Tag Archives: gran sport

Alfa 6C Record Car

Posted on by
Reply

1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Testa Fissa

Offered by Bonhams | Carmel, California | August 19, 2022

Photo – Bonhams

Alfa Romeo’s 6C 1750 was a very successful racing car in its day, racking up victories at the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio, 24 Hours of Spa, and Grands Prix all over Europe. If it had speed on track with other cars, why wouldn’t it have speed on a track by itself?

This car is believed to have been ordered new by a Brooklands racing driver as a rolling chassis that was test driven at the factory before being returned to the U.K. Once there, it was fitted with an aluminum body co-designed by three-time Land Speed Record holder George Eyston. The Alfa’s supercharged 1.7-liter inline-six made 102 horsepower in Gran Sport “Testa Fissa” form. This one is rated at 140 horsepower with some slight modern modifications.

Eyston set multiple records in the car during 1930 at Brooklands. A later owner removed the body, which had been damaged by that point, so the one it wears today is a recreation. This beastly looking Alfa is a throwback to the days of insanely dangerous speed record chasing. You can read more about it here.

Update: Not sold.

Alfa Romeo Quattroroute

Posted on by
Reply

1966 Alfa Romeo Gran Sport Quattroroute

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 8, 2014

1966 Alfa Romeo Gran Sport Quattroroute

Photo – Artcurial

Consider that the car you see here is one year newer than the car above. It is essentially a factory-made replica of one of their own cars. It is styled much like the 1750 Gran Sport by Zagato that Alfa built in the 1930s.

It uses the mechanicals from the Giulia 1600 – a 1.6-liter straight-four making 106 horsepower. The body is aluminium (which it wasn’t in the 1930s). There are also likely some creature comforts that the earlier cars lacked as well.

Between 1965 and 1967, only 92 examples of this very rare Alfa Romeo were built (it was not a success in its day). You almost never see them. While not as valuable as a real 1930s 1750 Gran Sport, this car should still likely bring between $47,000-$75,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Artcurial’s special second-day all-Alfa sale at Retromobile.

Update: Sold $75,604.

Siata Daina

Posted on by
Reply

1951 Siata Daina 1400 Gran Sport

Offered by Gooding & Company | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 17, 2014

1951 Siata Daina 1400 Gran Sport

The Daina was Siata’s third road car, having been introduced in 1950. Production would run through about 1958. Siata is one of those smaller sports car companies where record keeping came second to building cars and many figures contain qualifiers like “about” or “estimated.”

The Gran Sport bodystyle (by Stabilimenti Farina) that you see here was the most successful Daina model and the one that is best remembered. Depending on who you ask, between 50 and 100 Gran Sports were built. The chassis is a modified version of the Fiat 1400 and it also uses a modified version of that cars engine: a 1.4-liter straight-four making about 65 horsepower.

These were popular in SCCA events in the 1950s having been cut out of the rule books in Europe shortly after their introduction. The history of this car really isn’t known prior to the last 25 years, when all that is known is that it was a restoration project that never got started. An actual restoration was completed in 2012 and it looks spectacular. This is a rare car that is fresh as if it just left the factory. It is the earliest Daina Gran Sport known and should sell for between $250,000-$325,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Gooding & Company’s Arizona lineup.

Update: Sold $247,500.

Moretti 750 Gran Sport

Posted on by
1

1953 Moretti 750 Gran Sport Berlinetta

Offered by RM Auctions | Lake Como, Italy | May 25, 2013

1953 Moretti 750 Gran Sport Berlinetta

Photo – RM Auctions

Turn-based Moretti built sports cars of their own design in the 1950s before moving on to becoming a specialist at re-bodying Fiats in the 60s, 70s and 80s before calling it quits in 1989.

The 750 was introduced for 1953. Giovanni Moretti wanted to build serious sports cars for competition and the 750cc straight-four in this car was the company’s ticket to its cars winning races in the hands of its customers. The 750 Sport was the base model of the 750 line, the Gran Sport being a lightweight version and they only ended up building a handful of Grand Sports between 1953 and 1954 – less than 25.

The body is by Michelotti. The other thing the Gran Sport (sometimes written as “Grand Sport”) has over its sibling other than lightness, is a little more power – a total of about 65 horsepower. It’ll do about 100 mph too. It’s tiny and it’s quick. And it’s apparently also sporting near-bicycle-like tires.

RM Auctions actually sold this exact car at their Monaco sale back in 2010, where it brought $151,200. The market is stronger now than it was then, so we’ll see what it brings this time around. Click here for more info and here for more from RM at Villa Erba.

Update: Sold $174,720.

Update II: Sold, RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2016, $132,000.