styling of its predecessor, the 2000 Sprint, and that certainly contributed to its being the top seller in the 2600 range. That shape had been the result of Giorgetto Giugiaro's first major project as head designer for Carrozzeria Bertone, and is arguably one of the most influential designs in the history of automotive styling. A certain number of 2600 Sprints were purchased by the Italian government and specially equipped and modified to be used as Police patrol cars, nicknamed "Pantera" (panther) from the emblem of its rapid intervention team. The cars were very suitable for high-speed pursuits to counter the increase in armed robberies by motorized gangs in 1960s Italy, and appeared in quite a few genre movies of the time. The 2600 range was replaced at the top of the Alfa range by the 1750 models in 1968. The 1750s were refined versions of the 1600 cc Giulia range which continued in production, so once more the Alfa Romeo flagship was a derivative product created by upgrading the motor of an existing range and carrying out a minor restyling. All similarity with the 2600 ends there though; the 1750s, and the 2000s which evolved from them, were a great success for Alfa Romeo from every point of view, especially sales. Today, as classics, the 2600 Sprint and Spider are appreciated for the tasteful and opulent styling of both the bodywork and the interior, for the performance, technology and sound of the six-cylinder twin-cam engine, and perhaps ironically for their rarity compared to the more successful Alfa Romeo models of the same era. The fact that the cars are rare, and their parts are either dedicated to the 2600 range, or derive from even earlier Alfas, means that owners need to dedicate a lot of effort and resources to restoration and maintenance. Very few 2600 Berlinas have found dedicated owners in the decades since the model was discontinued, therefore very few have survived. 2600 SZ's are very rare (only 105 cars were produced) today they are by far the most valuable model in the range. The 2600 OSI De Luxe has always been extremely rare but there are no signs of it having become particularly desirable as a collector's item. Pininfarina Speciale Pininfarina made two concept cars based on 2600, the 2600 Cabriolet Speciale, a two-seat spider presented at the Turin Motor Show in 1962 and the 2600 Coupé Speciale,