1955 Alfa Romeo 1900 Super Sprint Cabriolet by Ghia-Aigle

In 1948, P.P. Filippi established a subsidiary of Ghia in nearby Aigle, Switzerland. With the help of Ghia designers such as Mario Boano, Giovanni Michelotti and Pietro Frua, the firm flourished throughout the 1950s, producing a number of spectacular one-off cars for wealthy clients and for display at auto shows throughout Europe. Like many small coachbuilding firms, Ghia-Aigle found work wherever it could, and the unique Swiss bodies were seen on a diverse group of cars from Fiat 1100s to a Bugatti 57SC. This Alfa Romeo 1900 was manufactured on May 10, 1954, and was immediately sold as a rolling chassis to Societa per il Commercio dei Prodotti Alfa Romeo in Lugano, Switzerland, the new location of Ghia-Aigle. For this chassis, Giovanni Michelotti designed extravagant open coachwork that features a number of wonderful styling cues such as an exaggerated heart-shaped grille, fared-in driving lights, a curved windscreen, and an aero-inspired rear-end treatment that is quite unlike any other coachbuilt 1900. The detail work on the car is beautifully executed, from the polished aluminum door cappings to the magnificent, sculptural door and trunk handles. The car was specifically designed for the prestigious Geneva Auto Salon, where it debuted in March 1955. At the time, the car was reportedly finished in a lighter color, possibly gold, and featured a light interior – presumably trimmed in white. This would have been a distinctive and fitting appearance for such a remarkable show car.After the Auto Show, the car was sold to a Swiss owner. However, by the 1960s, it appeared to be in the hands of Dutch dealer Rob de la Rive Box. In the early 1980s, the car was again in the hands of a Swiss resident, Pierre Le Grand, before it was restored in 1984. It then spent approximately 10 years in Claude Fresard’s Musée de l’Automobile Muriaux in Switzerland before it was sold in 1995 to Holland. It remained in mainland Europe until 2000. Since that time, the car was shown at the 2005 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance; however, this appears to have been the only time the car was ever publicly displayed in the US. This eye-catching, one-off coachbuilt Alfa Romeo will be an exclusive and welcome entrant for any show or driving event, where it will be admired for its rarity, authenticity and dramatic singular design. Most importantly, it appears that the unique bodywork of this car has never been modified from its original appearance and it retains all of its delightful details, trim pieces and unique badges that help to set this car apart from the crowd.