Touring's Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 'Lungo' Berlinetta

Carrozzeria Touring produced a number of outstanding designs during its heyday (background on the firm here).  One of the very best was that for the Alfa Romeo 8C 2900, specifically the 8C 2900B Lungo (long wheelbase) Berlinetta of 1937-1939.

Even though it is a large, elegant car, Touring's Superleggera (super-light) body construction allowed their 2900s to be highly competitive road racers.

A very fine example of this rare car can be found in Naples, Florida at the Revs Institute Collier Collection.  The museum's background information on the car is here.

Gallery

Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 at Pebble Beach Concours, 2007.  When taking this photo I hadn't yet developed the habit of photographing information plaques, so I don't know for sure exactly what model this is.  However, it does look a lot like our subject car, but perhaps a Corto (short wheelbase) version.

1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Berlinetta by Touring, winner of the 1947 Mille Miglia.

The same 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Berlinetta by Touring as seen in the Revs Institute museum in early May 2017.

Side view.

Outstanding composition using teardrop shaping.

Pebble Beach 2016 Winner: 1936 Lancia Astura by Farina

This blog deals almost entirely with production cars and concept cars whose designs are made in corporate styling studios.  But sometimes a coachbuilder design is presented, and this is one of those occasions.

The "hook" for this post is the famed Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance held every August near Carmel-by-the-Sea on the scenic California coast.  Its actual venue is in the area of the 18th hole of the Pebble Beach Golf Links.

The winner of the 2016 Best of Show award was a 1936 Lancia Astura clad by Pinin Farina.  Car and Driver magazine's take is here.

I don't see much point in giving Farina's design a critique because Robert Cumberford, Automobile Magazine's doyen of automobile styling criticism, does his usual fine job here.

Below are two photos of the winning Lancia, at least one of which was taken by David Pau Morris.  The first image was from the Sports Car Digest web site, the Morris photo is via Bloomberg.  The remaining photos are many years old and found on the Internet.

Gallery

The winning car as seen at Pebble Beach.

Only a few Farina-bodied Asturas were built, and this is another one.  The windshields are in their folded down position.

Another Farina Astura seen here at a Concours d'Elegance in Oostende, 1937.

The same car and same woman in a different setting.

A photo via Pininfarina.  That firm owned the Concours-winning car for a number of years.

Finally, a Farina Astura Cabriolet in an Alpine setting with its windshield panels lowered.  Very sleek.  The car in the right background is a 1936 Fiat 1500 Berlina.