Few automobiles rival the elegance and racing lineage of the Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport. Consistently regarded by connoisseurs and enthusiasts to be among the most refined Alfa Romeos of the Vittorio Jano era, these rare and sumptuous touring cars set the stage for worldwide excellence and prestige in the late 1940s as Italy emerged from the ravages of the war. The origin of the 6C began in 1925, as the newly developed twin-cam 6C engine went on to power formidable race cars and highly refined road cars, achieving numerous racing victories, including 1st and 2nd Place at the 1937 Mille Miglia and 1st Place at the 1950 Targa Florio, to name a few. The sophisticated 6C 2500 became one of the most expensive and finely appointed cars during its production run, attracting customers of privilege and fame.

The 6C 2500 SS Villa d’Este is a part of this illustrious lineage to be sure, but offers much more as well. There have been very few instances in which an automotive design combines all of the right elements to become more than an instant classic, but something bordering on perfection – the 6C 2500 Villa d’Este is one such car.

Carrozzeria Touring’s addition of the rear-quarter window, coupled with numerous small but impactful design details throughout its body’s surface and trim, combine to form something truly spectacular. The thin C-pillar behind the quarter light mimics the proportions of the A-pillar, and the enlarged rear window lends a modern, open-air flair to the Villa d’Este. Revisions to the streamlined wheel housing relief, the transposition of the front bumper sections and air-intake vents, and the new height ratio of headlight to driving light subtly but completely recharacterize the design.

The design of the rear fenders is especially ingenious. The fenders encroach on the doors to their front, underscoring the Villa d’Este’s short wheelbase, and at the rear, forming the slightest hint of a tail fin – as their lines resolve perfectly around the taillights then sweep beneath the car. The rear is brilliantly finished with a narrow, continuous bumper.

The model came by its name, which remains unofficial, when the new 6C 2500 SS by Touring overwhelmingly won the Grand Prize at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in September 1949.

The journey of this Villa d’Este, presumably like many of the scant 32 or so built, traverses much of the globe. The owner reports that this car, chassis 915.888, is the seventh example built, and that it was first delivered to Mr. J. Cohenca of Cairo, Egypt, who was a member of a prominent, possibly royal family. The next known owner was Rick Bucklew of San Diego, who acquired it in 1972 from the Buick dealership where he worked following the car being traded toward a new Buick. After years of storage in San Diego, Robin Otto of London was thrilled to acquire the Alfa Romeo in 1988. He sent the car to Milan to begin a restoration, where it was spotted by Roberto Squillario of Monte Carlo, Monaco, who purchased the car from Mr. Otto and completed the restoration. In 1996, well-known collector Charles Morse and Alfa Romeo authority Malcolm Harris purchased the Villa d’Este from Mr. Squillario and imported it to the US, taking part in the Colorado Grand with the car circa 2002.

A longtime Alfa Romeo fan, the consignor saw his first Villa d’Este in 1981, and decided then and there that he would someday add one to his growing collection, but soon learned that fewer than 20 were known to exist. Upon purchasing this car from Mr. Morse and Mr. Harris in 2003, the owner commenced a thorough refinement of the restoration, re-trimming the interior, procuring a period-correct set of Marchal headlights and driving lights, fitting an amazingly beautiful, proper, engraved Touring steering wheel, and renewing the Plexiglas side windows in preparation for various concours in California. Over the next several years, the car won numerous awards in those events.

The dark green metallic paint accentuates the body’s deep, sculpted lines and is perfectly offset by the contrasting light green leather interior, highly polished brightwork and sparkling wire wheels, shod with period design Dunlop Fort tires. One of the precious few US-based examples, the owner has enjoyed the Villa d’Este’s sprightly performance on Sunday drives in his native Southern California. Included with the sale is a beautifully outfitted tool kit as well as a rare set of Touring-supplied wire-wheel covers and caps that appear on several other restored examples of the model. A welcome entry to many prestigious concours events throughout the world, this outstanding and rare 6C 2500 SS would be a crowning addition to any curated group of sports cars and is also eligible for a multitude of desirable classic driving events and tours worldwide.