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Car · Full restoration, from bare metal
Alfa Romeo 1900 Stabilimenti Farina
A rare Alfa Romeo 1900 cabriolet bodied by Stabilimenti Farina: shell taken back to bare metal, dark burgundy paint, mechanics overhauled, a new hood and a red leather interior.
- Model
- Alfa Romeo 1900 cabriolet
- Coachwork
- Stabilimenti Farina, Turin
- Built
- 1950–1959 (1900 range)
- Engine
- 4 cylinders, twin overhead camshafts
- Colours
- Dark burgundy, sand hood, red leather
- Restoration
- Full, from bare metal
The story
Launched in 1950, the 1900 was the first Alfa Romeo with a unitary body built in large numbers. Coachbuilders worked on its running gear too: this cabriolet carries the name of Stabilimenti Farina, the Turin coachworks of Giovanni Farina, Pinin's elder brother.
It arrived complete but tired: dull red paint, cracked leather seats, a hood frame with no cloth. It was taken apart down to the last piece and the shell stripped to bare metal, to see and repair every area. Then came the dark burgundy, the mechanics, the sand-coloured hood and the interior redone in red leather.
The restoration step by step
From bare metal to red leather
- Step 1 of 5
How it arrived
Complete, but with dull red paint, a hood reduced to its bare frame and worn leather seats. Before taking it apart, every detail is photographed, from the ivory steering wheel to the panels.
just arrived, the hood frame with no cloth 
the rear during dismantling 
the old red leather seats, cracked 
removing the original steering wheel - Step 2 of 5
Down to bare metal
The old paint comes off completely. Halfway through, the shell is patchy, with the old burgundy holding on here and there; at the end only metal is left, and every area to repair can be seen.
the shell in bare metal 
halfway through stripping: patches of the old burgundy 
the front in bare metal - Step 3 of 5
Primers and dark burgundy
Wheel arches and floor protected in black, then primers and the dark burgundy on the shell. The dashboard, removed, is painted separately in red, to match the interior.
the shell freshly painted dark burgundy 
the wheel arch protected in black 
the dashboard painted separately, in red - Step 4 of 5
The mechanics
The overhauled twin-cam four goes back into the engine bay on the crane; underneath, gearbox, pedals and driveline are refitted on the already painted floor.
the engine goes back in on the crane 
the engine bay refitted 
gearbox and pedals on the painted floor - Step 5 of 5
Hood and red leather
Red dashboard and ivory steering wheel refitted, a new hood in sand-coloured cloth, seats, rear bench and hood cover redone in red leather.
the red dashboard and the ivory steering wheel 
the new hood in sand-coloured cloth 
the rear bench in red leather 
the red leather hood cover
As it is today
Do you have a classic Alfa Romeo or a coachbuilt car to restore?
Metal, paint, mechanics, hood and trim: Mimmo handles the whole restoration in the workshop, including for clients in Switzerland. Tell him about your car.
More restorations
This is only a small selection: over the years Mimmo has restored many more cars and trucks, and we'll keep adding them from the workshop's photo books.
