re: SSS question

["John Hertzman" <johnhertzman@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Biba asks about a "one-off 1959 Pinin Farina Spider Super Sport" illustrated,
among other places, in "Giancenzo Madaro's 'Alfa Romeo Duetto Spider' (page
16)" and asks "Does the car still exist?"

Brian Shorey replied "I saw it in the Rosso Bianco museum, in Germany.  I
think they have the largest collection of Alfas outside of the Alfa museum,
fwiw.  The museum was pretty damn impressive, both for the volume and the
variety of cars."

I don't have the Madaro book, and it has been years since I have been to the
Rosso Bianco, but there is an area of possible confusion. The first version of
the Duetto form appeared on a showcar body which Pininfarina called Superflow,
on one of the 6C 3000 CM chassis. That car reappeared with modifications (but
same chassis, same basic body) as Superflow II in the next round of shows,
then again as Superflow III for a further round of shows. After its useful
show life waned it was sent to the USA to tour dealers to assess their
reaction to the styling, and while here was driven (in Manhattan!) by Karl
Ludvigsen, who wrote about it in an article ("The Last of the Red-Hot Alfas")
in Sports Car Illustrated, I think before it morphed into Car & Driver. After
all the dealers saw it the car was dumped (that's what you do with old crocks)
and was said to have wound up on a used-car lot in Denver. It survived,
anyhow, and was in the Rosso-Bianco when I saw it. I believe it was still
called Superflow III, and I have never seen it called "Spider Super Sport".

There is another car, which I initially assumed Biba was referring to, which
Pininfarina built with modified Superflow styling on a Giulietta Spider
platform, with proportions close to the Duetto, and it is usually considered
to be the immediate ancestor of the Duetto styling. The 1959 date Biba gave
would be about right for the Giulietta, and late for the Superflows - the 6C
chassis was '52-'53, and without checking I would guess '54, '55, and '56 for
the three versions of the Superflow. The dual headrests Biba mentioned I
connect with Superflow II, again without checking slippery memory. On Biba's
"It's a convertible (although no hint of where the top would be stored)", I
don't think any of the Superflows (or any other 6C 3000 CM) ever had a soft
top; they were all coupes or Spiders, not convertibles. It rains, you get wet.
Keep your priorities straight

Repeat caveat, years since I visited the Rosso Binaco, don't have the Madaro
book, books at the other house, memory is the second (or third?) thing that
goes. Superflow I was silly (Plexiglas fenders so you could monitor tire wear
on the fly; Plexiglas fins too), Superflow II was somewhat more sensible,
Superflow III lovely but not too practical (a coupe with Plexiglas roof,
little ventilation, and of course no air conditioning) and the Giulietta
showed how hard it is to transfer a showcar styling theme onto a chassis with
seriously different proportions. The 6C 3000 CM had the same wheelbase and
track as a Duetto, with 6.50-16 tires on wire wheels, and sparkplug #1 of the
inline 6 about where plug #4 of the 750/101/105/115 cars is. It was a much
lower car, with (I'm guessing) damned uncomfortable seats, insufficient
headroom and legroom, and extremely warm feet for the passenger tucked up
under the fifth branch of the header, but it sure is impressive looking and
the chassis (a backbone spaceframe, with DeDion and inboard drums and that
engine) was one of Alfa's finest hours. I'd take one (chassis only) over any
8C 2900 any day -

John H.
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