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16/06/2010
By MURRAY HUBBARD
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When it comes to classic, elegant, beauty it does not get much better than this 1964 Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint. We found the car at the last classic car show to be held at Macleans Bridge, south of Brisbane, on Mother's Day, 2010.
While non-Alfa people may well be indifferent to the brand, the Alfisti – the name bestowed upon those who are aficionados of the Italian maker – are passionate about their Alfas. This car in particular will start the Alfisti heart racing. It was, after all, Alfa's top of the line model produced from 1961 to 1968, and powered by a much-vaunted straight six, 2.6 litre, twin overhead cam engine.
The Sprint had a few other aces up it's sleeve, including triple Solex 44PHH carburettors, a five speed manual transmission, rear wheel drive and front disc brakes to make sure it stopped as well as it went . Top speed was an impressive 200 km/h. The Sprint is only a part of the 2600 story – but it was the most successful part.
The 2600 line was unveiled at the 1962 Geneva Motor Show in a number of configurations. The sedan was the Berlina – a name familiar in Australia associated with a Holden Commodore variant – a 2 + 2 seater convertible with bodywork courtesy of Carrozzeria Touring and called the 2600 Spider and a Bertone-bodied coupe called the 2600 Sprint. The Sprint design came from the pen of Giorgetto Giugiardo from Bertone which is signified by the lower case `b' under the `2600' badging.
The Sprint is significant for a number of reasons, not the least it was the sales success from within the 2600 cars. The Spider sold just 2255 cars, the sedan Berlina 2038, and the stylish Sprint topped the charts with 6999 cars. How this happened is complicated and demonstrates that car companies should never underestimate the prowess of the buying public.
The 2600 was a replacement for the 2000 range but financial constraints saw the 2600 almost identical in appearance to the cars they replaced. The biggest change was to what sat under the bonnet. As a top of the range car the 2600 was priced accordingly, which put the car well above the smaller Giulia, Alfa's other offering. While the 2600 got a new engine to breath life into the 2000 body, the Giulia got the benefit of most Alfa's lean resources.
Then, the Giulia was launched at almost the same time as the 2600. Comparisons were inevitable and with older running gear – carried over from the 2000 – the 2600 had some equipment carried over not just from the 2000, but also the predecessor 1958 revamped 1900. This impacted far more on the Berlina sedan and the Spider than the Sprint.
The Berlina failed to excite from a styling point of view and the Spider was simply too similar to the smaller Giulia Spider, which had the benefit of the latest technology and handled like an Alfa should. Sporty. By comparison the 2600 Spider was found wanting.
The 2600 Sprint was another story. As a large, touring car it was not expected to handle like a lithe sports car. It was a sports tourer with a comfortable ride and inherited long legs from the sweet, purring in-line six fed by the triple carburettors. It avoided the pitfall of comparisons with the Giulia. It had more room, smoother ride and an engine that seemed far more at home in a large car. It's other advantage was the design which differed significantly from the Spider and the Berlina. The 2000 Sprint was a fine looking car and the 2600 Sprint simply followed in it's footsteps with a contemporary look that almost 50 years down the track does not look out of place. The buyers appreciated the classic appearance and no doubt welcomed the big (for Europe) in-line six.
It was interesting that Alfa produced two variants of the 2584cc engine. The one in the Berlina featured twin Solex carburettors with the engine have a compression ratio of 8.5: 1 while the Spider and Sprint gained the triple carburettors and a compression ratio lifted to 9.0:1. History now sees the 2600 models as sought-after cars, due to their scarcity. The Sprint, however, stands up not just for scarcity, but a genuine styling icon with a serious engine. In particular we like the subtle bonnet scoop, dual headlamps and sculpted body which photographs beautifully from any angle. The 2600 series was replaced by the four cylinder 1750 cars in 1968 and saw and end to the era of Alfa in-line sixes that started in the 1920s.
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