Reunioni Famiglia! (Post #173)

Chassis *01915* (Gooding & Co.)

A very unusual event is set to occur during the first week of March. Two of The Alfatross' siblings are scheduled to go to auction during Amelia Concours Week. Chassis no.*01915* will be offered at auction by Gooding & Co. and RM Sotheby's will offer chassis *01955* on March  4.

The Alfatross will be very interested in the results of these auctions which may even happen on the same day. As the chassis numbers indicate, they are very closely related to each other and to The Alfatross. Chassis *01915* was manufactured on February 25, 1955 and *01955* was manufactured on February 22. The Alfatross was manufactured a little later on December 11, all within 10 months of each other. It is a very small family. Nineteen Series 2 1900 SSZs were made in 1955.  Of those, only about 14 can still be accounted for. 

I have referenced *01915* several times in this blog over the last 10 years and seen it in person on two occasions. The Alfatross and *01915* crossed paths more than once and helped each other during their respective restorations over the last two decades. The Alfatross loaned *01915* its left front grille frame so reproductions could be fabricated to replace the lost originals. *01915* reciprocated by loaning The Alfatross its intricate thermostatic mechanism that opens the shutters in front of the radiator so I could replicate it.

Chassis *01915* has a lot going for it: 

• Billed as "The ultimate Alfa Romeo of its era" 
• Entered twice in the Mille Miglia in 1955 and 1956. 
• Restored to Concours condition by one of the premier shops in the US.
• Numbers matching

Chassis *01955* may not be a concours candidate, but presents well and has appealing credits of its own: 

• Said to be numbers matching
• Finished 38th overall in the 1955 Mille Miglia 
• Long-term ownership at the Blackhawk Collection
• Owned and raced by Vincenzo Fornasari

Chassis *01955* (RM Sotheby's)

*01955* competing in the 1955 Mille Miglia

Chassis *01955* was originally created with a flat roof, but a double-bubble roof was added some time afterward. It also has an unusual single hood scoop. Its lengthy race history, documented by John de Boer, includes running in the 1955 Mille Miglia (car #415) finishing 38th overall. 

*01955* Engine Bay

Typically, racing enhances a car's reputation, but degrades its condition.  Although the body of *01955* appears to be in good condition, the interior and engine bay have been highly modified over the years for racing. 

The coincidental auctioning of these two vehicles on the same day is particularly intriguing because although the cars are closely related, they have led very different lives, which explains the difference in estimates of what they might bring at auction ($800,000-$2,000,000). Inevitably, they will be compared. Each is remarkable in its own way and will be attractive to buyers for very different reasons. 

*01955* Cockpit.

Here Come the Judges (Post #172)

The Alfatross on her way to the Arizona Concours

The Alfatross just returned from the Arizona Concours d'Elegance with another "Class Award". It has been in 3 Concours now, competing with other cars in Classes such as "Classic Coachwork by Carrozeria Zagato", "Alfa Romeo Sports Cars", and the "Art of Aerodynamics: Sportscars 1948-1960." Being neophytes, we never expected to win any recognition, so did not pay much attention to how the whole judging thing works in Concours events. But now,after this show, we are thinking that if we did, maybe we could place higher in future events. Fortunately, in the latest issue of Sportscar Market's Insider's Guide to Concours d'Elegance there was a roundtable discussion by three judges on how it works--from their perspective. Three pieces of advice stood out:  

Caveat 1--Keep discussion with the judges short and sweet. Be alert, interested, sincere, crisp and brief and thank the judges. Practice it. 

It never occurred to me to engage the judges immediately and steer the conversation, but we all noticed that the guy next to us did his "romancing the stone" routine masterfully--and his Ferrari won the class! Obviously, this was not his first rodeo. A car's personality matters--and so does that of the person representing it on the field.

Talk fast, they'll be gone in 15 minutes!

Caviat 2--Fix any issues in advance. Know how to operate the vehicle. Everything must work.  

Having been The Alfatross' steward for 53 years, I know the car intimately so for us it was a breeze. I was surprised that all three of the judges in the Guide expressed their surprise at how often entrants are woefully ignorant of how to start their own vehicle or operate basic functions like the lights, horns, or turn signals.

Yellow fog light: Asset or Liability?

Caveat 3--Be prepared to authenticate deviations from what the judges might expect.

The Alfatross has a number of features that deviate from those of its closest relatives. One that is most salient is the Marchal 640 fog light on the passenger's side. When I acquired The Alfatross 52 years ago the driving light on the driver's side was a Marchal 642 spot light, but the one on the passenger's side was a Marchal 640 fog light with a rippled lens and yellow bulb. So that is the way I restored it. Judges find this combination unsettling and are put off by the asymmetrical appearance it presents. Changing a bulb's color is a simple fix, but is it better to change your car to suit judges' notion of what is "right" in order to place better in a Concours, or is that doing your car's history an injustice, and perhaps even helping to perpetuate a misconception?

The enigmatic MM B22A coil.

A feature in the Alfatross' engine bay that judges also ask about is the presence of two ignition coils. I understand their consternation. The big Magneti Marelli B22A Superpotente ignition coil bolted vertically to the firewall and painted a bold red, is impossible to miss. Neither is the fact that it isn't even connected to the live ignition circuit. Meanwhile, the "standard" coil, a Magneti Marelli B5 mounted horizontally below it, is doing all the work. From a judge's perspective this needs some explaining!

The MM B22A coil is clearly a high-end item typically fitted to Ferraris, Maseratis, Mercedes, Alfa Romeos, etc. (I found a pair for sale on eBay for $2,500!), but I still don't know why The Alfatross has one, or which of its previous owners installed it. Best guess is that it was used when high performance was needed, as when racing or rallying, but usually held in reserve. From a judge's standpoint, this is not an acceptable explanation. A simple solution would be to remove it when the car is being shown, at least until I can verify that it is part of a racing history we have yet to discover. On the other hand, it has been on the car for at least the last 53 years so why remove it now?

The Jaeger Chronoflight and Burg Dynometer.

The Alfatross also has other unusual accessories that for some reason do not trigger negative reactions from judges. The Jaeger Chronoflite Chronometer set into the dash is one of these, along with the Burg Dynometer mounted under the dash. Both strongly hint at a racing or rallying past. 

We know that The Alfatross' 6th and 5th owners were not racers and for them the car was just a "daily driver". In any case by that time it would not have been competitive. We know nothing of its 4th owner, but its 3rd owner, Will Henderson, raced various cars at Waterford (Michigan), Nelson Ledges (Ohio), and Kent Fields (Virginia) in 1963-4. If the 1st and 2nd owners raced or rallied the car it would have been in Europe, but we still have no evidence of that.

My impression is that being a judge at a concours event is like being an umpire at a Major League game: you have to make a decision based on many disparate factors and you have to make it fast. Not everyone will agree, but someone's got to do it or the game won't work!

 

The Alfatross, a BAT, a Gull(wing) and 2 Jaguars (Post #171)

Getting instructions for placement on the field. 

The last public appearance The Alfatross made was more than 6 years ago at the 2016 Santa Fe Concorso where she won Third Place in the Alfa Romeo Class. Considering the World Class competition she was up against at the time I thought that was a pretty good showing.  A few months ago when I noticed that the theme of the 2023 Arizona Concours d'Elegance in Scottsdale, AZ, was going to be "The Art of Aerodynamics", I thought that sounded like a good fit for The Alfatross and submitted her application. 

The Art of Aerodynamics

The Alfatross is aptly named. Humans have been fiddling around seriously with aerodynamics for only a little over a century (the Wright Brothers first flight was 120 years ago).  Albatrosses have been doing it for probably hundreds of thousands of years, earning their reputation as the most legendary of birds, capable of incredible feats. The Southern Royal Albatross has the greatest wingspan of any existing bird species (up to 12 ft.!). They can glide several miles with but a single flap of their wings. Talk about aerodynamics! They are known to live more than 60 years, 80% of which they spend literally living in the air! And they mate for life. After living with The Alfatross for the last 53 years I sometimes feel like we mated for life too--and every now and then it's nice to show her off!

Preparing for a Concours event invariably entails a lot of time, effort, and some level of anxiety (imagine what your car would look like after a trailer roll-over). What the visitor sees on the show field is just the "fluffed and buffed" result, belying all the reservation-making, route planning, trailer and tow-vehicle preparation, weather monitoring, behind the scenes. It's enough to make you think twice about whether you really want to do it. And we wouldn't have without the enthusiastic support of Dave Carrell who volunteered his truck, trailer, and Big Rig driving skills.

Thanks to Dave Carrell for getting us there and back in one piece.

Scottsdale is a long way from Santa Fe. Weather in January in northern New Mexico and Arizona can be rugged, and this January was particularly sketchy, forcing us to detour south for a 1,300 mile, 18 hour round trip with snow, ice, and high winds keeping us company most of the way.  

In spite of the weather, we got to Scottsdale a day in advance on Friday where  a team of Concours volunteers efficiently unloaded The Alfatross on the street, secured her in the covered, secure parking garage and showed us where to stow the trailer in a nearby lot. As this was also the first day of Scottsdale Car Week, we spent part of the afternoon at the tumultuous Barrett-Jackson circus before making our way to the other end of the entertainment spectrum, the  Concours Reception at the Phoenix Musical Instrument Museum. I've been to a lot of museums in my life, but this is one of the most interesting, professional and delightful museums I have had the pleasure of experiencing. I highly recommend it to anyone.

One small gallery in the Phoenix Musical Instrument Museum.

The BAT 5 "Dream Car" design exercise in aerodynamics.

The next morning we were on the show field bright and early, lining up with the other cars in Class 8: the "Modern Development of the Art - Sportscars 1948-1960". There were 9 other cars in the class, including 2 Jaguars, 3 other Alfas, a Pegaso, a Lancia Aurelia and a 1958 Ferrari 250 Granturismo Ellena. One of the other Alfas was the outrageous 1953 BAT 5 car which, like The Alfatross, was built on an Alfa 1900 chassis. Sizing up the cars around us, I thought the Pegaso would take First Place, but the judges gave that honor to the Ferrari, while The Alfatross and one of the other Alfas, the 1949 Alfa 6C 2500 Cabriolet Super Sport, received "Class Awards". 

The moment of truth . . .

2023 Arizona Concours Class Award

The Fifth Arizona Concours d'Elegance

It would be hard to improve on the Fifth Arizona Concours d'Elegance, but we did have one idea: Perhaps in the future it would be possible for entrants to attach a QR code to the placard provided by the organizers that would enable visitors to quickly harvest more information about the subject car without cluttering up the show field. In the case of a car like The Alfatross, extensive documentation and hundreds of photos could be readily accessed online via a cell phone equipped with a QR code reader app. We mentioned this to our Class Host, Mr. Sherwood Parker, who liked the idea and said he would bring it up with the organizers. 

Example of QR code placement on placard.

The Arizona Concours is back after a 3-year hiatus thanks to the tireless efforts of its Directors and volunteers working in cooperation with entities such as Scottsdale Arts and the Civic Center venue. From our experience volunteering with the Santa Fe Concours we know it is no simple undertaking. We were impressed by how well it was organized and orchestrated, given that they were essentially starting over from scratch. The Alfatross enjoyed her outing and ogling, but was relieved to return to her nest no worse for wear. 

At the finish line . . . .