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1951→1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 C Sprint
Nick D·
ClassicReviewAlfa Romeo1950s Cars
·4 min read

1951→1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 C Sprint

1951→1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 C Sprint

To support the enduring coach building industry in Italy, Alfa Romeo built variations of their unibody chassis for the popular Italian design firms such as Pinin Farina, Zagato, Touring and Ghia. The 1900C Sprint or Corto chassis was the shortest of these and intended for Coupe and Cabriolet bodies.

As Iginio Alessio was well aware of the capable coachbuilding industry he entrusted Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera to manufacture what became known as the Sprint Coupe on the 1900C chassis.

1951→1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 C Sprint

In Detail

type Series Production Car
production years 1951 – 1953
built at Italy
body stylist Giovanni Savonuzzi
succeccesor 1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 C Super Sprint
engine Inline-4
position Front Longitudinal
aspiration Natural
valvetrain DOHC, 4 Valves per Cyl
fuel feed Singe Weber
displacement 1884 cc / 114.97 in³
bore 82.55 mm / 3.25 in
stroke 88 mm / 3.46 in
compression 7.75:1
power 74.6 kw / 100 bhp @ 5500 rpm
specific output 53.08 bhp per litre
bhp/weight 100.0 bhp per tonne
body / frame Custom Body on Unibody Steel Chassis
driven wheels RWD
front brakes Hydraulic Drums
rear brakes Hydrualic Drums
f suspension Double Wishbones w/Coil Springs
r suspension Live Axle w/Locating Arms, Coil Springs
curb weight 1000 kg / 2205 lbs
wheelbase 2500 mm / 98.4 in
front track 1325 mm / 52.2 in
rear track 1325 mm / 52.2 in
length 4405 mm / 173.4 in
width 1630 mm / 64.2 in
height 1350 mm / 53.1 in
transmission 4-Speed Manual
top speed ~180.2 kph / 112 mph
0 – 60 mph ~17 seconds
 1951→1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 C Sprint
1952 Alfa Romeo 1900C Sprint Touring Coupe AR1900C*01227 – sold for $415,800 Known history from new. Single owner from 1962-2004. Beautifully restored in 2008. Mille Miglia eligible. The embodiment of la dolce vita! Auction Source: The Amelia Island Auction 2015 by Bonhams
1951→1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 C Sprint
1952 Alfa Romeo 1900C Sprint Coupe Touring AR1900C01020 – sold for €196,000 Mille Miglia eligible. Desirable early first-series Touring design. Expertly restored; multiple-award winner. One of a handful of examples delivered new to the United States. Auction Source: 2014 Paris by RM Auctions
1951→1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 C Sprint

1952 Alfa Romeo Sprint Serie 1 Berlinetta Touring 1900 C AR1900C*01035* – sold for €184,000

A very special, 1st-Series 1900 Sprint Berlinetta, this car was campaigned by its first owner, Giovanni Zalukar, in the VII Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti in Italy. Zalukar finished the gruelling 303.8-kilometre race, which spanned some 4,129 metres of altitude and more than 156 kilometres of uphill racing, in a highly respectable 3 hours, 50 minutes and 47 seconds, finishing behind none other than Elio Zagato. Auction Source: 2013 Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais

 

1951→1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 C Sprint

1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 Corto Gara Stradale AR1900C*01420* – sold for €240,800

After an extensive three-year restoration by some of the finest Italian craftsman, Autofficina Omega of Corrado Patella fine-tuned the chassis and suspension to make sure this incredibly rare 1900 Corto Gara runs and drives as well as it looks. Of course this well presented Alfa Romeo is eligible for all the important vintage rally events, including the Mille Miglia Storica. It warrants very close attention from Alfa Romeo enthusiasts in search of the rarest examples. Auction Source: Monaco 2012 by RM Auctions

 

1951→1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 C Sprint
1953 Alfa Romeo 1900C Series 1 Sprint Touring Coupé AR1900C*01998* – sold for €87,400 Presented in very nice condition, this 1st Series Sprint is finished in white with period-correct pale green interior and has the column-mounted gearshift. The car is offered with Netherlands registration papers. Auction Source: 2011 Automobiles d’exception au Grand Palais by Bonhams
1951→1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 C Sprint

1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 C Sprint Coupé Touring AR1900C*01020* – sold for $96,250

This lovely five-window Superleggera Berlinetta is one of 650 first-series examples produced from 1951-53 by Touring, greatly prized as the purest form for the model, featuring the highest level of bespoke detail. This car was the subject of a three-year-plus nut and bolt restoration by noted Italian car specialists RPM (Restoration and Performance Motors) in Vergennes, Vermont. No component was neglected, from a bottom-up engine rebuild, transmission, suspension, interior and trim, to the 12-coat final finish. Each step was exhaustively researched for authenticity, down to the signature Touring rosewood and aluminum steering wheel. There is a comprehensive photographic history of this epic restoration available with the car, and it was documented with a six-page ‘Restoration Profile’ in the January, 2006 issue of Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car magazine. (The car was then featured as the May image for their 2007 calendar.). Auction Source: 2008 Monterey Preview
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