Details
"THE RIMOLDI" 1933 ALFA ROMEO 8C-2300 CORTO SPYDER
COACHWORK BY CARROZZERIA TOURING
Chassis No. 2.211.107
Engine No. 2.211.107
Red with dark leather interior
Engine: Straight 8, double overhead camshafts, supercharged, 2,600cc, 165hbp at 5000rpm; Gearbox: four speed manual; Brakes: four wheel drum; Suspension: semi-elliptic leaf springs front and rear. Right hand drive.
The Rimoldi Alfa - named after its owner of over 50 years, is one of the most coveted cars of the pre-war era. The 8C-2300 series is regarded by many as engineer Vittorio Jano's production car masterpiece. By 1930, Jano recognized that the incredible racing superiority of his 6C-1750 supercharged cars would not last much longer. He developed a straight 8 cylinder engine utilizing the same bore and stroke as the 6C-1750 supercharged twin cam units. The new engine was arranged as two four-cylinder blocks in tandem with the gear-train drive for the double overhead camshafts ascending between the blocks, and a Roots-type supercharger was placed alongside the engine. Jano's aim was strictly performance oriented, nevertheless one cannot help but appreciate the sheer beauty of these engines. They are a premiere example of form following function; the ribbed intake manifold and supercharger, with the twin cam covers, give these engines a sculpture-like quality.
The new 8C made its major-league competition debut in the 1931 Mille Miglia and began winning in the subsequent Targa Florio. In fact the 2300 series would go on to win Le Mans four times, several Mille Miglias, Targa Florio and countless other races. An 8C Alfa was the car of choice for the best drivers of the time. They were raced by none other than Giuseppe Campari, Achille Varzi, Raymond Sommer, Earl Howe, Tim Birkin, Louis Chiron, the great Tazio Nuvolari and Luigi Chinetti.
The 8C-2300s were manufactured in various forms between 1931 and 1934, but Alfa Romeo quote a production total of only 188. The Rimoldi Alfa is an example of the more desirable Corto, or short chassis cars. The company's contemporary sales invoice and attached declaration quote 1933 as this particular car's year of manufacture. It was during this year that chassis 2.211.107 was delivered to Carlo Felice Bianchi Anderloni's revered Carrozzeria Touring. Based in Milan, Touring's designers and metalshapers were known to create some of the most spectacular coachwork ever to grace the automobile chassis. The Rimoldi Alfa is the ultimate example; as journalist Mick Walsh noted 'Touring....had got this one exactly right. Every curve was in harmony, from the cowhorn sweep of the front inner wings to the rake of the rear. The finned wind deflector for the spare wheels, the lack of louvres on the bonnet top, the cockpit rear exactly in line with the rear mudguard, the radiator well back from the front axle centre, all made the perfect statement of vintage-style, a brilliant swansong before the science of streamlining and all-enveloping bodywork arrived'.
This car was first registered to the Alfa Romeo Works in May of 1933, with plate number MI 43454. It subsequently competed in and nearly won the Monte Carlo Rally of 1935 with Luigi Chinetti and Jean Trevaux driving. Several photos of the Alfa competing in this event appear in publications such as the February issue of Motor Sport, the January 29th, 1935 issue of Motor, as well as The Autocar documenting the race. Unfortunately, whilst leading the race during the final stage, Trevaux spun off slightly damaging the front of the car.
It seems that the Alfa was returned to the Works, repaired and sold to a Hungarian enthusiast in late 1935. A considerable file of contemporary documentation is associated with the car including a copy of the Hungarian registration document dated November 4th, 1935, revealing that the car was subsequently owned early in its life by Giacomo Brenta of Budapest. Further documentation from the Societa Anonima Alfa Romeo Milano shows that the car returned to the Works on April 27th, 1937. It states "This is to certify that the 8 cylinder, red 2 seater sports car, chassis and engine no 2.211.107 was manufactured in 1933 and has been put in working order in our works in 1937...."
The car was then sold to Signor Giulio Rimoldi, a British domiciled Italian ice merchant. Copies survive of Alfa Romeo's receipt dated April 15th 1937 for his purchase payment of 225 16s 0d. The car was shipped to England on board the SS Tonbridge departing Calais on May 5th, and customs documents relating to its importation have also survived.
Signor Rimoldi was an enthusiastic and meticulous motorist who evidently took enormous care of this Alfa Romeo. He had a custom made quilted bonnet cover which he carried with him on occasional motoring tours around the Alps, to help protect the engine from frost. The car was also equipped with large baggage trunks which mounted upon its running boards. Amazingly, these items still survive with the car.
In 1950, Rimoldi had the rear mounted fuel tank reduced in size in order to provide enough space for two children seats to be fitted in a space just under the rear access hatches. By 1966 Rimoldi had removed the seats and reattached the access doors as original. This remarkable time machine remained in his loving ownership until his death in 1988 with an approximate recorded mileage of 60,000.
The Rimoldi Alfa was subsequently offered in 1989 at Christie's Monaco sale where it sold for a world record price. Since then it has participated in numerous long distance events such as the Mille Miglia, Monte Carlo Rally, Klausen Hill Climb as well as participating in many vintage race meetings. During this time it has been sympathetically cared for and overhauled where necessary by Paul Grist and Tony Merrick - both recognized pre-war Alfa Romeo specialists. At some point in its long life the engine has benefitted from being uprated to the more powerful 2.6 litre Monza specification.
Developing over 160bhp at 5,000rpm the 8C engine has a sound of its own. The smooth roar of the straight eight harmonizing with the whine of the supercharger is music to the ear of any car enthusiast. The incredibly precise handling, instant throttle response, spectatcular coachwork, unique patina and superb provenance make the Rimoldi Alfa Romeo one of the greatest cars of all time.
COACHWORK BY CARROZZERIA TOURING
Chassis No. 2.211.107
Engine No. 2.211.107
Red with dark leather interior
Engine: Straight 8, double overhead camshafts, supercharged, 2,600cc, 165hbp at 5000rpm; Gearbox: four speed manual; Brakes: four wheel drum; Suspension: semi-elliptic leaf springs front and rear. Right hand drive.
The Rimoldi Alfa - named after its owner of over 50 years, is one of the most coveted cars of the pre-war era. The 8C-2300 series is regarded by many as engineer Vittorio Jano's production car masterpiece. By 1930, Jano recognized that the incredible racing superiority of his 6C-1750 supercharged cars would not last much longer. He developed a straight 8 cylinder engine utilizing the same bore and stroke as the 6C-1750 supercharged twin cam units. The new engine was arranged as two four-cylinder blocks in tandem with the gear-train drive for the double overhead camshafts ascending between the blocks, and a Roots-type supercharger was placed alongside the engine. Jano's aim was strictly performance oriented, nevertheless one cannot help but appreciate the sheer beauty of these engines. They are a premiere example of form following function; the ribbed intake manifold and supercharger, with the twin cam covers, give these engines a sculpture-like quality.
The new 8C made its major-league competition debut in the 1931 Mille Miglia and began winning in the subsequent Targa Florio. In fact the 2300 series would go on to win Le Mans four times, several Mille Miglias, Targa Florio and countless other races. An 8C Alfa was the car of choice for the best drivers of the time. They were raced by none other than Giuseppe Campari, Achille Varzi, Raymond Sommer, Earl Howe, Tim Birkin, Louis Chiron, the great Tazio Nuvolari and Luigi Chinetti.
The 8C-2300s were manufactured in various forms between 1931 and 1934, but Alfa Romeo quote a production total of only 188. The Rimoldi Alfa is an example of the more desirable Corto, or short chassis cars. The company's contemporary sales invoice and attached declaration quote 1933 as this particular car's year of manufacture. It was during this year that chassis 2.211.107 was delivered to Carlo Felice Bianchi Anderloni's revered Carrozzeria Touring. Based in Milan, Touring's designers and metalshapers were known to create some of the most spectacular coachwork ever to grace the automobile chassis. The Rimoldi Alfa is the ultimate example; as journalist Mick Walsh noted 'Touring....had got this one exactly right. Every curve was in harmony, from the cowhorn sweep of the front inner wings to the rake of the rear. The finned wind deflector for the spare wheels, the lack of louvres on the bonnet top, the cockpit rear exactly in line with the rear mudguard, the radiator well back from the front axle centre, all made the perfect statement of vintage-style, a brilliant swansong before the science of streamlining and all-enveloping bodywork arrived'.
This car was first registered to the Alfa Romeo Works in May of 1933, with plate number MI 43454. It subsequently competed in and nearly won the Monte Carlo Rally of 1935 with Luigi Chinetti and Jean Trevaux driving. Several photos of the Alfa competing in this event appear in publications such as the February issue of Motor Sport, the January 29th, 1935 issue of Motor, as well as The Autocar documenting the race. Unfortunately, whilst leading the race during the final stage, Trevaux spun off slightly damaging the front of the car.
It seems that the Alfa was returned to the Works, repaired and sold to a Hungarian enthusiast in late 1935. A considerable file of contemporary documentation is associated with the car including a copy of the Hungarian registration document dated November 4th, 1935, revealing that the car was subsequently owned early in its life by Giacomo Brenta of Budapest. Further documentation from the Societa Anonima Alfa Romeo Milano shows that the car returned to the Works on April 27th, 1937. It states "This is to certify that the 8 cylinder, red 2 seater sports car, chassis and engine no 2.211.107 was manufactured in 1933 and has been put in working order in our works in 1937...."
The car was then sold to Signor Giulio Rimoldi, a British domiciled Italian ice merchant. Copies survive of Alfa Romeo's receipt dated April 15th 1937 for his purchase payment of 225 16s 0d. The car was shipped to England on board the SS Tonbridge departing Calais on May 5th, and customs documents relating to its importation have also survived.
Signor Rimoldi was an enthusiastic and meticulous motorist who evidently took enormous care of this Alfa Romeo. He had a custom made quilted bonnet cover which he carried with him on occasional motoring tours around the Alps, to help protect the engine from frost. The car was also equipped with large baggage trunks which mounted upon its running boards. Amazingly, these items still survive with the car.
In 1950, Rimoldi had the rear mounted fuel tank reduced in size in order to provide enough space for two children seats to be fitted in a space just under the rear access hatches. By 1966 Rimoldi had removed the seats and reattached the access doors as original. This remarkable time machine remained in his loving ownership until his death in 1988 with an approximate recorded mileage of 60,000.
The Rimoldi Alfa was subsequently offered in 1989 at Christie's Monaco sale where it sold for a world record price. Since then it has participated in numerous long distance events such as the Mille Miglia, Monte Carlo Rally, Klausen Hill Climb as well as participating in many vintage race meetings. During this time it has been sympathetically cared for and overhauled where necessary by Paul Grist and Tony Merrick - both recognized pre-war Alfa Romeo specialists. At some point in its long life the engine has benefitted from being uprated to the more powerful 2.6 litre Monza specification.
Developing over 160bhp at 5,000rpm the 8C engine has a sound of its own. The smooth roar of the straight eight harmonizing with the whine of the supercharger is music to the ear of any car enthusiast. The incredibly precise handling, instant throttle response, spectatcular coachwork, unique patina and superb provenance make the Rimoldi Alfa Romeo one of the greatest cars of all time.