1953 Alfa Romeo 1900

Additional Info:

This 1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 TI is noted to have been sold new in Sardinia, Italy, and was purchased in the late 1950s by a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force stationed in Germany. Chassis 06851 was discovered in an Ontario barn in the early 1980s and was subsequently refurbished with work involving a repaint in white and a re-trim of the interior in gray upholstery. The seller acquired the sedan in 2015, and a correct replacement 1,884cc Tipo 1306 twin-cam inline-four was overhauled in the early 2020s. Shifting on the column is via a four-speed manual transmission, and the car is further equipped with twin Solex carburetors, finned aluminum drum brakes, and an independent front suspension. Service completed in 2025 included refinishing the metric steel wheels as well as replacing the wheel cylinders and rear axle seals. This 1900 TI is offered with manufacturer’s literature, a tool kit, spare components, and a clean Colorado title in the name of the seller and their spouse.
Introduced at the 1950 Paris Motor Show, the 1900 was Alfa Romeo’s first model with unibody construction and was marketed as “the family car that wins races.” The performance-oriented Turismo Internazionale (TI) debuted in 1952 with a revised carburetor setup and larger valves that enabled the twin-cam engine to deliver 100-horsepower and a top-speed of 170-km/h when new. A 1900 TI finished first in its class and eighth overall at the 1954 iteration of the Mille Miglia.
The metric steel wheels are mounted with Michelin X tires measuring 165R400 are mounted at each corner. The suspension incorporates an independent front setup, a solid rear axle with coil springs, and telescopic shock absorbers all around, while braking is via finned aluminum drum brakes with duplex actuation and cooling vents up front. Work in 2025 involved refinishing the wheels, replacing the wheel cylinders and rear axle seals, and re-lining the rear brake shoes.
The cabin was reupholstered in the 1980s and features gray fabric over the front and rear bench seats, door panels, and headliner. Further appointments include a body-color metal dashboard, gray carpeting, fold-down armrests, and rear passenger grab handles. The upholstery is faded some, and the rubber linings in the trunk compartment are worn.
Power is sent to the rear wheels through a column-shifted four-speed manual transmission. There are minor leaks at the engine, gearbox, and differential. Rust is evident along the underside ahead of the front-left wheel, and bubbling in the paint is present below the brake fluid reservoir.
Most Alfa fans have heard the designation “Veloce”. Well here is some background on that name.
In 1956 Alfa Romeo introduced their first car with the “Veloce” (translation-“Fast”) designation. It was the Giulietta Sprint Veloce, which had been modified from the standard Giulietta Sprint by the addition of two twin choke carbs, headers, hot cams, a larger fuel tank and many other special parts. It was built for racing.
I say, the 1900 ti was really the original “Veloce” Alfa, not in name, but in function. In 1952 Alfa took the standard 1900 Berlina and made many of the same modifications to allow buyers to go racing. Turismo Internazionale (or “ti” for short) was a racing category started in 1950 for long distance racing in grand touring cars. So, Alfa used the “ti” designation instead of Veloce, but the point was the same.

These cars were very successful in every race they entered. In the 1953 Mille Miglia, 21 1900 ti’s started, with 10 finishing in the top 40! They beat many Ferraris, Lancias and Porsches. In 1954 18 started, with cars finishing 8th, 11th, 22nd, 28th & 30th overall! In the 1954 Carrera Panamericana race, four 1900 ti’s finished in the top 20. They won their class in almost every race they entered.

Only 572 1900 ti’s were built.
There are currently 16 listed on the 1900 register- https://www.alfacompanion.com/photobase.php?page=AR1900

Here is a list-

1- The ti head, which has larger valves and heavier valve springs.

The compression ratio is increased to 8-1 (per owners manual). Power is increased from 79hp to 100hp (up 26% !).

2- Two twin choke solex PII carburetors (the same are used on Porsche 356s from that era).

3- Special intake manifold allowing each cylinder to have its own carburetor throat feeding it.

4- Exhaust headers tuned for each cylinder.

5- Two exhaust pipes (this car does not have this setup at this time. These are available from a couple of part sellers in Europe).

6- Higher profile cam shafts.

7- Twin fan/dynamo belts.

8- Octagonal rubber joint between the transmission and the drive shaft, as opposed to six sided, to manage the higher power.

9- Heavier springs and liners for the clutch.

10- Fuel tank increased from 53L to 85L

11- Radiator size increased, for sustained high speed driving.

12- Front brake drum diameter increased by 7/8″ to 12″.

13- Air cooling ducts on each front brake.

14- Different wheels with larger vents for air cooling.

15- Added oil and water temperature gauges. (The dash is different to accommodate the two extra gauges).

So, not your standard Berlina!