Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 SS Siluro Ghia

Vehicle Overview

The Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 SS Siluro Ghia entered in the 1929 Mille Miglia represents a specific example of the broader 6C 1500 Super Sport production, which comprised a limited series of performance-focused variants built between 1928 and 1929. The model was developed as part of Alfa Romeo’s transition toward specialized sports machinery following the initial success of the 6C platform, originally introduced in 1927. The Super Sport (SS) designation indicated an uprated engine, often paired with supercharging, and intended for competition use under the new “sports car” regulations of the period. The Siluro-bodied example in question was fitted with coachwork by Carrozzeria Ghia, an emerging body maker based in Turin. Unlike the more widely used Zagato Spider configuration, the Ghia body was constructed in the Siluro (torpedo) style, with exposed cycle wings, a lowered cowl, and streamlined proportions suited for road competition. The chassis is identified in some sources as number 76, registered with plate MI 28787. The vehicle featured a 1,487 cc inline-six engine with twin overhead camshafts and a Roots-type supercharger, consistent with Alfa Romeo’s SS specifications of the period. Power output ranged between 76 and 84 horsepower, depending on tuning and engine variant. The car was entered in the 1929 Mille Miglia by Francesco Pirola and Giovanni Battista Guidotti, the latter being a test driver for Alfa Romeo. It competed in the 1.5-litre Sports class (S 1.5) and completed the full 1,621-kilometre course from Brescia to Rome and return in 19 hours, 40 minutes, and 36 seconds. It placed thirteenth overall and secured first place in its displacement category. The result was notable given the presence of factory-entered Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 SS models with fixed-head designs and greater output. This particular Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 SS Siluro by Ghia remains one of the few recorded examples of its type to have participated in a major endurance race under period conditions, offering a documented case of Ghia’s early involvement in motorsport-oriented design on a competition-grade Alfa Romeo chassis.