Once upon a time, there were no Italian sports cars.
It’s hard to imagine, but nonetheless true.
There were cars, of course, and some of them were Italian.
And there were Italian racing cars.
But there were no commercially available vehicles that we would today recognise as being dedicated sports cars.
Not until the Alfa Romeo 6C came along.
Marrying a lightweight body and compact proportions to a lively, high-revving engine, the 6C laid down a primordial genetic blueprint for all Italian sportscars to come - prancing horses and raging bulls included.
In 1923, Enzo Ferrari persuaded Vittorio Jano to leave FIAT's racing department and join him at Alfa Romeo.
One of the most gifted and influential automobile engineers of all time, Jano would not only go on to supervise Alfa Romeo's Grand Prix racing program but also design its road cars.
This serendipitous arrangement resulted in the creation of some of the most exciting road cars of their day, firmly establishing the Milanese marque's reputation as a designer and manufacturer of true drivers’ cars.
A logical derivative of the Tipo 6C 1500, itself directly descended from Jano's all-conquering P2 that had won the World Championship in 1925, the Tipo 6C 1750 arrived in 1929 boasting a derivative of the 1500's six-cylinder engine, enlarged to 1,752cc.
Built in single-cam Turismo and twin-cam Sport (later renamed Gran Turismo) variants, the 6C 1750 was the vehicle that first defined what an exciting fast sports car could and should be.
The chassis, also a product of Jano's ‘clean sheet of paper’ approach to automotive engineering and design, was low and lightweight, featuring semi-elliptical springs that passed through the front axle.
The 6C 1750 would go on to notch up countless victories over far larger and more powerful machinery, proving the wisdom of pursuing lightness and agility over brute force.
The 1750's trophy cabinet was soon bursting at the seams and filled with cups, medals and gongs including those earned by 1-2-3 finishes in the Mille Miglia, and top results at Targa Florio, the Tourist Trophy and Spa 24 Hours.
Racing luminaries such as Nuvolari, Marinoni, Campari and Varzi all recorded successes in Vittorio Jano's ‘light car’ and the model became, quite deservedly, a true automotive legend.
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s there were two coachbuilders with whom Alfa Romeo shared the closest ties, Zagato and Touring - both of Milan.
But they also turned to English coachbuilder James Young, who bodied a total of 57 Alfa Romeos.
The car we have with us today is one of just four James Young-bodied 6Cs that are thought to survive.
Rarer still, this car is supercharged.
It has just completed its second Mille Miglia, where it finished 10th on a final classification list that ran to 357 cars.
It is, we can say with some confidence, probably the most extraordinary and special car that has come the way of BonhamsICars Online to date.
