AutoCult Alfa Romeo 1900 SS “La Fleche” (1955) (Italy) "Turin Auto Show 1955"

About the Original

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Alfa Romeo presented its Type 1900 to the public for the first time at the Paris Motor Show in 1950. The car was the first design of the company that did not feature a ladder frame chassis. Instead a self-supporting car body ensured the stability of the vehicle. In addition, as a part of the adaption of the European road traffic, the Alfa Romeo was standardly equipped with the steering wheel on the left side. A four-cylinder engine with 80 hp powered the Italian. The 1900 series was very popular with the numerous coachbuilders of the time, who produced either on-of-a-kind or small series of them.

In 1953, the design studio Vignale with the gifted Giovanni Michelotti also ventured to design a new car body for the 1900. However, this coupe was not followed up. Two years later Giovanni Michelotti designed another car body for a 1900. This time he opted for a convertible design and drew a beautifully cured line that – as they commonly say – combined Italian and American features in the spirit of the time.

The convertible went down in automotive history under the name “La Flèche”. The car was presented at the Turin Motor Show in 1955 and unfortunately remained a one-off.