1967 Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint ***New Price***

Details

Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale an Australian delivered, factory right hand drive 1967 Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint.

The original service book as well as the chassis number on this car confirm it is a genuine Australian delivered car.

The service book confirms this Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint was sold new through North Brede Motors in Perth to Peter Alexander Bell from Bassendean, WA, on 30^th November 1967. For at least the next two years the car was regularly serviced by North Brede Motors.

Not much is known about the car’s subsequent early history. The prior to current owner acquired the car in April 1994 from a gentleman who lived in Engadine, NSW. At that time the car was registered in NSW as SKP 391.

The current owner acquired the car around 2003. This Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint became part of a significant collection of cars and has only been used sparingly. When the current owner acquired the car, it had an incorrect carburettor setup. The owner went on a journey and managed to locate a set of the correct Solex carburettors which are now fitted to the car.

Today this car presents and drives well. This car is an essentially original and unmolested example of what once was Alfa Romeo’s flagship model. From say a meter away the paint is presentable. It is in reasonable condition for a car which is now 55 years old. On closer inspection you will notice there are cracks in the paint, stone chips and minor blemishes on various panels. It is very possible it still carries most of its original paint. Importantly, the car looks to be structurally very good and there are no signs of obvious rust. The panel gaps are fair. The condition of the bright work is in line with what you would expect on a 55 yearold car. It’s not perfect, but it’s not bad either. The chrome work around the windows has some pitting and the rear window surround shows a few cracks but fortunately there is no evidence of any rust coming through. The same can be said for all the lenses, and the glass. They are mostly in a good condition. If you look closely there are few very small scratches on the front windscreen but you wouldn’t notice them when you are driving the car. Most of the badges are also in good condition with the exception for the two 2600 badges on the left and right front guard, which are slightly faded. At some stage the front grill has been painted black.

The car is fitted with a set of Borrani type bolt on wire wheels, which look fabulous and give the car an even more sophisticated appearance. The wheels currently have Yokohama 205/65/15 tyres fitted to them which are date stamped week 13, 2006. Whilst they are still in good condition, they would probably need to be replaced in the near future.

Inside this Alfa Romeo is just a nice place to be. The front seats have been reupholstered at some stage. They are in good condition but would probably benefit from new foam as the base of the seats is a little bit soft. Fortunately, it’s not at the point yet where the seats are uncomfortable. You just notice it when you get into the car, but not so much when you are driving.  The rear seats appear to be original and the leather is still in good condition. The same is true for the carpets and the door cards. On our most recent test drive all the instruments were in good working order.

In the boot everything appears to be original. You’ll even find an original rubber boot mat, something that is quite rare, as they often deteriorate and get thrown out.

Alfa Romeos have a reputation of being real driver cars and this one doesn’t disappoint. To start the car from cold you do need to use the choke. The car starts easily, even when cold, and quickly settles into a smooth idle. The car is fitted with an aftermarket starter button which is discretely hidden underneath the dashboard, on the right side of the steering wheel. This starter button was fitted a long time ago and even the current owner is not quite sure why. It was most likely done as a security measure or perhaps because there was an issue with the ignition barrel, which may well have been difficult to replace.

Out on the road this Alfa Romeo 2600 is a real gentleman’s cruiser. It just goes about its business in that typical Italian way. The engine revs willingly, the car has a terrific exhaust note and you are always looking for an excuse to go up and down the gearbox! The 2600 Sprint is clearly a different type of car compared to the smaller and more nimble 105 series Alfa Romeos. When it was built it was clearly aimed at a different market. That said, the car is still a joy to drive especially over longer distances. It is comfortable and quite spacious. Following our recent test drive we can confirm that the engine runs smooth and feels strong. The gear changes are very smooth, both when you shift up as wells as down the gearbox.  The car is fitted with a mostly stainless steel exhaust system.

The car runs and drives well, however, one job the next owner may consider is to replace the rear suspension bushes. These are quite hard and whilst they have just been lubricated there are some intermittent noises coming from the rear of the car. The car would also benefit from a new set of tyres and a wheel alignment. The windscreen wipers are currently inoperable.

This Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint will not win you the concours. It is best described as a ‘nice driver’ and a great car you can use for a weekend outing, a trip to your local cars & coffee event or an Alfa Romeo club event. This is a great way to stand out from the crowd of ubiquitous 105 series Alfa Romeos!

Highlights:

• Australian delivered, factory RHD example
• One of only 596 RHD examples built.
• Original colour scheme.
• Original service book.

Price $59,950.

 

Background

The Alfa Romeo story began in June 1910 when A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili) was founded in Milan, Italy. Their first car, the 24hp, was a great success and the Alfa name became synonymous with motor racing in the early years. In 1915 Nicola Romeo took over the company and during war time its focus was on military equipment, however, it wanted to build cars. Soon after the very first Alfa Romeo motor vehicle, the Torpedo 20-30hp, was built.

Through until the 1950’s Alfa Romeo was responsible for some of the most exclusive road cars and most successful race cars ever built. Following the Second World War the company was in financial difficulty and it decided a change in direction was necessary to survive, and rather than hand build luxury sporting cars it decided to focus on mass production. Hence, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint was born. Alfa got the formula right and as testament to the success of this model the car was in production for over a decade from 1954 through until 1965.

Throughout the 1950’s and 60’s Alfa built a number of different models including four door sedans, two door coupes and convertibles, however, regardless of model their cars always had a sporting edge. They were a ‘driver’s car’ first and foremost.

In 1957 Alfa Romeo introduced the 2000 (tipo 102) at the Turin Motor show in Italy as a four door, six seater saloon. When production started in 1958 the 2000 became available in two different version, a saloon and a 2-seater spider. In 1959 Bertone was tasked with the design of a coupe version, a task which was delegated to one of their upcoming young and talented designers, Giorgetto Giugiaro. Giugiaro was given only three days to come up with a design. He delivered and Alfa Romeo liked his design so much they wasted no time putting it into production. The 2000 Sprint coupe was introduced in 1960. It was followed by a 2+2 version of the spider in 1961.

In 1962 the 2000 was superseded by the 2600 (tipo 106). The 2600 was Alfa Romeo’s new flagship. It was fitted with a 2,584cc double overhead cam six cylinder engine. Interestingly the 2600 was the last Alfa Romeo to be fitted with this type of engine, which had basically been Alfa Romeo’s engine of choice since the 1920’s.

The 2600 was first introduced at the 1962 Geneva Motor show. It was available as a sedan (2600 Berlina) with a body built by Alfa Romeo themselves, a 2+2 convertible with a body built by Carrozzeria Touring (2600 Spider) and a coupe with a body built by Bertone (2600 Sprint). Three years later, in 1965, at the Frankfurt Motor show, two more models were added, the limited edition 2600 SZ (Sprint Zagato), a fastback with a body built by Zagato and a very limited edition De Luxe with a body built by OSI.

The Alfa Romeo 2600 remained in production until 1968 and during that time 2,038 Berlina’s, 6,699 Sprints, 2,255 Spiders, 105 SZ’s and 54 De Luxe models were built. It is understood of the 6,699 Sprints built, 596 were right hand drive.

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