Boneschi

[carlo]

John.

I always appreciate your comments very much!!!
As you noticed before, the thread I refered to was started in 2004. And I didn't let the car off my radar. Not because I find the (or these?) car(s) so beautiful, but the design was absolutely unique, and it is still today. The people who saw it in 1954 must have been totally stunned!

What you wrote about captions and backsides of photos is absolutely true.
For me it became a habit to doubt all that I read on the back of a picture.
Over the years I found some really funny and nonsense captions, but the one on the back of the Boneschi photo made me really think there could be something interesting to find out...
And thinking of the Astral being built on a Romeo van chassis would have really been exotic. Not to forget that the text was obviously stamped together with official Boneschi stamp and not handwritten. We can of course never exclude the possibility that someone simply took the wrong stamp.

I will check if I can add some interesting photos or scans to the Alfa 1900 Boneschi subject.

Best regards
Ciao Carlo


Stolen at ebay

[Alfaman75]

1) Nice to read that I am not the only one who is doing an attempt in making an overview of all Alfa 1900 based cars (in my case as well as all other Alfa based cars from the 1900 up to the RZ)

2) Concerning the Gazzella. I don’t share your opinion that probably only one was built. I believe that at least 3 of them were built.
-The one that is pictured in your pdf overview
-The one that was especially built for “Gazetta dello Sport” with a folding sun roof (see attachment)
-The black/white one that is shown in the attachment (look at the different position of the Boneschi logo)

3) Can anybody confirm that the limousine which was built on chassis number AR 1900 L 01095 was made by Boneschi?

4) Is there anybody who knows how to pronounce 'Boneschi' correct?

[iicarJohn]

Hi Alfaman,

Thanks for the additional Gazzella photos and commentary. Most welcome! My comment, "Theoretically only one built" came from a similar notation seen somewhere about the Gazzetta dello Sport car. It may have been the Italian language Alfa Romeo 1900 book by Garcia? I will have to search it out but I am currently without my archives to hand and not enough time to spare at the moment in any case.

Boneschi is pronounced as it should be in Italian with the "chi" sounding like "kee". So it is something of a compromise between <Bone-hay-skee> (no "H" sound actually made) and <Bone-eh-skee>, using english language pronunciations for each of the parts of the word. There is a slight accent on the second syllable.

All the best.

John

[iicarJohn]

From Auto Sport Review (USA) July, 1953 page 40

[CarterHendricks]

Screen grab of 1900 Boneschi.

--Carter

[pan68]

Quite an interisting topic with some nice sleuthering!

BTW: does anybody knows the (illuminated) car of the Boneschi stand?

[Alfaman75]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pan68 Quite an interisting topic with some nice sleuthering! BTW: does anybody knows the (illuminated) car of the Boneschi stand?

[pan68]

Thanks Professor!

Any other views available?

[monte carlo]

Here still a pair of photos of Boneschi cars.

[Alfaman75]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pan68 Thanks Professor! Any other views available?

[pan68]

Thanks Alfaman!
It's always the same about Boneschi: the silhouettes are quite nice, but the front treatment is rather disappointing...

[CarterHendricks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pan68 It's always the same about Boneschi: the silhouettes are quite nice, but the front treatment is rather disappointing...

[CarterHendricks]

But this one I rather like. It's from a paste-up from a 91 bulletin...

--Carter

[Alfaman75]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarterHendricks But this one I rather like. It's from a paste-up from a 91 bulletin... --Carter

[iicarJohn]

Thanks, Carter, for the image.

I had seen it already (thanks to Peter Marshall's bulletin) and researched it fairly shortly thereafter. It might have been two or three years? Unfortunately, the Milano PRA minion who did the research looked up the motorcycle plate rather than the car plate and it came up Beta 125cc rather than Alfa Romeo 1900L (or C) so I will have to make another attempt and pay for the service once again. I'm sure they would have done it again the next day at no additional charge if I had stuck around and insisted but I was already on to my next windmill. This is just one of many similar "Missed it by that much!" events in the life of someone who perhaps asks too many questions and tends to be fairly philosophical about those that require additional efforts and expense.

One of these days .... another answer will pave the way to some new questions.

John