Alfa Romeo 1900SS Ghia Special
1954 Alfa Romeo 1900 CSS Ghia Special
Giovanni Savonuzzi was an Italian engineer who had a more than remarkable influence on the automotive industry. In the 1940s, he was technical director of Cisitalia where, between 1945 and 1948, he completed the Cisitalia D46 project as Dante Giacosa's successor. He also produced the first sketches of the Cisitalia 202 SMM Spider Nuvolari and the 202 CMM Aerodinamica Savonuzzi, which were built by Pininfarina.
From 1953 to 1957, Savonuzzi was the Direttore Tecnico Progettazione e Produzione Carrozzerie e Stile at Carrozzeria Ghia in Turin. At that time, he started developing a series of extremely streamlined cars called: the 'Supersonic series'. The silhouette of these cars resembles that of a fast aircraft or a rocket. The long shape with a small glass cockpit only intensified these similarities.
In 1953, he built his first Supersonic car; an Alfa Romeo 1900 in collaboration with Virgilio Conrero. The car participated in the 1953 Mille Miglia. Unfortunately, the car never reached the finishing line of the Mille Miglia due to a major crash during the race. In the aftermath, Savonuzzi decided to build several more of his Supersonics.
At Alfa Romeo, the design was based on the 1900 Super Sprint series. Of these, 10 unique units were built, each differing from the other in small details. Other bases worked on included; Fiat 8V, Jaguar XK, Aston Martin DB2/4 etc.
Technical details
As 1 of 30 or so Supersonic cars ever built, this car is a rare gem in Italian automotive history. With a new-car price higher than that of a 300SL Gullwing, it is clear that this car was available to only a select few. The first owner was someone from this happy few who lived in Milan. With a rich history dating back to her birth in Italy, this beautiful car has found her home with her current owner in Germany since 2007. There, she underwent a metamorphosis, a restoration that brought her to a state of perfection, ready to be admired at the highest level. No expense was spared.
Today, the car is still in top condition. Of 10 Alfa Romeo cars, only six or seven are said to still exist. One thing we are almost certain of; this could well be the most beautiful in the world out of these remaining pieces. Testament to this is the award 'Best Car of the Show 2022' at Techno Classica Essen.
This is not just any car, it is a masterpiece on wheels, ready to be admired and cherished. A unique opportunity to get a ticket to join a very select club; the Ghia-Supersonic owners.
Contact us and find out more about this car's story. Who knows, you might soon be writing the Ghia story on?
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