Sunday mornings along Italy’s many mountain passes offer the true essence of driving pleasure, if you’re willing to wake up early enough. As the sun rises through the forests, casting hazy rays along the tarmac, nature’s silence is in competition with two cars approaching, both wearing an almost characterful smile with their chrome grills and round headlamps. This isn’t just a gorgeous stretch of hairpins, this is Alfa Romeo country, where few cars handle these occasionally tricky curves quite like a mid-century Alfa, and this pair has seen their fair share of action. Both were entrants in the 1955 Mille Miglia, and we’ve already spent some time with the 233-numbered Giulietta Sprint, a car owned by Milanese gentleman racer Agostino Di Stefano, who racked up hundreds of race miles in the Rosso-shaded machine. The Giulietta may have been severely underpowered compared to many of its rivals during the Mille Miglia, but had built up a reputation along the circuits, and was famous for its predictable handling and lightweight bodywork. The 1900 SS Coupè, with its Zagato bodywork, sliced through the Italian air and avoided any lasting mishaps, something that was all too common at this gruelling event. After it all, the passionate crowds and unforeseen mechanical issues, both the Giulietta and 1900 SS Coupè would drive up onto the finish ramp, marking their names in history as endurance race legends.
That makes seeing these two examples together a whole 80 years on from that fabled event all the more special. As both cars navigate the hills around Lugano, we spent some time with the red and white painted Alfa Romeo 1900 SS Coupé, which claimed a second in class finish at the gruelling 1955 event and is, along with the Giulietta, available to purchase at Kessel Auto Lugano and presents a wonderful opportunity to relive what is arguably Alfa Romeo’s greatest era.
The Alfa Romeo 1900 was built between 1950 and 1959 and was the first entirely new post-war project from the company. A key moment for the brand, the 1900 would be the first Alfa Romeo built entirely on an assembly line, revolutionising the process and output of manufacturing these cars. The heart, as in every Alfa Romeo, was the engine, and with heavy taxation laws in place for higher displacement engines, Giuseppe Busso spearheaded the four-cylinder, lightweight alloy, twin overhead camshaft engine and innovative chassis development at the time, allowing the car to not only keep up with its rivals, but out-manoeuvre them when it came to the corners.
By the time 1955 came around, and the world had just about caught its breath from seeing models like the 1900 C52 ‘Disco Volante’, the 1900 had established itself as a machine that was born to race, sculpted for speed, and destined for the Mille Miglia. In order to maximise the car’s potential, Alfa Romeo was keen to let Italy's carrozzerias loose on the 1900, opening up the car for reinterpretation from some of the country's finest coachbuilders, like Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera, Pinin Farina and, in this case, Zagato.
Representing the maximum expression of Zagato in terms of lightweight bodywork and aerodynamic efficiency, the carrozzeria reworked the 1900 into the perfect gentleman’s racer. Featuring more sculpted bodylines made from lightweight aluminium with integrated B-pillars and, of course, Zagato's trademark double bubble roof, known as the “doppia gobba”, which lowered the front section of the car while increasing the roominess and stiffness of the roof. Hand built by the team at Zagato, it is believed just 39 examples exist of the SS Coupé, making it one of Alfa Romeo’s rarest iterations of the 1900.
Of those 39 examples, chassis no. 01931 was delivered new early in 1955 to Vittorio Vanini, a successful wealthy privateer of the period born into the famous family of Swiss chocolatiers. Leaving Alfa Romeo’s dealership in Lugano, this unique two-tone Zagato berlinetta would almost immediately be put to work, participating in the 1955 Mille Miglia road-race carrying race number ‘451’. As the flag dropped at 4:51 am, Vanini and his co-driver, Ivo Badaracco, would blast across Italy in this very car, navigating their way to the finish line in Brescia after 12 hours and 56 minutes, claiming 19th place overall: the first Alfa Romeo 1900 SS Z and second in class. Incredibly, the Swiss-Italian duo was still hungry for competition after surviving the 1,000 km endurance, entering the Coppa Intereuropa at Monza in September of 1955 of the same year, finishing 11th overall.
It is believed that after these two milestone events were completed, the car was purchased by an American custodian, who kept this Alfa away from public viewing for over 50 years. Complete with its Mille Miglia entry documentation, this Zagato-bodied racer is ready for its next adventure, which could see it return to the famed Italian race, with almost guaranteed eligibility. Beautifully restored and maintained, this red and white Alfa Romeo showcases a truly historical era for gentleman racers and Alfa Romeo’s intent, where drivers risked their lives to experience the thrill of speed and the heat of competition.
Whether it’s the long way home from the coffee spot, along the ribboned Italian passes, or battling it out in wheel-to-wheel historic racing, this 1900 SS Coupé has a competitive streak within it that few other cars combine with such elegance quite like an Alfa Romeo of the 1950s. Choosing between the Giulietta or the 1900 SS Coupè is a near impossible task, meaning the only logical solution is to secure both, and prepar your own Mille Miglia reunion!
