1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 C Cabriolet by Pininfarina
- Engine
- 1.9L twin-cam inline-four, 100 bhp
- Colour
- Black with black hood
A rare survivor from Alfa Romeo's first post-war model range, this 1953 1900 C Cabriolet carries coachwork by Pinin Farina and is one of only 88 such examples built, with perhaps 30 believed to remain extant. Supplied new in June 1953 to a buyer in Cremona province, the car spent over four decades with a single Italian family before coming to light in 2015 stored in a barn. It subsequently underwent a comprehensive restoration encompassing professional bodywork, green leather retrim, mechanical overhaul, and factory refurbishment of the original Borrani wheels.
Ownership
- 2022-05-13Auction saleEstimate €400,000 – €480,000
- 1953-06-11 → 1953-08-01Factory deliveryGino Lucinifull documentation
First registered owner, based in the Cremona province of northern Italy; purchase price recorded as 3,250,000 Lire. Registration documented in the Estratto Cronologico.
- 1953-08-01 → 1965Private saleMaria Luisa Campaninifull documentation
Resident of Cortemaggiore; retained the car for roughly twelve years before selling it on. Transfer recorded in the Estratto Cronologico.
- 1965 →Private saleSandro Ceolinfull documentation
Also based in Cremona; had the car converted to run on LPG, a modification noted in the official registration history.
- → 2015Acquisition unknownRocco Lunardinipartial documentation
Held the car for approximately 45 years; passed away in 2003, after which his family retained custody until 2015, when it was sold through a northern Italian specialist. The car was discovered stored in a barn.
- 2015 → 2015Private saleNorthern Italian classic car specialistpartial documentation
Acquired the car from the Lunardini family following extended negotiations, then resold it to the current owner. Commissioned no restoration work during this brief tenure.
- 2015 →Private saleCurrent ownerfull documentation
Commissioned a full restoration including professional bodywork, green leather retrim by La Perfetta in Padua, mechanical overhaul by MB of Padua, and refurbishment of the original Borrani wheels by the Borrani factory. Expenditure reportedly exceeded €150,000.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- —Modification
The car was converted to run on LPG fuel; this alteration is recorded in the official Italian registration history document.
Carried out during Sandro Ceolin's ownership; date unspecified.
- —Restoration
Some modifications to the areas around the rear and headlights were noted at the time of discovery; these pre-date the subsequent full restoration.
Exact date and agent unknown; observed when the car was found in storage in 2015.
- —Bodywork
Professional restoration of the bodywork to a high standard as part of a comprehensive recommissioning programme undertaken after 2015.
Part of a broader restoration project commissioned by the current owner; photographic documentation included with the car.
- —RestorationLa Perfetta
Interior completely retrimmed in green leather to a professional standard.
Specialist interior trimmer based in Padua carried out the work.
- —MechanicalMB
Full overhaul of the mechanical components carried out as part of the comprehensive restoration.
Workshop based in Padua, Veneto region, northern Italy.
- —RestorationBorrani
The original Borrani wire wheels were refurbished by the Borrani factory itself, returning them to the original specification of silver-painted spokes with polished aluminium rims.
Factory restoration of the wheels forms the finishing element of the overall restoration programme.
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