 | The Alfa Romeo 4C Concept has been voted "Most Beautiful Concept Car of the Year" by the readers of German magazine, Auto Bild. Coming out on top of its many competitors presented over recent months at the Geneva, Detroit, Tokyo and Shanghai Motor Shows, the Alfa Romeo 4C Concept won the Auto Bild Design Award 2011, a victory underpinned by the brand's sporting nature and the values at the centre of its philosophy: performance, Italian style and technical excellence, offering maximum driving pleasure in total safety. Those same features distinguish the two historic models which dominated the recent 2011 edition of the Concorso d'Eleganza in Villa d'Este: a 1968 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale and a 1942 6C 2500 SS.
The Alfa Romeo 4C Concept is a classic mid-engined rear-wheel drive coupé with two bucket seats, a length of approximately 4 metres and a wheelbase of less than 2.4 metres, dimensions which emphasise the car's compact attributes whilst also accentuating its agility. Distinguished by its clean and graceful lines, the same principles are also applied to the inside, with the Concept's specific trim level, maintaining features and devices which more directly reflect the car's sporting spirit.
The Alfa Romeo 4C Concept uses technology and materials derived from the 8C Competizione - carbon, aluminium, rear-wheel drive - and technology from Alfa Romeo models currently on sale: the 1750 turbo petrol engine with direct injection, the "Alfa TCT" twin dry clutch transmission and the Alfa DNA dynamic control selector. Quite simply, this vehicle screams Alfa. Its sports car soul creates a unique driving sensation, both on the road and when racing, where its velocity and transverse acceleration become even more demanding.
Held for the first time in 1929, the Concorso d'Eleganza has always been hosted in the magnificent grounds of the Grand Hotel Villa d'Este and Villa Erba in Cernobbio, on Lake Como. This year, the event was open to motorcycles for the first time ever, and saw the participation of over 5000 fans who got the chance to admire fifty masterpieces from international automotive history. The undisputed star of the show was the 1968 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale which won both the BMW Group Best of Show trophy, the most important prize awarded by the jury, and the BMW Group Italy Trophy voted for by the public at Villa Erba. Equipped with a V8 2.0 engine (developed by Carlo Chiti), similar to a sports engine but downgraded to 230 HP, only 18 examples of the 33 Stradale were produced between 1967 and 1971. Its alloy body was designed by Franco Scaglione.
Along with this extraordinary custom-built model, another Alfa Romeo was brought into the spotlight: the 1942 6C 2500 SS, which was awarded the Golden Cup, a recognition granted by referendum in Villa d'Este. Equipped with a 2.5 litre 6 cylinder engine with 3 carburettors, this vehicle was capable of generating 110 HP and reaching around 160 km/h, top class performance for its time. This Bertone Super Sport coupé was built in limited numbers before and after the Second World War.
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Torino 31.5.2011 | |