Italian title
Chassis no. AR51 01221
Engine No. 130701669

- An out of the ordinary model
- Alfa 1900 twin camshaft engine
- Beautiful condition, careful maintenance
- No reserve

It's strange to see an engine as special as the Alfa Romeo 1900 twin-cam 4-cylinder under the hood of an off-road vehicle. This is however the case of this AR51 Matta, produced by the Milan-based marque brand following a call for tenders from the Italian Ministry of Defense. The letters AR stood for "Autovettura da Ricognizione" and the number 51 corresponded to the date of commissioning. The engine had been modified (distribution, compression ratio) to be more suitable for this new use, and the car was rather sophisticated for an all-terrain vehicle. Fiat had also responded to the call for tenders with a more suitable machine (the Campagnola), which was less expensive, and which was eventually preferred by the army, which did not prevent Alfa Romeo from producing some 2,000 units of the Matta for the Italian administration (army, police, etc.), plus a few dozen sold directly to individuals. Surprisingly, a Matta won the Mille Miglia "military vehicles" category in 1952, which makes this model, in principle, eligible for the retrospective. The car on offer came out of military use in the 1970s and has since belonged to only one owner. In its original condition, this car is complete with its tools, its two spare wheels and its tarpaulin. It works well and is well preserved.

The hammer price of this lot excludes VAT. VAT, at the current rate of 20%, is added to the hammer price for a VAT-inclusive sale price, on which the commission charge (including VAT) is calculated. The VAT can be claimed back by French professionals. For buyers outside the EU, the VAT can be claimed back on presentation of export papers outside the EU, or for a professional purchaser who can supply an intra-EU VAT number and a document proving the lot has been delivered to a member state.

Full catalogue and more photos https://www.artcurial.com/en/sale-4315-retromobile-2023-artcurial-motorcars