Other Alfa’s Market

May 10, 2013

Market 480: 1900M ‘Matta’ AR5101384 in Florida

1900M AR51 01384, AR 1307 00610. This interesting piece of Alfa history is available now out of Florida. The Matta is very rare in the US -I think I may have seen one or two over the years in pictures, but never in person. It is a fairly standard 1950’s ‘serious’ 4×4 offering – a sort of next step from the 4×4’s designed for WW2. It occurs to me as I type this that the long lived lines of serious 4×4 players grew out of this period: Unimog, Jeep, Land Rover 88, Austin Gipsy, Toyota Land Cruiser, Fiat Campagnola, NIssan Patrol, yougettheidea. Had Alfa based the Matta on the Giulietta engine, maybe there would be tens of thousands of them around -I know I would dig an open Fiat Campagnola type Alfa from the 1950’s! I suppose there probably is one that I am not aware of…

Great grill on these -has a modest character. In the cramped garage with poor lighting for my auction pictures? Why not! No one else will be listing a Matta at the same time. Continue reading “Market 480: 1900M ‘Matta’ AR5101384 in Florida”

February 14, 2013

Market 464: Abarth – Alfa – Colani 1000

Update 2/14/13: As they must, things seem to always come around. Henrik pointed out that this car is now on offer for (gulp) €380,000! Quite a bit more than the auction estimate of a few years ago. Is this crazy? I don’t really think so. A unique (refreshing to be able to use that word without hyperbole) rebody of an already very special car with an Abarth Tubular chassis, Alfa race intended engine rework to 1000cc etc. It’s a styling that works for some and doesn’t for others -like an Yves St Laurent masterpiece (for seldom do masterpieces satisfy all lookers or readers or…). It’s kind of a shame that both cars can’t exist. Do any of the other original Abarth examples survive?

Eddy sent me this image among some others from Retromobile. I guess the mismatched wheels are period and thus the way it has to be.

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March 19, 2012

6C2500 Freccia d’Oro – looking for a good home

6C2500 916587 ‘Freccia d’Oro’. Some cars come up for sale and you forget them the moment you look away -others stick with you, lingering in your mind like a pretty face from your Differential Equations class in college. For me, this car is one I’ve thought about occasionally since the first time I saw it about 10 years ago on eBay out of Southern California for about $20,000 (anyone remember exactly?). It sold through Fantasy Junction in the last few months for just under $50,000 and is now offered by Autoclassic in Italy. The eBay and FJ sales had it powered by a Chevy V8 (get over it), but Autoclassic seems to be selling it with a core 6C2500 engine and transmission. I have no idea what such an engine and transmission are worth -I would think quite a bit (anyone?) -but I have no doubt the price has nearly doubled.

Stunning big car. These cars were built at a glacial pace. I think the paint was pretty far gone when it was on eBay -as was the interior. I am not a fan of the red wheels.

Continue reading “6C2500 Freccia d’Oro – looking for a good home”

March 15, 2012

Market 405: 2600 Sprint 824960 -Nice!

2600 Sprint 10602*824960, 00601. This 2600 Sprint is hanging out next to a 1900 Berlina at Fantasy Junction right now. I went and saw it in person and it really is as nice as it looks in pictures. The 2600 Sprint I listed recently was a pretty good deal at $23,500, since it’s got to be more than 65% of the car this is at $55,000. The more I look at these, the more I think another 2600 Sprint might be on my reality based top 10 list, near the Montreal.

There is an air of 60’s American car about these -maybe it’s the size and lots of horizontal bars in the grill. Note how skinny the tires are! Very clean example.

Continue reading “Market 405: 2600 Sprint 824960 -Nice!”

February 28, 2012

Market 393: 2600 Sprint 825680

Update 3/6/12: This car sold for $23,585 after 36 bids. Probably a sightly disappointing outcome for the seller, but if they needed to sell it, it’s sold.

2600 Sprint Coupe 10602*825680, 00601*07668. I’ve been mulling it over, and have decided to add the odd non-Giulietta to the Market when I see something that interests me, like 2000/2600’s, Montreal’s, Junior Z’s, 1900’s and the like. This 2600 Sprint is on eBay right now out of Texas. Condition is superb (to my eyes), pretty much where I’d end up if I took the restored with acceptable patina route as far as possible. I had a 2600 Sprint for a while -commuted in it for a few months 135 miles each way, was a great ride, and I’ve regretted selling it (along with about 20 other Alfa’s). Owner would like to see close to $40,000. I think they will be disappointed, but not too badly. The pictures are good, but WAY too small. Jose -if you want $40K for a car -spring for some decent pictures please!

The 2600 Sprint is a good looking car. I think when you look at usability and comparables (Maserati’s mostly), you find these to be under-priced and very reliable. Sure,they made a lot, but they have been complex their whole lives and good examples are few and far between. I paid a pittance for mine and drove it home (on 4). This car looks to have been someones pride and joy. Very very clean and well presented.

Continue reading “Market 393: 2600 Sprint 825680”

January 26, 2012

Strange Giulia Super ‘Torpedo’ for sale

I got a bunch of links from Maurizo that included one to this car for sale. As you can see, it’s an open top/no doors stretched Giulia Super sedan in a style that most people in know would call ‘like a Fiat Jolly’, but sans wicker. On Capri, in 2003, I saw a mid-60’s Fiat 1500 station wagon done up this way. This sort of car was commissioned to give slow, fair weather (obviously) guided tours and serve as a hyper local taxi or errand running vehicle in resort areas. I could easily imagine this being some manufacturing executives facilities touring car -in Arese perhaps… oh, and it’s €75,000!

If you put your hand on the screen to obscure everything from the windshield back, it just looks like a very nice Super. I like how the arm rests also keep the passing-out drunk from slipping out of the car.

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May 8, 2009

Market 115: Gran Sport Quattroroute Zagato 4R

Update 5/26/09: Sold for $53,000! I can’t say if this was well bought or sold, but obviously someone wanted it at this price.

Gran Sport Quattroruote Zagato 4R 10123*393050, 00112*16491. This car is available right now on eBay and Anamera. I’ve never seen one in person that I can recall so I’m not sure how these pictures will translate into a large physical object , but it looks pretty cool in a pipe-smoking, tweed-wearing sort of way. The seller sums up the story of this odd Giulia cousin so I’ll spare you a rehash.

Kind of like Buck Rogers or any other long term sleeper, this staid gentleman finds itself out of place in the period dress of his time but youthful with the latest under its vintage inspired skin.

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December 3, 2008

Market #67: two high dollar Alfa’s on eBay

Update: 8C ended at just over $200K, reserve not met. End values were closer than I imagined. I bet run through a proper auction these cars would make $250k each. Look for the disappointing follow up for each of these cars.

2008 Alfa Romeo 8C Competitzione ZARJA181980040907 & 1949 Alfa Romeo 6C2500 SS Cabriolet No 915811, Engine No 928114. Both these cars are currently on eBay, the 8C here, and the 6C here, though it ended reserve not met at $185,100. It is probably absurd to compare these two cars, but I suspect the values of these cars are actually quite close (within $50,000 maybe… the price of two good Giuliettas). Both these cars represent ‘investor’ class cars and since their values are close, comparison as investments would probably have the most meaning. Similarities also include exclusivity, desirability, and outstanding technical specification relative to other cars of their respective eras. Put another way both these cars are spectacular and I’d love to have either.

The 6C2500SS was a serious car in it’s day, the SS having triple carbs and rated at 109Bhp. Coachbuilt body is both sporty and elegant, representing both the highest standard of finish and latest styling for it’s era.

The 8C Competitzione has been called the most beautiful car ever, recalling the Type 33 Strada among other historic Alfa’s. I like it more than all the other new cars I’ve seen but I would have to see one in person before I resort to hyperbole. Engine here is a 4.7L injected 8 making 450Bhp. Continue reading “Market #67: two high dollar Alfa’s on eBay”

June 23, 2008

Market #26: 1 seller & 2 Bertone Sprints: a 750B and 2600

These two cars have been available for at least two years and attempts to sell them via eBay, Craigslist, Fantasy Junction and elsewhere have been made. They are owned by a long time Alfa collector in southern California and when they were first put up for sale they were part of a seeming collection thinning which included an amazing Giulia Promiscua, a Romeo Ambulance, a custom Giulia Super 2 door coupe and a Giulia Super pick-up truck with an early 70’s Toyota Hi-lux bed. I seem to remember a website that had all these cars on it a few years back, but haven’t been able to find it.

The Giulietta Sprint is a 1955 model which makes it one of a very few survivors from that year. Bring a Trailer has tracked this Giulietta 750B Sprint here for a while and their thoughts on the car are much the same as my own -they also have better pictures from the eBay auction. It seems like it should be a reasonably good deal, it should have been sold by now but it hasn’t. A friend of mine checked it out a few months ago and reported that it was nice, but he couldn’t get excited about it.

Ad on Craigslist reads: “Restored, dual Webers, 2000 Alfa engine and running gear, new paint, interior, chrome etc., small headlight 750B normale car, no rust, straight and solid body.”

My usual complaints about Craigslist photo quality apply here. Car looks straight enough. Small headlights and simple early grills look very nice. Imagine that… it’s red.

Continue reading “Market #26: 1 seller & 2 Bertone Sprints: a 750B and 2600”