Description
August 1950, first delivery Lugano, Switzerland. Believed to be the only one in this colour combination. The impressive history file dates back over half a century, containing many restoration photos, an abundance of receipts and records, and old photos of Pfau and his friends. The original owner’s manual is included, and the old original French license plates still adorn the car. Importantly, the original engine remains in the car, confirmed by the Alfa Romeo 6C 2300-2500 registry.
Perfectly poised for concours or competitive rallies like the Mille Miglia, this rare and desirable Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport Cabriolet, with its exquisite styling and interior details, is sure to satisfy even the most discerning Alfa aficionado.
Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport in general:
In the early 1920s, Vittorio Jano, Alfa Romeo’s chief engineer, received the task of designing an ultra-light, high-performance car to elevate the automaker to the forefront of the automotive industry. The outcome was the 6C – a road, race, and sports car that proved its success, remaining in production, in one form or another, from 1925 to 1954.
The Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 made its grand debut at the Salone dell’automobile di Milano in April 1925, generating significant excitement. The new Alfa became an instant hit and entered production in 1927 with bodies designed by Young and Touring. The sporty 6C underwent several revamps over the years, incorporating twin cams and a higher performance 1750cc engine. It went on to triumph in every event it entered in 1929, including various European Grand Prix and the Mille Miglia. The displacement was increased to 1900cc in 1933 and then to 2300cc the following year. In 1934, Jano introduced a new chassis with hydraulic brakes, individual front suspension, and rear swing axle, enhancing its handling.
In 1946, Alfa Romeo introduced the 6C 2500 Freccio d’Oro (Golden Arrow), an aerodynamic five-seater, with bodywork by the Alfa design studio, heavily influenced by Touring of Milan. Jano’s newly configured, race-developed 2500 engine, with double overhead cam, was available with either one or three Weber Carburetors. The 2, 443cc engine was mounted on a steel ladder frame chassis with various wheelbase lengths, with the most desirable being the SS or Super Sport mounted on the shortest wheelbase in the series. The Alfa Romeo 6C 2500, one of the most expensive cars of its era, was owned by celebrated luminaries such as Rita Hayworth, Prince Rainier of Monaco, and King Farouk of Egypt. It even made a cameo appearance in Coppola’s The Godfather (1972). The combination of all-independent suspension, a robust brake system, fast-geared steering, and avant-garde column-mounted gear change ensured the 2500 model’s esteemed place in the Alfa stable. The 1949 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500, with one wheel firmly rooted in Alfa’s prewar racing glory, heralded the arrival of the all-new, thoroughly modern 1900 launched in 1950, marking the end of an era for the Alfa Romeo marque.
Our car
This top-of-the-line Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport was designed to be the sleekest and most agile among its siblings, based on the shortest and lightest wheelbase offered by Alfa. While most 2500 models were clothed by Touring, this stunning example, with its iconic sweetheart front grille, features the superb Pinin Farina Cabriolet body.
Dispatched from the Alfa Romeo factory in August 1950, this car was destined for the Swiss Alfa Romeo agent in Lugano, Switzerland. According to research by a previous owner, this specific 6C 2500 Pinin Farina Cabriolet was the sole example delivered in the striking Black over Green livery, exactly as seen on the car today. In 1957, it was purchased from a Geneva-based garage by Parisian gentleman Monsieur Michel Pfau, believed to be the second owner at that time. Pfau, an avid jazz enthusiast, and two friends toured in the luxurious Alfa Romeo, attending Jazz festivals in posh destinations such as Cannes, Nice, and Berlin. A photo of them taken around Cote d’Azur is preserved in the car’s impressive history file.
Pfau retained ownership until 2013 when he sold it to Italian car specialist Franco Meiners of Bergamo, Italy. A restoration, carried out between 2006 and 2012 in Novara, Italy, included redoing the original black paintwork and refurbishing mechanical systems in Torino, Italy. During Mr. Meiners’ ownership, the Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport Pinin Farina Cabriolet was showcased at various Concours d’elegance events and the 2014 Retromobile show in Paris. At Retromobile, Mr. Meiners was approached by Monsieur Pfau’s old jazz friends, with whom he had been photographed in the car many years before. Sadly, Mr. Pfau had passed away a week before Retromobile, leaving his friends with the proceeds from the car’s sale, instructing them to spend it doing what they loved—attending Jazz concerts.
The Alfa Romeo was sold again in 2014, moving to America, and acquired by the previous owner. Since then, he has diligently serviced and maintained the car, carrying out tasks such as ceramic coating of the black exterior paint, rebuilding the brake master cylinder, tuning the impressive matching-numbers DOHC, triple-carbureted six-cylinder engine, and fitting new period-correct Michelin tires to the beautiful Borrani wire wheels. The Alfa Romeo now presents impeccably throughout, with a beautifully restored black exterior complementing the striking green leather interior and dashboard, complete with matching green tinted carpets. A period-correct heater is fitted below the dashboard, which is trimmed with Bakelite knobs and switchgear. The engine compartment is clean and correct, featuring the original chassis and ID plates. The impressive history file, thanks to Monsieur Pfau’s meticulous recordkeeping, dates back over half a century, containing many restoration photos, an abundance of receipts and records, and old photos of Pfau and his friends. The original owner’s manual is included, and the old original French license plates still adorn the car. Importantly, the original engine remains in the car, confirmed by the Alfa Romeo 6C 2300-2500 registry.
Recently this magnificent car has returned to Europe and is now available for sale to the next lucky owner.
