In the era immediately before and after World War II, Alfa Romeo mastered the transition from manufacture to mass production. At the 1949 Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este, a variant of the Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 designed by Carrozzeria Touring caused a sensation.

Soon the car was offered on a regular basis – as the 6C 2500 Villa d’Este. It thrilled numerous celebrities from Prince Rainier III of Monaco to actress Rita Hayworth and the president’s wife Evita Peron. We remember one of the most beautiful cars in Alfa’s history, the 6C 2500 Villa d’Este.

Designer Carlo Felice Bianchi Anderloni started from the 6C 2500 Supersport. He redesigned the front of the car, integrating the four headlights and the cooling air intakes more harmoniously into the body. Anderloni integrated the front fenders into the body. The windshield is split in two and more steeply raked. The rear of the car tapers off flat and carries two small, elegant round taillights.

At the 1949 Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este, Anderloni’s version of the 6C 2500 won the Grand Prix Referendum, the public prize. Since then, the model name has been inextricably linked with the legendary beauty contest on Lake Como.

The 6C 2500 Villa d’Este was one of the last Alfas to be based on a chassis separate from the body. Originally, 25 examples of the Alfa Romeo 6C 2500SS were planned, due only to the wealthiest customers. In the end, however, more than 30 cars were built – including a handful of convertibles. According to various sources, there were a total of 36. One Alfa 6C 2500SS is owned by the Villa d’Este and is displayed as a work of art by the hotel on Lake Como. There can be no clearer proof of the outstanding elegance of this coupé. Aside from its accomplished design and celebrated engineering, the 6C 2500 SS is considered the last Alfa Romeo still built by hand, marking yet another important milestone in the Italian manufacturer’s history.