There’s only one day to go until the start of the 41st re-enactment edition of the “1000 Miglia”, the historic regularity race for vintage cars due to underway in Brescia on June 13th, to return there on the 17th after visiting some of the most evocative locations in Italy. Like always part race and part adventure, this year’s “1000 Miglia” will see more than 400 highly valuable vintage cars taking part, as many as 47 of which belong to the Alfa Romeo brand, an undisputed icon of Italian motoring.
Three prestigious models from the corporate collection will be taking part, all of which are usually on display at the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese: the 1900 Super Sport and the 2000 Sportiva, both from 1954, and the 1900 Super Sprint (1956). The three gems from the historical collection will be driven by exceptional crews: the 1900 Sport Spider will be entrusted to Marius Pop, founder of the “Alfattitude” web community that brings together thousands of Alfisti fans from all over the world, and to Virgiliu Andone; the 2000 Sportiva will give its best under the control of the all-German couple of Tom Wlaschiha, leading actor in Game of Thrones and Stranger Things, a great fan of Alfa Romeo, and Nina Maria Weizenecker, an automotive influencer very famous on the web as NinaCarMaria; the 1900 Super Sprint will compete with its drivers, the social media face of the Italian fashion brand Velasca, Lorenzo Quaglia alongside Giovanni Giuseppe Savini, a very popular TikToker better known by his handle @giogiusavini.
Three crews for three extraordinary cars – all veritable works of art on the move – that belong to the Heritage collection, part of a Stellantis department focused on the safeguarding and promotion of the historic heritage of the Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Lancia and Abarth brands, consisting of over 600 vintage models. Let’s have a closer look at these three prestigious cars:
1900 Sport Spider (1954)
\nA very rare racing spider – only 2 models of which were ever produced – fitted with a 4-cylinder twin-cam engine, supercharged to 138 hp of peak output, enabling it to reach 220 km/h, partly down to its weight of 880 kg and its greatly efficient aerodynamics. Featuring Franco Scaglione’s innovative design for the Bertone workshop, the 1900 Sport Spider is fitted with 5-speed transmission and a De Dion rear axle: its performance and driveability are that of a more recent, responsive and earnest car, with great road grip. This extraordinary car will compete under number “289”.
2000 Sportiva (1954)
\nTaking part in the race numbered “296”, it is another very rare piece: – only two exist in the world. It features a radiant metallic grey livery. The 2000 Sportiva was designed in 1954, to produce a limited edition of high-performance cars suitable to be driven both on the road and in “Sport” class competitions. The 2-liter 4-cylinder twin-cam engine with an output of 138 hp at 6,500 rpm enabled it to achieve 220 km/h, a very high speed for its era. The car also includes 5-speed transmission, “De Dion” rear suspension and aluminum bodywork. The line is streamlined and very elegant, produced by Bertone and brought back to life by Franco Scaglione, as the 1900 Sport Spider has been.
1900 Super Sprint (1956)
\nCompeting in the race under number “392” will be the enchanting 1900 Super Sprint (1956), 1900 Super Sprint (1956), an elegant coupé that represents the “gran turismo” class of the 20th century, “the family car that wins races” in the words of the claim that made its fame in the 1950s. Based on the short version chassis of the 1900 sedan, it is fitted with a 2-liter 4-cylinder engine with the brand’s characteristic twin camshaft and an output of 115 hp at 5500 rpm. In the 1950s, it was customary for the great Italian designers to buy a mechanized chassis from Alfa Romeo, complementing it with bodywork designed and produced in-house. The Milan Touring workshop therefore did so, producing 858 models of this final series of the 1900 Sprint between 1955 and ’58.
Beyond its history, this kind of event acts as a veritable bridge between the values of the past and those of the future, a link this year reinvigorated by three historic anniversaries for the Biscione brand: 10 years of the Alfa Romeo 4C, the 60th of Autodelta, which became the official Alfa Romeo racing department, and the centenary of the Quadrifoglio emblem. It is no coincidence that Alfa Romeo will be supplying some units of its latest Giulia “Quadrifoglio 100° Anniversario”, to support its wonderful vintage models.
On April 15th, 1923, the legendary Quadrifoglio made its debut on the “Corsa” version of the RL driven by Ugo Sivocci, which he took to victory in the 14th Targa Florio. Since then, the Quadrifoglio has become a symbol of Alfa Romeo in competitions, and identifies the brand’s highest-performance achievements, not only those that competed in track races but also the most powerful and exclusive road cars. An example of the latter is the Giulia and Stelvio “Quadrifoglio 100° Anniversario”, a limited edition produced in only 100 units per model, with its own hallmarks from both a mechanical and aesthetic perspective. A 2.9 V6 engine turbocharged to 520 hp with mechanical limited-slip differential that optimizes torque transfer, increasing stability, agility and cornering speed. New celebratory badges designed by the Centro Stile Alfa Romeo and new gold-colored brake calipers, grille and mirror caps in visible carbon fiber. In the interior, the new gold-colored visible stitching and the celebratory badge on the dashboard embellish a sporty environment dominated by carbon fiber, with a new 3D finish, while the steering wheel is upholstered in leather and Alcantara with black stitching and carbon fiber accents.
The proper tribute to the symbol of a glorious past, linked to the successes of the current range in which the Giulia and Stelvio support the Tonale, acting as the big names in the relaunch of Alfa Romeo, which in Italy trebled its registrations in the first five months of 2023 compared to 2022.
