The Berlina, Spider and Sprint were based on the corresponding models in the 2000 range, and all three inherited the body styling of their predecessors with minor facelifts.

The factory had decided - correctly, as it turned out - to concentrate their limited development resources on the mid-sized Giulia which was introduced at about the same time.

Because the 2600 was a flagship Alfa Romeo model, expectations were high, and both critics and customers quickly spotted the deficiencies, both on paper and on the road.

While most Alfa Romeo sedans in the marque's history outsold the more specialised sporting models in the same range, the 2600 Berlina did not outsell the 2600 Sprint or Spider.

It was a large grand touring coupé which could seat four adults in comfort over long journeys at high speeds.

In that mode of operation, oriented more towards fast touring than sporting driving, the agility and handling balance of the smaller Alfas mattered less, while the stability and smoother ride of the larger car, and the wide power and torque band of the six-cylinder engine, came onto its own.

The car also inherited the sharp, modern styling of its predecessor, the 2000 Sprint, and that certainly contributed to its being the top seller in the 2600 range.

[citation needed] 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.

[citation needed] 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.