Alfa Romeo 1900 C "Spider Razza" - The invisible boat-mobile

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Alfa Romeo 1900 C "Spider Razza" - The invisible boat-mobile

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Created on June 9, 2022

Text:

Paul Krüger

Photos:

Bonhams

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Archiv Stefan Dierkes, Vaihingen an der Enz (D)

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Foto Lario, Como (I)

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Archiv Jean-Claude Oguey, Aigle (CH)

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Archiv Peter Marshall, Esher (GB)

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The bodywork was created at Ghia-Aigle to a design by Giovanni Michelotti

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The car was designed to look like a boat. That's why it has no doors, just a lowered "side"

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Michelotti copied himself from time to time. As early as 1952, he designed an MG TD with a very similar front end for Ghia-Aigle

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However, the MG had a lower radiator grille and a more conventional side line including doors

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In contrast to most other Alfa Romeo special bodies, the Barchetta does not even have the typical "Scudetto" grille

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The view from the diagonal rear is the chocolate side of the Barchetta. The rear could also come from an American dream car and contains a hint of GM Le Sabre.

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Despite this, the Spider certainly looks sleek. The differently shaped wheel cut-outs at the front and rear are interesting.

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A long "aft deck" reinforces the speedboat look.

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From this perspective, the (too) high radiator grille is not so noticeable.

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The Spider stretches its nose upwards like an accelerating motorboat.

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The front looks almost American. The massive radiator grille is not very typical of Alfa.

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Without the familiar emblem on the radiator grille, the "Razza" would be difficult to identify as an Alfa Romeo

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Cynics may even recognize a certain similarity to the Kia Opirus.

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The hood tapers down to a narrow radiator grille, as in a pre-war car.

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The curved trim breaks up the otherwise completely smooth flank.

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Despite the lowered waist, boarding requires a certain amount of agility.

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Every angle makes the Spider look different. It could almost be a Buick Skylark. Almost.

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The dashboard rises very high. The windshield is low in comparison.

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The panoramic windshield is the only weather protection on the Spider. There are no side windows or even a soft top.

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The paintwork and leather are separated by a narrow, all-round chrome strip. In the tiny, low-mounted exterior mirror, you can almost only see the rear fender.

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The rear pontoon style mudguard is still slightly indicated. The trim strip is bent in one piece.

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The "aft deck" is just a large area. There is no trunk lid.

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The bumper is pulled far around the corner and fits closely to the body.

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Two narrow chrome strips must suffice to decorate the deck.

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The eagle protectively spans the name of the coachbuilder.

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The "Spider Razza" was created during the short time that Ghia-Aigle was based in Lugano.

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The gray-green leather is still original equipment and has a delicate patina.

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Like the entire car, the interior is unrestored. The left edge bears the marks from getting in and out of the car.

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In contrast to the standard model, the dashboard is fully upholstered in leather.

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The arrangement of the instruments was also changed. The fuel gauge and oil pressure gauge were moved to the outside.

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The Veglia instruments are beautiful, but difficult to read. Sometimes aesthetics simply take precedence.

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65 years ago, only racing cars reached 6000 rpm.

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As a production coupé, the Super Sprint managed 185 km/h. The Barchetta was probably a little slower.

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Italian for beginners: In times before globalization, car instruments were still labeled in the local language.

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There is no better way to steer a car than with a wooden Nardi steering wheel. No room for error.

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A short full-metal lever operates the five-speed gearbox.

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The contour of the seats follows the edge of the cockpit like a bench. However, the seat backrests can be folded individually.

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The "trunk" of the Barchetta is only accessible from the interior...

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...and already well stocked with spare wheel, battery and tools.

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Behind the license plate there is only a tiny storage hatch.

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The map pockets in the doors have leather flap covers.

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In order for the Super Sprint engine with two twin carburetors to fit under the low hood, the air filter had to be moved in front of the engine.

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In this configuration, the four-cylinder engine delivers 115 hp at 5500 rpm.

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The "tunnel" for the cooling water hose is curious.

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The Barchetta wears Borrani wire wheels, as befits a luxury Italian.

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The curved panoramic windshield blends harmoniously into the curves of the Barchetta

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The Spider was built and delivered in Switzerland. It then made its way to England, Germany, Belgium and France.

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The Spider Razza at the Concorso d'Eleganza in Campione d'Italia, its first (and probably only) appearance at a beauty contest before it was put into storage.

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Same car, different angle: a second Alfa Romeo 1900 with Ghia Aigle bodywork - a bright yellow coupé - was presented in Campione d'Italia. Lake Lugano in the background

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Rear view of the Barchetta, photographed at the Concorso d'Eleganza Campione d'Italia. In this photo, as in the previous one, the paintwork appears much darker.

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However, this color photo - taken on the same occasion - proves that the Spider has always been orange.

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Michelotti's design drawing for the "Spyder 2 posti" differs from the actual car in some respects. For example, the front fender is rounder and has a kind of decorative grille or position light above the bumper; the rear wheel arch cuts into the tire and the entire body is lower.

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A few years ago, a box of historical photos, including these 14 showing the "Spider Razza" in Camprione d'Italia, turned up in the former workshop of Carosserie Ghia in Aigle.

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Summary

Very special women also deserve very special gifts. It only becomes problematic when this very special woman is not the one to whom the giver is married. It's all the more surprising when the betrayed wife then sends the gift, rather than the husband, into the desert. Read the story of the unique Alfa Romeo 1900 "Spider Razza", which is not really a story, and take in the many photos of the unusual Michelotti design.

This article contains the following chapters

Italian coachbuilding in Switzerland
On water and on land
Top-of-the-range engine hardly used
Farewell

Estimated reading time: 5min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Very special women also deserve very special gifts. It only becomes problematic when this very special woman is not the one to whom the giver is married. It's all the more surprising when the betrayed wife then sends the gift into the desert rather than the husband. In the mid-fifties, Swiss businessman Tell Umiker from Lugano ordered a special body for an Alfa Romeo 1900 C from Ghia-Aigle. The Swiss branch of the Italian coachbuilder had only recently moved from its namesake village in western Switzerland to Lake Lugano. However, Carrozzeria Ghia from Turin probably had little more in common with Ghia-Aigle than a license agreement that allowed the Swiss company to produce bodies based on the Ghia design by Mario Felice Boano from 1948 onwards and to use its name.

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