1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport

1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Aprile Spider Corsa

Constructed in 1931, this 6C 1750 Gran Sport was clothed by Zagato with the familiar roadster bodywork for its first, Turin-based owner. In 1938, the six cylinder Alfa Romeo was acquired by Giuseppe Aprile from Savona. By this time the Zagato body had been badly damaged but Aprile, fortunately, also owned his own 'Carrozzeria'. Instead of repairing the damaged coachwork, he decided to fit a brand new and more modern body.

Aprile called in the services of Count Revelli de Beaumont to pen the new lines. The noted designer created a stunningly aerodynamic shape that bore some resemblance to the contemporary Alfa Romeo Grand Prix and sports racers. Soon after the work was completed, Aprile sold the car to a local enthusiast. He carefully hid the car during the War and owned it until 1956. The fourth owner cherished the unique machine and held on to it for over five decades during which it was only very rarely seen.

An Italian collector of one-off coach-built machinery, the current custodian eventually acquired the car in 2008. He has since had the car meticulously restored before bringing it to the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance; the Alfa Romeo's first ever journey abroad. The Aprile Spider Corsa placed second in class, beaten only by another one-off 6C 1750 Gran Sport. It has since been a regular entrant at events around the world with considerable success, most notably at the 2014 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, where the Aprile Spider walked away with five awards including the prestigious Coppa d'Oro for 'Best of Show by Public Referendum'.

Descriptions & pictures by ultimatecarpage & flickr & other