This thread will be devoted to the study and sharing of information about the "Terza Serie" Alfa Romeo 6C Super Sport in both supercharged and un-supercharged forms.
These cars were completed and sold in both "6C1500" and "6C1750" forms ... and some cars had historical usage in both displacement categories. In general, the 1500cc cars in this series (and the "Gran Sport" series that followed) were purchased and used initially with the intent of going after a 1500cc category racing trophy and/or prize monies. There was an annual tax advantage in having the smaller engine but the folks who owned these cars from new were not generally worried about the tax aspect of things. The lower annual tax due for the 1500cc cars became of interest as the cars became "used cars" and the prices made them attainable by those who really did factor the tax into the expense of owning and using a car.
Popularly known to some as "SSC" (in the supercharged form) or "SSSC" (in the un-supercharged form), the chassis/engine layout remained essentially the same and the one specification could be converted relatively easily to the other.
Some will already know that there were cars that began their lives in one configuration and were quickly converted to another. It has become popular in collector car circles to opine that a car is always best presented today in its original form ... whenever that configuration can be determined with some level of certainty. There are many popular examples of why "originality" is not necessarily the most historically appropriate goal, not just among these cars. Many of these cars will help to illustrate how history can be complicated. Choosing how to present the complexities of an individual car's history is not always an easy task.
When we look to events that took place some seventy to eighty-five years in the past, our hindsight is not always 20-20. There are some aspects we can study and learn with some level of certainty. A few details will have to be left to what seems "reasonable" in the way of explanations.
Parts were changed when these cars were new and parts-changing has continued to this day. "Parts" can be the obviously consumable and disposable items such as tires to other elements that may have been damaged or became fatigued over time. These can include parts and components as small as a contact inside an ignition switch to a complete chassis or engine. Or a body, some of which were altered or changed for reasons we do not easily understand unless we truly study the "why" in each individual instance that it took place. In a few cases, there are implications that some parts failed due to "fatigue" almost immediately. Those parts? Chassis frames, suspension springs, crankshafts, superchargers, wheels ... eccetera!
In other threads, I have presented listings of some highlights or overviews of what is known to me of the Fourth and Fifth Series "Gran Sport", cars that were quite varied in their presentations and histories. I have already revised each of those listings and will do so again and again as the information presented becomes more complete and refined. The listings are a study aid intended to draw input from anyone who has even a small bit of knowledge to add to the description of one car or engine ... or any other component for or from any of these cars. Even a "poor" photo may tell us something "new" about the history or earlier configuration of a specific car.
In the posting that will follow, you will find a listing for the Third Series SuperSport cars. I hope it will evolve quickly. I will continue to work on it. I hope you will help.
John de Boer
The Italian Car Registry
These cars were completed and sold in both "6C1500" and "6C1750" forms ... and some cars had historical usage in both displacement categories. In general, the 1500cc cars in this series (and the "Gran Sport" series that followed) were purchased and used initially with the intent of going after a 1500cc category racing trophy and/or prize monies. There was an annual tax advantage in having the smaller engine but the folks who owned these cars from new were not generally worried about the tax aspect of things. The lower annual tax due for the 1500cc cars became of interest as the cars became "used cars" and the prices made them attainable by those who really did factor the tax into the expense of owning and using a car.
Popularly known to some as "SSC" (in the supercharged form) or "SSSC" (in the un-supercharged form), the chassis/engine layout remained essentially the same and the one specification could be converted relatively easily to the other.
Some will already know that there were cars that began their lives in one configuration and were quickly converted to another. It has become popular in collector car circles to opine that a car is always best presented today in its original form ... whenever that configuration can be determined with some level of certainty. There are many popular examples of why "originality" is not necessarily the most historically appropriate goal, not just among these cars. Many of these cars will help to illustrate how history can be complicated. Choosing how to present the complexities of an individual car's history is not always an easy task.
When we look to events that took place some seventy to eighty-five years in the past, our hindsight is not always 20-20. There are some aspects we can study and learn with some level of certainty. A few details will have to be left to what seems "reasonable" in the way of explanations.
Parts were changed when these cars were new and parts-changing has continued to this day. "Parts" can be the obviously consumable and disposable items such as tires to other elements that may have been damaged or became fatigued over time. These can include parts and components as small as a contact inside an ignition switch to a complete chassis or engine. Or a body, some of which were altered or changed for reasons we do not easily understand unless we truly study the "why" in each individual instance that it took place. In a few cases, there are implications that some parts failed due to "fatigue" almost immediately. Those parts? Chassis frames, suspension springs, crankshafts, superchargers, wheels ... eccetera!
In other threads, I have presented listings of some highlights or overviews of what is known to me of the Fourth and Fifth Series "Gran Sport", cars that were quite varied in their presentations and histories. I have already revised each of those listings and will do so again and again as the information presented becomes more complete and refined. The listings are a study aid intended to draw input from anyone who has even a small bit of knowledge to add to the description of one car or engine ... or any other component for or from any of these cars. Even a "poor" photo may tell us something "new" about the history or earlier configuration of a specific car.
In the posting that will follow, you will find a listing for the Third Series SuperSport cars. I hope it will evolve quickly. I will continue to work on it. I hope you will help.
John de Boer
The Italian Car Registry
