Last updated on November 26, 2025
Today’s car is a 1949 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport Cabriolet by Pinin Farina, owned by Lee Harris, which I photographed at the Net Cruze’s Cars and Coffee event at the Zimmerman Automobile Driving Museum in El Segundo, CA. The car is finished in dark blue over Spanish Red leather, with a black convertible top and boot. It is powered by a 105-horsepower, 2,443cc DOHC inline-six (6C Super Sport) that breathes through triple Weber carburetors, mated to a four-speed manual transmission with a 3.91:1 rear axle ratio. Stopping is handled by four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. The car features advanced all-around independent suspension, with parallel trailing arms and coil springs at the front, and swing axles with torsion bars at the rear.
The Alfa Romeo 6C name was used for road, race, and sports cars produced between 1927 and 1954; the “6C” designation refers to the car’s straight-six engine. This particular model is one of approximately 458 Super Sports built between 1939 and 1951. Just sixty-three hand-crafted, short-wheelbase 6C 2500SS two-seat cabriolets were delivered between 1946 and 1951, making this one of the rarest and most desirable postwar Alfa Romeos. The list of prominent owners includes King Farouk, His Highness Prince Aly Khan, Rita Hayworth, Tyrone Power, and Prince Rainier of Monaco.
Look at other Pinin Farina 6C 2500SS cabriolets, and it’s easy to spot their distinguishing features. The front bumpers are little more than a pencil-thin mustache on either side of the Alfa grille, while the rear bumpers are non-existent. The door handles are recessed and incorporate the key lock, and the semaphore indicators are similarly integrated. Other notable period features include a column-mounted shift lever (four 0n the tree?) and Alfa Romeo Veglia instrumentation.
The MSRP ranged from $4,000 to $5,000 in U.S. dollars depending on how they were equipped and when purchased. The published top speed was 97 mph, with a 0–60 mph time estimated in the low 18-second range.
This beautifully restored example was awarded Most Elegant Convertible at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, as well as Best in Show and Best in Class at the 2008 Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance. It’s the perfect vehicle to bring to a Concours d’Elegance, a European or Italian car show, a Cars & Coffee event, or just for cruising up the Pacific Coast Highway on a weekend with like-minded friends and stopping for lunch. Put simply, Italy on wheels.
Thank you for riding along. Frank
