CREATING THE C52 ‘DISCO VOLANTE FIANCHI STRETTI’ Just five months removed from winning their second consecutive Formula One Championship, Alfa Romeo introduced their radical C52 sports car during the 1952 New York International Motor Sports Show.

Aptly named the “ Disco Volante ” (Italian for “Flying Saucer”), the C52 is presently regarded as one of the marque’s most fantastical models.

It was also a product of necessity.

Between 1951 and 1954, the Milanese firm was amid a serious financial turnaround which required the severe curtailing of its racing department and a major shift towards mass production.

Yet Alfa Romeo still required a publicity-grabbing sportscar for the 1900 model range to which it had staked its financial future.

So long as it was powered by the same mechanical underpinnings and powertrain, any radical design could be a viable proposition to fit this marketing need.

In response, the C52 was developed in close partnership with Touring, who provided their patent...