1900 Super Sprint (1956)
The 1956 1900 Super Sprint is an elegant coupé with a body of a Touring car typical of the 1900s, a prestigious gran turismo in the 1950s and the top of the Alfa Romeo range at the time (the “family saloon that wins races”). The 1900 SS took part in a large number of Mille Miglia races. It was the favourite car of many privateers because it guaranteed an effective blend of performance and reliability.
According to the consolidated 1900 family tradition, the Sprint was replaced by the Super Sprint in 1955: it was similar to the previous model but with a new snappier five-speed gearbox. It had the same mechanics as the Berlina T. I. Super, namely 1,975cm3 displacement, double-barrel inverted carburettor and double rear CV joint. The second version which competed in the Mille Miglia delivered 115hp at 5,500rpm and reached a remarkable top speed of 190km/h.
In 1954, in order to honour its advertising claim that the 1900 was a “family car that wins races” and obtain a more powerful engine, Alfa Romeo increased the piston bore by 2 mm, thereby expanding the displacement from 1884 cm3 to 1.975 cm3 and upgrading the car’s performance.
These new versions were differentiated by adding the word “Super” to the designation. Hence, the various models became the 1900 Super, the 1900 Super TI and the 1900 Super Sprint coupé. The power output was 90 HP for the saloons and 115 HP for the coupés, which were also equipped with a 5-speed gearbox.
From 1956 onwards, the Touring-bodied “second series” coupés featured a shift lever on the centre console instead of on the steering wheel, although some first series models already had a similar configuration. A total of 599 examples were produced from 1955 to 1958.
In the Mille Miglia of the 1950s, many private drivers chose the “Millenove”, mainly the saloon and TI versions, to participate in the crowded Touring class, whereas the 1900 Super Sprint competed in the Gran Touring category.
The 1900 was considered by gentleman drivers and private teams to be a highly effective class-winning car due to its road holding, speed and reliability.