Alfa Romeo 1900 Cabriolet Astral

The Alfa Romeo Astral was a spider prototype developed in 1953 by the Milanese coachbuilder Boneschi on the Alfa Romeo 1900C chassis. The design is attributed to Rodolfo Bonetto, whose work in the early 1950s frequently explored nontraditional forms and industrial styling themes. The Astral was conceived as an exhibition car for the 1953 Turin Motor Show, where Boneschi presented it as an alternative interpretation of Alfa Romeo’s new unibody platform. The 1900C chassis provided a modern mechanical basis, featuring a twin-cam inline four-cylinder engine, independent front suspension, and unitary construction. Bonetto’s body departed from contemporary Italian spider conventions, adopting proportions and surface treatments influenced by American production sedans of the period. The design emphasized width, integrated fenders, and strong horizontal lines, with reduced reliance on traditional sporting cues. The spider configuration featured a low windscreen and a smooth transition between front and rear volumes. After its Turin debut, the Astral appeared at the Concorso d’Eleganza di Stresa in 1953 and at a concours event in Rome in 1954, where it was shown as an example of experimental Italian coachbuilding. Contemporary coverage highlighted the contrast between its bold styling and the more restrained designs typically associated with Alfa Romeo-based open cars. Two Astral examples were built. One was finished in green, the other in grey. The two cars differed in several external details, including grille design, trim execution, and minor body elements, reflecting Boneschi’s practice of producing individualized vehicles rather than standardized replicas. Both retained the same underlying mechanical specification of the 1900C. The green Astral was sold to Rafael Trujillo, dictator of the Dominican Republic, whose ownership is documented in period sources. Trujillo maintained a collection of luxury and bespoke automobiles acquired from European manufacturers during the early postwar period.