1937 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B Lungo Spider

Head of a family ceramics enterprise near Hamburg; commissioned local coachbuilder Nowack to construct a two-seat cabriolet body. The car may have remained with the Carstens family through the war years, evidenced by a photograph taken at the Nürburgring in 1951 wearing pre-1956 British Zone Hamburg registration plates.

Reportedly owned by a film production company based in Darmstadt; sold the car on by 1952. By this stage the original 2900 engine had been replaced with a 6C 2500 unit.

US Air Force serviceman stationed in West Germany who purchased the car and had it shipped to New York, then drove it to his home in Valparaiso, Indiana. Eventually sold due to insufficient funds for upkeep.

Took over the challenging restoration project; corresponded with historian Simon Moore in May 1969 regarding progress. The chassis was restored by the time Moore inspected the car in 1971, though a complete engine remained unfinished.

Italian motor trade specialist who acquired the car when it returned to Europe; sourced a pair of correct Roots-type superchargers during his ownership.

The car passed through multiple undocumented private hands in the greater Chicago region before reaching Paul Schreiber.

Began a restoration effort that exceeded his capabilities, though he did source a number of correct 2900 engine components during this time.

Purchased from Colombo; tenure details are limited in the available record.

Noted Alfa Romeo specialist and restorer who acquired the car in the early 1980s. Operating under the then-current belief that the Nowack body was not original and the chassis had been stretched, he chose to fit a different sporting spider body. The restoration was halted by his death and subsequently completed with assistance from several collaborators in the late 2000s.

Retained the car following David Black's passing and saw the restoration through to completion; actively used the car at VSCC events in the UK for approximately four decades of combined family ownership.

The car was photographed at the Nürburgring circuit bearing pre-1956 British Zone Hamburg plates; the nature of any competitive participation on this occasion is unconfirmed.

Following completion of the restoration in the late 2000s, the Black family campaigned the car at multiple VSCC events in Britain.

Car was received at the Alfa Romeo factory with its Nowack coachwork in place and weighed; recorded weight of 1,462 kg.

This visit provides factory documentation confirming the Lungo chassis configuration.

The car was returned to the Alfa Romeo factory for routine servicing.

Substantial maintenance work carried out, culminating in a full engine rebuild; an invoice for the work is held on file.

During this work, Jim Stokes Workshops confirmed the identity of the engine crankcase (believed to originate from chassis 412027) and the current block number (422031).

Original 2900 engine removed and replaced with a unit from the 6C 2500; this had occurred by the time the car was with the Darmstadt film studio circa 1952.

The circumstances and timing of the engine swap are not recorded.

Partial restoration attempt begun by Schreiber; the chassis was eventually fully restored, but assembling a complete correct engine remained unresolved when Simon Moore inspected the car in 1971.

Bill Knauz subsequently took on the project; correct Roots superchargers were later sourced by Massimo Colombo.

David Black initiated a full restoration intended to convert the car to what he understood to be its original short-chassis Spider configuration, fitting a period body attributed to Zagato that was sourced during the restoration of an 8C 2300. Work was interrupted by Black's death.

The restoration was later completed with assistance from Jim Stokes, Bill Summers, and Keith Roach, concluding in the late 2000s.

Completion of the restoration following David Black's death, undertaken with the involvement of specialist Jim Stokes and associates Bill Summers and Keith Roach; finished in the late 2000s.