Historical Research and Forensic Sleuthing Inform the Restoration of a 1943 Alfa Romeo Part II
Begin at the Beginning:
Historical Research and Forensic Sleuthing Inform the Restoration of a 1943 Alfa Romeo Part II READ Part 1
© 2015 David Cooper, President, Cooper Technica, Inc.
Introduction
During the Second World War, Alfa Romeo built twenty-eight 6C2500 Super Sport Cabriolets. These were built exclusively for Mussolini’s close friends and associates – mostly high-ranking German officers. Seven of these cars had custom cabriolet bodies designed by renowned Italian coachbuilder Pinin Farina. Cooper Technica, Inc. is now restoring one of these seven, originally built for Luftwaffe Field Marshal Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen, a cousin of the WWI Red Baron and an ace pilot himself. In 1948, in the hands of a new owner, this car raced Italy’s famous Mille Miglia, finishing 3rd in class and 22nd overall. Altogether, the Alfa Romeo’s unique history and provenance make it particularly desirable to collectors today.
Part I of this article described how Cooper Technica first acquired the car, and then meticulously researched its complete history, provenance, and construction documentation. We found that, throughout its life, the Super Sport changed hands seven times, sustained a few minor crashes, and had its front end altered when the body was repaired in Milan in 1953. This historical record, as costly and time-consuming as it was to gather, proved essential to restoring the valuable Alfa to the highest achievable standards of authenticity.
Part II of this article will first explain the rationale behind key restoration decisions. Then, we will describe how Cooper Technica used the cutting-edge technology of laser scanning, digital imaging and 3D printing to determine the Alfa’s original shape; and then used traditional “trailing-edge” construction techniques to restore that shape. With archival photos from 1943 and 1945 as our guides, our innovative methods and unique approach have achieved a restored body shape within two millimeters of the original – a level of precision never before possible.
When Preservation Is Not an Option, What Then?
As both historians and restorers, our first goal is to preserve the car as-is, rather than to restore it. When the Alfa Romeo arrived at Cooper Technica, the paint had been stripped, exposing the original aluminum body skin. It was evident that various repair jobs and past alterations had left the body in poor condition. Given that that car was no longer original, and the fact that some restoration work had already been attempted, preservation was not a viable option.
Mystery Solved: As Found Classic Number 13
Thanks to Dale Lafollette of VintageMotorphoto for these photos of a Lancia. Clearly it is an Astura, and thanks to Paolo Giusti and Geoffrey Goldberg, we even know some of the history of this particular car. But what we didn’t know was where these photos were taken, by whom, or exactly when or who owned it at the time.
In the mid-1950s, when these photos were taken, the Lancia was apparently in Indiana or at least licensed in that state. Thanks to our astute readers, we now know where this rare Lancia was photographed and thanks to Jim Sitz, the probable owners at the time. [Read more…] about Mystery Solved: As Found Classic Number 13
Rick Cole Auction to Use Handheld Devices for Bidding
RICK COLE AUCTIONS RETURNS TO MONTEREY AUGUST 13-15
“Bidding by Handheld Device Engages Local and Global Collectors”
MONTEREY, CA – (08/06/2015) – Rick Cole Auctions Monterey will be held August 13-15 at the Downtown Monterey Marriott Hotel. This year 36 pristine collector cars will be offered with bidding by handheld device. The 2014 event boasted over $59 Million from less than 40 vehicles with three of the “Top Ten” record prices for the week’s auctions including a $23 Million 1955 Ferrari 410 S sports racer. The auction once again supports Kinship Center. [Read more…] about Rick Cole Auction to Use Handheld Devices for Bidding
Chinese Coming to Pebble Beach
New Chinese Supercar to be shown at Pebble: The question is; what will Ferrari say?
By Wallace Wyss
I have seen the future. And it’s still a long way off.
But maybe it’s coming closer. I am talking the very real possibility of Chinese supercars being launched into the market. A new firm called Icona Shanghai will be showing the Vulcano supercar at Pebble Beach, though they say it’s only a one-off supercar. When they showed the car in 2013 they said it was equipped with a 950 hp hybrid drivetrain based on a V12 engine and capable of sprinting from 0 to 200 km/h in less than ten seconds.
Styling-wise it strikes me as almost a line-for-line copy of a Ferrari F12. [Read more…] about Chinese Coming to Pebble Beach
VeloceToday for August 4, 2015
Historical Research, Forensic Sleuthing and the Restoration of the von Richthofen Alfa
Begin at the Beginning:
Historical Research and Forensic Sleuthing Inform the Restoration of the von Richthofen 1943 Alfa Romeo 6C2500
©2015 David Cooper, President, Cooper Technica, Inc.
This article was adapted from a presentation by David Cooper at the October 2014 Historic Vehicle Association (HVA) National Automotive Heritage Summit, convened in Washington D.C. in conjunction with the Smithsonian Museum. The subject was how Cooper Technica’s painstaking research and innovative restoration techniques allow it not only to preserve original components, but also to achieve unprecedented accuracy in restoration. The example presented was a 1943 Alfa Romeo 6C2500 Super Sport Cabriolet now under restoration.
Introduction
My company, Cooper Technica, Inc., has been privileged to work on some of the greatest automobiles ever made. At our workshops in Chicago, Illinois and in Lyon, France, we restore rare and valuable vintage European cars from the 1930s and 1940s. These specially selected cars embody the best of pre-WWII creativity and engineering genius.
Because these cars are an important historical record, collectors and restorers share the responsibility to preserve these cars as much as possible in their original condition. Often the best option is to do a mechanical restoration only, and leave the body in its ‘as found’ state. However, some cars are too far gone to leave it ‘as found’. Either the deterioration is too extensive, or previous attempts at restoration destroyed or lost original components. For these cars, the question is, how to restore them to preserve as much of the original car as possible, and also to insure that the restored car is accurate and authentic to the original.
To achieve the highest degree of authenticity and originality, we must be more than restorers; we must be meticulous automotive historians and dauntless forensic sleuths.
Why? Because we cannot bring a car back to original without knowing what original was. We must learn how the car came to be in its current condition and configuration. Most of what we need to know cannot be found even in our extensive research library, much less in magazines or auction descriptions.
This article tells the story of an exceptional 1943 Alfa Romeo. Part I describes our journey tracking the history and documenting the car. Part II, to be published in the next issue, will describe how, based on this research, we preserve original components while achieving unprecedented accuracy in restoration, through combining the latest laser scanning and digital imaging technology with the construction techniques and methods of the 1930s.
To acquire, research and document the history of this Alfa Romeo, I crossed two oceans; sifted through private archives throughout Western Europe; and located and interviewed persons with first-hand knowledge of the car and other events from the 1940s. Admittedly, this is an extreme approach, but to do justice to the most valuable cars, it is more than justifiable: it is essential.
Investigation begins at the acquisition
In early 2007, a friend alerted me to a rare Alfa Romeo 6C2500 Super Sport that was for sale in Christchurch, New Zealand. Someone had made the bare beginnings of a restoration, and the car was for sale “as is”. Before the current owner brought it to Asia, the car had been owned by a Los Angeles collector for many years, during which it was painted red and disguised with a grille from a later Alfa 1900 model.
When I arrived in Christchurch to inspect the car, I found it entombed amid boxes of its own disassembled parts, with more of the same stacked on nearby shelves. As difficult as it is to evaluate a car in that condition, that’s my specialty. Once the boxes were off the car, I observed that the paint had been stripped from the aluminum body, and that weld lines betrayed modifications and repairs made over the years — including one bad repair with fiberglass. Panels were badly dented, and one front fender was cracked where it met the cowl — an evident stress point in the body design.
Even then, the car presented mysteries. Though the 1900 model narrow grille was mounted in a steel panel, the rest of the body was aluminum. Underneath the steel panel, I could see the mounting holes for the original horizontal grille slats. Evidently, the aluminum hood had been modified to accept the taller and narrower 1900 model grille — but when, and why, did that happen? In any case, having made a thorough inventory of all the parts and taken extensive photos, I concluded that the asking price was reasonable — despite the car’s condition. I bought it and had it shipped to Chicago.
Identification of the Alfa Romeo
Since we had the chassis number 915.522, the first step was to check Alfa Romeo’s own records, which showed the chassis was completed on December 9, 1942; the body completed on October 26, 1943; and the original owner as Luftwaffe Field Marshal Wolfram von Richthofen. The car was one of the 28 Alfa Romeo cars made during WWII—only for Mussolini’s close friends and associates, mostly high-ranking German officers. All were 6C2500 Super Sports with a short wheelbase chassis for better handling and a more powerful three-carburetor 2.5 liter engine. Seven had custom cabriolet bodies by one of the great Italian coachbuilders, Pinin Farina. Our car was one of them.
Mystery Solved: As Found Classic Number 10
Thanks to the Museum team of the Zolder Terlaemen circuit in Belgium and our own Gijsbert-Paul Berk, we now know a bit more about the background of the mystery sports car in ”As found Number 10”. Ed.
By Gijsbert-Paul Berk
All photos by JP Duhem
Recently, the Museum team of the Zolder Terlaemen circuit in Belgium responded to a query about the As Found Number 10: [Read more…] about Mystery Solved: As Found Classic Number 10
Bernard Consten, French Champion
By Graham Gauld
All around the South of France there are former racing drivers tucked away in villages, or otherwise holed up in Monaco trying to preserve their race winnings. As a result one (this author, at any rate) tends to meet up with them from time to time and chew the fat. One of them who has become a good friend is Bernard Consten, best known for his multiple wins on the old original Tour De France event with his Jaguar 3.8 and Alfa Romeo. Bernard managed to combine rally driving with racing.
[Read more…] about Bernard Consten, French Champion
Coppa d’ Oro Delle Dolomiti 2015
Story and photos by Alessandro Gerelli
This year’s edition of the “Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti” held near Cortina d’Ampezzo (Italy) had regulations that admitted cars built from 1919 till 1961, plus an additional class for cars from 1962 to 1965 with particular merits. It was a two day event with three sections, starting and arriving in Cortina, with a total more than 500 kilometers and 13 Dolomiti passes. [Read more…] about Coppa d’ Oro Delle Dolomiti 2015
VeloceToday for July 28, 2015
A Guide to the New Alfa Museum
All photos by Roberto Motta
Roberto Motta has been to the Alfa Museum hundreds of times; here he discusses the impressive new museum and the differences between the old and the new. Alfa Road cars are featured, click here to see the Alfa Race Cars. Text in Italian below the photos. Ed.
On June 24, with the launch of the new Alfa Romeo Giulia and to celebrate its 105 years, Alfa Romeo inaugurated its new Museum.
Renamed “The Time Machine – Alfa Romeo Historical Museum”, it is the heart of the Alfa Romeo brand and opened its doors to the public June 30, 2015. [Read more…] about A Guide to the New Alfa Museum