Alfa Romeo 2600

Alfa Romeo 2600 (series 106) is a car produced by the Italian car company Alfa Romeo as the successor to the Alfa Romeo 2000 model.

Alfa Romeo 2600
Total information
Manufacturer	Alfa romeo
Years of production	1962 - 1969
Assembly	Portello , Milan , Italy
Design
Body type	4 ‑ dv Sedan (4-seater) 2 ‑ dv spider (2 places) 2 ‑ dv coupe (2 places)
Layout	rear-wheel drive front-wheel drive
Wheel formula	4 × 2
Engine
2.6 l. DOHC l6
Transmission
5-speed manual
Specifications
Mass and Dimensional
Length	4,710 mm (185 ″) / 4,496 mm (177.0 ″)
Width	1,700 mm (67 ″) / 1,650 mm (65 ″)
Wheelbase	Berlina / Spider 2720/2580 mm
Weight	1,220 - 1,380 kg (2,690–3,042 pounds)
On the market
Related	Alfa Romeo 2000
Other
Designer	Giorgetto Giugiaro from Bertone - Sprint Carlo Felice Bianchi Anderloni from Carrozzeria Touring - Spider Touring

Model 2600 was first introduced at the 1962 Geneva Motor Show in modifications: Berlina (four-door sedan), Spider (two-door convertible), Sprint (two-door coupe). 2600 was a further development of the 2000 series produced in 1958 - 1962. The main innovation was the installation of a 2.6-liter 6-cylinder injection engine.

Number of cars produced:

• Berlina - 2038 cars
• Sprint - 6999 cars
• Spider - 2255 cars
• 2600 Berlina De Luxe OSI - 54 cars
• Sprint Zagato - 105 cars.

In terms of sales, the Model 2600 was not successful, despite the fact that they deserved recognition for an excellent engine. Low sales were not only associated with higher prices for the 2600. The cars were poorly compared with modern counterparts, including Alfa Romeo itself. The plant decided to concentrate its limited development resources on Julia, (middle-class car), which was presented at about the same time. The flagship 2600 series was only the development of the 2000 with the new engine. This is all that the plant could do with available resources.

The new engine also added weight and length to the front. Since the 2600 was the flagship model of Alfa Romeo, expectations were high and customers quickly noticed flaws, both on paper and on the road. For example, the 165-400 radial tires, mounted on the 2600, were only 10 mm (0.4 inches) wider than the 155-15 tires mounted on the Giulietta, although the 2600 had significantly more power and weight. When the new Julia appeared with a completely new chassis, 2600 faded even more.

Another reason for low sales is styling and concept. The style of Berlin was too strict and this was reflected in the particularly poor sales of this model. While most Alfa Romeo sedans in the history of the brand were more specialized sports models in the same range. The 2600 Spider had a style that was derived from its smaller model, the Giulietta Spider. Beautiful, but without the elegance and balance of a smaller car. Processing a larger car also suffered, perhaps, an unfair comparison with the handling of the Giulietta Spider , and this is an important factor in a car with sports claims. One selling point in his favor was that it was a four-seater convertible, although the two rear seats were rather cramped.

Sprint 2600 had a much better score. It was a big ceremonial coupe in which four adults could sit in high comfort at high speeds. Thus, he was not subjected to unfair comparisons with other models in the Alfa Romeo lineup, since none of them could be compared with him directly. In this mode of operation, oriented rather to a quick tour than sports driving, the maneuverability and balancing balance of the smaller Alfa were less important, while the stability and smoothness of driving a large car and the wide power and spinning speed of the six-cylinder engine were in place. Added to more space and comfort, these virtues made the 2600 Sprint a much better option than the rest of the 2600. The car also inherited the modern design of its predecessor, the Sprint 2000, and this certainly contributed to making it the best-selling 2600 line. This form was the result of the first major project of Giorgetto Giugiaro as the main designer for Carrozeria Bertone and is probably one of the most influential designs in the history of automotive style.

A number of 2,600 Sprint were purchased by the Italian government and specially equipped and modified for use as traffic police cars and carabineers , nicknamed "Panther" (panther) and "Gazzella" (gazelle), because of the emblems of these police forces. Cars were very suitable for high-speed purposes, designed to counter the growth of armed robberies by motorized gangs in the 1960s in Italy and appeared in quite different genre films of the time.

The 2600 family was replaced on top of the Alfa 1750 in 1968 . The 1750s were upgraded with 1600 cu. Giulia , which remained in production, so once again the flagship Alfa Romeo was a derived product, created by upgrading the existing engine and minor restyling. However, all the similarities with the 2600 ended. 1750 and 2000, which are derived from them, had greater success for Alfa Romeo from all points of view, especially sales. Today, as a classic, the 2600 Sprint and Spider are in demand and appreciated by collectors for the refined and luxurious style of both the body and the interior, for performance, technology and sound of a six-cylinder engine with two cams, and perhaps ironically for their rarity compared to more successful models of Alfa Romeo of the same era. The fact that cars are rare means that their current owners must devote a lot of effort and resources to the restoration and maintenance. Coupe 2600 SZ in general are very rare and valuable for collectors, (105 cars were produced in total), today they are the most valuable model in the range. 2600 OSI De Luxe has always been extremely rare, but there is no indication that it has become particularly desirable as a collector's item.