Background
“The 2000 Roadster, made for high-speed touring, was fitted with an engine having remarkable reserves of power and torque in order to offer the sport customer the possibility of making fast journeys with the maximum safety.” – Luigi Fusi, 'Alfa Romeo, All Cars From 1910’.
The famous Carrozzeria Touring's associations with Alfa Romeo reached back to the late 1920s and this liaison was perpetuated into the post-war era. Replacement for the 1900 line, the 102-Series 2000 cars first appeared in 1958 and were unusual in so far as production of the stylish Touring-bodied Spider version outstripped that of the Berlina, with 3,443 examples of the soft-top produced compared with only 2,804 of the saloon.
Touring's renowned Superleggera (Superlight) method of body construction was employed, though now the panels were machine-pressed rather than hand-beaten, greatly speeding up production. This departure marked a turning point for Touring, enabling them to manufacture bodies in significantly increased volume, though this was still far from mass production.
Beneath the skin the 2000 remained much as the last of the 1900s, with independent front suspension, live rear axle, five-speed gearbox, and drum brakes all round. Nowadays referred to as the 'old' 2-litre, the twin-cam 2000 engine combined elements of the superseded 1900 and new Giulietta, retaining the former's cast-iron block and separate cam covers but featuring the latter's bucket-and-shim method of valve adjustment.
Spider and Sprint versions came with 115bhp on tap, good enough for a top speed in excess of 110mph.
