Topic: Solved - NEH 2635: Alfa-Romeo 6C 2500 Sport bought from PF by Austin as inspiration for A90 Atlantic

[Carnut]

What's this and what's the story behind it - for 1 point?:


ANYONE FOUND GIVING ANSWERS OBTAINED BY USING GOOGLE SEARCH BY IMAGE MAY BE BANNED FOR AN INDETERMINATE PERIOD!

[Carnut]

Experts?

[kwgibbs]

Is this a Fageol?

[targhediferro]

I think it is an Alfa Romeo 6c 2500 Ss cabriolet Pininfarina, from 1947-8.

[Carnut]

Is this a Fageol?

Not one of those, no..

I think it is an Alfa Romeo 6c 2500 Ss cabriolet Pininfarina, from 1947-8.

but it probably is one of those, yes.  It's certainly an Alfa-Romeo, but that isn't actually the main point of the puzzle!

[kwgibbs]

costin custom?

[Iluvatar]

It's chassis 915.169, an Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Sport built in 1942 and bodied by Pinin Farina in 1946 (designed by Pietro Frua).
Owned by Austin Motor Company, said to be the inspiration for the Austin A90 Atlantic...

[richard cuyler]

If Iluvatar is right, something was seriously lost in the translation from swan(-ish) Frua design to roly-poly dumpling A90 Atlantic!

[nicanary]

I didn't know about the Austin connection. It was chassis 915.169 and motor 923.969 which Pinin Farina bought in 1942 and eventually bodied in early 1946 at war's end. In October 1946 the finished car was sold to perfume designer Giuliana Tortoli de Cuccoli who entered the car successfully in several Concours d'Elegance in 1947. It's perfectly possible that Leonard Lord saw the car at one of these events and persuaded the owner to part with the car in exchange for a wad of money. It seems to be one and the same car.

[Carnut]

Iluvatar is indeed right - a perfect demonstration of how to make a sow's ear out of a silk purse..
Is there any wonder the British motor industry vanished when the management were so utterly clueless?!
Actually the site where I found it said that Austin bought it from Pinin Farina, but I can't verify that or otherwise.

[targhediferro]

This car, 915169 was bodied by Pinin Farina in order to use it as a personal car; I got two pictures of it, the first was taken during the Concours d'Elegance at Gianicolo (Rome), 1947, the second is the cover page of a 1954 special of Cars Magazine.

[nicanary]

According to the site Alfa Bulletin Board it was ordered by Madam de Cuccoli from Pinin Farina, and possibly this is why they finished the car they'd never started. It does make you wonder how it ended up at Austin - the car was entering Concours events  from October 1946, it was with Austin by mid-1947 and the preliminary A90 was shown at Earls Court in 1948. How on earth did Austin "find" the car, persuade the owner to sell, and get it back to the UK at a time when it was "export or die" and extravagant imports were taxed to the hilt. I declare shenanigans.

[Carnut]

This is what it says about this car on my source:

QUOTE
The photograph below was taken outside the Raven Hotel and is of an Alfa Romeo that was bought by Austin from Pinin Farina reputedly as an aid in the design of the A90 Atlantic. Bob Koto had noticed the car in the Experimental Garage at Longbridge and had expressed a desire to buy it.
Towards the end of his stay, George Harriman, the Managing Director, told him that they liked his model & would give him the Alfa as a bonus for £1,000. It turned out to be a bargain winning trophies and 400 dollars in prize money. Bob Koto sold it for nearly twice the purchase price.
UNQUOTE