$20 million is the shocking starting price for this 1938 Alfa Romeo supercar. But its price also lies in its historical value.

The 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider is one of five pre-World War II cars designed and built by the Italian automaker specifically for European racing. It took 10 years to perfect itself and achieve many glories.

Around the 1950s, the Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider won many Grand Prix and prestigious competitions such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Mille Miglia, the Targa Florio and the 24 Hours of Spa. The car also won the Watkins Glen Road Race.

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The 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider has a 2.9-liter engine, developed by the Italian car company in 1931. The average racing speed of this supercar is 132 mph (213 km/h) and is one of the fastest racing cars of its time.

Not only is it incredibly fast, but the car also shows the charm of Italian style with delicate lines. The chassis is made extremely light through the use of steel tubes covered with aluminum, while many racing cars at that time were made of heavy wood. This makes the Alfa Romeo lighter and easier to handle.

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The Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider mentioned above was put up for auction in Monterey, California by Gooding & Company – a famous classic car auction company headquartered in Santa Monica (California, USA). The starting price is said to be quite high, up to 20 million USD.

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According to the auction organizer, this classic supercar is considered “the most beautiful in the world”, and it is rare to have a second one. And its price also depends on its historical value.

Archival data shows that this is 1 of 5 cars built from 1935-1938 by the Italian car company. The chassis number 412027 on the car shows that it was owned by Major Raymond Flower – owner of Cairo Motor Company and was brought to Egypt around the 1940s.

Immediately after the war ended, this car was shipped to Germany for Hans Ernst – a pilot to use as a means of transportation. He kept the car until 1953 before selling it to the US around 1955. Once here, the car changed hands many times until Dr. Fred Simeone bought it in the late 1970s.

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In 1994, the Alfa Romeo was purchased by the famous classic car enthusiast Lukas Hüni for restoration. With this car, he won first prize at the 1996 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, before selling it to Oscar David in 1998 for further restoration. In 2000, Oscar David and the car won first prize at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

When David passed away in 2021, the car was sold by the family to a private collector in Florida