The Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint is one the larger cars the company offered in the 1960s, a handsome coupe design featuring twin-cam power under the hood. Rare to find today in any condition, this example is located in Canada and claimed to be a former U.S. vehicle that resided in Texas previously. As such, rust is said to be limited to surface-level blemishes only, and is listed here on eBay via a classified listing with an asking price of just under $20,000.
The seller claims it is unrestored, so that may be original paint we’re seeing under the cover. It appears consistent in its age and appearance, and shut lines look nice and tight. Wheels are standard Alfa Romeo items, but I believe these steel rollers came with polished center hub caps when new. From here, it looks like the lower sills and edges on the driver’s side remain free of major corrosion.
The seller says the interior is one area of the car that needs restoration, but it doesn’t look too dire from this angle. The classic wood-rimmed Alfa steering wheel is a desirable and correct item, and dash doesn’t appear to show any cracks – a rarity for a Texas car. More insight into what will need restoration in the cabin would be helpful, but I’d assume the seats need some level of upholstery work.
The underside photos seem to affirm the seller’s claims that rust is limited to the exposed surfaces, which can happen anywhere but is particularly rampant in the snow belt. Mechanically, the Alfa is said to run but is in need of a new clutch release bearing due to excessive noise. Restored cars can reach into the upper $50,000 range, so the price seems reasonable if the interior isn’t totally trashed.
Do Canadians not know how to take better pictures ?
Forgive us. It’s hard to balance a glass of maple syrup and a plate of poutine in one hand, and camera in the other.
Whilst being overly apologetic…
I wonder what this car looks like.
Don’t know a thing about these cars except that I’d love to have one someday. From what I can see in the pictures it looks pretty solid.
It brings to mind the age-old conundrum of fad vs. fashion vs. style: Fad – Any SUV; Fashion – Audi A8; Style – Vintage Alfa.
Pricey, but you can’t go wrong with this car.
Is that hood scoop original? Doesn’t look familiar.
Mike W H – yep. If you look at the ad for this one on eBay and scroll to the bottom, there’s a pristine white one for sale. Already restored. Same scoop. When I saw this car in Germany back in ’67 or ’68, I thought it had a 2.6 liter V6 or V8 in it because of that scoop. Nope, straight 6 as discussed here. I like the front and side styling much more than rear treatment. Never had the opportunity to drive one…
The biggest problem with restoring these is that engine parts and info are not easy to come by, although probably easier to source than such things as door and window gaskets and body hardware. That 2600 engine is a development of the all-alloy 1300-2000 four, not based on the old iron 1900, and originally came with a two-piece (“bikini”) head gasket that could be a real pig to get right. I think the later engines got a one-piece gasket that made everything a bit easier. One of our guys in the Tennessee AROC had a 2600 in his garage whose overhaul was stuck at exactly that point for as long as I knew him.
People seem to think that Georgette Giugiaro must have copied this car’s body from his iconic Giulia 1600 GT, but t, I think as a proposal from Bertone, and Alfa was looking for a new closed 1600 Giulia coupe to replace the Sprint fastback that was older than the Spider anyway. So they had a smaller 1600 version drawn up.
The 2600, as was typical of all Alfas, was meant to be a sporty touring car rather that a zingy sports car, and that’s what it is. I’ve had a Giulia Sprint GT, and despite having been the car that taught me the bit about bringing a magnet and a return ticket if you fly somewhere to look at a car, I enjoyed it as long as it stayed together … but if I had another I’d actually prefer the bigger car. Being old has a lot to do with that …
That is GIORGETTO Giugiaro! Sometimes I really hate this autocorrect thing … and the copy above should say that the big Sprint was offered as a suggestion about the time Alfa was thinking about that Sprint replacement.
I drove a 2600 Spider from Vanguard(?) in Sarasota. It was in good condition, but I declined, because it drove somewhat like a 1950’s Buick.
Beautiful and a rare car on these shores. I don’t believe the red to be original as you can see what appears to be a rather and pretty blue under the hood, under the dash and a dusting of red in areas on the undercarriage. Nonetheless a handsome car indeed.
When I was playing with these big 2000/2600 Alfa Romeos many years ago, these unloved coupes were mostly considered parts cars for the much more desirable spider versions. Most of the coupes were missing motors that were transplanted into other cars as they weren’t worth enough to restore. I’ve owned quite a few coupes and spiders, and know them pretty well. Times have changed, but its difficult for me to think of these differently-
nice