1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 5-window coupe

Description 1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 Touring 5-Window Chassis No. – AR190001474 Chassis No. – AR190001474 Engine No. – AR1308*01289* Exterior Color – Teal Blue Interior Color – Red and Grey Leather Engine – 1.9 Liter inline 4-cylinder with Abarth Carburetor Kit Transmission – 5-speed 190o manual Current Miles – 412 miles (TMU) Highlights of this Car -2026 “Best Alfa Romeo” Concorso Italiano -Comprehensively restored to very high standards -Rare 5-speed manual 1900 transmission -Equipped with Abarth twin downdraft Weber carburetors After the second world war, the emerging world economy was booming. With Europe recovering and prosperity returning to Italy, Alfa Romeo launched their all-new unit bodied 1900 series. The unprecedented demand for innovative and stylish cars immediately propelled Alfa Romeo into larger more profitable markets. The 1900 platform was versatile and technically sophisticated but also ideally positioned in the marketplace. Many of the finest Italian coachbuilders were immediately consulted to design and construct bodies for the 1900. This important move allowed a key transition from traditional body on frame coachbuilding, ultimately extending the viability of coachbuilt artistry as the auto industry evolved. The resultant range of special body configurations made the 1900 one of the leading platforms among European coachbuilders of the 1950’s. And while other coachbuilders built a range of interesting variants, the Touring bodied 5-window 1900 remains among the most elegant of the coachbuilt 1900s. Touring Carrozeria’s patented Superleggera (super lightweight) construction employed specifically for the 1900, utilized a formed steel sub-frame, cleverly enveloped by a lightweight aluminum skin. In the Touring design, the classically inspired coupe offered a clean and fluid lower body accented by crisp raised character lines exquisitely formed into the alloy body. The delicately constructed upper body was lightly garnished by modest trim and beautifully proportioned glass. This simple elegance was not only a visual delight, the twin cam engine offered spirited acceleration making the 1900 one of the most desirable Alfa Romeos of the era – a combination that continues to entice collectors and enthusiasts to seek out the best examples from this period. This lovely Touring Superleggera Coupe was constructed during the first series of production. From 1951-1953 each of these cars were hand crafted by Carrozzeria Touring. Although not much is known surrounding the early history of this 1900, it was sold to the first owner in Italy and more recently offered through Strada de Corsa to Tim Walker, Santa Barbara, CA. Walker commissioned a comprehensive restoration with a range of specialists in Los Angeles until health problems halted the project. Walker’s wife sent the car to noted Alfa Romeo specialist Raffi Najarian, who assembled the car to a high standard with remaining details eventually completed by the current owner. A rare and important feature of this Alfa Romeo, from both an historical and performance perspective, the engine has been upgraded with a complete Abarth dual carburetor kit. Developed by Carlo Abarth in the 1950s as part of a series of special performance upgrades for a range of engines, this kit included unique Abarth branded dual air cleaners with an Abarth structural support rod and logo, unique carburetor linkage and choke, two downdraft Weber 36 DCLD 3 dual throat carburetors, and a unique cast intake manifold. Rarely found as a complete set, the carburetors are closely paired as indicated by the Weber No. 16951 and No. 16957 stamped on the manufacturing plates. In July 2026, the current owner engaged Epifani Restorations to prepare the car for Concorso Italiano including services to the camshaft cover, valve covers, valve adjustment, fabricating a new fuel line, installing a new choke cable for the twin Abarth-kit Weber carburetors, adjusting the carburetors, and detailing the engine compartment. In recognition for the exceptional restoration work and preparation of this fine Alfa Romeo, this 1900 was awarded “Best Alfa” at the 2026 Concorso Italiano. Today, this elegant Alfa Romeo 1900 presents in excellent condition throughout. The aqua blue paint has been applied with consistent coverage and excellent final polish. The lustrous and elegant color captures the gentle body lines but also reveals the crisp wheel opening lines, rocker scallop, and delicate features of the handmade body. Though a refined road car, a set of stunning polished alloy Borrani wire wheels, Pirelli tires, and chrome-plated dual-ear knockoffs scripted with the Alfa Romeo name deliver a competition touch, particularly so without the front and rear bumpers (included as spares with the car). The wire wheels encase full-diameter alloy drum brake castings, reflective of Alfa Romeo’s distinguished racing history. A pair of Carello headlamps flank the grille openings, while the glass, accessory lights, and door handles complete the exterior design. Even the correct wire wound windshield and rear glass gaskets are properly fit to the body. The Touring Superleggera coachwork badges, Alfa Romeo emblems, center grille and side grilles, and distinctive Touring “moustache” all contribute to this exceptional design. Inside the spacious cabin, the two-tone interior is breathtaking, presented in contrasting red leather with grey leather inserts. The supple leather spans the split bench seats which are outfitted with a pair of competition style vintage lap belts suited to the sporting nature of the 1900. The two tone dashboard features beautifully detailed instrumentation, while the floor mounted shift 5-speed further conveys the sporting spirit of this 1900. Of note, the 5-speed transmission appears to be a correct and rare 1900 unit as identified by Alfa Romeo experts. The dashboard and accompanying instruments are beautifully restored and wonderfully laid out displaying gorgeous Italian design,