Alfa Romeo 6C
Encyclopedia
The Alfa Romeo 6C name was used on road, race and sports cars made between 1925–1954 by Alfa Romeo. 6C refers to a straight 6 engine. Bodies for these cars were made by coachbuilder
s such as James Young
, Zagato
, Touring
, Castagna
, and Pininfarina
. Starting from 1933 there was also a 6C version with a factory Alfa body, built in Portello
.
In the mid-1920s, Alfa's RL
was considered too large and heavy, so a new development began. The 2-liter formula that had led to Alfa Romeo winning the World Championship in 1925, changed to 1.5 liter for the 1926 season. The 6C1500 was introduced in 1925 at Milan
, production started 1927, with the P2
Grand Prix car as starting point. Engine capacity was now 1487 cc, against the P2's 1987 cc, while supercharging
was dropped. First versions were bodied by Young and Touring.
In 1928, a 6C Sport was released, with a dual overhead camshaft
s engine. Its sport version won many races, including the 1928 Mille Miglia
. Total production was 3000 (200 with DOHC engine). Ten copies of a supercharged (compressore, compressor) Super Sport variant were also made.
Variants:
The more powerful 6C 1750 (1752 cc actual) was introduced in 1929 in Rome. It was produced in six series between 1929-1933. Base model had a single overhead cam; Super Sport and Gran Sport versions had 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
, Touring
and James Young
. The 1750 was also used in racing, it won e.g. the 1929 and 1930 Mille Miglia
and 1930 Spa 24 Hours
. Total production was 2635.
Variants:
The last derivate of original 1500 version the 6C 1900 with an 1917 cc engine was introduced in 1933, now with an aluminium head for the first time. With 68 brake horsepower this version could achieve top speed of 130 kilometres per hour (80.8 mph). The 1900 version is very rare as only 197 copies were made before it was replaced by 6C 2300.
Variants:
The 6C 2300 (2309 cc) was designed by Vittorio Jano
as a cheaper alternative to the 8C
.
Variants:
, working with the brothers Gino and Oscar Jankovitz, created a one-off mid-engine prototype on a 6C 2300 chassis (no. 700316), which Jano had shipped to Fiume, Croatia
in 1934. The brothers Jankovitz had been close friends with leading Hungarian aerodynamicist Paul Jaray
, and the prototype, called the Alfa Romeo Aerodinamica Spider, was an especially early and clear example of ponton styling
— a genre that would overtake automobile styling and last until the 1960s. Jano had intended to fit a V12 engine, though that possibility disappeared when Jano himself was fired from Alfa in 1937.
Based on documents kept in the family Jankovits the history of the car's development is as follows:
summary of the "Aerospider" Alfa Romeo Jankovits - 6 C 2300 Aerodinamica Spider "Aerospider" (constructed 1934-1937)
The prototype of modern automobile design and the first car which had been constructed and executed as a sculptural whole.
The combination of a very advanced aerodynamic body with the engine behind the central driver's seat, on the most advanced chassis of its time makes this Alfa Romeo unique in the history of automobiles.
This special version of an Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 belonged to a secret project by Vittorio Jano and the brothers Jankovits.
The Aerospider represents
It had:
The first car which was designed for high speeds by using:
This aerodynamic design was scientifically aerodynamic and lasciviously beautiful without heritage, a forerunner of the later following high-speed record-breaking cars of Mercedes and Auto Union, and in some respects even more advanced than they were, and a forerunner of modern sports car, pure, simple and structural.
The car had the most advanced chassis of any pre-war car. It was the first car in history to use:
Engine: Prototype of Alfa Romeo high performance 6 C 2300 built in 1934, No. 700316, placed behind the driver, iron-block, light alloy head, dual-overhead-cam 2309 cc, straight-six, camshafts chain-driven, spur gears, wet sump lubrication, three dual Weber 36 D 04 carburettors, improved intake of combustion air, adjustable timing of ignition.
This was the engine to be used for the sports version of the project. The engine for the race version would have been the 12 C of 430 hp.
over 200 mph (89.4 m/s) for race version (estimated).
front: top wishbones with lever-arm “Houdaille” hydraulic shock absorbers, transverse leaf spring and longitudinal torsion bars;
rear: swing axles, radius arms, transverse leaf spring,longitudinal torsion bars
, had been impressed by the new mid-engined Auto Union GP racer. Jano was aware of the advantages of a mid-engined car and wanted to make use of the same technology. He was planning to develop a dual-purpose car. as racer to be fitted with a 12 C engine and as sports car with an 6 C engine. But Alfa Romeo had never constructed a mid-engined car, and had no experience of the characteristics of such a design. He decided to develop in-house a V12 engine for Alfa Romeo’s standard GP chassis, which could later also be installed into the yet-to-be-developed mid-engined chassis which he wanted to construct. This was to be a top secret project. Chassis and body were designed and built outside the Alfa Romeo factory to hide it from competitors.
Jano, who was of Hungarian descent, was in contact with two other men also of Hungarian descent, who were interested in the project. They were the brothers Gino and Oscar Jankovits. They were brilliant students at the Polytechnic University in Jano’s home town of Turin, where Fiat and Alfa Romeo recruited their technical staff. The brothers became Alfa Romeo concessionaires and owned the biggest garage of Istria in Fiume – today called Rijeka. With their passion for race cars and the background of wealth, technical talent and the garage they were excited at being able to participate in this project , and they financed the entire project.
In 1934, Jano gave them a powerful, naturally aspirated 6C 2300 engine upgraded with three Weber
carburettors. This would be the engine for the sports car project. Jankovits also got the transmission system, and a basic frame suitable for the 12 C engine, to be modified for a mid-engined racing car. Other mechanical systems such as suspensions and brakes were designed by the development team and built at Portello.
Each mechanical part produced for the new car was marked with a description and date of production, and with the position where it was to be mounted.
The parts were then taken to Fiume, and between 1935 and 1936 were installed and tested by the Jankovits in a “running chassis”. Depending on test results, improvements were made, regardless of cost, until the systems worked to their satisfaction.
All parts of the chassis were constructed very solid with view to high speed trials over 250 mph (111.8 m/s). The Aerospider’s chassis was the most advanced of its time and anticipated later designs by Mercedes and Auto Union
. It was the first car with a suspension designed with wishbones
, hydraulic dampers
, transverse leaf spring
s, radius arms and torsion bars. Other pioneering features were devices to eliminate overbraking and a sophisticated system of gear change with pre-selection.
The breathtaking aerodynamic shape of the car also anticipated the later high speed designs of Auto Union
by 4 years. It was designed by Oscar Jankovits , who was probably in contact with Josef Mickl , Porsche's specialist of aerodynamics, and others of the former Habsburg Empire as Paul Jaray
, the inventor of streamlined cars, and Bela Barenyi
, the inventor of the “Volkswagen”. The exceptional streamlined steel body was built by workers at the Jankovits Garage in Fiume between 1936 and 1937.
The Aerospider was to have been fitted with the newly developed V12 engine
(430 hp) of Alfa Romeo - a "12 C Aerodinamica Spider" - which would have made it a serious competitor to Auto Union and Mercedes Benz. But in 1937, when the car was ready to make its public appearance, the project was abruptly stopped when Vittorio Jano was dismissed by Alfa Romeo.
Jankovits could no longer get the 12 C engine. They mounted the 6 C 2300 which they had got for the sports car project, and they made the prototype suitable for use on the road by adding user-friendly components such as a bigger windscreen, a heating system and bumpers.
The car still has its original licence plate and documents of registration.
Any public appearance of the futuristic looking Aerospider would have caused a sensation, but because of the secrecy surrounding the project, and then the onset of the war, the prototype remained hidden in the Jankovits’ garage in Fiume, and was not seen by anyone from outside the garage.
On Christmas Eve 1946, Gino Jankovits drove the Aerospider at full speed under the toll-bar of the closed communist controlled border into Italy. Border guards fired volleys of shots after him, but the low, streamlined body saved Gino’s life. Only the rear tyres were destroyed by the bullets, which also caused some dents in the rear of the car’s bodywork.
To get money they had to sell their car to an Anglo-American officer. Then the Alfa disappeared for about 20 years until it was rediscovered in England. In 1978 the Aerospider was recognized by the well-known Alfa Romeo historian Luigi Fusi, who had worked with Vittorio Jano at the time of the Aerospider project. He wanted to acquire the car for the Alfa Romeo Museum
. The acquisition failed, but the prototype did eventually return to Italy, 30 years after its birth, to be restored at last to its original condition as a racing car.
Time frame of construction of the Aerospider
Introduced in 1938, the 2500 (2443 cc) was the last 6C road car. World War II
was coming and car development was stopped, but a few hundred 6C 2500s were built from 1940-1945. Postwar, the first new Alfa model was the 1946 6C 2500 Freccia d'Oro (Golden Arrow), of which 680 were built through 1951, with bodies by Alfa. It was sold to wealthy customers like King Farouk
, Alì Khan
, Rita Hayworth
, Tyrone Power
, and Prince Rainier.
The 6C 2500 Villa d'Este was introduced in 1949 and was produced until 1952, named for the Concorso d'Eleganza
held in Villa d'Este
; a Touring Superleggera
-bodied version won the prize. Villa d'Este was Alfa's last hand built model, only 36 examples made. The last 6C was produced in 1952, and was replaced by the 1900
.
Variants:
and two spider
versions.
Variants:
6C 3000 Competizione Maggiorata was born in 1952. The body was shaped by Carrozzeria Colli
, a coachbuilder from Milan, with some remembrances from the style introduced by 1900 Disco Volante
.
The propulsion system of this model comes from a project by Giuseppe Busso
. It was different from his ancestor: it still used several components of the 3-liters-volume/6-cylinders system from the 6C 3000 prototype, but engine capacity was increased to 3495 cc. After several evolutions, it reached a power of 275 bhp.
3000 CM was realised in six copies: four coupé and two spider. With the coupé model Juan Manuel Fangio
and Giulio Sala got the second position at Mille Miglia
, in 1953. Fangio was leading the race, but a problem whit the chassis obliged him to slow down. Still with Fangio, the spider won the First Gran Premio Supercorte Maggiore in Meran, 1953; this car is shown today at Museo Storico Alfa Romeo.
One of the two spider was modified to cope with the new rules of the International Sport Category and the capacity was limited to 3-liters. This car was renamed PR, Passo Ridotto (Reduced Wheelbase). This second spider belongs to the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo’s collection.
During the sixties, at the end of the period of competitions, 6C 3000 CM was used by the Experience Department of Alfa Romeo
for testing new components, one of which is the disc brake, which is still present today in this vehicle.
Coachbuilder
A coachbuilder is a manufacturer of bodies for carriages or automobiles.The trade dates back several centuries. Rippon was active in the time of Queen Elizabeth I, Barker founded in 1710 by an officer in Queen Anne's Guards, Brewster a relative newcomer , formed in 1810. Others in Britain included...
s such as James Young
James Young (coachbuilder)
James Young Ltd was a British coachbuilding company. The business was started in 1863 in LondonRoad, Bromley. originally producing horsedrawn carriages....
, Zagato
Zagato
Zagato is a design consultancy and engineering services company situated just outside Milan, Italy.The company's premises occupy an area of , of which are covered....
, Touring
Carrozzeria Touring
Carrozzeria Touring is an automobile coachbuilder established on March 25, 1926 in Milan, Italy by Felice Bianchi Anderloni and Gaetano Ponzoni...
, Castagna
Carrozzeria Castagna
Carrozzeria Castagna is an Italian coachbuilding company from Milan. The company history startsin 1849 when Carlo Castagna bought the Ferrari coachbuilding business. In the end of 1800 was made first coach to automobile with...
, and Pininfarina
Pininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder in Cambiano, Italy.Founded as Società anonima Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930 by automobile designer and builder Battista "Pinin" Farina, Pininfarina has been employed by a wide variety of high-end automobile manufacturers,...
. Starting from 1933 there was also a 6C version with a factory Alfa body, built in Portello
Portello, Milan
Portello is a district of Milan, Italy, part of the Zone 8 administrative division of the city, located north-west of the centre. It is best known as a car-manufacturing area, as it used to house facilities of Alfa Romeo , Darracq, Citroën, and Fiat. The district also includes one of the major...
.
6C 1500 (1925-1929)
Alfa Romeo RL
The Alfa Romeo RL was produced between 1922-1927. It was Alfa's first sport model after World War I. The car was designed in 1921 by Giuseppe Merosi. It had a straight-6 engine with overhead valves...
was considered too large and heavy, so a new development began. The 2-liter formula that had led to Alfa Romeo winning the World Championship in 1925, changed to 1.5 liter for the 1926 season. The 6C1500 was introduced in 1925 at Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, production started 1927, with the P2
Alfa Romeo P2
The Alfa Romeo P2 won the inaugural Automobile World Championship in 1925, taking victory in two of the four championship rounds when Antonio Ascari drove it in the European Grand Prix at Spa and Gastone Brilli-Peri won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza after Ascari died while leading the intervening...
Grand Prix car as starting point. Engine capacity was now 1487 cc, against the P2's 1987 cc, while supercharging
Supercharger
A supercharger is an air compressor used for forced induction of an internal combustion engine.The greater mass flow-rate provides more oxygen to support combustion than would be available in a naturally aspirated engine, which allows more fuel to be burned and more work to be done per cycle,...
was dropped. First versions were bodied by Young and Touring.
In 1928, a 6C Sport was released, with a dual overhead camshaft
Overhead camshaft
Overhead cam valvetrain configurations place the engine camshaft within the cylinder heads, above the combustion chambers, and drive the valves or lifters in a more direct manner compared to overhead valves and pushrods...
s engine. Its sport version won many races, including the 1928 Mille Miglia
Mille Miglia
The Mille Miglia was an open-road endurance race which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 ....
. Total production was 3000 (200 with DOHC engine). Ten copies of a supercharged (compressore, compressor) Super Sport variant were also made.
Variants:
- 6C 1500, 44 bhp @ 4400 rpm, 109 km/h (67.7 mph) (1925–1929)
- 6C 1500 Sport, 54 bhp @ 4500 rpm, 125 km/h (77.7 mph) (1928–1929)- 171 cars
- 6C 1500 Super Sport compressore, 76 bhp @ 4800 rpm, 140 km/h (87 mph) (1928–1929)
- 6C 1500 TF, 84 bhp @ 5000 rpm (1928–1929)
6C 1750 (1929-1933)
Zagato
Zagato is a design consultancy and engineering services company situated just outside Milan, Italy.The company's premises occupy an area of , of which are covered....
, Touring
Touring
Touring may mean:* touring, the estate/wagon version of BMW cars* Bicycle touring* Ski touring* Touring * Carrozzeria Touring* Touring * Touring car racing* a model of Hymer campers* a song by The Ramones* Touring theatre...
and James Young
James Young (coachbuilder)
James Young Ltd was a British coachbuilding company. The business was started in 1863 in LondonRoad, Bromley. originally producing horsedrawn carriages....
. The 1750 was also used in racing, it won e.g. the 1929 and 1930 Mille Miglia
Mille Miglia
The Mille Miglia was an open-road endurance race which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 ....
and 1930 Spa 24 Hours
Spa 24 Hours
The Total 24 Hours of Spa is an endurance racing event held annually in Belgium at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Conceived by Jules de Their and Henri Langlois Van Ophem just one year after the first 24 Hours of Le Mans, the race was run under the auspices of the Royal Automobile Club Belgium...
. Total production was 2635.
Variants:
- 6C 1750 Turismo, 46 bhp @ 4000 rpm, 109 km/h (67.7 mph) (1929–1933)
- 6C 1750 Sport/Gran Turismo, 55 bhp @ 4400 rpm, 125 km/h (77.7 mph) (1929–1932)
- 6C 1750 Super Sport/Gran Sport, 64 bhp @ 4500 rpm, 130 km/h (80.8 mph) (1929–1932)
- 6C 1750 Super Sport/Gran Sport compressore,85 bhp @ 4500 rpm, 145 km/h (90.1 mph) (1929–1932)
- 6C 1750 Gran Turismo compressore, 80 bhp @ 4400 rpm, 135 km/h (83.9 mph) (1931–1932)
- 6C 1750 Super Sport/Gran Sport/TF, 85 bhp @ 4800 rpm, 170 km/h (105.6 mph) (1929–1930)
6C 1900 (1933)
Variants:
- 6C 1900 GT, 68 bhp @ 4500 rpm, 130 km/h (80.8 mph)
6C 2300 (1934-1937)
Vittorio Jano
Vittorio Jano was an Italian automobile designer of Hungarian descent from the 1920s through 1960s.Jano was born Viktor János in San Giorgio Canavese, in Piedmont, to Hungarian immigrants, who arrived there several years before the birth of Jano. He began his career at the car and truck company...
as a cheaper alternative to the 8C
Alfa Romeo 8C
-1935 Monoposto 8C 35 Type C:Eight 3.8 litre versions, sharing no castings with the earlier blocks, were individually built for racing in five months, most being used in the Alfa Romeo Monoposto 8C 35 Type C, as raced by Scuderia Ferrari. The 3.8 produced at 5500 rpm, and had from...
.
Variants:
- 6C 2300 Turismo, 68 bhp @ 4400 rpm, 120 km/h (74.6 mph) (1934)
- 6C 2300 Gran Turismo, 76 bhp @ 4400 rpm, 130 km/h (80.8 mph) (1934)
- 6C 2300B Gran Turismo, 76 bhp @ 4400 rpm (1935–1937)
- 6C 2300 Pescara, 95 bhp @ 4500 rpm, 144 km/h (89.5 mph) (1934)
- 6C 2300B Pescara, 95 bhp @ 4500 rpm (1935–1937)
- 6C 2300 B Corto/Lungo (1935)
- 6C 2300 B Mille Miglia
Aerodinamica Spider
In 1935, Vittorio JanoVittorio Jano
Vittorio Jano was an Italian automobile designer of Hungarian descent from the 1920s through 1960s.Jano was born Viktor János in San Giorgio Canavese, in Piedmont, to Hungarian immigrants, who arrived there several years before the birth of Jano. He began his career at the car and truck company...
, working with the brothers Gino and Oscar Jankovitz, created a one-off mid-engine prototype on a 6C 2300 chassis (no. 700316), which Jano had shipped to Fiume, Croatia
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
in 1934. The brothers Jankovitz had been close friends with leading Hungarian aerodynamicist Paul Jaray
Paul Jaray
Paul Jaray , 11 March 1889 Vienna–22 September 1974 St. Gallen, was an engineer and a pioneer of automotive streamlining.-Life:Jaray, of Hungarian-Jewish descent, was born in Vienna...
, and the prototype, called the Alfa Romeo Aerodinamica Spider, was an especially early and clear example of ponton styling
Ponton (automobile)
Ponton or Pontoon styling refers to a 1930s-1960s design genre — ultimately the precursor of modern automotive styling. The trend emerged as distinct running boards and fully articulated fenders became less common and bodywork began to enclose the full width and uninterrupted length of a car...
— a genre that would overtake automobile styling and last until the 1960s. Jano had intended to fit a V12 engine, though that possibility disappeared when Jano himself was fired from Alfa in 1937.
Based on documents kept in the family Jankovits the history of the car's development is as follows:
summary of the "Aerospider" Alfa Romeo Jankovits - 6 C 2300 Aerodinamica Spider "Aerospider" (constructed 1934-1937)
The prototype of modern automobile design and the first car which had been constructed and executed as a sculptural whole.
The combination of a very advanced aerodynamic body with the engine behind the central driver's seat, on the most advanced chassis of its time makes this Alfa Romeo unique in the history of automobiles.
This special version of an Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 belonged to a secret project by Vittorio Jano and the brothers Jankovits.
The Aerospider represents
- The first supercar of “modern” sports car design.
- The first mid-engined car with central driving position in the history of automobiles designed to keep the centre of gravity in the middle of the car - 60 years ahead of the McLaren F1
- The first car designed to take account of newly developed principles of aerodynamics, to provide low-drag both externally and internally.
It had:
- flowing lines with a low body profile, a steep short radiator grille and a long descending tail; side wings with a convex surface at each side of the car, and concave surfaces towards the midline, resulting in a cross-section resembling a bat
- a straight upper line to the silhouette of the side of the car, without interruptions or steps
- a streamlined bodyshell which minimised disturbance to the air flow. For the first time in car design door handles and lights were integrated into the body of the car
- a body design with air inlets in zones of high air pressure, and with the outlets of heated air from the engine and brakes in areas of low pressure.
The first car which was designed for high speeds by using:
- a body which fully enveloped the underside of the car to reduce air turbulence beneath it
- an aerodynamic front design to reduce front lift of the car
This aerodynamic design was scientifically aerodynamic and lasciviously beautiful without heritage, a forerunner of the later following high-speed record-breaking cars of Mercedes and Auto Union, and in some respects even more advanced than they were, and a forerunner of modern sports car, pure, simple and structural.
The car had the most advanced chassis of any pre-war car. It was the first car in history to use:
- a two-circuit brake system with adjustable duplex brakes, with an equaliser which could avoid overbraking by changing the distribution of braking force between the front and rear brakes during driving.
- a hydraulically-assisted clutch
- a horizontal radiator which made it possible to design the lowest front profile of any pre-war car
- “silent bloc” bushes
- disc style flexible couplings, later called “Hardy discs”
- exhaust pipes of equal length for better performance
- improved intake of air to reduce the pressure drop
- a unique system of gear change with pre-selection
- features which were designed to avoid the specific problems of a mid-engined racing car, such as overheating and abrupt spinning, which had still not been fully resolved 30 years later.
Technical description
- Dimensions:
- length: 4750 mm (187 in)
- width: 1720 mm (67.7 in)
- height: 1030 mm (40.6 in) (1150 mm (45.3 in) with windscreen)
- wheelbase: 2800 mm (110.2 in)
- track: 1560 mm (61.4 in) (front), 1505 mm (59.3 in) (rear)
- weight: 950 kg (2,094.4 lb) (dry)
Engine: Prototype of Alfa Romeo high performance 6 C 2300 built in 1934, No. 700316, placed behind the driver, iron-block, light alloy head, dual-overhead-cam 2309 cc, straight-six, camshafts chain-driven, spur gears, wet sump lubrication, three dual Weber 36 D 04 carburettors, improved intake of combustion air, adjustable timing of ignition.
This was the engine to be used for the sports version of the project. The engine for the race version would have been the 12 C of 430 hp.
- Max Power 105 bhp at 4800 rpm; torque 170 N·m (125.4 ft·lbf)
- and speed: over 140 mph (62.6 m/s) for sports version
over 200 mph (89.4 m/s) for race version (estimated).
- Transmission: Alfa Romeo 4-speed plus reverse, mounted with Hardy disc behind the engine, driven rear wheels, draulically-assisted clutch, pre-selective gearbox
- Chassis: frame prototype suitable for 12 C engine, No. 700316, reinforced and modified for centre position of the engine
- Suspension: All-independent, upgraded Auto Union race suspension with “silent bloc” bushes;
front: top wishbones with lever-arm “Houdaille” hydraulic shock absorbers, transverse leaf spring and longitudinal torsion bars;
rear: swing axles, radius arms, transverse leaf spring,longitudinal torsion bars
- Steering: Worm and sector with Hardy disc
- Brakes: two-circuit hydraulic brake system with two fluid distributors and two master brake cylinders, one for the front and one for the rear, duplex race brakes type “Lockheed”, 17 by 2 in (431.8 by 50.8 mm) drums all round, adjustable rear brakes, equaliser of brake force for adjustment during driving to avoid overbraking
- Wheels: Alfa Romeo 18 inches (457.2 mm) “Rudge” wire spoke
- Tyres: 5.50-18 racing crossplies
- Body: Steel three-seater with central driving position, streamlined with fully enveloping underbody and integrated wings; body work designed by Oscar Jankovits, built at the Jankovits garage in Fiume, 1936–1937
- Production: One prototype
History
In 1934, the chief engineer of Alfa Romeo, Vittorio JanoVittorio Jano
Vittorio Jano was an Italian automobile designer of Hungarian descent from the 1920s through 1960s.Jano was born Viktor János in San Giorgio Canavese, in Piedmont, to Hungarian immigrants, who arrived there several years before the birth of Jano. He began his career at the car and truck company...
, had been impressed by the new mid-engined Auto Union GP racer. Jano was aware of the advantages of a mid-engined car and wanted to make use of the same technology. He was planning to develop a dual-purpose car. as racer to be fitted with a 12 C engine and as sports car with an 6 C engine. But Alfa Romeo had never constructed a mid-engined car, and had no experience of the characteristics of such a design. He decided to develop in-house a V12 engine for Alfa Romeo’s standard GP chassis, which could later also be installed into the yet-to-be-developed mid-engined chassis which he wanted to construct. This was to be a top secret project. Chassis and body were designed and built outside the Alfa Romeo factory to hide it from competitors.
Jano, who was of Hungarian descent, was in contact with two other men also of Hungarian descent, who were interested in the project. They were the brothers Gino and Oscar Jankovits. They were brilliant students at the Polytechnic University in Jano’s home town of Turin, where Fiat and Alfa Romeo recruited their technical staff. The brothers became Alfa Romeo concessionaires and owned the biggest garage of Istria in Fiume – today called Rijeka. With their passion for race cars and the background of wealth, technical talent and the garage they were excited at being able to participate in this project , and they financed the entire project.
In 1934, Jano gave them a powerful, naturally aspirated 6C 2300 engine upgraded with three Weber
Weber carburetor
Weber is an Italian company producing carburetors, currently owned by Magneti Marelli Powertrain S.p.A., in turn part of the Fiat Group.The company was established as...
carburettors. This would be the engine for the sports car project. Jankovits also got the transmission system, and a basic frame suitable for the 12 C engine, to be modified for a mid-engined racing car. Other mechanical systems such as suspensions and brakes were designed by the development team and built at Portello.
Each mechanical part produced for the new car was marked with a description and date of production, and with the position where it was to be mounted.
The parts were then taken to Fiume, and between 1935 and 1936 were installed and tested by the Jankovits in a “running chassis”. Depending on test results, improvements were made, regardless of cost, until the systems worked to their satisfaction.
All parts of the chassis were constructed very solid with view to high speed trials over 250 mph (111.8 m/s). The Aerospider’s chassis was the most advanced of its time and anticipated later designs by Mercedes and Auto Union
Auto Union
Auto Union was an amalgamation of four German automobile manufacturers, founded in 1932 and established in 1936 in Chemnitz, Saxony, during the Great Depression. The company has evolved into present day Audi, as a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group....
. It was the first car with a suspension designed with wishbones
Double wishbone suspension
In automobiles, a double wishbone suspension is an independent suspension design using two wishbone-shaped arms to locate the wheel. Each wishbone or arm has two mounting points to the chassis and one joint at the knuckle. The shock absorber and coil spring mount to the wishbones to control...
, hydraulic dampers
Shock absorber
A shock absorber is a mechanical device designed to smooth out or damp shock impulse, and dissipate kinetic energy. It is a type of dashpot.-Nomenclature:...
, transverse leaf spring
Leaf spring
Originally called laminated or carriage spring, a leaf spring is a simple form of spring, commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles...
s, radius arms and torsion bars. Other pioneering features were devices to eliminate overbraking and a sophisticated system of gear change with pre-selection.
The breathtaking aerodynamic shape of the car also anticipated the later high speed designs of Auto Union
Auto Union
Auto Union was an amalgamation of four German automobile manufacturers, founded in 1932 and established in 1936 in Chemnitz, Saxony, during the Great Depression. The company has evolved into present day Audi, as a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group....
by 4 years. It was designed by Oscar Jankovits , who was probably in contact with Josef Mickl , Porsche's specialist of aerodynamics, and others of the former Habsburg Empire as Paul Jaray
Paul Jaray
Paul Jaray , 11 March 1889 Vienna–22 September 1974 St. Gallen, was an engineer and a pioneer of automotive streamlining.-Life:Jaray, of Hungarian-Jewish descent, was born in Vienna...
, the inventor of streamlined cars, and Bela Barenyi
Bela Barenyi
Béla Barényi was a Hungarian-Austrian engineer, regarded as the father of passive safety in automobiles. He was born in Hirtenberg near Vienna during the Austro-Hungarian Empire...
, the inventor of the “Volkswagen”. The exceptional streamlined steel body was built by workers at the Jankovits Garage in Fiume between 1936 and 1937.
The Aerospider was to have been fitted with the newly developed V12 engine
V12 engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
(430 hp) of Alfa Romeo - a "12 C Aerodinamica Spider" - which would have made it a serious competitor to Auto Union and Mercedes Benz. But in 1937, when the car was ready to make its public appearance, the project was abruptly stopped when Vittorio Jano was dismissed by Alfa Romeo.
Jankovits could no longer get the 12 C engine. They mounted the 6 C 2300 which they had got for the sports car project, and they made the prototype suitable for use on the road by adding user-friendly components such as a bigger windscreen, a heating system and bumpers.
The car still has its original licence plate and documents of registration.
Any public appearance of the futuristic looking Aerospider would have caused a sensation, but because of the secrecy surrounding the project, and then the onset of the war, the prototype remained hidden in the Jankovits’ garage in Fiume, and was not seen by anyone from outside the garage.
On Christmas Eve 1946, Gino Jankovits drove the Aerospider at full speed under the toll-bar of the closed communist controlled border into Italy. Border guards fired volleys of shots after him, but the low, streamlined body saved Gino’s life. Only the rear tyres were destroyed by the bullets, which also caused some dents in the rear of the car’s bodywork.
To get money they had to sell their car to an Anglo-American officer. Then the Alfa disappeared for about 20 years until it was rediscovered in England. In 1978 the Aerospider was recognized by the well-known Alfa Romeo historian Luigi Fusi, who had worked with Vittorio Jano at the time of the Aerospider project. He wanted to acquire the car for the Alfa Romeo Museum
Alfa Romeo Museum
Alfa Romeo History Museum , which opened on December 18, 1976, is located in Arese, Milan, Italy. The museum is located in the now unused Alfa Romeo Arese factory area, which stopped manufacturing of cars in 2003 and engines in 2005, with the museum, left is only Alfa Romeo style centre.The whole...
. The acquisition failed, but the prototype did eventually return to Italy, 30 years after its birth, to be restored at last to its original condition as a racing car.
Time frame of construction of the Aerospider
- 1934 construction of engine, transmission and frame
- 1935 completion of first version of chassis
- 1936 testing period, modifications of chassis, start of body making
- 1937 completion of chassis and body for race car
- 1938 modification into street car
6C 2500 (1938-1952)
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
was coming and car development was stopped, but a few hundred 6C 2500s were built from 1940-1945. Postwar, the first new Alfa model was the 1946 6C 2500 Freccia d'Oro (Golden Arrow), of which 680 were built through 1951, with bodies by Alfa. It was sold to wealthy customers like King Farouk
Farouk of Egypt
Farouk I of Egypt , was the tenth ruler from the Muhammad Ali Dynasty and the penultimate King of Egypt and Sudan, succeeding his father, Fuad I, in 1936....
, Alì Khan
Prince Aly Khan
Prince Ali Solomone Aga Khan , known as Aly Khan was a son of Aga Khan III, the head of the Ismaili Muslims, and the father of Aga Khan IV. A socialite, racehorse owner and jockey, he was the third husband of actress Rita Hayworth...
, Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth was an American film actress and dancer who attained fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars...
, Tyrone Power
Tyrone Power
Tyrone Edmund Power, Jr. , usually credited as Tyrone Power and known sometimes as Ty Power, was an American film and stage actor who appeared in dozens of films from the 1930s to the 1950s, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads such as in The Mark of Zorro, Blood and Sand, The Black Swan,...
, and Prince Rainier.
The 6C 2500 Villa d'Este was introduced in 1949 and was produced until 1952, named for the Concorso d'Eleganza
Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este
Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este is a renowned elegance competition for classic and vintage cars. It has taken place every year since 1929 during the last weekend of April in Villa d'Este on the shores of Lake Como, Italy...
held in Villa d'Este
Villa d'Este (Cernobbio)
The Villa d'Este, originally Villa del Garovo, is a Renaissance patrician residence in the Italian town of Cernobbio on the shores of Lake Como. Both the villa and the park which surrounds it have undergone significant changes since their sixteenth-century origins as a summer residence for the...
; a Touring Superleggera
Superleggera
Superleggera is an automobile chassis construction technology developed by Felice Bianchi Anderloni of Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring. The company was located just north of Milan, near Alfa Romeo, Italian Citroen, and the former Isotta-Fraschini plant...
-bodied version won the prize. Villa d'Este was Alfa's last hand built model, only 36 examples made. The last 6C was produced in 1952, and was replaced by the 1900
Alfa Romeo 1900
The Alfa Romeo 1900 is a sports sedan designed by Orazio Satta for the Alfa Romeo company in 1950. It was Alfa Romeo's first car built entirely on a production line and was also Alfa's first production car without separate chassis and first Alfa offered with left-hand drive...
.
Variants:
- 6C 2500 Coloniale 90 bhp @ 4500 rpm (1939–1942), 152 produced
- 6C 2500, 90 bhp @ 4600 rpm (1938–1949)
- 6C 2500 Turismo
- 6C 2500 Sport, 95 bhp @ 4600 rpm (1947–1949)
- 6C 2500 Super Sport
- 6C 2500 Super Sport Corsa 120 bhp @ 4750 rpm (1939–1953)
- 6C 2500 Freccia d'Oro 90 bhp @ 4600 rpm (1946–1951)
- 6C 2500 Villa d'Este 110 bhp @ 4800 rpm (1949–1952)
- 6C 2500 GT (1950)
- 6C 2500 Competizione 145 bhp @ 5500 rpm (1948)
6C 3000 (1950-1954)
A 6C 3000 was prototype made in 1950, basically a 2500 with a 3L engine. It did not appear until 1952, as the Competizione Maggiorata (CM), built for racing, with a 3.5L engine, in four coupéCoupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
and two spider
Roadster
A roadster is a two-seat open car with emphasis on sporty handling and without a fixed roof or side weather protection. Strictly speaking a roadster with wind-up windows is a convertible but as true roadsters are no longer made the distinction is now irrelevant...
versions.
Variants:
- 6C 3000 (1948)
- 6C 3000 50 (1950)
- 6C 3000 CM (1952) 275 bhp, 250 km/h (155.3 mph) ("Competizione Maggiorata" for enlarged displacement)
- 6C 3000 PR (1954) ("Passo Ridotto" for shortened wheelbase)
6C 3000 Competizione Maggiorata
Carrozzeria Colli
The Milanese coachbuilder Carrozzeria Colli was established by Giuseppe Colli in 1931 and included his four sons, Mario, Candido, Beniamino and Tarcisio....
, a coachbuilder from Milan, with some remembrances from the style introduced by 1900 Disco Volante
Alfa Romeo Disco Volante
The Alfa Romeo Disco Volante known also as 1900 C52, is a concept car series with production starting from 1952. The cars were racing car concepts with mechanics from the Alfa Romeo 1900 and made in collaboration with Milan based coachbuilder Touring. The engine was a slightly tuned 1900 engine ...
.
The propulsion system of this model comes from a project by Giuseppe Busso
Giuseppe Busso
Giuseppe Busso was an Alfa Romeo and Ferrari technical designer.Born in Turin, he graduated as an industrial designer, and In 1937 began working for Fiat in its aviation engine department....
. It was different from his ancestor: it still used several components of the 3-liters-volume/6-cylinders system from the 6C 3000 prototype, but engine capacity was increased to 3495 cc. After several evolutions, it reached a power of 275 bhp.
3000 CM was realised in six copies: four coupé and two spider. With the coupé model Juan Manuel Fangio
Juan Manuel Fangio
Juan Manuel Fangio , nicknamed El Chueco or El Maestro , was a racing car driver from Argentina, who dominated the first decade of Formula One racing...
and Giulio Sala got the second position at Mille Miglia
Mille Miglia
The Mille Miglia was an open-road endurance race which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 ....
, in 1953. Fangio was leading the race, but a problem whit the chassis obliged him to slow down. Still with Fangio, the spider won the First Gran Premio Supercorte Maggiore in Meran, 1953; this car is shown today at Museo Storico Alfa Romeo.
One of the two spider was modified to cope with the new rules of the International Sport Category and the capacity was limited to 3-liters. This car was renamed PR, Passo Ridotto (Reduced Wheelbase). This second spider belongs to the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo’s collection.
During the sixties, at the end of the period of competitions, 6C 3000 CM was used by the Experience Department of Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
for testing new components, one of which is the disc brake, which is still present today in this vehicle.