A lot has happened in between the car’s construction and its acquisition by the current owner, of course.
Jano was fired from Alfa in 1937 but fortunately the car was pretty much finished, although any prospect of slotting in the new V12 vanished along with Jano.
The Jankovits brothers retained the Aerospider and registered it for street use – the original Fiume licence plates are still with the car. They added a large and hideously inappropriate windscreen, bumpers and turn signals, which ruined the looks but did at least make it acceptable as a road car.
In 1941, however, it was stored away for the duration of the war.
After the war, the Jankovits found themselves under a new Communist regime, their town rechristened Rijeka in the newly formed state of Yugoslavia. Realizing that they were about to lose everything, the brothers dug the car out of storage on Christmas Day 1946 and the same night made a dash through the border and into Italy.
After the war, the Jankovits found themselves under a new Communist regime, their town rechristened Rijeka in the newly formed state of Yugoslavia. Realizing that they were about to lose everything, the brothers dug the car out of storage on Christmas Day 1946 and the same night made a dash through the border and into Italy.
Caught by surprise, the border guards fired after the speeding Alfa – and the bullets left dents in the bodywork that would be rediscovered 60 years later during its restoration.
For another gallery of this car: http://lord-k.livejournal.com/619800.html#cutid1
