1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Spyder Corto

The Alfa is so light and quick, you almost forget it’s pre-war. Imagine a tall Lotus 7 with 19-inch tires and a lot more horsepower

by Thor Thorson

The chassis serial associated with this 8C 2300 is 2211051. This serial was the earliest number applied to the second-series of 8C 2300s, the brainchild of Alfa Romeo’s fabled chief engineer, Vittorio Jano.

Alfa Romeo 8C 2300s appeared in 1931 in a variety of forms, achieving four consecutive wins in the Le Mans 24-hour race (plus a close second in 1935), two wins in the Spa 24 hours, three consecutive victories in the Targa Florio, and three more in the Mille Miglia.

The 8C 2300 design also spawned the short-wheelbase Monza Grand Prix car, followed by the single-seat-open-wheeled Tipo B Monoposto, one of the landmarks of motor racing history at its highest level.

This car was restored in the 1980s by the late British Alfista David Black and maintained by his family since his death in 1990. Much of 2211051’s provenance is recorded and key details are incontrovertible. It was a Scuderia Ferrari entry in the 1933 Mille Miglia and, driven by...