Triple Carburetors! 1964 Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint
The Alfa Romeo 2600 Series was in production from 1962 to 1068. Across several body styles, it would be the successor to the 2000 and had six-cylinder power but largely recycled styling. The 2600 Sprint was akin to a touring sedan and could comfortably carry four passengers down the highways and byways. This 1964 edition was last registered in 1982 and will need attention to the bodywork though the engine responds to a power source. Located in Glendale, California, this flagship of the Alfa Romeo lineage is available for $13,000 as a project here on craigslist. Another great tip from Gunter Kramer!
Bertone supplied the bodies for the 2600 Sprint. While attractive automobiles, their styling dates to 1958 and may be one reason production numbers stayed low for the car’s six-year run. The cars did get a facelift from their predecessors, they would be mechanically stellar when it came to performance. They now had 2.6-liter I-6 engines with twin overhead camshafts and three carburetors, good for 145 hp. Just under 7,000 Sprints saw the light of day, so finding one today in any condition in the U.S. may not be an easy thing to do.
We’re told this Alfa Romeo was sold new and driven for 17 years when it was registered/licensed for the last time. Why don’t we know why it was retired; were there mechanical issues afoot at nearly 100,000 miles or perhaps problems within the owner’s family? The body may be okay, though both doors have rust in them as does part of the trunk. The Sprint has been repainted once in its lifetime.
The seller says the engine “cranks easy by starter” though there is no sign of a battery. The vehicle will come with a collection of parts, some new and still in boxes. There is also an extra set of gauges and a steering wheel redone in Mahagony. This may be an ambitious project to restore, but when was the last time you saw an Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint in action?
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Comments
Cool car for sure, but that’s a lot of work to bring it back to its former glory.
It may still be some time before we see one in action. Maybe it will surface in Astoria, NY. Much stranger things have happened.
Sitting that long those Weber carbs will need attention.
Not webers.
The 2600 was always a dig of an engine.
Pass.
I bought a 2600 Spider cheap long time ago, my first car to tinker on and thrash around in. Definitely a Tourer, not a sports car. The three Solex 44PHHs were awesome carbs to repair, sync, etc., though the vacuum operated secondaries were a pita. The Sprint had Webers if memory serves.
Styling may date back to late 50s but was avantgarde, certainly not outdated by the time it was taken off market.
Truth is this was a very expensive GT car in its day, sales figures wete not bad for its niche. Probably Alfa made a mistake by rushing the car to market with the 1900 4 cyl engine, only available for a short time. The car was always going to be a 6 cylinder, so maybe the introduction of all new 2600 engine fell flat?
This Alfa could be beautiful again. The values of its smaller brother, the Giulia Sprint GTV, are usually much higher, but these are rarer and I think just as lovely.
This grand touring coupe–as opposed to sports car–was Alfa’s attempt to move up into Lancia and even Ferrari GT territory. You’re right, you almost never see them. If it’s solid underneath, it’s definitely worth restoring and will always be unusual and distinctive anywhere. If I were 30 years younger, I’d look very closely at it.
Back in the late 60s a school friend’s father had the four-door Berlina version of this car. I think your horsepower figure is not correct. As I recall, the three-Solex carb Sprint engine was165HP and the two-Solex Berlina was 145HP (Note that ALFA2600 says they are not webers). The Berlina was a high-end sedan. It drove and braked well, as you would expect of an Alfa, but the interior was luxury appointed. I remember it was very quiet in the cabin and the doors closed with just a slight click.
In regard to the engine, I have seen a 1930s recreation of the P3 Alfa using this Sprint engine. Down here in Australia you might see a Sprint once every few years.