If you’re lucky enough to win this auction (and you will indeed be a lucky person if you do), then you won’t see another of these coming the other way. 

That’s because at present, this is the only Alfa Romeo 2600 Berlina known to be taxed and registered in the UK, and it’s a wonderful, beguiling thing. But don’t take our word for it. 

Writing in Auto Italia about this very car, noted motoring writer Richard Heseltine said: “As the speedo nudges the 90mph mark, the mobile phone app indicates that this isn’t a faulty reading. And it’s still pulling, the straight-six upfront sounding strident with it. We’re all laughing like loons.” 

Yes, this is a 57-year old barge-like saloon car that will barrel along with the moderns, looking multiple times more cool. Its capability is matched only by its rarity.

The Alfa Romeo ‘Tipo 106’ 2600 debuted in 1962 bearing a strong resemblance to the 1900 models before it, but it was under the skin where things got very interesting indeed. 

It had a new alloy straight-six, with twin overhead camshafts and 130bhp under your right boot. That’s respectable today, let alone in the early Sixties, where cars were lighter, less stable and all the more mind-focusing to drive. But it was never a huge seller - just 2,038 of the big saloons were sold worldwide and only a couple of hundred were right-hand-drive. The 2600 Sprint coupé – supposedly a niche model – outsold it by a ratio of three-to-one. 

Why? Well, the Berlina was an expensive car, imposing on Mercedes-Benz Fintail territory when it came to pricing. For the brave few that took the Italian option, it was just reward. 

And now it’s your turn – there probably won’t be another car like this for sale in your lifetime (regardless of your age or life expectancy), so it’s not a time to sit on your hands. 

DEY 716C wasn’t built in Italy, but a CKD factory in South Africa. Car Distributors of East London went on to become a Mercedes-Benz factory (and still is), and what’s even more remarkable is that the vendor of this car was able to track down the Alfa’s original build record by writing to the factory. It was completed in October 1964 but not registered until January 1965, hence the 1965 designation on the V5 and import papers. 

It was one of several Alfa Romeo and Lancia models that were assembled in Cape Province and it remained in South Africa, in Gauteng Province, until 2016 when it was acquired and imported by the current owner. He had the car shipped to the UK and registered it, and has since driven it regularly, averaging just over 1,000 miles a year. He loves the Alfa but has been given the opportunity to buy a classic European sports car, so it has to go to make space. 

Its history from its time in South Africa is scant and so the mileage could well be higher than the 28k shown. However, the vendor has more than made up for the lack of South African paperwork by building a substantial portfolio. As well as tracking down the original build record, he has sourced original owners’ manuals and booklets and has kept a log of all the work he’s done on the car and the associated receipts. We’ll come to that. 

It also has its original South African logbook and the previous licence plate from its time in Gauteng, as well as four full length magazine features including Classic Cars, Classic and Sportscar and Auto Italia in which this car was featured during his ownership.

Finished in Sea Foam White, the Alfa was resprayed in South Africa. It looks absolutely fabulous from all angles, but up close there are a few blisters in the paint, notably on the bonnet. Also there are also a couple of small bubbles on one back door and a tiny hole on the other back door.

There’s nothing major to worry about, though, and it’s a magnificent-looking beast. 

During his ownership, the vendor had new sills fitted. He has the bills for this. The South African climate has been kind to this Alfa, but the roads were less forgiving and the car arrived with dents to both sills and damaged jacking points, which have since been sorted out. The inner sills were in amazing condition. The underside is also rock solid and it has been kept in a dry garage.

The chrome is good but not perfect – there are a few small areas of discolouration and a couple of the wheel trims have surface corrosion, but again, nothing drastic or enough to put you off. Just don’t expect a concours car and settle for a very good one instead. After all, there isn’t another…

Open the door and you’re met by a mixture of rich red vinyl on the seats and doors and sporty black vinyl elsewhere, with a delightful two-tone black and white steering wheel. 

Style takes precedence as with any Italian car, with intriguing oddities such as a strip speedometer and a giant round rev counter creating their own juxtaposition. 

The controls and layout are both delicate and beautiful, which is more than can be said for the brick-like Siemens car telephone installed in the 1980s. It’s a part of the car’s history in itself and has a curiosity value of its own today!

During his ownership, the vendor has had a lot of work done to the car including an overhaul of many of its rubber components, which didn’t fare as well as the bodywork in the searing South African heat. These include new or reconditioned brake servo, master cylinder, calipers and wheel cylinders. It also includes new rubbers in the steering box and reconditioned radiator and water pump. Additionally, the car has had new tyres and electronic ignition fitted. These are all documented in the aforementioned folder of bills

He also renewed most of the front suspension using good quality parts from a donor Alfa 2600 and has had the car properly set-up. He reports that it drives much better than it did as a result. 

But the star attraction is the engine. The 2,582cc six is uniquely Italian in its character. Whereas most British straight sixes of the era were all about lazy torque and steady progress, the Alfa twin cam is eager and snappy,  desperate to rev and with plenty to give. Its 130bhp output was as good as most sports cars of its era, only fractionally less powerful than a Jaguar E-Type, and it comes quickly and freely, fed to the rear-wheels via an engaging five-speed transmission. 

A short blast on a local test route was enough to convince us that this car is most unlike other big saloons of its era. Completely different, in fact. But in a very, very good way. 

There are some cars that have instant charm and hook you as soon as you go near them. This is one of them. It’s a car that, once it has charmed you, will be very difficult indeed to get out of your system and is described by the vendor himself as ‘a difficult goodbye’. 

Not only does it look sensational, but it is also a terrific car to drive, with fascinating engineering and almost unmatchable rarity. It’s in great, usable and well-sorted condition, too.