1937 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B Spider

[1959scudetto]

One of the highlights of my 1/24 diecast collection and one of the most beautiful and valuable luxury sports cars of the 1930s: the Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B (between 30 and 43 cars have been built during 1935 to 1939 - according to different sources).The best known have a body by Touring of Milan which is a true sculpture. Franklin Mint have outdone themselves with manufacturing the Spider in a red and later in a limited black edition.

The only things that have been criticised with this model have been the (flat) spokes, but I can live with that. I don't like the 2 holes in the body (for fixing the softtop) - anyway - enjoy the pictures:

 

And here with the 1938 Coupé from the Alfa Romeo Centennial Collection - also with a body by Touring:

 

Edited December 20, 2022 by 1959scudetto

[Gramps46]

Gorgeous model and the photos really do it justice.  Thanks for sharing these.

[caapa]

Wonderful two models.

I found ref for the spider: exactly the same in all detail but named 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B Lungo Spider. (www.gieldaklasykow.pl) Seemed the name was client to client different. (?)

[Hoffman]

Helmut, nice photos! Thanks for sharing.

caapa, "Lungo" refers to long wheelbase. There were also "Corto" short wheelbase versions of the 8C 2900B's.

[1959scudetto]

21 hours ago, Hoffman said:

Helmut, nice photos! Thanks for sharing.

caapa, "Lungo" refers to long wheelbase. There were also "Corto" short wheelbase versions of the 8C 2900B's.

Tim, thank you very much for posting these photos here (pebble Beach and other places). The only 8C2900B Lungo I ever saw in the flesh was 15 years ago  at the Viennese Technical Museum - there was an exhibition with some extraordinary cars called "chrome jewels", and the Alfa Romeo works museum (Museo Storico) had their 2900 Lungo on loan for this exhibition (by the way, it is the role model for the Alfa Centenary Collection) - here are some pictures of that one:

[keyser]

Pretty cars. What’s with the red Atlantique next to it? Never have seen that car. 

Edited January 10, 2023 by keyser

[Hoffman]

Helmut ? I agree with you 100%, these "Two-Nines" as some people call them, are SO beautiful. And, I'm 100% green with envy that you got to see one up close and in person. ?. I would be the guy to whom they'd have to say, "Excuse me sir, the exhibition is closing for the day...you'll have to leave now....you can come back tomorrow....."  I could just stare at it for hours. 

The Franklin Mint examples are really nice. Great photos you've taken! I have two of the Spyders in my collection, and three of the Leo Models Berlinettas. I think the Mint Spyder most closely resembles #412041, which is currently painted black with a blue interior.

[Hoffman]

The Leo Berlinetta is of course the awesome #412029 from the Museo Storico, as you said. Each of the cars is unique. That one is the only one with an opening roll top. Jurgen (Plastheniker) did a really nice rework of his model to better depict the full size car, but I think the Leo/Hachette model is pretty darn nice, right out of the box. That said, I plan to rework one of mine with Fernando Pinto wheels and detailing the engine and interior.

[Hoffman]

For the other two Berlinettas in my collection, I want to rework one to represent #412020 and the other to be #412024. I've come up with some good wheels and tires to match. Hopefully I'll be tackling them this year.

[1959scudetto]

 

On 1/10/2023 at 8:21 PM, keyser said:

Pretty cars. What’s with the red Atlantique next to it? Never have seen that car. 

I can't remember what was written as a description - could it be Ralph Lauren's car (which is black today, IIRC) before repainting? It had those characteristic disc wheels...

Anyway, the Bugatti Atlantic is another one of my holy grails in classic automobiles.

 

Edited January 11, 2023 by 1959scudetto

[1959scudetto]

Tim, I just remembered having seen a second one - probably a "corto" with the shorter wheelbase - at the "Auto e Moto d'Epoca" in October 2014 in Padova/Italy (Europe's largest exhibition/market for Italian classics) - it was exhibited on the Borrani booth together with a 2000 Spider from 1958:

By the way, I have 2 light blue Leo models, a black one (White Box reissue) I have sold already, but one of these will be turned into the 1947 Mille MIglia winning car of Clemente Biondetti (have an excellent decals sheet from Tom Tanner for that)

 

Edited January 11, 2023 by 1959scudetto

[keyser]

The Corto coupe may be a 2500. There was similar one on CO Grand this year, ran in MM and took class at PB last year. 
Tom Perkins sold his to RL. It was blue with wires no discs or spats. Solid car now overrestored. Perkins also had ex Donald Campbell SC that had 16k mi on it. 
The red car is unknown to me. 

[Hoffman]

2 hours ago, keyser said:

The Corto coupe may be a 2500. There was similar one on CO Grand this year, ran in MM and took class at PB last year. 
Tom Perkins sold his to RL. It was blue with wires no discs or spats. Solid car now overrestored. Perkins also had ex Donald Campbell SC that had 16k mi on it. 
The red car is unknown to me. 

I'm thinking this may actually be a 6C 2300B; very similar to this one, #815025.

[Hoffman]

Helmut, regarding the Atlantic, thank you so much for sharing your photos. I have wondered about that red car. I've only seen one picture of it before. Not certain whether or not it's #57591, the car currently painted black for Ralph Lauren. It's very similar, but I do see differences. The lights and registration numbers on the tail are slightly different, with fewer rivets on the red car. It's got a side mounted mirror and driving lights up front. I've got quite a few photos of #57591 and none include those details. I tend to think this beautiful red car may be a recreation, not one of the originals.

[keyser]

Found it. Fun trip, took a lot of pics. Fastcars guys ran support for it, our XK, and 7 other cars. 2500. Lots of differences. 2300 didn’t scale down well compared to this. 

[Hoffman]

Helmut, the Alfa you photographed can be seen here as well: https://www.historicautopro.com/1938-alfa-romeo-6c-2300-b

Chassis no. 815035 

Engine no. 823956

Coachbuilder: Carrozzeria Touring

Categories: L- Limited edition cars (no. 107 manufactured)

Owner: Famiglia Bonfanti

 

[Hoffman]

Keyser, that 6C 2500 is magnificent!! Great photos. Thanks for sharing. Here are a few more.......just for fun.

[1959scudetto]

7 hours ago, Hoffman said:

Helmut, the Alfa you photographed can be seen here as well: https://www.historicautopro.com/1938-alfa-romeo-6c-2300-b

Chassis no. 815035 

Engine no. 823956

Coachbuilder: Carrozzeria Touring

Categories: L- Limited edition cars (no. 107 manufactured)

Owner: Famiglia Bonfanti

 

Tim, you are right - the red Bugatti Atlantic might have been a well-done replica, because their are only 3 (?) originals in existence.

Anyway, the "Chromjuwelen" exhibition had some more highlights for me: Ferrari 250 GT/L (lusso), one of 2 MB 300 SLR "Uhlenhaut" Coupés (on loan from the Mercedes works museum), a W 196 Streamliner, a 1929 Blower Bentley, a 1930 Alfa Romeo 1750 (also on loan  from the Museo Storico), the 2003 Le Mans-winning Bentley, Jochen Rindt's Jaguar E-type, a very early "Gmünd" 356 split-window Coupé and some others.

You beat me also with this 6 C 2500 - I've found some more pictures I've taken back then - here they are:

 

[Hoffman]

We are in your debt, Helmut. ? Thank you! It's the next best thing to visiting the museum in person.

[1959scudetto]

20 hours ago, Hoffman said:

We are in your debt, Helmut. ? Thank you! It's the next best thing to visiting the museum in person.

You're in nobody's debt - it's my pleasure.