1968 Alfa Romeo ATL 2000 Sports Coupe

This unique ‘one off’ Alfa Romeo powered sports coupe was built in 1968 by Autotecnica del Lario (ATL) of Lecco, Italy. Developed largely along the lines of the Alfa Romeo 2000 Prototype built by the company in 1954, the chassis consists of different diameter special steel tubing with boxed-in sections to which all of the mechanical ancillaries are attached. The stunning bodywork is in 12/10 gauge aluminium and is suspended over a steel birdcage like the patented Touring Superleggera method on the Maserati 3500GT or Aston Martin DB Series. Suspension is independent on all four wheels with coil spring shock absorbers, together with front disc and rear drum brakes and lovely period Borrani wire wheels. The engine is Alfa Romeo’s classic two litre twin camshaft unit, and with the car weighing in at only 810kg this makes it a very rapid sports car indeed! Finished in red with red interior and reminiscent of the 3000 MM and Disco Volante coupes, the stunningly executed lines of this car are every bit as good as anything created by Alfa Romeo at the time.

The stunningly executed lines of this car somehow evoke some other associations, for example with the Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 CM or the Disco Volante Coupe Touring. In other words, the beautiful but imperfect lines of this car are as admirable as those created by Alfa Romeo itself and the major Italian coachbuilders at the time. And, being the work of a little-known coachbuilder, it is certainly unique in its own way. What's more, the ATL car pictured here was reportedly built without specific sketches or maquettes: the construction method is more akin to sculpture-making than a precise mechanical process, and isn't that why it has so much stereotypical Italian automotive charm ? The chassis consists of steel tubes of various diameters with box sections to which all mechanical auxiliary elements are attached. The handcrafted body that sits on top of it is made from thin aluminum. The result is a design similar to a steel birdcage, like the patented Touring Superleggera method used on the lightweight Maserati 3500GT or early Aston Martin DB Series. The engine under the long, ventilated hood is a standard, classic, four-cylinder, DOHC, two-liter Alfa Romeo 1.9L, which with Twin Weber carburetors produces around 100 hp. It's a superb compact engine that has plenty of torque and the car weighs just 810kg, making it a very fast sports car indeed! The suspension is an independent spring system on all four wheels, behind beautiful Borrani spoked wheels. There are Alfa Romeo 2600 wheels in the front and drums in the rear.

Some of you may have heard of Mandello del Lario, a small village located on the eastern arm of the forked Lake Como. It's a small town with a population of just over 10,000 people, but many motorcycle enthusiasts know the name of this village because it's the headquarters of Moto Guzzi. Since 1921, this tranquil lakeside location has been home to Europe's oldest motorcycle manufacturer.
Moto Guzzi is deservedly renowned for its historical role in the Italian motorcycle industry, its worldwide reputation and its innovation. However, not far from Guzzi's headquarters there existed another Italian automotive treasure - the Autotecnica del Lario workshop, whose brand name was ATL. This company, of course, is unimaginably far from big names like Pininfarina, Bertone or Zagato, but was able to create cars with the Italian charm so adored by car enthusiasts.

ATL 1900 Sports Coupe - 1954