1934 Alfa Romeo 8C

To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys Paris event, 28 January 2026.
2,000,000 - 2,500,000 EUR

• Beautifully restored and presented in its wonderful white over green leather colour combination, unveiled to great acclaim at the 2023 Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace
• Matching-numbers engine uprated to 2.6-litre capacity by marque specialist Neil Twyman
• Rich and storied ownership history with notable custodians including the avid car collector Lord Laidlaw
• Clothed in a stunning Le Mans-style Tourer body built by Rod Jolley Coachbuilding, inspired by the sister 8C driven by Mike Hawthorn
• Importantly chronicled by esteemed Alfa Romeo historian Simon Moore in the authoritative The Legendary 2.3: Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 and other works
• Accompanied by a comprehensive history file that charts the cars early years in Italy through to its more recent restorations

Please note this vehicle is titled as 1933.

Veuillez noter que ce vhicule est immatricul en 1933.


Victorious at Le Mans four years in succession, and in no less than seven Mille Miglias, the credentials of Alfa Romeos 8C 2300 are beyond reproach. The 8C 2300 offered here, chassis number 2311222, was first registered in Como on 12 June 1935. Playing to the charm of any pre-war Alfa Romeo, why the car was registered one year after 8C 2300 production ended remains a mystery, although one persuasive theory suggests that the car may have temporarily left Italy when new perhaps crossing into Switzerland before returning to Como to be registered by its first custodian, one Gianfranco Peduzzi. Early documents describe the 8C as a cabriolet, with the car passing through a short succession of owners in Como and Milan before it is believed that Grand Prix driver Felice Bonetto exported the car to Belgium before the outbreak of World War II.

After the war, a romantic twist in the Alfa Romeos story ensued as it was discovered in a salvage yard by two university students in Antwerp, with the original engine seen to be dismantled and packaged in newspapers. The two enthusiastic students used the car while studying in the city. By this point, it is thought that the coachwork had altered from its original form, with period sketches (available to view on file) denoting an angular and sharply styled front grille and sloping rear tail, almost akin to American automotive design. Photos of the car in the 1960s (also on file) show that the car retained this body style by the time it had been taken to the United States by collector and racer Jim MacAllister of New York in the late 1950s or 1960s.

Chassis 2311222 soon returned to Europe via Switzerland, when it was acquired by enthusiast Jost Wildbolz of Zurich in May 1978 via Massimo Colombo. Its new owner instructed a rebuild straight away, discarding the earlier coachwork in favour of a stretched Touring-style Spider body. The restoration was finished just one day before the 1984 Mille Miglia, with the car taking to the historic Italian route the following day. Around 1989, the 8C was sold to fellow Swiss enthusiast Al Guggisberg, who used it as a daily driver to his classic car workshop. In 1992 the car was acquired by Heinrich Kampfer, still in Switzerland, who commissioned another engine rebuild. The Alfa Romeo was then used and enjoyed regularly in events and featured in magazine articles. Guggisberg bought the car back in 1995, selling it one year later to Nick Harley, while its next keeper Peter Agg took the Alfa Romeo to a rally in Tunisia in 1997. Following this adventurous outing, the engine was subject to another rebuild.

In the early 2000s, the 8C 2300 came into American ownership again. In subsequent restoration work, the car gained the elegant Le Mans Tourer coachwork that it wears today. The body was constructed by Rod Jolley Coachbuilding, who had access to Mike Hawthorns 8C (chassis 2311204) for reference to proportions and sizing. Lord Laidlaw acquired the Alfa Romeo in 2007 and in his ownership, a major engine rebuild was undertaken by Neil Twyman, with its capacity uprated to 2.6 litres and built around a new crank and other components supplied by Jim Stokes Engineering. The main block, numbered 2311222, remains to this day.

In 2021, the current owner of the glorious 8C commissioned Twyman (by now trading as The Regent Garage) to undertake a major restoration. Detailed by invoices exceeding 500,000 (all available to view on file), the work was comprehensive and resulted in the 8C being repainted in its current colour combination of white with a green interior. At this point, the pedal layout was revised with the brake pedal moved to the left and accelerator on the right. Upon completion, the stunning Alfa Romeo was unveiled to great acclaim at the 2023 Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace.

A supercar of its day and a familiar sight at classic car events around the world, this 8C 2300 would surely be welcomed back to many of the famous rallies and tours it has participated in before.


Please note this lot has entered the EU on a temporary import bond, which must be cancelled either by exporting the lot outside of the EU on an approved Bill of Lading with supporting customs documentation or by paying the applicable VAT and import duties to have the lot remain in the EU.

Veuillez noter que ce lot est entr dans lUE sous couvert dune autorisation dimportation temporaire, qui doit tre annule soit en exportant le lot en dehors de lUE avec une lettre de dbarquement approuv accompagn des documents douaniers ncessaires, soit en payant la TVA et les droits dimportation applicables pour que le lot reste dans lUE.

To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/auctions/pa26/.