Alfa Romeo RL & RM/Chassis Registry/Chassis/RL/69013
Alfa Romeo RL Super Sport (RLSS) chassis 69013
[edit]Alfa Romeo RL & RM chassis 69013 is a 1925 RL Super Sport (RLSS) bodied by Thornton Engineering Company (Bradford, UK).
A 1925 Alfa Romeo RL Super Sport, chassis 69013, delivered as a rolling chassis to the United Kingdom and bodied by Thornton Engineering in Torpedo Sport configuration, later active at Brooklands and now preserved in the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum.
Factory specification
[edit]- Manufacturer: Alfa Romeo
- Model: Alfa Romeo RL & RM
- Variant / Type: RL Super Sport (RLSS)
- Year: 1925
- Chassis number: 69013
- Engine number: Matching six-cylinder unit
- Gearbox number: Alfa Romeo 4-speed manual
- Body number: Four-passenger Torpedo Sport
- Coachbuilder: Thornton Engineering Company (Bradford, UK)
- Engine size (as built): 2,994 cc
- Engine size (current): 2,994 cc (matching configuration)
- Body style / type (as built): Torpedo Sport (four-seat, boat-tail)
- Body style / type (current): Torpedo Sport (Thornton-built body retained)
- Colour (as built): Unknown
- Colour (current): Period-correct sporting finish
- Interior colour (as built): Leather trim (rear seats and door panels original)
- Interior colour (current): Rear original; front seats re-trimmed sympathetically
- First completed: 1925
- First delivered: 1925 (rolling chassis supplied)
- First dealer / destination: United Kingdom
- Original registration: Registered 1927 (UK)
- Notes: UK-delivered RLSS; bodied by Thornton Engineering; period Brooklands participation; acquired by Simeone Foundation Museum in 2002.
Registry: Alfa Romeo RL & RM/Chassis Registry
Ownership history
[edit]| No. | Owner | Location | Occupation / Notes | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Douglas Fred Milne Rennie | Leeds, United Kingdom | Wool merchant; first recorded owner | 1925 | Late 1920s |
| 2 | Subsequent UK owners | United Kingdom | Period Brooklands participation | 1930s | Mid-20th century |
| 3 | Various private collectors | United Kingdom / USA | Detailed history retained | Late 20th century | 2002 |
| 4 | Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum | Philadelphia, USA | Acquired at Bonhams, Goodwood Festival of Speed | 12/07/2002 | Present |
Registration history
[edit]| Registration | Location | From | To | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK registration (1927) | United Kingdom | 1927 | — | First recorded registration |
Competition history (period)
[edit]| Year | Event | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s–1930s | Brooklands events | United Kingdom | Documented participation under later owners |
The RLSS model was actively used in sports car racing between 1923 and 1927, including participation in the inaugural Mille Miglia (1927).
Specific detailed race results for chassis 69013 require further archival confirmation.
Appearances and non-competitive events
[edit]| Year | Event | Exhibitor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Bonhams – Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale | Private owner | Purchased by Simeone Foundation |
| Ongoing | Simeone Foundation Museum displays | Museum | Operational preservation |
Restoration and mechanical history
[edit]- Delivered as a rolling chassis from Alfa Romeo.
- Bodied in the UK by Thornton Engineering Company, Bradford.
- Body closely follows period Zagato-style four-seat Torpedo Sport design.
- Rear seat trim and door panels retain original material.
- Front seat upholstery replaced sympathetically to match original.
- Dash panel and mechanical components largely intact.
- Reported to require minimal mechanical intervention under museum ownership.
Technical specification
[edit]RL Super Sport (RLSS) specification:
- Inline six-cylinder overhead-valve engine
- Displacement: 2,994 cc
- Output: approximately 83 bhp at 3,600 rpm
- Four-speed manual transmission
- Live rear axle
- Mechanical drum brakes
- Ladder-frame chassis
The RLSS represented the most powerful road-going evolution of the RL series prior to the transition to the 6C lineage.
Historical significance
[edit]The RLSS marked the peak development of Giuseppe Merosi’s RL design and represents Alfa Romeo’s first broadly successful sporting production model of the interwar period.
Chassis 69013 is notable for:
- Early UK export
- Thornton Engineering coachwork
- Period Brooklands participation
- High degree of originality
- Long-term preservation in museum care
Surviving RLSS examples are rare, though precise survival numbers vary by source.
Notes
[edit]- Engine and chassis reported as matching.
- Thornton Engineering sill plates retained.
- April 29, 1927 issue of The Autocar featured this car.
- Now part of the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum collection.
Sources
[edit]- Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum
- Bonhams auction catalogue, 12 July 2002
- The Autocar, 29 April 1927
- Peter Hull, Alfa Romeo History (1962)