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In their 2018 Scottsdale, Arizona sale Gooding & Company sold the third Alfa Romeo 1900C produced and if that was not special enough its originally owned by Juan Manuel Fangio no less.

Factory records obtained by the consignor indicated that Fangio received 00053 in November 1951, shortly after winning the Formula 1 World Drivers' Championship for Alfa Romeo in the legendary Alfetta. Alfa Romeo's sales slogan for the 1900 - The family car that wins races - was never so true as when piloted by the world's greatest racecar driver.

00053 was delivered in the striking color Nocciola Metallizzato and differs from production models in several ways. Both front and rear bumpers are unique to early Touring examples and evocative of Alfa Romeo's earlier 6C 2500. The instrument panel layout and rear license plate surround also differ significantly from later cars, as does its more dramatic profile, with a smaller three-quarter rear window and sweeping C-pillar.

The 1900C, (C for corto, or short chassis), was introduced in 1951. The first chassis recorded, 00051, was a sleek Touring-bodied coupe, while 00052 was a Pinin Farina-styled cabriolet. The next chassis, 00053, is the stunning purchased by Juan Manuel Fangio. His motorcar utilized Touring's Superleggera coachwork,,

Details of 00053 -

The Third 1900C, Featuring Unique Pre-Production Styling Elements
Best of Class at 2007 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
Multiple Class Wins and Best of Show Awards
A Significant and Historic Alfa Romeo
Matching numbers engine confirmed by factory documents
1,884 C
1,884 CC DOHC Inline 4-Cylinder engine
Single Solex carburetor
90 BHP at 4,800 RPM
4-Speed manual gearbox
4-Wheel hydraulic drum brakes
Front independent suspension with coil springs
Rear live axle with trailing arms and coil springs

Previously exhibited at -

Alfa Romeo Owners Club National Meet, June 1991 (Best in Show)
Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance®, Pebble Beach, California, August 2007 (Best of Class)
Bella Italia Concours d'Elegance, San Diego, California, April 2008 (Best in Show)
Dana Point Concours d'Elegance, Dana Point, California, September 2010 (Best of Class)
La Jolla Concours d'Elegance, La Jolla, California, April 2013 (Spirit of Motoring Award)
La Jolla Concours d'Elegance, La Jolla, California, April 2017 (First in Class, Italian Sports Cars)

Provenance -

Juan Manuel Fangio, Milan, Italy (acquired from Alfa Romeo in 1951)
Juan Augusto Van Deurs, Buenos Aires, Argentina (acquired by 1958)
Juan Carlos Lawson, Buenos Aires, Argentina (acquired by 1961)
Enrique Brodacz, Buenos Aires, Argentina (acquired by 1970)
Rosario Luis Caruso Mac Cormack, Argentina (acquired from the above in 1977)
Auction consignee (acquired from the above in 1989)

Peter Marshall of the International Alfa Romeo 1900 Registry commented that chassis 00053 is among the 'most significant' of the 1900-series cars for its preproduction features and historical provenance. Impeccably restored and visually captivating, the 1900C is at once a unique masterpiece of design, an important marker in Alfa Romeo history, and includes in its provenance the man many consider the greatest racing driver ever.