Only 38 examples of the 2900 were produced by Alfa Romeo, with fewer known to exist today. Some of the most desirable of these are the long-chassis Spiders — “long” being a relative term, as the wheelbase was only extended by 20 centimeters but provided the most luxurious platform for a 2-seater body. Built in 1937, chassis number 412011 was first owned by Ernst Carstens, who ran his family’s eponymous ceramics business in Elmshorn, north of Hamburg, Germany. As foreign-built cars were not seen as patriotic at the time, it is believed that the Karosseriewerk Aug Nowack was commissioned to build a 2-seat cabriolet body that had a strong likeness to Erdmann & Rossi bodies fitted to Horch roadsters.
In the early 1980s, chassis 412011 joined the collection of esteemed Alfa Romeo authority and restorer David Black. The understanding of the car at the time was that the Nowack cabriolet body was not the original and the chassis had been lengthened to fit the body — both points which are now known to be incorrect. Black wished to return the car to a form that he believed that it was originally, a short chassis with a sporting Spider body. An appropriate body became available during the restoration of an 8C 2300. This body was commissioned by racer and dealer Felice Bonetto in the late-1930s and is rumored to have been completed by Zagato for the Brussels Motor Show.
Black’s restoration of chassis 412011 was halted by his passing before it recommenced with the help of Jim Stokes, Bill Summers and Keith Roach. Following completion in the late 2000s, this pre-war supercar has been actively campaigned by the Black family at VSCC events in the U.K. In July 2025, the Alfa Romeo received significant maintenance from Jim Stokes Workshops Ltd., concluding in a painstaking engine rebuild, with the invoice available to view on file.
Importantly, this significant 2900 B retains a large number of original numbered components throughout, such as its engine crankcase (believed to originate from chassis 412027), confirmed upon inspection by Jim Stokes Workshops, who also confirmed that the current engine block is numbered 422031. The original Nowack body accompanies the car, allowing any future owner to return it to its first state.
Chassis 412011 will always be a significant example as the only example to be bodied in Germany when new. Offered after four decades of enthusiast family ownership, this 8C is a prime contender for entry into driving events, displayed on the concours circuit or returned to its original state.
(Introductory description courtesy of RM Sotheby’s.)
