Most Unusual 1900 Touring Coupe

**technobob** · #1 (**permalink**) 11-01-2007, 05:18 AM

I just came across this unusual 1956 5-window coupe on an English website (1956 Alfa Romeo 1900 SS For Sale on Car And Classic UK) Car is in Portugal (please, no "barnfind" jokes!). Rear and side windows are unlike any I've ever seen on a 1900 coupe, and there's an odd chromed vent on the fender, as well as vent windows or "cozy wings" in the doors. C-pillar is reverse-slanted.

Anyone know anything about this car?

dretceterini · #2 (**permalink**) 11-01-2007, 08:39 AM

I think those are all later modifications...

tiger0529 · #3 (**permalink**) 11-01-2007, 09:14 AM

To me the car looks like a combination of the 1900 Touring (bottom half) and the 1900 Primavera (top half)...

Sorry for the large pic of the Primavera.

Edit: I played with the pictures, and here it is (the third picture):

**technobob** · #4 (**permalink**) 11-01-2007, 09:51 AM

I agree, that's what it looks like. But it astounds me is that anyone would go to that much trouble! However, I think there are clues that that's not the case. The the rear side windows on the Portugal car seem shorter in length than on a Primavera, though not by a lot. Maybe it's just the perspective, but even looking through the greenhouse at the left-rear side window, it still seems shorter.

Perhaps more telling are the vent windows or "cozy wings". On the Primavera they're curved at the top and end along the horizontal portion of the door/window opening.

On the Portugal car they appear to be pointed (though masked somewhat by tape) but definitely terminate along the vertical portion if the door/window opening.

But, having said all that...I just discovered Tiger0529's third photo, the composite, which I missed earlier when I originated this reply. Looking at that composite, I think I agree that this car, amazing as it may seem, does in fact have a Primavera greenhouse grafted onto a Touring body. What seemed to me to be evidence now appears to be just custom-body variations, exaggerated by the photo perspectives.

A most convincing response by Tiger0529!

dretceterini · #5 (**permalink**) 11-01-2007, 05:26 PM

Someone might go to all that work if the Touring bodied car rolled and crushed the back half of the roof. The work looks like it was done in the 60s or 70s; maybe earlier, and it would have been much cheaper to graft on a Primavera roof than to construct a new Touring style one. I am 99% sure the car wasn't built that way. The side vent is an obvious later addition; probably done in the 60s or 70s....

**technobob** · #6 (**permalink**) 11-28-2007, 05:14 AM

Just for the record, a photo of this same car also appears online via the Anamera website The photo is part of this link (1956 Alfa Romeo 1900 SS for sale: Anamera) to a blue 1900 Touring 3-window coupe for sale by Joop Stolze, and the car is at what I believe is Stolze's emporium. Click on the main photo on that web page, then cycle through until you reach the hybrid, or scroll down the page and click directly on the thumbnail of the red car.

I have no idea how current this photo is but, since the original Car & Classic UK link says it's ad was posted in mid-November and the ad for the blue car says that the red car (the hybrid?) has been sold, I'm assuming that the Stolze photo is older than the Portugal photo. And there's currently no listing for the hybrid on Stolze's website.

**technobob** · #7 (**permalink**) 01-25-2008, 07:52 AM

This Touring/Primavera hybrid is currently (25Jan08) on eBay at ALFA ROMEO 1900 C SS Classic Car Restoration Project on eBay, also, Alfa Romeo, Classic Cars, Cars, Parts Vehicles (end time 28-Jan-08 18:05:48 GMT) , with additional photos plus most important info plate & chassis number.

carlo · #8 (**permalink**) 01-25-2008, 08:04 AM

Quote:

This Touring/Primavera hybrid is currently (25Jan08) on eBay at ALFA ROMEO 1900 C SS Classic Car Restoration Project on eBay, also, Alfa Romeo, Classic Cars, Cars, Parts Vehicles (end time 28-Jan-08 18:05:48 GMT) , with additional photos plus most important info plate & chassis number.