Mystery Car?
1 - 17 of 17 Posts
Joined
·
6,680 Posts
mystery car
that is an alfa romeo disco volante (flying saucer). it was made in either 1952 or 1953 and was powered by an alfa 1900 motor.
what did i win?
that is an alfa romeo disco volante (flying saucer). it was made in either 1952 or 1953 and was powered by an alfa 1900 motor.
what did i win?
Joined
·
4,232 Posts
Re: mystery car
If and when we get these items you will recieve one of each.
Well Anthony let me tell you! You have won a AlfaBB super pack!italcarguy said:
If and when we get these items you will recieve one of each.
- Official AlfaBB sticker
- AlfaBB tee shirt
- AlfaBB Baseball Cap (fitted or adjustable)
- AlfaBB Beanie
- Limited Edition AlfaBB Race Suit
- AlfaBB Racing Gloves
Joined
·
4,529 Posts
More Disco Volante Mystery!
OK, some extra trivia for you Alfa sleuths:
There has been a Disco Volante located in the US for many years. I will not pass judgement on the provenance of the car or it's authenticity. It's history is surrounded by myth, legend, and rumor.
Can anyone recount the history of this true "mystery car"?
Prize pictured below:
OK, some extra trivia for you Alfa sleuths:
There has been a Disco Volante located in the US for many years. I will not pass judgement on the provenance of the car or it's authenticity. It's history is surrounded by myth, legend, and rumor.
Can anyone recount the history of this true "mystery car"?
Prize pictured below:
Attachments
Joined
·
6,680 Posts
mystery car
i beilieve that tom zat had one out in wisconsin. i remember seeing on on his web site for many years. i just took a look at his site and it was recently updated so it must have sold.
i beilieve that tom zat had one out in wisconsin. i remember seeing on on his web site for many years. i just took a look at his site and it was recently updated so it must have sold.
Joined
·
6,680 Posts
um....
it came to the us as um....you got me on that one. do i still get a hat?
it came to the us as um....you got me on that one. do i still get a hat?
Joined
·
4,529 Posts
Hold on guys, this might get a little long:
Tom Zat told me, while standing over the car, that it was the last Disco Volante produced, and not in any of the official documentation at Alfa. This would make it #13 out of a run of 12 cars made!
It was never a running car at the time, and was scheduled to be destroyed. However, some zealous employees couldn't bear to see thier work crushed so they "smuggled" the car into a crate bound for South America. From there, it made it's way to an owner in California, who sold it to Zat in the eighties.
Either while in South America or California, it had a 1900 driveline installed, the same as the other Disco Volante cars.
People who have seen and researched the car are somewhat divided on its authenticity. Many feel the story is true and the car is genuine, while others think the car was constructed in California from a wrecked 1900 sometime in the '70s.
Here are my observations:
1] The car is very rough. The detailing, fit, and finish are poor.
2] Compared to the car in the Museo Storico in Arese, there is something that is just "off" about the general shape of the car. It lacks a certain grace and cohesiveness to the design.
That being said, these cars were both hand made and experimental. I would not be surprised if every single Disco Volante is significantly different.
Anthony, sure, send me your address and I'll send out that hat.
Tom Zat told me, while standing over the car, that it was the last Disco Volante produced, and not in any of the official documentation at Alfa. This would make it #13 out of a run of 12 cars made!
It was never a running car at the time, and was scheduled to be destroyed. However, some zealous employees couldn't bear to see thier work crushed so they "smuggled" the car into a crate bound for South America. From there, it made it's way to an owner in California, who sold it to Zat in the eighties.
Either while in South America or California, it had a 1900 driveline installed, the same as the other Disco Volante cars.
People who have seen and researched the car are somewhat divided on its authenticity. Many feel the story is true and the car is genuine, while others think the car was constructed in California from a wrecked 1900 sometime in the '70s.
Here are my observations:
1] The car is very rough. The detailing, fit, and finish are poor.
2] Compared to the car in the Museo Storico in Arese, there is something that is just "off" about the general shape of the car. It lacks a certain grace and cohesiveness to the design.
That being said, these cars were both hand made and experimental. I would not be surprised if every single Disco Volante is significantly different.
Anthony, sure, send me your address and I'll send out that hat.
Joined
·
6,680 Posts
hand made cars
we have had a fair number of rare hand made alfa's come through the shop and the workmanship is very incosistant from one side of a car to another. probably one guy made one side and someone else did another at the same time. my 1900 CSS had some inconsistancies in the body. its strange but its what makes the cars unique.
we have had a fair number of rare hand made alfa's come through the shop and the workmanship is very incosistant from one side of a car to another. probably one guy made one side and someone else did another at the same time. my 1900 CSS had some inconsistancies in the body. its strange but its what makes the cars unique.
If I'm not mistaken.....
The picture at the top of the thread looks a lot like it was taken at the Science Museum in London. There was an exhibition there last year celebrating Alfa Romeo with a number of vehicles form the Alfa Museum brought over. It was worth the trek into London to see it. If I can dig out the photos I could post a few.
The picture at the top of the thread looks a lot like it was taken at the Science Museum in London. There was an exhibition there last year celebrating Alfa Romeo with a number of vehicles form the Alfa Museum brought over. It was worth the trek into London to see it. If I can dig out the photos I could post a few.
Joined
·
6,139 Posts
Zat's car...
He claimed that the Disco he had/has was made out of an "extra" body that Touring had built. He built a car around that with Giulietta and 1900 parts. C.F. Bianchi-Andeloni of Touring has no idea how many bodies were amde, so it is possible that somehow an "extra" body came to the US. The car, however, is NOT a "real" Disco..
Stu Schaller
He claimed that the Disco he had/has was made out of an "extra" body that Touring had built. He built a car around that with Giulietta and 1900 parts. C.F. Bianchi-Andeloni of Touring has no idea how many bodies were amde, so it is possible that somehow an "extra" body came to the US. The car, however, is NOT a "real" Disco..
Stu Schaller
Joined
·
484 Posts
The interesting thing about the "Disco" is that it was the inspiration for the classic Jag "E" type. I was fortunate enough to see one last year at an Italian car show in NY and upon seeing the car in person, the Jag comparison made sense. The general.
Joined
·
6,680 Posts
That car never did anything for me until a few years ago when I saw one in person. It's too cool!
1 - 17 of 17 Posts
