DISCO VOLANTE - From an ALFA enthusiast

Ive seen the DIsco in photos, It may even have been in a Museum I went to in Italy once.

Ive heard that it was the inspiration for the Corvette C2 which is itself a very handsome car

 

I'd like to see that car, Bob. (It wasn't one of the BAT cars, right?)
I believe that most Disco Volantes used 4 cylinder engines. If, however, it was indded a six, then it might have been a 6C-3000 (actually 3495 cc) built around 1952 or 1953. I hope that helps a little.

--Matt

 

Is this the car Bob?

http://www.barchetta.cc/All.Ferraris/disco-volante-3000-cm-superflow/index.html

A 6Cylinder 3000cc Superflow disco coupe.

Cheers
Simon
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Bob,

There are only three real Discos, two spyders and one coupe, and all used four cylinder engines. (There are SEVERAL reproductions and replicas and counterfeits around, some of which have shown up at auction in the past few years.) Alfa owns one spyder and the coupe; as I recall the other spyder is in a museum, but I frankly don't remember.

I do vaguely recall the car you mention, but haven't time right now to look it up. I believe (again, as I recall -- dangerous for an old guy) that it is based on a 6CM3000 chassis.

O.G.

Edit: Simon posted photos of the car I recalled as I was writing this. I would only quibble that strictly speaking, this car is not properly a Disco Volante.

 

Is it the Disco in the Victory By Design Alfa show/DVD? Thought it was owned by the Alfa factory. http://www.victorybydesign.com/alfa.htm

 

Barchetta has one of the open cars with 4 cylinders the other with 6cylinders and 3 coupes in total. I agree with Old Guy on whether the CM coupes are disco volantes or not.

1952
Disco Volante 2000 4Cyl 2-seater Sportscar
Disco Volante 3000 6Cyl 2-seater Sportscar

1953
Disco Volante 2000 4Cyl Coupe
Disco Volante 3000 CM Superflow 6 Sportscoupe
Disco Volante 3000 CM 6 Sportscoupe

 

The 5 Disco Volantes bodied by Touring:
1. #1359.00001 engine 4 cylinder 1997 cc Spider Touring at the Alfa Romeo
Museum Milano
2. #1359.00003 engine 4 cylinder 1997 cc Coupe Touring at the Alfa Romeo
Museum Milano
3. #1359.00002 engine 4 cylinder 1997 cc "narrow-sided" Touring body at the
Musée National de l'Automobile Mulhouse France
4. #1361.00011 engine first 4 cylinder 1997, later substituted by 6-in-line 3.5
liters Spider Touring Turin Museo Biscaretti di Ruffia
5. #1361.00012 6 cylinder Spider Touring The history of this model is unknown

The 6C 3000 CM was a "Disco Volante" only by name. 6 cars were made, 4 Coupes and 2 Spiders of which one had a SWB and was called 6C 3000 PR.
The next 4 originally were closed bodies.
1. #1361.00125 Spider version Appeared fully restored at the Targa Florio
historic in 1973
2. #1361,00126 rebodied as Boano Coupe, presented to president Peron of
Argentina. After crashing the car in 1984 it was rebuilt with
a Colli replica body by owner H.W.Wessells. Often seen at
historic events with recently Phil Hill at the steering wheel.
3. #1361.00127 Spider version at the Alfa Romeo Museum Milano
4. #1361.00128 PF rebodied "Dream Car" that Bob probably is aiming at. In
the Rosso Bianco collection Frankfurt

The last 2 of the real Disco Volantes are 2 coming from the 6C 3000 series.

 

Two more pics of "Bob's car"
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in Atlanta had a fake Disco V. at auction a couple of years ago. The description in the auction catalog stated in effect the car was "found in a warehouse in Rome." Well could be...but no mention of being 1 of 3 had it been real. What a bunch of BS!!! It casts a suspicious light on lots of other items in their auctions, especially items with "famous histories."

KevFla

 

There are actually 4 "real" Discos, and not 3 or 5.

The proper Tipo for the Discos is C52. There is a 2 liter C52 spider; a 3 liter 6 cylinder C52 spider which looks identical; a slab sided C52 (in the Schlumpf Museum), and a C52 2 liter coupe.

There are a number of period cars that were built with bodies of this design, including a Panhard 750cc coupe and a Fiat Topolino derived car. In addition, there are any number of modern "recreations" using various powertrains.

The proper Tipo for the later Mille Miglia and LeMans cars (which are sometimes called Discos, but really shouldn't be) is 6c3000-CM. It is a 3.5 liter six. The car in question is a rebody of one of the 6c3000-CMs. I think Henry Wessells owned it at one time, in addition to having owned the ex-Peron car (which was rebodied in the 1980s as a MM/LeMans coupe).

The C52 3 liter spider mentioned has a different 6 cylinder motor than the 6c3000-CM, which is based to some degree on the motor used 1950 6c3000 Fangio Mille Miglia car. The 3.5 liter 6 cylinder motor is a totally different, and later design.

 

That's great information!

As an aside, I sometimes dream that, if the Schlumpf Collection were sold off, the excess supply of fantastic cars would make them more affordable...

 

Happy to help.

 

These cars are all covered in detail in the Fusi book "tutti degli ALFA Romeo
1909-1985" I don't have it handy,but I believe that all the cars called
Disco Volante ( flying saucer) were 4 cylinder cars, with transaxles and
are derivitatves of the 1900 drivetrain. Subsequently a series of ALFA Romeo
racers were built on six cylinder drive trains derived from the older Jano engined prewar 1750,2500 engine family. The six cylinders were similar looking but not quite as knife edged in styling.

The 4 cylinder drivetrain also found it's way into the prototype "Sportivia"
and a few were sold to tuners like Conrero. I have one of the magnesium engine dry sump and transaxle racers built by Conrero. I hope to have in back together this year ( as I said last year too)


Jeffrey Vogel

 

Please post a picture of your car. I'm not sure which one it is...

 

To answer Bob Z's first post, perhaps the article you are thinking of is the Salon from R&T, September 1974. Right off hand, I also remembered the cover article from Sports Cars Illustrated, February 1961. There is also an article in Motor Trend, February 1980. Could probably find a few others if I did some digging.
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I have the information from the Disco Volante book by C.F.Bianchi Anderloni published by Automobilia in 1993.

 

I have that book too, and it has any number of mistakes.

 

I pass.

 

I have spent years trying to find that "5th" C52, and have found no evidence a 5th car was ever built. The car you mention in the museum is the 3 liter C52, but with a later 6c3000-CM motor in it. I do not know what happened to the old style 3 liter motor.

It has also been mentioned in various sources that the 2 liter 4 cylinder motor is 1900 series based, but in actuality, there are very few interchangeable components between the C52 2 liter motor and the 1900 series 1884cc or 1975cc motors. It's the same case with the early 3 liter motor; virtually nothing in it is interchangeable with the 6c3000-CM 3.5 liter motor.

 

currently in 10,000 pieces, this is a period photo. I hope to have it together
by the fall for the Coppa D'oro Dolomiti
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Isn't that the 1953 MM car that originally had a Ghia Supersonica coupe body on it, was wrecked...then had the body that is on it now (but with a glass bubble roof) put on it in 1954 and raced in the MM again that year? I have pictures of both versions..

 

Which car is this at the Concorso Italiano last year? SN? Replica?
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