| Alfa Romeo 6C | |
| Manufacturer: | Alfa Romeo |
| Production: | 1927–1954 |
| Assembly: | Italy: Portello Plant, Milan |
| Class: | Luxury car Sports car Racing car |
| Layout: | Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
| Engine: | Straight-six |
| Predecessor: | Alfa Romeo RM |
| Successor: | Alfa Romeo 1900 |
| Sp: | uk |
The Alfa Romeo 6C name was used on road, race, and sports cars produced between 1927 and 1954 by Alfa Romeo; the "6C" name refers to the six cylinders of the car's straight-six engine. Bodies for these cars were made by coachbuilders such as James Young, Zagato, Touring Superleggera, Castagna, and Pinin Farina. Beginning in 1933 there was also a 6C version with an Alfa factory body, built in Portello. In the early 1920s Vittorio Jano received a commission to create a lightweight, high performance vehicle to replace the Giuseppe Merosi designed RL and RM models. The car was introduced in April 1925 at the Salone dell' Automobile di Milano as the 6C 1500. It was based on Alfa's P2 Grand Prix car, using a single overhead cam 1,487 cc in-line six-cylinder engine, producing 44 horsepower. In 1928 the 1500 Sport was presented, which was the first Alfa Romeo road car with double overhead camshafts.
| Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 | |
| Production: | 1927–1929 |
| Engine: | 1.5 L (1,487 cc) I6 1.5 L (1,487 cc) supercharged I6 |
| Transmission: | 4-speed manual |
| Sp: | uk |
In the mid-1920s, Alfa's RL was considered too large and heavy, so a new development began. The 2-litre formula that had led to Alfa Romeo winning the Automobile World Championship in 1925, changed to 1.5-litres for the 1926 season. The 6C 1500 was introduced in 1925 at the Milan Motor Show. Series production started in 1927, with the P2 Grand Prix car as a starting point.The Alfa Romeo 6C-1500 Super Sport features a twin overhead cam six cylinder engine with a bore of 62 mm and stroke of 82 mm, giving a displacement of 1487 cc, as against the P2's 1,987 cc, while supercharging was dropped. First versions were bodied by James Young and Carrozzeria Touring.
In 1928, the 6C Sport model was released, with a dual overhead-camshaft engine. Its sport version won many races, including the 1928 Mille Miglia. Total production was 3,000 (200 with DOHC engines). Ten examples of a supercharged (compressore, compressor) Super Sport variant were also built.[1]
| Model | Years | Crankcase/ construction | Valvetrain | Fuel system | Peak power | Top speed | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normale | 5.75:1 | 440NaN0 | 110km/h | |||||
| Sport | 1928–29 | Alum./iron/iron | 6.0:1 | Single carburettor | 540NaN0 | 125km/h | ||
| Super Sport | 1928–29 | Alum./iron/iron | DOHC | 6.75:1 | Twin choke carburettor | 600NaN0 | 125km/h | |
| Super Sport | 1928–29 | Alum./iron/iron | DOHC | 5.25:1 | 760NaN0 | 140km/h | ||
| Super Sport Testa Fissa | 1928–29 | Alum./iron, monobloc | DOHC | 5.25:1 | Single carburettor, supercharger | 840NaN0 | 155km/h |
| Model | width=80em | 4-seater | width=80em | 6-seater | width=80em | Normale | width=80em | Sport | width=80em style="line-height:1.3em" | Super Sport Compressore | width=80em | Super Sport | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series | I | I | II | II | II | II | I–II | ||||||
| Prod. years | 1927–28 | 1927–28 | 1928–29 | 1928–29 | 1929 | 1929 | 1927–29 | ||||||
| Prod. number | 56 | 506 | 300 | 171 | 15 | 10 |
| Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 | |
| Production: | 1929–1933 |
| Engine: | 1.7 L (1,752 cc) I6 1.7 L (1,752 cc) supercharged I6 |
| Transmission: | 4-speed manual |
| Sp: | uk |
The more powerful 6C 1750 (1,752 cc, 65 x 88 mm) was introduced in 1929 in Rome. The car had a top speed of 95mi/h, a chassis designed to flex and undulate over uneven surfaces, as well as sensitive geared-up steering.[2] It was produced in six series between 1929 and 1933. The base model had a single overhead cam. Super Sport and Gran Sport versions had a double overhead cam engine (DOHC). Again, a supercharger was available. Most of the cars were sold as rolling chassis and bodied by coachbuilders such as Zagato, and Touring Superleggera. Additionally there were 3 examples built with James Young bodywork, one of which is a part of the permanent collection at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia, PA, USA, in original and unrestored condition.[2]
In 1929, the 6C won every major racing event in which it was entered, including the Grands Prix of Belgium, Spain, Tunis and Monza, and the Mille Miglia was won by Giuseppe Campari and Giulio Ramponi. The car also won the Brooklands Double Twelve and the Ulster TT. In 1930 the car again won the Mille Miglia and Spa 24 Hours.[3] Total production was 2,635.
The 1931 6C 1750 with license plate number "3710 SV" and chassis/engine number #10814331, which is currently owned by notorious rare car collector Corrado Lopresto, is a unique example, whose story is told in Lopresto's bilingual 2015 Skira book Best in Show – Capolavori dell'auto italiana dalla collezione Lopresto – Italian Cars Masterpieces from the Lopresto Collection.
The English-language section about this car tells: