James Martin’s coachbuilt Alfa Romeo heads to Woodcote Park

James Martin is parting with one of the most unusual cars in his collection, a coachbuilt Alfa Romeo with the sort of rarity that makes even seasoned concours regulars look twice.

The car will be offered by RM Sotheby’s at the Woodcote Park Auction on Wednesday 8 July 2026, held alongside the Royal Automobile Club Concours in Surrey.

With an estimate of £250,000 to £350,000 and a restoration bill approaching £90,000, it’s a distinctive entry in a sale already aimed at serious collectors.

At a glance

A coachbuilt Alfa from a tiny Italian atelier

The car is an Alfa Romeo Sports Coupé by Autotecnica del Lario, better known as ATL, a small coachbuilder once based near Lake Como in Lombardy.

ATL worked in extremely limited numbers, and this example is believed to be one of only around eight built.

Its appeal sits in that narrow and fascinating space between Italian sports car, bespoke bodywork and hand-finished period special.

The aluminium bodywork channels the compact, purposeful proportions of 1950s racing berlinettas, while the car’s overall stance carries the romanticism of 1960s Italian GT design.

Martin, a long-time classic car collector, acquired the Alfa in 2018 and has described it as a car with a particularly personal place in his garage.

The restoration was anything but routine

The Alfa has been through an ambitious restoration programme overseen by Martin, with almost every component either restored, remade or tailored specifically for the car.

That matters because cars like this don’t come with the convenience of an easy parts catalogue.

The work included bespoke attention to the bodywork, chassis and mechanical components, along with new twin-Weber carburettors for the engine.

Martin’s restoration team included specialists familiar with other significant cars in his collection, and the process stretched across several years.

The result is a car presented not merely as a cosmetic revival, but as a carefully rebuilt coachbuilt machine intended to look right above and underneath.

Lightweight engineering with a familiar Alfa heart

Under its hand-formed skin, the coupé uses a lightweight tubular steel structure in the spirit of Superleggera construction and built to Alfa Romeo 2000 Sportiva specification.

The running gear is centred around a 105-series Alfa Romeo twin-cam engine, a 2.0-litre unit producing more than 100 bhp.

That figure may sound modest in modern terms, but the car weighs less than 800 kg, which gives it the kind of power-to-weight balance that defines many of the best small Italian sports cars.

Martin has spoken of the car as lively and rewarding to drive, helped by its minimal mass and mechanical simplicity.

The interior leans into a 1960s GT mood, with dark chocolate tan leather and diamond quilting over the transmission tunnel and sills.

The exterior was refinished in a carefully chosen Alfa red, while the roof was given a Zagato-style double-bubble form to improve usability and cabin space.

Details & Specifications

Woodcote Park gives the Alfa a fitting stage

The sale takes place during the Royal Automobile Club Concours, where around 70 judged concours cars will be joined by more than 200 additional rare and specialist vehicles across the Woodcote Park setting.

RM Sotheby’s will also present collector cars from marques including Aston Martin, Ferrari, Frazer Nash, McLaren and Porsche.

Even in that company, Martin’s Alfa should stand apart because it isn’t simply another restored Italian classic.

It’s a scarce coachbuilt object with a known enthusiast owner, a major restoration behind it and the kind of period styling that feels increasingly difficult to replicate with any authenticity.

For collectors who value individuality as much as badge recognition, this Alfa Romeo may be one of the most intriguing cars to cross the Woodcote Park lawn.