Boneschi

[iicarJohn]

I have gone through some files to search out an answer about a "mystery" in another thread. In doing so, it seemed appropriate to scan a few references to Boneschi and post them here in a dedicated thread. If you'd like to add something, please do so. Please keep it related to Boneschi. Other similar threads will follow that are dedicated to other coachbuilders

[iicarJohn]

Some references from 1933.

[iicarJohn]

And from 1934

[iicarJohn]

And from 1935

[iicarJohn]

And from 1938.

[iicarJohn]

And some things from 1948. I really like the first one. I would have thought it would have said "Lo Snob" ... but no ... it is "La snob".

[iicarJohn]

And a 1949 article from AutoMotoSport.

[iicarJohn]

Although I have more, this will do it for now.

[iicarJohn]

I should probably remind one and all that more information about each image might be available to you if you do a right-click and "Save as". Whether or not you choose to save the image, you will see the file name that will often tell the date (perhaps approximate) and source of the image ... when I have bothered to keep track. There were times when I copied thousand of pages at the Museo dell'Auto in Torino where some notes did not get taken and I could wish to have been more thorough. Sometimes there simply was not enough time!

Please note that I really dislike the automated link technology recently put into use here on the alfabb and may stop posting if the words I choose to use are continuously hijacked for marketing purposes. Indeed , once I make that decision, I may decide to remove all of my posts and create my own playground somewhere else.

[Il Vecchio]

Very cool. Thanks for sharing.

I no longer have the Michael Frostick book, but recall a few Boneschi's in there as well?

[Alfaman75]

Do you have a picture of the rear and interior of Boneschi's Alfa Romeo 1900 Astral that you can post here?
Was the rear/interior of both Astral cars identical or were there small differences (like with the front)?

Only pictures from the rear I have are these from the Gulp 1/43 models...

[carlo]

Quote:

Do you have a picture of the rear and interior of Boneschi's Alfa Romeo 1900 Astral that you can post here?

[iicarJohn]

Ciao Carlo,

It is not always easy to understand the context of a photo caption. In some cases it is almost impossible to treat it as something truly meaningful. These captions are often written and/or applied by persons who have no personal knowledge of the subject material. The potential for confusion is very great!

"Elaborazione su "Romeo" Brevetto Modello Industriale N. 6571!" may not apply to this subject but to another small truck that was photographed on the same day? Or perhaps it was simply a photograph printed the same day in a studio some time after the fact? If so, it may be simply an identity stamping that was mis-applied to this photo? If it does apply to the Astral or a derivative, then the wording is most curious, since "Romeo" is/was indeed a light truck and "Brevetto Modello Industriale" does imply something rather different than a somewhat sporty and very showy convertible or spyder/spider.

If you really want to know, then there will be a way to research the nature of the industrial patent (perhaps having to do with design or shapes?) with the number 6571 to see what it refers to and determine if there is any kind of a match. We would have to do some research to identify where the office is that holds those records but we may be almost assured that the records probably still exist in some form.

I will do some searching to see what I might have on the spider Boneschi "Astral" in my files but I have to say that to me it is merely another Alfa Romeo 1900C. It is interesting in its own right but not terribly significant to the description of Alfa Romeo production since there were very few examples built and they made no exciting history after they were produced and shown. But, they do have an interesting shape and maybe more history will still be made by one or more of them? It is always possible that there was only one Astral that was built and shown and then cleaned up a bit to make the other? But, it is also not unusual to see a few copies of distinctive art-cars make it into the hands of private owners in some form or another. These might be characterized as true replicas rather than the modern popular application of the term "replica" that can be confusing. But then, I find that anyone who uses only one word to describe any car is leaving themselves open to being misunderstood. I'm afraid that terms like "good", "bad", "real", "fake" just don't say enough and they don't mean the same things to everyone who hears or reads them.

Good luck!

John

Edit 11:20AM: Carlo, I have just gone and looked at your 2004 thread photo that you linked to and see what you refer to. The above comments were made based on your description. Now I see what probably happened. The stamp that shows the description is merely an advertisement for what Boneschi was doing more typically and does not refer to the car depicted in the photo. It probably was intended that someone write something about the car in addition or perhaps another stamp was supposed to have been applied that was not?

[iicarJohn]

Here is a document that I've prepared quickly that shows some additional material pertaining to Alfa Romeo 1900 and Boneschi. Perhaps even the industrial patent mentioned here? It should be self-explanatory in light of what appears above in this thread. More to follow in time.

John

[iicarJohn]

Alfa Corse magazine 1938-39

Alfa 6C2300B