A stunning pre-war Alfa Romeo supercar which is one of just 38 ever made is going under the hammer for £5.5million.
The hot red 8C 2900 B Spider, made in the signature Italian style of Zagato, was manufactured in 1937 and is widely regarded as the most important model in the carmaker’s history.
Described as an engineering masterpiece, it is powered by a Grand Prix-derived twin-supercharged 2,905-cc eight-cylinder engine.
It was also the first road car manufactured with an engine, brakes and a lightweight chassis to be developed in motor racing, as reported by Luxury Auto News.
And now, it could be the prized addition to one vintage car collector’s garage as it goes on auction at RM Sotheby’s in Belgravia, west London, on November 1.
The car, which is fitted with a clean red leather interior, has a long and storied history after being constructed at Alfa Romeo’s factory in Portello, a district of Milan in the north of Italy.
It first landed in the hands of Ernst Carstens who ran his family’s ceramics business in Elmshorn, north of Hamburg, Germany, before being returned to the Alfa Romeo HQ the following year.
It is thought that Carstens may have kept it during the war, as photographs uncovered it with pre-1956 British Zone Hamburg plates at the Nürburgring in 1951.
This pre-war Alfa Romeo supercar is going under the hammer for £5.5million in west London
The hot red 8C 2900 B Spider is one of just 38 of the vehicles to have ever been made
Described as an engineering masterpiece, it is powered by a Grand Prix-derived twin-supercharged 2,905-cc eight-cylinder
It was the first road car made with an engine, brakes and a lightweight chassis in motor racing
‘By 1952, it was reportedly owned by a film studio in Darmstadt, who sold it to David Holtorf, an American serving in the US Air Force in West Germany,’ the listing continues.
‘At this point, it had lost its 2900 engine and was now fitted with a 6C 2500 unit. Holtorf had 412011 shipped to New York before driving it home to Valparaiso, Indiana, a stone’s throw from Chicago.’
The Alfa Romeo went through ‘several hands’ in the Chicago area before it was returned to Europe in 1978, where it has remained and received numerous rounds of treatment – including to the bodywork – until the late 2000s.
In July of this year, the car ended up in Jim Stokes Workshops Ltd, a restoration specialist in the town of Waterlooville, around six miles northeast of Portsmouth, where it underwent a ‘painstaking engine rebuild’.
But it has retained ‘a large number of original numbered components throughout’ such as its engine crankcase.
An extract from the listing adds: ‘Many cars claim to benefit from motorsport technology but few can assert such a direct link as Alfa Romeo’s 8C 2900 B.
‘Only Alfa Romeo’s monoposto cars could provide any resistance to Germany’s Silver Arrows during the mid-1930s but none of the racing creations from Stuttgart nor Zwichau yielded any technology that transitioned to application on to the public road.
‘With the 2900 it was an entirely different approach, with a relatively lightweight chassis featuring fully independent suspension and large drum brakes, all of which had been developed on the race circuit.
It could be the prize addition to a vintage car collector’s garage as it goes on auction on November 1
The Alfa Romeo went through ‘several hands’ in the Chicago area before it was returned to Europe in 1978
The car has a long and storied history after being constructed at Alfa Romeo’s factory in Portello
The car’s spare tire is fitted tucked neatly into the rear of the vehicle
The Alfa Romeo’s red exterior is complimented by its leather interior of the same colour
The car features a black speedometer which goes up to 240 kilometers per hour
‘The masterpiece of the car was its engine, which was derived directly from the legendary 1934 Tipo B, also known as the P3, which featured a 2,905 cc double overhead-cam engine with twin-superchargers forcing air and fuel into an eight-cylinder layout.
‘Only 38 examples of the 2900 were produced by Alfa Romeo with fewer known to exist today.
‘Some of the most desirable of these are the long chassis Spiders – long being a relative term as the wheelbase was only extended by 20 centimetres but provided the most luxurious platform for a two-seater body.’
Tempting car aficionados with the prospect of owning the car, the listing goes on to label the Alfa Romeo as ‘magnificent’.
It adds: ‘The inclusion of one of the 38 into a collection elevates the stable to global prominence, not simply for its rarity or status but rather its position as an engineering masterpiece from one of the most luxurious eras.
‘Chassis 412011 will always be a significant example as the only example to be bodied in Germany when new.
‘Offered after four decades of enthusiast family ownership, this 8C is a prime contender for entry into driving events, displayed on the Concours circuit, or returned to its original state.
‘This beautiful Grand Prix-engined, pre-war supercar will afford its next owner countless opportunities and experiences as the next chapter of its story begins.’
