A spectacular new exhibition from Alfa Romeo opens at the Science Museum in London on December 1.

Called Sustaining Beauty 90 years of Art in Engineering, it will celebrate the style, spirit, perfor-mance and achievements which lie at the sporting heart of the Italian marque, it runs until 30 April 2002.

This promises to be a stunning exhibition and will feature an amazing collection of classic cars valued at more than £5 million.

Then there will be original designs, period advertising, technical blueprints and engine cutaways all of which demonstrate the astonishing tradition of art in engineering that made Alfa Romeo one of the world's most famous motoring marques.

It will show how car design and styling has evolved from the first decades of the 20th century right up to the present day.

The dramatic advances in tech-nology and the improvements in engineering, safety and performance will be detailed.

Seventeen of Alfa Romeo's most famous and prestigious cars are being shipped from the Alfa Romeo Museum at Arese, near Milan, to take centre stage.

These include:

The legendary 6C1750 Gran Sport, in which Tazio Nuvolari won the 1930 Mille Miglia

The 1931 8C 2300 Monza, victorious on race tracks the world over

The elegant and sophisticated 1930s Berlinetta 8C 2900 B

The 159 Gran Premio in which Manuel Fangio won the 1951 Formula 1 World Championship title

The 1950 Bertone-designed 1900 Sprint, a flagship for Italian design

The 1952 Disco Volante (flying saucer) - one of only two ever built celebrated as one of the most visionary car designs of all time, which will be suspended from the ceiling of the Science Museum's East Hall

The Duetto Spider and the 33 Stradale

The 33 TT 12, winner of the 1975 World Championship

The Alfa 156 in which Fabrizio Giovanardi won the European Touring Car Championship in 2001. Sustaining Beauty will also present the design processes undertaken at theAlfa Romeo Styling Centre.

The acclaimed Nuvola prototype, selected blueprints and hand-built and machined models will illustrate the design process, spirit and philo-sophy of Alfa Romeo.

On the opening day, December 1, entrance to the Science Museum is free to all, and there will also be no additional charge for the Alfa Romeo Sustaining Beauty exhibition.