Miguel Sánchez
PHOTOS ALFA ROMEO 8C 2900B TOURING BERLINETTA: ARTCURIAL
At this point little more can be said about him Alfa Romeo 8C. It is undoubtedly one of the great cars of the prewar era, a mechanical and aesthetic myth capable of dealing with perhaps the best of its time. In the 30s of the last century, he achieved a sports record outstanding, only overshadowed by the landing of the German racing cars sponsored by Nazism. From 1936 on, all this sporty character was offered to Alfa Romeo's most exclusive customers in the form of a grand tourer. With the 2900 engine, covered cabin and elegant custom bodywork: the 8C 2900A was born.
The Alfa 8C 2900 was not only high-tech, it dressed so well that today, almost 80 years later, it continues winning contests of elegance like this year in Peeble Beach. There, one of the around 30 8C2900B manufactured - successor to Type A, and with very few modifications compared to its predecessor - was the winner.
Now one of those Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B units, bodied by Touring, is in the news thanks to its next sale by auction house Artcurial on February 9, 2019 at Rétromobile Paris. We are talking about the chassis 4120124 from 1939, which the deck is expected to drop in the range from 16 to 22 million euros.
Not a negligible quantity but to which we are gradually getting used to if we talk about legendary cars like this one. Are we experiencing a huge price escalation? If we compare with one of the last 8C auctioned in 1999 for 4 'measly' million dollars ... There is no doubt (and, as we always say, it's a shame).
ALFA ROMEO 8C 2900B TOURING: EXCEPTIONALLY PRESERVED
Fortunately, all the 8C that have survived to this day are in a perfect state of preservation. But this 8C 2900B unit in particular has great fidelity to its original condition since it has hardly received any changes, going through very few owners and, in fact, belonging to the same Dutch family for the last 42 years.
Is one of the 5 berlinettas bodied by Touring before the Second World War, having a rear resolved in such a creative way that its contemplation reminds us of the audacity of the designers who in the 30s dared with designs like this or the Bugatti Atlantic. Under this fur hide the 225CV offered by the 2'9 liter 8-cylinder in-line 'Jano', with double overhead camshaft and compressor; 45 more horses than those delivered by other units that do not equip the competition engine.
As you can see, the 8C is one of the great references in the history of the automobile. A veritable machine of seduction that was once the most powerful Italian sports car, the culmination of what is possibly Alfa Romeo's most glorious era.
