This “Period Special' has been built using 1950s Alfa Romeo 1900 parts. All work done to top engineering standards. Comparable to a factory-built racing car., This car has been tested on a “rolling road' and is producing 90 bhp at the rear wheels. The two twin choke weber carburettors have been tuned and it starts “on the button'. All work has been done to a top engineering standard and no expense has been spared to produce a car which would be comparable with a factory-built racing car but at a fraction of the cost. All who have viewed the car consider it to be a first class job. The 1975cc four cylinder twin cam engine has been fully rebuilt to a very high standard by an experienced race car engineer, and runs beautifully. The competition extractor exhaust system was designed and built by a racing engineer and the welding is top class. There is a shaped and drilled aluminium cover which has been copied in detail from Italian racing cars of the 1950s to prevent the possibility of the driver's arm being burnt on the hot expansion chamber. There is a period style de Dion rear suspension unit as fitted to other racing cars of the period and there was a major cost involved in producing this. The di Dion is supported by a transverse leaf spring which has been rebushed and hand polished to a mirror finish. There are three settings so that the car can be set up correctly for competition. There is a pair of brand new Houlandaille lever armed shock absorbers as fitted to most 1950's Italian racing cars. The aluminium cased 1950's Alfa Romeo diff unit is firmly bolted to the de Dion unit and has a sliding riser at the rear for location. There are open half shafts with universal joints and flexible support struts from the tubular chassis frame to the de Dion. The gearbox is 1900 and has four forward speeds and reverse with a remote change. There is a new aluminium petrol tank which is shaped to fit inside the tapering tail section and firmly mounted with straps. There is a large period flip-top racing fuel cap with roller cam. The battery is mounted firmly in the tail as is the new S.U. electric fuel pump. The rear wheels are rebuilt aluminium rimmed Borrani with new 700 x 17" Dunlop racing tyres. The front wheels are rebuilt aluminium rimmed Borrani with new 5.50 x 17" Dunlop racing tyres. All the splined hubs are new old stock from an Alfa Romeo 1900 as are the hub nuts which are newly nickel plated and have inset Alfa Romeo embossed badges. The steering box and all the steering arms are 1900 and have been rebushed as has the 1900 forged front suspension arms which were common to racing cars of the period. The front spring is again transverse and is also adjustable. As with the rear one, all the spring leaves have been hand polished to a mirror finish. The brake drums [front and rear] are all 1900 and are aluminium with steel liners. The brake master cylinder and all the wheel cylinders have been rebuilt. The brakes have all been plumbed up with copper piping on the rear and flexible metal hoses on the front. The original 1900 umbrella type handled handbrake unit has been mounted firmly to the chassis frame. There are new wheel bearings front and rear. The kingpins have all been rebushed as have the forged front suspension arms. There is a correct racing seat firmly mounted which will require corduroy covering as original [I have the corduroy]. The superbly crafted aluminium bodywork was made by the late Fred Gosley who worked at Vickers Brooklands in the 1930s. In the 1950s he worked for Geoffrey Taylor at Alta and George Abacassis and John Heath at H.W.M. The nose cone and egg crate grill is based loosely on the World Championship winning Alfa Romeo Alfetta 158/159 Grand Prix car from the mid-1940s to the mid-1950s. The radiator badge is as fitted to these cars and other Alfa Romeos from the 1950s. The large rev-counter has been fully rebuilt at great cost. The 200psi oil pressure and oil temperature gauges are both working well. The correct racing type steering wheel was copied from a 1950s original. The aluminium centre and mounting boss is beautifully made and the outer rim is laminated from 32 pieces of walnut timber which surround the aluminium centre as original. There is the correct Alfa Romeo badge mounted in the centre. The racing windscreen is handmade and was copied from an original from the period. All the louvers on the bodywork were done by hand. There are original type bonnet clips which have been fitted and the bonnet also has handles on the top that were copied from the Alfetta race car. There is a new purpose-built aluminium radiator which was made at great expense. The car has an M.O.T. and has been driven on the road [see image]. I am in my 70s now and have had my fun in the car and now feel that it may be appreciated by a younger person. All the hard work has been done and I humbly consider it to be one of my life achievements., ., $199,000 firm
