1949 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport Cabriolet

The 1949 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport Cabriolet is a stunning example of postwar Italian elegance—one of the last true hand-built Alfas before the company transitioned to mass production. The “6C” series is one of Alfa Romeo’s most celebrated lineages, and by the time the 2500 Super Sport (SS) appeared, it represented the pinnacle of pre-Ferrari-era grand touring luxury and performance.

Leon’s stunning Alfa getting plenty of attention during Dolce e Veloce at the Petersen Museum

The 1949 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport Cabriolet is one of those cars that feels more like a sculpture than a machine. With its long, flowing lines and open-top elegance, it perfectly captures the spirit of postwar Italian luxury. Bodied by the great coachbuilders of the era—most notably Pinin Farina—it was designed for the kind of person who might have parked it outside a lakeside villa on Lake Como, top down, silk scarf fluttering in the breeze.

Underneath that beauty is some real performance, too. The “Super Sport” was the top-tier version of Alfa’s legendary inline-six 2.5-liter engine, running triple carbs and pushing out over 110 horsepower—a serious number for the late ’40s. It wasn’t just pretty; it could move. Built on a tubular chassis and assembled largely by hand, the car combined prewar craftsmanship with a dash of modernity, making it a last hurrah for the old-world Alfa before mass production changed everything.

Today, the 6C 2500 SS Cabriolet is pure collector catnip. Rarer than most Ferraris, richer in detail than a lot of its contemporaries, and oozing with vintage glamor, it’s a showstopper at concours events and a time machine back to a more romantic era of motoring. It’s not just a car—it’s a rolling love letter to Italian style and sophistication.