[JoeCab]

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:

 

[JoeCab]

Anthony,

Yes, that is the car I'm referring to. Do you know the tale of how that car came to the US?

 

[JoeCab]

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.