Fantasy Junction

Description

1939 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Recreation

Chassis No. 913191

Engine No. SS 923818

Maroon with Tobacco Leather



In the 100+ years of automobile design and development, no other car company has offered more historically significant cars from virtually every category than Alfa Romeos. Their scope knew no bounds, offering carts for racing, luxury, sports and road cars, even trucks, each one capturing the imagination of motoring enthusiasts with the latest in technology and performance engineering. The cars, engineers, and the courageous drivers have captured the hearts of contemporary collectors and enthusiasts as they proudly drive, show, and campaign their cars in events throughout the world. Among these great cars, the undisputed pinnacle of racing excellence arrived at one of the most tumultuous points in world history, during the rise of World War II.


Regarded by premier automotive historians and collectors as one of the most important engines ever developed, the Alfa Romeo 6C was a vital part of the growing Alfa Romeo racing legacy. Renowned for engaging the finest artisans and craftsmen to build their cars, the genius of engineer Vittorio Jano elevated engineering to an artform. His remarkable twin-cam six and eight-cylinder engines would become legendary to the Alfa Romeo name powering victory after victory at venues all over the world. Though praise and acclaim were well-earned, Alfa Romeo was operating at fiscally unsustainable levels of perfection. In 1933, state recovery orders were put in place to save the company, giving the powerful Italian government control over Alfa Romeo.

Undaunted by the challenges of Fascist controls, Alfa Romeo persisted in building remarkable cars, particularly experimental race cars. Perhaps the most memorable of those being the 6C Tipo 256 Berlinetta which debuted at Le Mans in 1939. Cloaked in a hand crafted all alloy body assembled at Touring using their patented Superleggera coachwork, the aerodynamic body was a revelation of new concepts in air flow, derived from wind tunnel studies and advances in aerodynamics. The body was a single envelope draping over the engine and cockpit in a unified fluid shape tapering to a fastback rear. The concept for the body design had evolved from tests performed in the Guidonia Supersonic Research Center where experiments in airflow revealed new ways to vent and channel air at high speeds. The completed car was brought through testing and modified to suit discoveries as tests evolved. With confidence building the car was entered into the 1939 Le Mans race where it proved to be consistent and fast, completing 173 laps before it would retire and return to the factory for improvements. In 1940 the same car returned to Le Mans where it placed 8th overall. And while the car would go on to participate in other events, larger political issues were fomenting, and Alfa Romeo was still struggling. In a vexing yet enticing mystery, the factory car vanished in 1941 and has since remained entirely unaccounted for by Alfa Romeo historians. Virtually every Alfa Romeo historian and enthusiasts worldwide have continually searched to no avail for this long lost artifact of Alfa Romeo history.

The Alfa Romeo featured here must be regarded by experts and historians of the marque as the premier and unchallenged artisanal embodiment of the long lost original competition Berlinetta. Crafted by hand using exacting standards, methods, and components of authentic origins, this Alfa Romeo is based on chassis number 913191 which was originally produced as an Alfa Romeo Lungo-specification chassis fitted with Portello Saloon coachwork. The completed car was sold to the original owner, a resident of Poland who must have been of some prominence and means to afford such a car at the start of the war. Some years later, the same chassis was discovered by Alfa Romeo 6C authority Raoul San Giorgi who smartly paired the chassis with a period-correct 2.5 Liter SS engine #923818. Notable for the rare SS designation, this choice was almost prescient in that the same engine, remarkably accurate for this application, remains in the car today. Some years after the chassis and engine were completed, the chassis and engine were purchased and exported to Australia but remained dormant until 2001 when the commissioning owner embarked on the daunting task of recreating this legendary car. Managed and constructed by experts at Historic and Vintage Restorations, Blackburne, Victoria, Australia, the team was tasked to complete the project to exceptionally high standards, all of which remain evident today. The project took a remarkable eight years including months of research covering every aspect of the original design, combing through historic photos, and determining the correct variations to implement in the finished car. 



After the research was completed, the decision was made to construct the car as closely as possible to when it raced at the 1940 Mille Miglia. Using wood buck and hand formed alloy body panels, the HVR team worked closely with Mike Simcoe, GM Vice President of Global Design and vintage car enthusiast, to capture the correct contours of the original Superleggera construction including using the same techniques forming the steel structural tube supports as fixtures for the alloy body skin. In addition to the exceptional body work, the twin-cam dry sump engine was disassembled, the original crankshaft rebuilt, new steel rods and forged pistons installed, and three side-draft dual-throat Weber 40 DCO3 carburetors fitted, Improvements to the engine components resulted in a 30hp increase over the original specification delivering 153hp.

Since completion in 2009, the commissioning owner participated in Australian vintage car events, and concours including Motorclassics 2019, the car was also featured at the Australian Grand Prix demonstrations and has been featured in media events as well as feature articles in notable vintage automotive enthusiast publications. In 2023 this Alfa Romeo was delivered to North America and subsequently sold to the current owner who has enjoyed participation in various events including the 2025 Sonoma Raceway and Laguna Seca events and featured at the 2025 Danville Concours d’Elegance.


Today this uniquely constructed Alfa Romeo 6C continues to impress as a premier statement of brilliant design and authentic execution. Under first class stewardship from the day of completion to current ownership, the beautiful deep red paint boasts a glossy finish and excellent detailing throughout. Every detail is excellent and correct from the hand formed louvers, covered headlights and distinctive grille to the beautifully tapered rear end and exquisitely tailored fenders. The presence and stance is enhanced by captivating details offering the perfect combination of power and grace. The polished cast alloy fuel fillers, leather bonnet straps, engraved Alfa Romeo script knockoffs, and cast aluminum finned drum brakes are not only impressive and period correct, they form a unified composition of historic accuracy and legacy craftsmanship. 



Given the iconic Superleggera design and visually dynamic exterior, one might be excused for underestimating the interior, but here too is a vision of amazing construction. The interior, more accurately a cockpit, evokes the best in aircraft construction. The rich tobacco brown leather seating has been configured with care and purposeful elegance and creates a handsome contrast to the spartan alloy construction and revealed welds, steel tubing, and lightened construction. The dashboard houses two large dial instruments flanking a three-spoke steering wheel, exposed gearbox shift lever, and various accessory switches which finish the interior with a distinct combination of aircraft and motorsports themes. Virtually every detail here is not only finished to an exceptionally high level, each aspect is correctly fabricated including lightened triangulated gussets, etched foot pedals, exposed frame seating, and other delightful construction details brimming at every corner. A spare tire is mounted behind the seats, and the rear window is hinged for access to the rear storage area. A set of contemporary seat harnesses are mounted including shoulder harness belts attached to a main rear crossbar.


Under the hood, this stunning Alfa Romeo 6C Berlinetta recreation continues to impress. The engine features polished aluminum twin-cam covers, while the driver’s side displays triple side-draft dual-throat Weber carburetors. At every point of construction, the details and finishes are meticulously crafted with care and authenticity including the riveted firewall and inner fenders, fuel and oil lines, mechanical linkages, and electrical details. On the passenger side, the satin black exhaust headers extend to a twin shared exit pipe, where underside details continue to impress even the most critical eye seeking excellence and authenticity. Underneath the car, finishes, castings, suspension, dual exhaust, and steel chassis construction continue to echo consistency and accuracy with only modest evidence of use. Just as the body and interior so effectively reflect the original construction the underside authentically captures all the elements of the original and historically important features in this superb example of Alfa Romeo excellence.

Conceived and developed by premier Alfa Romeo enthusiasts as the ultimate expression of this hallmark of competition excellence, this Alfa Romeo 6c 2500 Berlinetta is ready to delight the next fortunate owner with a thoroughly unique ownership experience. Built with absolute adherence to authentic period construction and details, this Alfa Romeo is ready to deliver hours of motoring enjoyment in a host of premier vintage road tours and historic events.

The above vehicle information is complete and accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time it is posted to this website. Corrections or additional information is always appreciated. All advertised prices exclude government fees and taxes, any finance charges, any dealer document preparation charge, and any emission testing charge. Vehicles are subject to prior sale. All advertised to be true but not guaranteed. We assume no liability for errors or omissions.

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Fantasy Junction  •  510-653-7555  •  1145 Park Ave, Emeryville, CA 94608