1946 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Sport Cabriolet by Pinin Farina for sale on BaT Auctions – ending June 13 (Lot #194,505)

This 1946 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Sport was produced on October 10, 1946, and bodied by Pinin Farina with cabriolet coachwork. It was initially delivered to Soc. Americana Intercambio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in May 1947. Chassis 915251 reportedly underwent a cosmetic refurbishment in Argentina approximately six years ago and later spent time in Paraguay before being imported to the US. A mechanical overhaul performed by Vintage Motorsports of Malvern, Pennsylvania, between 2017 and 2020 included an engine rebuild as well as overhauls of the brakes, suspension, and differential. The car was purchased by the current owner, former Dio and current Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell, on BaT in August 2022. Finished in blue over red leather, the car is powered by an overbored 2.4-liter DOHC inline-six mated to a column-shifted four-speed manual transmission. Equipment also includes a single Weber downdraft carburetor, four-wheel independent suspension, hydraulic drum brakes, 18” wire wheels, a dark blue convertible top, and an Aster radio. This 6C 2500 Sport is now offered by the seller on behalf of the current owner in New Hampshire, with a Centro Documentazione Alfa Romeo certificate and a clean Montana title that lists the car as a 1948 model.

The 6C 2500 debuted in 1938 as the final descendant in the progression of six-cylinder cars that Alfa Romeo started in the late 1920s with the 6C 1500. The model shared much of its underpinnings with the preceding 6C 2300 but received an increase in engine displacement. The steel ladder-frame chassis was produced in three lengths, the middle of which belonged to the 3,000mm Sport variant. After interruption of output during World War II, production of the model continued into the early 1950s.

Bodywork for the 6C 2500 was provided by a variety of Italian coachbuilders and included the option of two-door, four-seat cabriolet coachwork courtesy of Pinin Farina such as that on this example. A repaint in the current shade of blue was performed under previous ownership, and paint flaws are noted. Styling incorporates a narrow scudetto center grille flanked by rectangular inlets, glass-covered Carello headlights with fluted upper motifs, a centrally hinged hood, trafficators rearward of each door, a side-exit exhaust tip, and a dark blue convertible top.

Chromed wire wheels are secured by two-eared knock-offs and are wrapped in older 5.50-18 BFGoodrich Silvertown tires, as is a matching spare secured by a leather strap in the trunk compartment. Stopping is handled by four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes, which were refreshed within the last five years. The brake fluid was flushed in preparation for the sale.

The right-hand-drive cabin is trimmed in red leather over a split front bench seat with separate sliding adjustments for each segment as well as over the rear bench and door panels. Additional features include matching carpeting, wood accents atop the door panels and front seatbacks, leather grab ropes for the rear passengers, a central fold-down rear armrest, a red top boot, and ashtrays integrated into the dash and front seatback.

The banjo-spoke steering wheel sits ahead of a body-color painted dash that houses a 180-km/h speedometer with an inset eight-day clock as well as a 6k-rpm tachometer with inset gauges monitoring oil temperature and pressure. The five-digit odometer shows approximately 1k kilometers (~600 miles), a few of which have been added under current ownership. The dash also hosts a glovebox, an Aster radio marked with European cities, and a St. Christopher badge affixed behind the steering wheel. The clock does not work, and a Bluetooth module was added to the radio under current ownership.

The 2.4-liter inline-six features an aluminum cylinder head with dual-overhead camshafts and hemispherical combustion chambers. The Sport variant featured a single two-barrel Weber carburetor and was factory rated at 95 horsepower. The engine was overbored under previous ownership and was fitted with custom-sized pistons in 2019, at which time the crankshaft was Magnafluxed, the connecting rods reconditioned, and the cylinder head resurfaced and fitted with new valves, springs, guides, and seals. An electric fuel pump was added under current ownership. Work in preparation for the sale included a coolant system flush, an oil change, and replacement of the spark plugs.

Power is sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission. The clutch was replaced in 2019. Independent suspension comprises twin trailing arms with coil springs and hydraulic shock absorbers in cylindrical housings up front with a swing-axle rear end utilizing torsion bars and telescopic shock absorbers. The fluids for the gearbox and differential were replaced in preparation for the sale.

A letter from the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo lists the car’s original colors, production date, and delivery information. It notes that the original engine number was 926069. This number can be stamped on the engine in the gallery.