Last updated on March 18, 2025
Today’s car is a 1956 Alfa Romeo 1900 CSS Barchetta, owned by Lee Harris, which I photographed at the Manhattan Beach Cars & Coffee event at The Point in El Segundo, CA. This stunning vehicle is finished in orange with a gray interior. It is powered by a 115-hp, 2.0-liter, DOHC inline-four-cylinder engine with two 2-barrel Solex 40PII carburetors, mated to a five-speed manual transmission. The 4.55:1 rear axle ratio translates to 3.87:1 in fifth gear. Slowing this beauty down are drum brakes at all four corners. The front independent suspension consists of double wishbones, coil springs, and hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers, while the rear suspension features a live axle, trailing arms, coil springs, and hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers.
The car’s first owner, a Swiss businessman, commissioned Giovanni Michelotti to design it, with Carrosserie Ghia, Aigle producing it in Lugano between 1955 and 1958. This unique open-top car—built without doors, a boot, or a traditional windshield—was inspired by the owner’s passion for Italian Riva speedboats. The 1900 Sprint and Super Sprint models were particularly popular with Italian coachbuilders, though most were coupes.
The Alfa Romeo 1900 was the brand’s first unitary construction vehicle, and it is believed that additional reinforcement was needed for this open-body shell. The car was completed in 1956 but was not registered for the road until September 1958. This car was showcased at the Concorso d’Eleganza Autovettura Campione d’Italia in October 1956. It is said that the owner originally bought it for his mistress, but when his wife found out, she was understandably furious and banished the car to storage—where it remained for nearly 30 years! Michel Kruch later owned the car in the late 1980s, registering it in Belgium. In April 2001, it was exhibited at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Cernobbio, Italy.
The Alfa Romeo 1900 was Alfa’s first entirely new post-war project, produced between 1950 and 1959, with a total of 21,304 units built, including 17,390 saloons. From 1951 to 1953, 949 Sprints were produced, followed by 854 Super Sprints, of which 599 were coupes, built from 1954 to 1958.
This one-off car is one of approximately ten Alfa Romeos bodied by Carrosserie Ghia, Aigle. Its MSRP was comparable to that of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, which was around $7,000 USD. The published top speed is 118 mph, with a 0–60 mph time of 10.9 seconds. (For reference, “SL” stands for “Super-Leicht,” which translates to “super-light” in English.)
This beautifully unique, one-of-a-kind, and originally restored car is the perfect vehicle for Italian and European car shows, Cars & Coffee events, or simply cruising up the coast with like-minded friends for a leisurely breakfast drive. Thank you for riding along. Frank
