With 130,000 expected visitors, more than 600 exhibitors from around the world, and more than 1,000 cars on display, the 47th edition of Rétromobile in Paris, Europe’s oldest dedicated to classic car show, will take place from February 1-5, 2023.
The Alfa Romeo and the Stellantis Heritage departments will star at this important event hosted at Porte de Versailles. The Heritage department was founded in Turin in 2015 with the mission of recovering, preserving, and promoting Alfa Romeo and its historical heritage through participation in industry events and the supply of services to classic car fans and owners. Two precious classic cars will be on the stand at Rétromobile: the Alfa Romeo S.Z. (1989) and the Alfa Romeo 1900 Super Sprint (1956).
Alfa Romeo S.Z. (ES30), 1989
The model on display is more unique than it is rare. Among the first ones to be produced, it is an “ex-works” car from the Balocco test track, where it was used to test different solutions. A genuine “laboratory” car, it differs in some details from later S.Z. cars, so much so that it can be considered a prototype. It was an ambitious project called ES30, i.e., “Experimental Sportcar 3.0 litres,” which arose from Alfa Romeo’s desire to reaffirm its tradition of rear-wheel-drive sports cars while using new technologies. The brand entrusted the production of a thousand models to the Zagato coachbuilder, which assembled them in a plant on the outskirts of Milan. Thus, the Alfa Romeo S.Z. (Sprint Zagato) was born, a thoroughbred sports car with aggressive yet unmistakable lines. Mounted on a steel underbody, the outer body is made of composite materials while the floor and mechanicals are derived from the Alfa Romeo 75 competition car (Group A), with the three-liter V6 engine raised to 207 horsepower for a top speed of 245 km/h. It made unprecedented use of CAD/CAM(Computer Aided Design, Computer Aided Manufacturing) design and production systems, which made it possible to greatly reduce development time, especially with regards to refinements and in-progress changes.
The car was completely disassembled and thoroughly restored in the Classic Workshops: the bodywork was stripped and treated; the interior was completely renovated based on a conservative approach; the fuel tank was cleaned with a special treatment; the engine was also given a thorough tune-up; and the wheel rims benefited from a complete cleaning which preserves their originality.
Alfa Romeo 1900 Super Sprint, 1956
In 1955, the 1900 Sprint was replaced by the “Super Sprint” version, which remained in production until 1958 for a total of 599 units. Very similar to its predecessor, the 1900 Super Sprint features the new five-speed transmission which remains on the steering wheel but has closer ratios. The mechanical components are the same as those on the 1900 Super T.I. sedan, with a displacement of 1975 cm3, and two inverted twin-body carburetors. The engine, with 4 in-line cylinders, expresses 115 hp @5500 rpm for a top speed of 190 km/h.
The Alfa Romeo’s trademark elegance comes from the Touring Body design, which, combined with research into materials, gives the car a lightweight and low aerodynamic coefficient—optimal for the best race performance.
Thanks to the Certificate of Origin issued by Stellantis Heritage – Alfa Romeo Classiche, we can confirm that the privately-owned model on display was produced on July 14, 1956, and sold 3 days later in Paris. The blue paint job and the engine are both original.
Alfa Romeo Classiche
The “Alfa Romeo Classiche” heritage program provides a range of services with the precise aim of protecting and promoting the history of the iconic Italian brand. The brand’s top management is personally involved in all the activities that make up the whole range of its dedicated services. In fact, the certification committee is chaired by Alfa Romeo’s CEO and the Head of Heritage and supported by the Alfa Romeo Museum, which is the location of the production registers and all the technical documentation used by the committee to analyze the information on the examined cars.
The Alfa Romeo Classiche heritage program consists of the Certificate of Origin, which allows one to discover the history of each car through their chassis number. The service includes a thorough documentary check at the company archives and the issuance of a certificate which attests to the car’s year of production and original configuration: model specifications, engine serial number, original exterior, and interior details.
The “Certificate of Authenticity” is the document by which the brand, supported by the Heritage department, certifies the authenticity of the classic car. To obtain this certification each car goes through a rigorous inspection and evaluation process which is carried out by the specialized team, verifying the authenticity of the car and its components and the functioning of the main mechanical parts.
Finally, the “Restoration service”, the same team that takes care of Stellantis’ historical collection, is available to private clients, with services ranging from simple maintenance to complete restoration.
