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Alfa Romeo RL & RM/Chassis Registry/Chassis/RM/12135

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Alfa Romeo RM Sport Torpedo chassis 12135

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Alfa Romeo RL & RM chassis 12135 is a 1924 RM Sport (short chassis) bodied by Unknown (possibly Castagna or Zagato; unconfirmed).

A 1924 Alfa Romeo RM Sport Torpedo, chassis 12135, one of the scarce short-chassis Sport variants, discovered in Italy in 1972 and currently in partially restored project condition.

Factory specification

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  • Engine size (as built): 1,944 cc (44 bhp specification)
  • Engine size (current): 1,944 cc (replacement RM engine)
  • Body style / type (as built): Sport Torpedo (short wheelbase)
  • Body style / type (current): Sport Torpedo (largely original body retained)
  • Colour (as built): Unknown
  • Colour (current): Unrestored / project condition
  • Interior colour (as built): Period leather trim
  • Interior colour (current): Partially original leather and woodwork retained
  • First completed: 1924
  • First delivered: Unknown
  • First dealer / destination: Italy
  • Original registration: Italian libretto (1950s agricultural registration recorded)
  • Notes: Rare short-chassis RM Sport Torpedo; discovered in Rovigo in 1972; originally missing engine; fitted with correct RM engine no. 12239; partial restoration undertaken.

Registry: Alfa Romeo RL & RM/Chassis Registry

Ownership history

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No. Owner Location Occupation / Notes From To
1 Early owner(s) unknown Italy Original period ownership undocumented 1924 1950s
2 Private owner Italy Vehicle reportedly used for agricultural purposes; Italian libretto records this use 1950s 1972
3 Vendor’s family Rovigo, Italy Discovered vehicle; retained and commenced restoration 1972 Present (at time of sale)

Registration history

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Registration Location From To Notes
Italian libretto (number unrecorded) Italy 1950s — Listed for agricultural use

Competition history (period)

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No confirmed individual competition history documented for chassis 12135.

The RM Sport model made its sporting debut at the Coppa delle Alpi in 1923, finishing 4th in the 2-Litre category, and many of the approximately 500 RM models produced were used in competition.

Appearances and non-competitive events

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No confirmed historic event participation recorded.

Restoration and mechanical history

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  • Discovered in the province of Rovigo, Italy in 1972.
  • At time of discovery the original engine was missing.
  • A 1950s Alfa Romeo 1900 engine was initially installed.
  • In the 1980s restoration commenced:
 * Body removed from chassis
 * Chassis repaired as necessary
 * Steering box fully overhauled
 * Differential and half-shafts restored
  • A correct Alfa Romeo RM engine (no. 12239) and matching gearbox were later sourced and installed.
  • Much of the body structure remains original, including:
 * Doors with original wooden framework
 * Original leather panels
 * Some original instrumentation

Vehicle remains in partially restored project condition.

Technical specification

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The RM Sport differed from the RM Normale through:

  • Raised compression ratio
  • Increased output (approximately 44 bhp)
  • Shorter wheelbase
  • Improved sporting performance

The RM range (introduced 1923) featured:

  • 1,944 cc four-cylinder overhead-valve engine
  • Four-speed manual transmission
  • Ladder-frame chassis
  • Mechanical drum brakes
  • Top speed approximately 90 km/h (56 mph)

Historical significance

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Chassis 12135 represents one of the scarce surviving short-chassis RM Sport Torpedo variants. Two similar examples are recorded in the Alfa Romeo Museum collection at Arese.

Its survival through mid-century agricultural conversion and subsequent rediscovery provides insight into the post-war secondary life of early Alfa Romeo sporting cars.

As a largely original-bodied example fitted with a correct RM engine, it constitutes an important restoration candidate within the early Alfa Romeo four-cylinder lineage.

Notes

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  • Coachbuilder attribution (Castagna or Zagato) remains unconfirmed.
  • Engine no. 12239 is not documented as original to chassis 12135.
  • Original engine number currently unknown.
  • Approximately 500 RM models produced (Normale, Sport, Unificato combined).
  • RM chassis number range recorded as 12001–12265.

Sources

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  • Auction catalogue description (1924 Alfa Romeo RM Sport Torpedo)
  • Italian registration documentation (libretto, 1950s)
  • RM production summaries
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