A stylish Italian
The
abbreviation 6C in the Alfa Romeo language always stood for high level engine manufacturing.
The number six represented the number of pistons and the letter C stood for the
word cylinder, to be 100 % correct it stood for ‘cilindri’ – the Italian
wording.
For
the first time in 1925, this engine concept saw the light of day at Alfa Romeo
and was gradually increased to a total displacement of 2.3 liters by 1934.
The
chassis of the 6C 2300 was supplied to numerous coachbuilders, so there were a
variety of visually different versions. One of them was designed by the
stylists at Pininfarina. This unique copy was presented to the public at an
exhibition in Milan in 1937. The car featured a state of the art, half-streamlined
Berlinetta car body, recognizable by the aerodynamically tapering rear end with
the covered rear wheels and the small fin. This design got the name
half-streamlined body due to the fact that the front end still featured a proven,
‘old’, and common shape, without any streamlined elements. The airstream
whirled around the free-standing headlights and the rounded fenders of the
front wheels.
Undoubtedly,
the designers at Pininfarina created with this 6C 2300 a visually appealing car,
but over the decades more details were forgotten. Thus, it remains unclear why
the vehicle was manufactured for the exhibition, who the client was and whether
perhaps even a small series of it was planned.
....