gran Sport excelled. Owing to a low total weight of 920 kg and a reduced wheelbase of 2745 mm that improved its handling dramatically, the Gran Sport became the most famous Alfa Romeo of the time. Numerous important victories all over Europe, as in the 1930 and 1931 Mille Miglia and the wet race of the Irish Tourist Trophy — to name just a few — made it the undisputed dominator of that racing era. Only the rigorous endurance race of the 24 Hours of Le Mans proved to be too much for the 6C 1750 GS.}

LAlfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport est équipée d'un moteur longitudinal avant six cylindres en ligne suralimenté développant un couple maximum de 142 Nm dès 2500 trs/min et une puissance maximum de 85 ch à 4500 trs/min transmise aux roues arrières de 18 pouces par le biais d'une boite de vitesse manuelle à 4 rapports.

^{ITALIAN COACHBUILDER CASTANGA made magic art combining elegance with Alfa Romeo brio. This 1933 6C 1750 is the third Castanga-bodied Alfa featured here at SimanaitisSays. I described the 1934 Castanga Alfa as having “brio with elegance.” In the same article, the 1914 Siluro Ricotti hid a conventional chassis encased within Castanga-fabricated torpedo bodywork. Above, the 1934 Alfa-Romeo Castanga; below, the 1914 Siluro “Torpedo” Ricotti. Images from R&T, January 1956, and respectively. A Handsome Gran Sport. This time, let’s admire the 1933 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Drop Head Coupe, as it appeared at Gooding & Company’s 2012 Scottsdale Auction. 1933 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Drop Head Coupe. This and the following images from Gooding & Company 2012 Scottsdale Auction catalog. Gooding writes that the car “is a very early 6th Series Gran Sport, of which only 44 examples were built…. With its elegant proportions, dual rear-mounted spares and long, sweeping fender line, this Drop Head Coupe has much more dramatic styling than many of the firm’s earlier designs for the 6C chassis.” Gooding continues, “Discovered in and imported from the occupied British Zone following WWII, it is believed that the car was delivered new to a customer in Germany. Unlike many high-end automobiles, this 1750 was fortunate to survive the duration of the war, but not without its own battle scar—a somewhat comical hole in the middle of the passenger door, which was caused by artillery fire.” Evidently the passenger door had been put right by the time of this photo. Matching Numbers. The car’s provenance is enhanced by its having an identical engine and chassis number 121215033. The 6C 1750 nomenclature identifies its engine’s six cylinders actually displacing 1752 cc. The base engine if such heresy of terminology will be excused had a single overhead camshaft. Super Sport and Gran Sport versions had double overhead particular Gran Sport was also fitted with the optional Roots-type supercharger, giving it 85 hp at 4500 rpm. Supercharged 6C 1750 Gran Sports had a top speed approaching 100 mph. The Root-type supercharger, driven from the front of the engine, features finned ducting to dissipate heat of its compressed charge. This car’s front suspension is independent with torsion bars and unequal-length wishbones. A live rear axle is suspended on trailing links with a one-piece torsion bar. The model was known for its supple suspension, capable of handling indifferent roads of the era, though it’s considered stiff by modern standards. The car’s manual gearbox has four speeds actuated by a spindly lever. Like other sporty cars of the era, its accelerator is positioned between brake and clutch; this, to facilitate heel-and-toe double-clutch downshifting. The finned-drum brakes are actuated mechanically. The Alfa’s key confirms a legend of simplicity in firing up an Italian high-performance car. The Gooding catalog notes, “Included with the sale is an impressive file that consists of restoration documents, a copy of the original UK logbook, and a rare English-language operation manual for the 6C 1750 Gran Sport model.” The car was offered at an estimated $750,000–$850,000 at Gooding’s 2012 Scottsdale auction. It fetched $781,000. Like all Castanga-bodied Alfas, the car is a sweetheart with real brio. ds © Dennis Simanaitis, 2020} . 382 447 85 435 253 136 404 491

alfa romeo 6c 1750 gran sport