Alfa-Romeo 6C 2300 B Lungo Berline - 1937
Coachwork by Stabilimenti Farina
Chassis n° 814023
Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais
Bonhams
Parijs - Paris
Frankrijk - France
February 2019
Estimated : € 290.000 - 350.000
Sold for € 264.500
The 2.3-litre Alfa Romeo 6C-2300 was designed under the supervision of the company's legendary technical director Ing. Vittorio Jano with the 2300 B introduced in 1935. It came with a much-modernised new chassis design featuring independent front suspension and swing-axle rear suspension. Some 86 of these first-series 6C-2300B variants were manufactured in the run up to the Second World War.
This particular example – wearing particularly elegant four-door sports saloon coachwork by Farina – was one of the many highly-original collectors' motor cars acquired by avid British-based Iranian collector Fuad Majzub through the 1970s-80s. As the current owner relates: "I bought the car in 1991 at the Brooks Majzub Millford Farm sale. Originality was always a key issue for me and this was the main attraction – reinforced by the fact it had a bespoke body by Farina..."
Having acquired the car its always-adventurous new owner – himself a respected car restorer – decided with a few friends to take it to Leningrad for the New Year to witness the final lowering of the Soviet Union flag. His own company, Prowess Racing Ltd, prepared the car, bills being available for the 389 hours undertaken. Numerous minor problems were identified and rectified, the whole engine thoroughly serviced, new gaskets made for cam-covers and sump etc, the speedo drive was repaired which entailed removing the gearbox, and a cracked left-side differential cover-plate was welded and its hemispherical inner face re-machined. Modern constant-velocity-joint boots were also modified and fitted, while all the suspension, pedals, brakes etc were removed, dismantled and rebuilt – as were the wire-spoked wheels (by SAS - now Torino).
Sadly, "...when approaching the Polish border, a small piece of old and brittle gasket on the pressure side of the oil system failed at night and we did not notice the oil pressure collapse on the tiny gauge in the speedo. This resulted in a big-end failure. I found a barn and removed the sump, cleaned the engine as best I could, replaced the oil and ran the engine on 5 cylinders with a plug removed back to Hanover, whence it was recovered to home...".
This handsome Alfa 6C was then used occasionally until 2006, when the water pump gland failed, allowing vital fluids to mingle. The decision was taken to have the engine thoroughly rebuilt. Respected specialists Jim Stokes Workshop of Waterlooville carried out the necessary bottom-end work, white re-metalling etc, while the engine was rebuilt by Jeremy Brewster at Brewster Mudie near Bromsgrove. The water pump and its drive were thoroughly re-worked, and a remote oil filter and the original inlet manifold and carburettor – which had been acquired with the car in 1991 – were both fitted. Until that time the car had run with a twin-SU carburettor system, but the owner took the opportunity to refit its original single twin-choke up-draught Solex upon which "... it runs better than it ever had on the SUs".
A subsequent reverse idler shaft failure then saw gearbox dismantled and rebuilt. "Precious little" wear was found during this work, which focused upon making a new shaft and getting the freewheel system to operate properly. Again, this was done by Brewster Mudie.
The car has been used so sparingly since successful completion of this work, because the owner is now too engrossed in Riversimple, developing hydrogen electric cars, that it is now offered for sale. A member of the Bonhams motor car department recently drove the car in January during the photography shoot. The driving impressions were that the car rode well on the recently refurbished suspension (and new Blockley tyres); good turn of speed, pulling very well; crisp gear-change; direct and responsive steering, and reassuring stopping power. The car behaved very well with good oil and temperature readings.
The accompanying history file contains correspondence from the 1950s, including the old style buff logbook indicating first registration in the UK in 1952. A subsequent owner, a Mr Neale, owned the Alfa from 1955 to 1974. Mr Majzub acquired the car shortly thereafter, until 1991. This is a fine and still highly original example of this renowned Alfa Romeo 6C model and we recommend it for the closest consideration.
Alfa-Romeo 6C 2300 B Lungo Berline - 1937
Coachwork by Stabilimenti Farina
Chassis n° 814023
Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais
Bonhams
Parijs - Paris
Frankrijk - France
February 2019
Estimated : € 290.000 - 350.000
Sold for € 264.500
The 2.3-litre Alfa Romeo 6C-2300 was designed under the supervision of the company's legendary technical director Ing. Vittorio Jano with the 2300 B introduced in 1935. It came with a much-modernised new chassis design featuring independent front suspension and swing-axle rear suspension. Some 86 of these first-series 6C-2300B variants were manufactured in the run up to the Second World War.
This particular example – wearing particularly elegant four-door sports saloon coachwork by Farina – was one of the many highly-original collectors' motor cars acquired by avid British-based Iranian collector Fuad Majzub through the 1970s-80s. As the current owner relates: "I bought the car in 1991 at the Brooks Majzub Millford Farm sale. Originality was always a key issue for me and this was the main attraction – reinforced by the fact it had a bespoke body by Farina..."
Having acquired the car its always-adventurous new owner – himself a respected car restorer – decided with a few friends to take it to Leningrad for the New Year to witness the final lowering of the Soviet Union flag. His own company, Prowess Racing Ltd, prepared the car, bills being available for the 389 hours undertaken. Numerous minor problems were identified and rectified, the whole engine thoroughly serviced, new gaskets made for cam-covers and sump etc, the speedo drive was repaired which entailed removing the gearbox, and a cracked left-side differential cover-plate was welded and its hemispherical inner face re-machined. Modern constant-velocity-joint boots were also modified and fitted, while all the suspension, pedals, brakes etc were removed, dismantled and rebuilt – as were the wire-spoked wheels (by SAS - now Torino).
Sadly, "...when approaching the Polish border, a small piece of old and brittle gasket on the pressure side of the oil system failed at night and we did not notice the oil pressure collapse on the tiny gauge in the speedo. This resulted in a big-end failure. I found a barn and removed the sump, cleaned the engine as best I could, replaced the oil and ran the engine on 5 cylinders with a plug removed back to Hanover, whence it was recovered to home...".
This handsome Alfa 6C was then used occasionally until 2006, when the water pump gland failed, allowing vital fluids to mingle. The decision was taken to have the engine thoroughly rebuilt. Respected specialists Jim Stokes Workshop of Waterlooville carried out the necessary bottom-end work, white re-metalling etc, while the engine was rebuilt by Jeremy Brewster at Brewster Mudie near Bromsgrove. The water pump and its drive were thoroughly re-worked, and a remote oil filter and the original inlet manifold and carburettor – which had been acquired with the car in 1991 – were both fitted. Until that time the car had run with a twin-SU carburettor system, but the owner took the opportunity to refit its original single twin-choke up-draught Solex upon which "... it runs better than it ever had on the SUs".
A subsequent reverse idler shaft failure then saw gearbox dismantled and rebuilt. "Precious little" wear was found during this work, which focused upon making a new shaft and getting the freewheel system to operate properly. Again, this was done by Brewster Mudie.
The car has been used so sparingly since successful completion of this work, because the owner is now too engrossed in Riversimple, developing hydrogen electric cars, that it is now offered for sale. A member of the Bonhams motor car department recently drove the car in January during the photography shoot. The driving impressions were that the car rode well on the recently refurbished suspension (and new Blockley tyres); good turn of speed, pulling very well; crisp gear-change; direct and responsive steering, and reassuring stopping power. The car behaved very well with good oil and temperature readings.
The accompanying history file contains correspondence from the 1950s, including the old style buff logbook indicating first registration in the UK in 1952. A subsequent owner, a Mr Neale, owned the Alfa from 1955 to 1974. Mr Majzub acquired the car shortly thereafter, until 1991. This is a fine and still highly original example of this renowned Alfa Romeo 6C model and we recommend it for the closest consideration.