Alfa Romeo
Encyclopedia
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. (ˈalfa roˈmɛːo) is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan
, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars. The company was owned by Italian state holding company Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale
between 1932 and 1986, when it became a part of the Fiat Group
, and since February 2007 a part of Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A.
The company that became Alfa Romeo was founded as Società Anonima Italiana Darracq (SAID) in 1906 by the French automobile firm of Alexandre Darracq
, with some Italian investors. In the late 1909, the Italian Darracq cars were selling slowly and a new company was founded named A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili Lombard Automobile Factory, Public Company), initially still in partnership with Darracq. The first non-Darracq car produced by the company was the 1910 24 HP
, designed by Giuseppe Merosi
. A.L.F.A. ventured into motor racing, with drivers Franchini and Ronzoni competing in the 1911 Targa Florio
with two 24 HP models. In August 1915 the company came under the direction of Neapolitan entrepreneur Nicola Romeo
, who converted the factory to produce military hardware for the Italian and Allied war efforts. In 1920, the name of the company was changed to Alfa Romeo with the Torpedo 20-30 HP
becoming the first car to be badged as such.
In 1928 Nicola Romeo left, with Alfa going broke after defense contracts ended, and at the end of 1932 Alfa Romeo was rescued by Benito Mussolini
's government, which then had effective control. The Alfa factory struggled to return to profitability after the Second World War, and turned to mass-producing small vehicles rather than hand-building luxury models. The company, in 1954, developed the classic Alfa Romeo Twin Cam engine
, which would remain in production until 1995. During the 1960s and 1970s Alfa Romeo produced a number of sporty cars, though the Italian government parent company, Finmeccanica
, struggled to make a profit so sold the marque to the Fiat Group in 1986.
Alfa Romeo has competed successfully in many different categories of motorsport, including Grand Prix motor racing
, Formula One
, sportscar racing, touring car racing
and rallies
. They have competed both as a constructor and an engine supplier, via works entries (usually under the name Alfa Corse
or Autodelta
) and private entries. The first racing car was made in 1913, three years after the foundation of the company, and Alfa Romeo won the inaugural world championship for Grand Prix cars in 1925. The company gained a good name in motorsport, which gave a sporty image to the whole marque. Enzo Ferrari
founded the Scuderia Ferrari
racing team in 1929 as an Alfa Romeo racing team, before becoming independent in 1939.
The company that became Alfa Romeo was founded as Società Anonima Italiana Darracq (SAID) in 1906 by the French automobile firm of Alexandre Darracq
, with some Italian investors. One of them, Cavaliere Ugo Stella, an aristocrat
from Milan
, became chairman of the SAID in 1909. The firm's initial location was in Naples
, but even before the construction of the planned factory had started, Darracq decided late in 1906 that Milan would be a more suitable location and accordingly a tract of land was acquired in the Milan suburb of Portello
, where a new factory of 6700 square metres (8,013.1 sq yd) was erected. Late 1909, the Italian Darracq cars were selling slowly and Stella, with the other Italian co-investors, founded a new company named A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili), initially still in partnership with Darracq. The first non-Darracq car produced by the company was the 1910 24 HP
, designed by Giuseppe Merosi
, hired in 1909 for designing new cars more suitable to the Italian market. Merosi would go on to design a series of new A.L.F.A. cars, with more powerful engines (40-60 HP
). A.L.F.A. ventured into motor racing, with drivers Franchini and Ronzoni competing in the 1911 Targa Florio
with two 24 HP models. In 1914, an advanced Grand Prix car was designed and built, the GP1914
which featured a four cylinder, double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and twin ignition. However, the onset of the First World War halted automobile production at A.L.F.A. for three years.
In August 1915 the company came under the direction of Neapolitan entrepreneur Nicola Romeo
, who converted the factory to produce military hardware for the Italian and Allied war efforts. Munitions, aircraft engines and other components, compressors and generators based on the company's existing car engines were produced in a vastly enlarged factory during the war. When the war was over, Romeo invested his war profits in acquiring locomotive and railways carriage plants in Saronno (Costruzioni Meccaniche di Saronno), Rome (Officine Meccaniche di Roma) and Naples (Officine Ferroviarie Meridionali), which were added to his A.L.F.A. ownership.
Car production had not been considered at first, but resumed in 1919 since parts for the completion of 105 cars were still lying at the A.L.F.A. factory since 1915. In 1920, the name of the company was changed to Alfa Romeo with the Torpedo 20-30 HP
becoming the first car to be badged as such. Their first success came in 1920 when Giuseppe Campari
won at Mugello and continued with second place in the Targa Florio
driven by Enzo Ferrari
. Giuseppe Merosi continued as head designer, and the company continued to produce solid road cars as well as successful race cars (including the 40-60 HP and the RL Targa Florio
).
In 1923 Vittorio Jano
was lured away from Fiat
, partly thanks to the persuasion of a young Alfa racing driver named Enzo Ferrari
, to replace Merosi as chief designer at Alfa Romeo. The first Alfa Romeo under Jano was the P2 Grand Prix car
, which won Alfa Romeo the inaugural world championship for Grand Prix cars in 1925. For Alfa road cars Jano developed a series of small-to-medium-displacement 4, 6, and 8 cylinder inline power plants based on the P2 unit that established the classic architecture of Alfa engines, with light alloy construction, hemispherical combustion chambers, centrally-located plugs, two rows of overhead valves per cylinder bank and dual overhead cams. Jano's designs proved to be both reliable and powerful.
Enzo Ferrari proved to be a better team manager than driver, and when the factory team was privatised, it then became Scuderia Ferrari
. When Ferrari left Alfa Romeo, he went on to build his own cars. Tazio Nuvolari
often drove for Alfa, winning many races prior to the Second World War.
In 1928 Nicola Romeo left, with Alfa going broke after defence contracts ended, and at the end of 1932 Alfa Romeo was rescued by the government, which then had effective control. Alfa became an instrument of Mussolini's Italy, a national emblem. During this period Alfa Romeo built bespoke vehicles for the wealthy, with the bodies normally built by Touring of Milan
or Pinin Farina
. This was the era that peaked with the legendary Alfa Romeo 2900B Type 35
racers.
The Alfa factory (converted during wartime to the production of Macchi C.202 Folgore engines) was bombed during the Second World War, and struggled to return to profitability after the war. The luxury vehicles were out. Smaller mass-produced vehicles began to be produced in Alfa's factories beginning with the 1954 model year, with the introduction of the Giulietta
series of berline (saloons/sedans), coupes and open two-seaters. All three varieties shared what would become the classic Alfa Romeo overhead Twin Cam
four cylinder engine, initially in 1300 cc form. This engine would eventually be enlarged to 2 litres (2000 cc) and would remain in production until 1995.
) for single-seat racing cars provided an ideal setting for Alfa Romeo's tipo 158 Alfetta
, adapted from a pre-war voiturette, and Giuseppe Farina
won the first Formula One World Championship in 1950 in the 158. Juan Manuel Fangio
secured Alfa's second consecutive championship in 1951.
In 1952, Alfa-Romeo had experimented with its first front-wheel drive compact car named "Project 13-61". It had the same transverse-mounted, forward-motor layout as the modern front-wheel drive automobiles. Alfa-Romeo made a second attempt toward the late 1950s based on Project 13-61. It was to be called Tipo 103. It even resembled the smaller version of its popular Alfa-Romeo Giulia. However, due to the financial difficulties in post-war Italy, the Tipo 103 never saw the production. Had Alfa-Romeo succeed in producing Tipo 103, it would precede the Mini as the first "modern" front-wheel drive compact car.
During the 1960s, Alfa concentrated on competition using production-based cars, including the GTA
(standing for Gran Turismo Allegerita), an aluminium-bodied version of the Bertone-designed coupe with a powerful twin-plug engine. Among other victories, the GTA won the inaugural Sports Car Club of America
's Trans-Am
championship in 1966. In the 1970s, Alfa concentrated on prototype sports car racing with the Tipo 33, with early victories in 1971. Eventually the Tipo 33TT12 gained the World Championship for Makes
for Alfa Romeo in 1975 and the Tipo 33SC12 won the World Championship for Sports Cars
in 1977.
By the 1970s Alfa was again in financial trouble. The Italian government company Finmeccanica
bowed out in 1986 as Fiat Group bought in, creating a new group, Alfa Lancia Industriale S.p.A., to manufacture Alfas and Lancias. Models produced subsequent to the 1990s combined Alfa's traditional virtues of avant-garde styling and sporting panache with the economic benefits of product rationalisation, and include a "GTA" version of the 147
hatchback, the Giugiaro-designed Brera
, and a high-performance exotic called the 8C Competizione
(named after one of Alfa's most successful prewar sports and racing cars, the 8C
of the 1930s).
In 2005 Maserati was bought back from Ferrari and brought under Fiat's full control. The Fiat Group plans to create a sports and luxury division from Maserati and Alfa Romeo. There is a planned strategic relationship between these two; engines, platforms and
possibly dealers will be shared in some market areas.
In the beginning of 2007, Fiat Auto S.p.A. was reorganized and four new automobile companies were created; Fiat Automobiles S.p.A., Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A., Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. and Fiat Light Commercial Vehicles S.p.A. These companies are fully owned by Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A.
In the 1960s Alfa Romeo became famous for its small cars and models specifically designed for the Italian police — "Panthers"
and Carabinieri
; among them the glorious "Giulia Super" or the 2600 Sprint GT, which acquired the expressive nickname of "Inseguimento" dir. trl. "to chase or predate" (this car is wrongly supposed to be the one that the famous Roman police marshal and unrivalled driver Armandino Spadafora brought down on the Spanish Steps in 1960 while following some robbers — it was actually a black Ferrari 250 GT/E — this picture of Giulia, one of the dozens about this legend, is taken from a film and not at the Spanish Steps). The colours of the Alfa Romeos used by the Polizia were grey/blue with white stripes and writing, known as "Pantera" (Panther), enhancing the aggressive look of the Alfa (particularly the Giulia series), while the Carabinieri Alfas were dark blue with white roofs and red stripes, known as the "Gazzella" (Antelope) denoting the speed and agility of these "Pattuglie" (armed response patrol units). However, the term "Pantera" became used interchangeably and the image helped create a no-nonsense, determined and respected perception by the general public of the men that drove these cars, true to their history.
Since then, Alfas remain the chosen mount of the Carabinieri (renowned arm of the Italian Armed Forces seconded only partly for civilian Policing purposes), Polizia Autostradale (Highway Police) and the conventional police service (Polizia). Successively, the following Alfa Romeo Berlinas have found favour for Italian Police and Government employment:
Since 1960s, the Italian Prime Minister has used Alfa Romeos (and lately the new Maserati Quattroporte) as preferred government limousines. The 164, and 166 have found particular employment in the last two decades.
starting from the mid 1950s. The Giulietta Spider was born by request of Max Hoffman, he made proposal to produce an open version of the Giulietta. In 1961 Alfa Romeo started importing cars to the United States.
In 1995 Alfa Romeo ceased exporting cars to the United States, the last model to be sold being the 164. Rumours began of their return, however as the FAQ on Alfa's English website had said "The long-awaited return of Alfa Romeo to the United States market should take place by 2007, with a range of new models."
Alfa Romeo's return to United States was confirmed on 5 May 2006 by Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne
. Alfa Romeo resumed sales in the United States with the 8C Competizione in October 2008. Alfa Romeo and Chrysler are currently in discussions, with Alfa Romeo possibly using Chrysler manufacturing plants that have been shut down due to unneeded product.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Nov. 4, 2009, that Chrysler would announce that it is dropping several models of Dodge and Jeep while phasing in Alfa Romeo and Fiat 500 models.
The Alfa Romeo 4C
will be the first mass produced car to re-enter the US market in 2013.
car, the first road car with such an engine the 6C 1500 Sport
appeared in the 1928.
Alfa Romeo tested one of the very first electric injection systems (Caproni
-Fuscaldo) in the Alfa Romeo 6C 2500
with "Ala spessa" body in 1940 Mille Miglia
. The engine had six electrically operated injectors which were fed by a semi-high pressure circulating fuel pump system.
Mechanical Variable Valve Timing
was introduced in the Alfa Romeo Spider
sold in U.S. markets in 1980. Electronic Variable Valve Timing was introduced in the (Alfetta).
The 105 series Giulia
was a quite advanced car using such technologies as: All-wheel disc brake
s, plastic radiator header tank it had also the lowest Drag Coefficient
(Cd) in its class The same trend continued with the Alfetta 2000 and GTV, which had such things as 50:50 weight distribution
, standard fit alloy wheel
s and transaxle
.
Newer innovations include complete CAD design process used in Alfa Romeo 164
, robotised/paddle control transmission
Selespeed
used in 156
, the 156 was also world's first passenger car to use Common rail
diesel engine. The Multiair
-an electro-hydraulic variable valve actuation technology used in MiTo
was introduced in 2009.
The last mentioned, the Centro Stile, has rapidly gained international credibility with its work. The 8C Competizione super-coupé, and the MiTo hatchback are the result of their work.
Construction techniques used by Alfa Romeo have become imitated by other car makers, and in this way Alfa Romeo body design has often been very influential. The following is a list of innovations, and where appropriate, examples of imitation by other car manufacturers:
Alfa Romeo models have also served as the inspiration and basis of some very interesting and often beautiful concept cars. Here follows a short list of concept cars, and their impacts on car design:
1950s - The B.A.T. cars
The Berlina Aerodinamica Tecnica
prototype cars were designed by Bertone as an exercise in determining whether streamlining and wind-tunnel driven designs would result in high performance on a standard chassis, and whether the resulting vehicles would be palatable to public. Alfa 1900 Sprint were the basis of the B.A.T. 5, 7 and 9. The later B.A.T. 11 was based on the 8C Competizione.
1960s and 1970s - Descendants of the Tipo 33
The Tipo 33 racing car, with its high-revving 2000 cc V8 engine became the basis for a number of different concept cars during 1960s and 1970s, two of which ultimately resulted in production vehicles. Most made their appearances at the Auto Salon Genève. Here is a brief list:
1980s-today - Modern ideas
In general, concept cars for Alfa Romeo have generally become production vehicles, after some modification to make them suitable for manufacture, and to provide driver and passenger safety. The Zagato SZ, GTV and Spider (descended from the Proteo), Brera and 159 are all good examples of Alfa Romeo's stylistic commitment in this direction.
The future
Alfa Romeo concept cars have mostly emphasized performance in combination with historical tradition. The Nuvola Concept, and the independently designed Diva Concept cars have demonstrated that this ethos is the centre of Alfa conceptualisation. The Centro Stile website also gives designers very good direction in terms of the combination of line and form Alfa prefers to see in the design process of its car's bodywork.
Alfa's badge incorporates emblems from fifth century Italy. It was designed in 1910 by an Italian draughtsman
Romano Cattaneo who used two heraldic devices
traditionally associated with Milan: on the right is the Biscione
, the emblem of the House of Visconti
, rulers of Milan in the 14th century; on the left is a red cross on a white field, the emblem of Milan, which Cattaneo had seen on the door of the Castello Sforzesco
. In 1918, after the company was purchased by Nicola Romeo
, the badge was redesigned with the help of Giuseppe Merosi
. A dark blue metallic ring was added, containing the inscription "ALFA — ROMEO" and "MILANO" separated by two Savoy dynasty
knots to honour the Kingdom of Italy
. After the victory of the P2
in the inaugural Automobile World Championship in 1925, Alfa added a laurel wreath
around the badge. In 1946, after the abolition of the monarchy, the Savoy knots were replaced with two curvy lines. The name "MILANO", the hyphen, and the lines were eliminated when Alfa Romeo opened its factory at Pomigliano d'Arco, Naples
in the early 1970s.
Alfa Romeo has been involved with motor racing since 1911, when they entered two 24 HP
models on Targa Florio competition. In the 1920s and 30s Alfa Romeo scored wins at many of the most famous and prestigious races and motoring events such as Targa Florio
, Mille Miglia
and Le Mans. Great success continued with Formula One
, Prototypes, Touring and Fast Touring. Private drivers also entered some rally competitions, with fine results. Alfa Romeo has competed both as a constructor and an engine supplier, via works entries Alfa Corse
, Autodelta
and private entries. Alfa Romeo's factory racing team was outsourced to Enzo Ferrari's Scuderia Ferrari
between 1933-1938. The most legendary Alfa Romeo driver is Tazio Nuvolari, who took one of the most legendary victories of all time by winning the 1935 German Grand Prix
at the Nürburgring.
, were rear-wheel-drive.
According to the current Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne in order to reap economies of scale, all new Alfa Romeo models will be made from the same basic platform (i.e., frame). Even Maserati
will share components with some Alfas.
Cloverleaf, or Quadrifoglio, badges denote high-end in comfort and engine size variants of Alfa Romeo cars, but previously denoted Alfa Romeo racing cars in the pre-Second-World-War era. The image first appeared in 1923 when Ugo Sivocci
presented one prior to the start of the 14th Targa Florio
as a good luck token to the team. This became the symbol of competition Alfas, denoting higher performance. Some modern Alfas wear a clover
leaf badge which is typically a green four leaf clover on a white background (Quadrifoglio Verde), but variants of blue on white have been recently observed as well.
The Alfettas of the early 1980s had models available sold as the "Silver Leaf" and "Gold Leaf" (Quadrifoglio Oro). These models were the top of the range. Badging was the Alfa Cloverleaf in either gold or silver to denote the specification level. The Gold Leaf model was also sold as the "159i" in some markets, the name in homage to the original 159.
The trim levels (option packages) offered today on the various nameplates (model lines) include the lusso ("luxury"), turismo ("touring"), and the GTA (gran tourismo alleggerita) ("light-weight grand tourer"). The GTA package is offered in the 147 and 156 and includes a V-6 engine. In the past, Alfa Romeo offered a Sprint trim level.
During the 1990s, Alfa Romeo moved car production to other districts in Italy. The Pomigliano d’Arco plant produced the 155, followed by the 145 and the 146, while the Arese plant
manufactured the 164 and new Spider and GTV. The 156 was launched in 1997, and became quite successful for Alfa Romeo; in 1998 it was voted “Car of the Year”. The same year a new flagship, the 166 (assembled in Rivalta, near Turin) was launched. At the beginning of the third millennium, the 147 was released, which won the prestigious title of “Car of the Year 2001”. In 2003 the Arese factory was closed.
The Arese factory
today hosts almost nothing and is nearly abandoned. What remains are some offices and the great Alfa Romeo Historical Museum
, a must-see for Alfa Romeo fans.
In the 60s, the main Alfa Romeo seat was moved from inside Milan to a very large and nearby area extending over the municipalities of Arese
, Lainate
and Garbagnate Milanese
. However, since then the Alfa seat is known to be in Arese, since the offices and the main entrance of the area are there.
In the late 1960s, a number of European automobile manufacturers established facilities in South Africa to assemble right hand drive vehicles. Fiat
and other Italian manufacturers established factories along with these other manufacturers, Alfa-Romeos were assembled in Brits
, outside of Pretoria
in the Transvaal Province
of South Africa. With the imposition of sanctions by western powers in the 1970s and 1980s, South Africa became self sufficient, and in car production came to rely more and more on the products from local factories. This led to a remarkable set of circumstances where between 1972 and 1989, South Africa had the greatest number of Alfa Romeos on the road outside of Italy. Even stranger, Alfa Romeos Brits plant was used in 1984-85 to build Daihatsu Charades both for local consumption but also for export to Italy, to skirt Italian limits on Japanese imports.
In late 1985, with the impending Fiat takeover and an international boycott of the South African Apartheid government, Alfa Romeo withdrew from the market and closed the plant. After the plants closing, literally tons of valuable parts were bulldozed into the ground to escape paying import duties.
Alfa Romeo MiTo
The MiTo
is a three door sporty supermini
officially introduced on 19 June 2008 in Castello Sforzesco
in Milan
, the international introduction was at British Motor Show in 2008.
Alfa Romeo Giulietta
The Giulietta (previously Milano) is a five door, small family car officially revealed at the Geneva Motor Show 2010. It replaced the 147.
Alfa Romeo 159
Current mid-size saloon, introduced officially in production form at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show, the 159
is available with four different petrol engines and three diesels. 159 Sportwagon is an estate version of this car. Was launched in 2005 to replace the 156.
In 1930 Alfa Romeo presented a light truck in addition to heavy LCVs based to Büssing
constructions. In the Second World War Alfa Romeo also built trucks for the Italian army ("35 tons anywhere") and later also for the German Wehrmacht
. After the war, commercial motor vehicle production was resumed.
In co-operation with FIAT
and Saviem
starting from the 60s different light truck models were developed.
The production of heavy LCVs was terminated in 1967. In Brazil
the heavy trucks were built still few years by Alfa Romeo subsidiary Fábrica Nacional de Motores
under the name FNM. The last Alfa Romeo vans were the Alfa Romeo AR6 and AR8, which were rebadged versions of Iveco Daily and Fiat Ducato. The company also produced trolleybus
es for many systems in Italy, Latin America, Sweden, Greece, Germany, Turkey and South Africa. Later, Alfa Romeo concentrated only on passenger car manufacturing.
LCVs
Trucks
Buses
Trolleybuses
of concepts from the 1950s was a joint collaboration project with the Italian design house Bertone. Other famous Italian coachbuilders and design houses like Pininfarina
, Bertone, Zagato
and ItalDesign-Giugiaro have also played a great role in Alfa Romeo's history, and even today some of models are designed and constructed by these great names.
An Alfa engine was first used on an aircraft in 1910 on the Santoni-Franchini biplane. In 1932 Alfa Romeo built its first real aircraft engine the D2 (240 bhp), which was fitted to Caproni 101 D2. In the 1930s when Alfa Romeo engines were used for aircraft on a larger scale; the Savoia Marchetti SM.74, Savoia-Marchetti SM.75
, Savoia-Marchetti SM.79
, Savoia Marchetti SM.81 and Cant Z506B Airone
all used Alfa Romeo manufactured engines. In 1931, a competition was arranged where Tazio Nuvolari
drove his Alfa Romeo 8C 3000 Monza
against a Caproni
Ca.100 airplane. Alfa Romeo built various aircraft engines during the Second World War; the best known was the RA.1000 RC 41-I Monsone, a licensed version of the Daimler-Benz DB 601
. This engine made it possible to build efficient fighter aircraft like the Macchi C.202 Folgore for the Italian army. After the Second World War Alfa Romeo produced engines for Fiat, Aerfer
and Ambrosini
. In the 1960s Alfa Romeo mainly focused upgrading and maintaining Curtiss-Wright, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce and General Electric aircraft engines. Alfa Romeo built also Italy's first turbine engine, installed to the Beechcraft King Air
. Alfa Romeo's Avio division was sold to Aeritalia
in 1988, from 1996 it was part of Fiat Avio. Alfa Avio was also part of developing team to the new T700-T6E1 engine to the NHI NH90
helicopter.
The Graduate
Probably the most famous appearance and presence on screen of any Alfa is in the 1967's hit film The Graduate
, starring Dustin Hoffman
, Katharine Ross
and Anne Bancroft
. It gave worldwide celebrity to the "Spider
". The Spider depicted on screen had its engine note accurately recorded, and electrical foibles (the non-functional fuel gauge) reproduced.
On the strength of the Spider's appeal, Alfa Romeo continued sales of the Spider into the 1990s, and a special edition named the Alfa Graduate was available in the United States in the 1980s.
The entire set of scenes featuring the Spider in the Graduate were replicated in satire by Mike Myers
in his comedy, Wayne's World 2
. The Spider here cuts out Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson" when passing under a bridge (implying music being played on a radio), but still has a non-functional fuel gauge - causing it to ultimately grind to halt (fortunately at the correct church!)
The Spider was designed by Pininfarina
; derived from several design studies dating back to the late 1950s, the Spider is believed to be the last design on which Battista Farina
personally worked.
James Bond
One of the most prominent roles was when James Bond
(Roger Moore
) stole and then drove a graphite GTV6 in 1983's Octopussy
. In the scene it is pursued by two Bavarian BMW 5-series police cars.
A pair of black Alfa Romeo 159
Ti cars appeared in the opening scenes of the 2008 James Bond
film Quantum of Solace. They featured in the car chase with James Bond's Aston Martin DBS V12
around Lake Garda
, Italy. Noteworthy attention was paid to the auditory qualities of the Alfa's, which have the characteristic 'Big V-6' sound on-screen. The same film also features a Carabineri Alfa 156. Rene Mathis also has an Alfa, a white 2600 GT coupe.
Other films
Television
Top Gear
In recent times, the BBC 2 Series 'Top Gear' has had quite an impact on the popular conception of the Alfa Romeo. Co-presenter Jeremy Clarkson
insists that "nobody can call themselves a true petrolhead" until they have owned one.
Literature
In the first printing of Dan Brown
's novel Angels & Demons, the members of the Swiss Guard
all drive Alfa Romeo sedans (albeit inaccurately referred to as 'Alpha Romeos' throughout the book).
In the Ian Fleming
novel Moonraker
, James Bond becomes involved in an impromptu race with a young man driving an Alfa Romeo while he pursues Hugo Drax. This scene in the novel results in the death of the young man, the destruction of his car, and the eventual destruction of Bond's Bentley
Mark IV.
More recent slogans used are "Mediocrity is a sin", "Driven by Passion", "Cuore Sportivo" and "Beauty is not enough".
As part of its marketing policy, Alfa Romeo sponsors a number of sporting events, such as the Mille Miglia
rally. It has sponsored the SBK Superbike World Championship
and Ducati Corse since 2007, and the Goodwood Festival of Speed
for many years, and was one of the featured brands in 2010 when Alfa Romeo celebrated its 100th anniversary. The Alfa Romeo Giulietta has been used since Monza 2010 race as the safety car in Superbike World Championship events.
In 2002, Alfa Romeo I, the first Alfa Romeo
super maxi yacht
was launched. She has been first to finish in at least 74 races including the 2002 Sydney—Hobart Race
. A new state-of-the-art super maxi, Alfa Romeo II, was commissioned in 2005, measuring 30 metres (98.4 ft) LOA. Alfa Romeo II set a new elapsed-time record for monohulls in the 2009 Transpac race, of 5 days, 14 hours, 36 minutes, 20 seconds She has been first to finish in at least 140 races. In mid-2008 Alfa Romeo III was launched for competitive fleet racing under the IRC
rule. Alfa Romeo III measures 21.4 metres (70.2 ft) LOA and features interior design styled after the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
.
:Category: Alfa Romeo engines
:Category: Alfa Romeo people
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars. The company was owned by Italian state holding company Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale
Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale
The Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale was an Italian public company set up by the fascist government in 1933 to combat the effects of the global depression on the Italian economy...
between 1932 and 1986, when it became a part of the Fiat Group
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
, and since February 2007 a part of Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A.
The company that became Alfa Romeo was founded as Società Anonima Italiana Darracq (SAID) in 1906 by the French automobile firm of Alexandre Darracq
Alexandre Darracq
Alexandre Darracq was a French automobile manufacturer.Born Pierre Alexandre Darracq in Bordeaux, France, of Basque parents, he trained as a draftsman at the Arsenal in Tarbes, in the Hautes-Pyrénées département...
, with some Italian investors. In the late 1909, the Italian Darracq cars were selling slowly and a new company was founded named A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili Lombard Automobile Factory, Public Company), initially still in partnership with Darracq. The first non-Darracq car produced by the company was the 1910 24 HP
A.L.F.A 24 HP
The A.L.F.A 24 HP came on the market in 1910. This was the first automobile created by A.L.F.A . Giuseppe Merosi was the man behind engineering. The car was used for the first time in car racing in the 1911 Targa Florio. This was first commercial success for the company and the timeline of the HP...
, designed by Giuseppe Merosi
Giuseppe Merosi
Giuseppe Merosi was a famous Italian automobile engineer.Born in Piacenza, Merosi trained as a building surveyor, before he discovered his gift for the automotive engineering. He gained first experiences at Bianchi and the running department of Fiats...
. A.L.F.A. ventured into motor racing, with drivers Franchini and Ronzoni competing in the 1911 Targa Florio
Targa Florio
The Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973...
with two 24 HP models. In August 1915 the company came under the direction of Neapolitan entrepreneur Nicola Romeo
Nicola Romeo
Nicola Romeo was an Italian engineer and an entrepreneur.Nicola graduated with a degree in engineering from the Politecnico di Torino in 1899. After that, he worked for a couple of years abroad and completed a second bachelor degree in electrical engineering in Liège, Belgium. In 1911 he returned...
, who converted the factory to produce military hardware for the Italian and Allied war efforts. In 1920, the name of the company was changed to Alfa Romeo with the Torpedo 20-30 HP
Alfa Romeo 20/30 HP
A.L.F.A. or later Alfa Romeo has made three cars named as 20/30 HP, first one 1910 4-cylinder 4-6-seater tourer, improved version 20/30 HP E in 1914 and 1921 the 20/30 HP ES Sport, a 4-seater sportscar.-The Alfa 20-30 HP:...
becoming the first car to be badged as such.
In 1928 Nicola Romeo left, with Alfa going broke after defense contracts ended, and at the end of 1932 Alfa Romeo was rescued by Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
's government, which then had effective control. The Alfa factory struggled to return to profitability after the Second World War, and turned to mass-producing small vehicles rather than hand-building luxury models. The company, in 1954, developed the classic Alfa Romeo Twin Cam engine
Alfa Romeo Twin Cam engine
The all alloy Alfa Romeo Twin Cam engine series was an inline-4 cylinder engine produced by Alfa Romeo from 1954 to 1994. For earlier Alfa Romeo engines featuring twin camshafts, refer to the main Alfa Romeo page...
, which would remain in production until 1995. During the 1960s and 1970s Alfa Romeo produced a number of sporty cars, though the Italian government parent company, Finmeccanica
Finmeccanica
Finmeccanica S.p.A. is an Italian conglomerate. Finmeccanica is the second largest industrial group and the largest of the hi-tech industrial groups based in Italy. It works in the fields of defence, aerospace, security, automation, transport and energy...
, struggled to make a profit so sold the marque to the Fiat Group in 1986.
Alfa Romeo has competed successfully in many different categories of motorsport, including Grand Prix motor racing
Grand Prix motor racing
Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
, Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
, sportscar racing, touring car racing
Touring car racing
Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. It is notably popular in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Scandinavia and Britain.-Characteristics of a touring car:...
and rallies
Rallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
. They have competed both as a constructor and an engine supplier, via works entries (usually under the name Alfa Corse
Alfa Corse
Alfa Corse is the name of Alfa Romeo's factory racing team. Throughout the years, Alfa Corse has competed in various forms of motorsport, from Grand Prix motor racing to touring car racing....
or Autodelta
Autodelta
Autodelta SpA was the name of Alfa Romeo's competition department. Established in 1961 as Auto-Delta, the company was started by Carlo Chiti, a former Alfa Romeo and Ferrari engineer, and Ludovico Chizzola, an official Alfa Romeo dealer. The team was officially made a department of Alfa Romeo on...
) and private entries. The first racing car was made in 1913, three years after the foundation of the company, and Alfa Romeo won the inaugural world championship for Grand Prix cars in 1925. The company gained a good name in motorsport, which gave a sporty image to the whole marque. Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Anselmo Ferrari Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian race car driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari car manufacturer...
founded the Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
racing team in 1929 as an Alfa Romeo racing team, before becoming independent in 1939.
Foundation and early years
Alexandre Darracq
Alexandre Darracq was a French automobile manufacturer.Born Pierre Alexandre Darracq in Bordeaux, France, of Basque parents, he trained as a draftsman at the Arsenal in Tarbes, in the Hautes-Pyrénées département...
, with some Italian investors. One of them, Cavaliere Ugo Stella, an aristocrat
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
from Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, became chairman of the SAID in 1909. The firm's initial location was in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, but even before the construction of the planned factory had started, Darracq decided late in 1906 that Milan would be a more suitable location and accordingly a tract of land was acquired in the Milan suburb of Portello
Portello, Milan
Portello is a district of Milan, Italy, part of the Zone 8 administrative division of the city, located north-west of the centre. It is best known as a car-manufacturing area, as it used to house facilities of Alfa Romeo , Darracq, Citroën, and Fiat. The district also includes one of the major...
, where a new factory of 6700 square metres (8,013.1 sq yd) was erected. Late 1909, the Italian Darracq cars were selling slowly and Stella, with the other Italian co-investors, founded a new company named A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili), initially still in partnership with Darracq. The first non-Darracq car produced by the company was the 1910 24 HP
A.L.F.A 24 HP
The A.L.F.A 24 HP came on the market in 1910. This was the first automobile created by A.L.F.A . Giuseppe Merosi was the man behind engineering. The car was used for the first time in car racing in the 1911 Targa Florio. This was first commercial success for the company and the timeline of the HP...
, designed by Giuseppe Merosi
Giuseppe Merosi
Giuseppe Merosi was a famous Italian automobile engineer.Born in Piacenza, Merosi trained as a building surveyor, before he discovered his gift for the automotive engineering. He gained first experiences at Bianchi and the running department of Fiats...
, hired in 1909 for designing new cars more suitable to the Italian market. Merosi would go on to design a series of new A.L.F.A. cars, with more powerful engines (40-60 HP
A.L.F.A 40/60 HP
The A.L.F.A 40/60 HP was a race and road car made by Italian car manufacturer A.L.F.A . This model was made between 1913 and 1922 and was designed by Giuseppe Merosi, just like all other Alfas at that time. The 40/60 HP has a 6082 cc straight-4 engine with overhead valves, which produced and its...
). A.L.F.A. ventured into motor racing, with drivers Franchini and Ronzoni competing in the 1911 Targa Florio
Targa Florio
The Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973...
with two 24 HP models. In 1914, an advanced Grand Prix car was designed and built, the GP1914
Alfa Romeo Grand Prix
A.L.F.A. 40/60 GP or GP was a fully working early racing car prototype made by the company now called Alfa Romeo. Only one example was built in 1914, which was later modified in 1921. This was creation of Giuseppe Merosi and was first Alfa Romeo DOHC engine. It had also four valves per cylinder,...
which featured a four cylinder, double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and twin ignition. However, the onset of the First World War halted automobile production at A.L.F.A. for three years.
In August 1915 the company came under the direction of Neapolitan entrepreneur Nicola Romeo
Nicola Romeo
Nicola Romeo was an Italian engineer and an entrepreneur.Nicola graduated with a degree in engineering from the Politecnico di Torino in 1899. After that, he worked for a couple of years abroad and completed a second bachelor degree in electrical engineering in Liège, Belgium. In 1911 he returned...
, who converted the factory to produce military hardware for the Italian and Allied war efforts. Munitions, aircraft engines and other components, compressors and generators based on the company's existing car engines were produced in a vastly enlarged factory during the war. When the war was over, Romeo invested his war profits in acquiring locomotive and railways carriage plants in Saronno (Costruzioni Meccaniche di Saronno), Rome (Officine Meccaniche di Roma) and Naples (Officine Ferroviarie Meridionali), which were added to his A.L.F.A. ownership.
| Year | Cars | Industrial vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| 1934 | 699 | 0 |
| 1935 | 91 | 211 |
| 1936 | 20 | 671 |
| 1937 | 270 | 851 |
| 1938 | 542 | 729 |
| 1939 | 372 | 562 |
Car production had not been considered at first, but resumed in 1919 since parts for the completion of 105 cars were still lying at the A.L.F.A. factory since 1915. In 1920, the name of the company was changed to Alfa Romeo with the Torpedo 20-30 HP
Alfa Romeo 20/30 HP
A.L.F.A. or later Alfa Romeo has made three cars named as 20/30 HP, first one 1910 4-cylinder 4-6-seater tourer, improved version 20/30 HP E in 1914 and 1921 the 20/30 HP ES Sport, a 4-seater sportscar.-The Alfa 20-30 HP:...
becoming the first car to be badged as such. Their first success came in 1920 when Giuseppe Campari
Giuseppe Campari
Giuseppe Campari was an Italian opera singer and Grand Prix motor racing driver.-Racing career:Born Giuseppe Campari near the city of Lodi southwest of Milan, as a teenager he went to work for the Alfa Romeo automobile company...
won at Mugello and continued with second place in the Targa Florio
Targa Florio
The Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973...
driven by Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Anselmo Ferrari Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian race car driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari car manufacturer...
. Giuseppe Merosi continued as head designer, and the company continued to produce solid road cars as well as successful race cars (including the 40-60 HP and the RL Targa Florio
Alfa Romeo RL
The Alfa Romeo RL was produced between 1922-1927. It was Alfa's first sport model after World War I. The car was designed in 1921 by Giuseppe Merosi. It had a straight-6 engine with overhead valves...
).
In 1923 Vittorio Jano
Vittorio Jano
Vittorio Jano was an Italian automobile designer of Hungarian descent from the 1920s through 1960s.Jano was born Viktor János in San Giorgio Canavese, in Piedmont, to Hungarian immigrants, who arrived there several years before the birth of Jano. He began his career at the car and truck company...
was lured away from Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
, partly thanks to the persuasion of a young Alfa racing driver named Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Anselmo Ferrari Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian race car driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari car manufacturer...
, to replace Merosi as chief designer at Alfa Romeo. The first Alfa Romeo under Jano was the P2 Grand Prix car
Alfa Romeo P2
The Alfa Romeo P2 won the inaugural Automobile World Championship in 1925, taking victory in two of the four championship rounds when Antonio Ascari drove it in the European Grand Prix at Spa and Gastone Brilli-Peri won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza after Ascari died while leading the intervening...
, which won Alfa Romeo the inaugural world championship for Grand Prix cars in 1925. For Alfa road cars Jano developed a series of small-to-medium-displacement 4, 6, and 8 cylinder inline power plants based on the P2 unit that established the classic architecture of Alfa engines, with light alloy construction, hemispherical combustion chambers, centrally-located plugs, two rows of overhead valves per cylinder bank and dual overhead cams. Jano's designs proved to be both reliable and powerful.
Enzo Ferrari proved to be a better team manager than driver, and when the factory team was privatised, it then became Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
. When Ferrari left Alfa Romeo, he went on to build his own cars. Tazio Nuvolari
Tazio Nuvolari
Tazio Giorgio Nuvolari was an Italian motorcycle and racecar driver, known as Il Mantovano Volante or Nivola. He was the 1932 European Champion in Grand Prix motor racing...
often drove for Alfa, winning many races prior to the Second World War.
Carrozzeria Touring
Carrozzeria Touring is an automobile coachbuilder established on March 25, 1926 in Milan, Italy by Felice Bianchi Anderloni and Gaetano Ponzoni...
or Pinin Farina
Pininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder in Cambiano, Italy.Founded as Società anonima Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930 by automobile designer and builder Battista "Pinin" Farina, Pininfarina has been employed by a wide variety of high-end automobile manufacturers,...
. This was the era that peaked with the legendary Alfa Romeo 2900B Type 35
Alfa Romeo 8C
-1935 Monoposto 8C 35 Type C:Eight 3.8 litre versions, sharing no castings with the earlier blocks, were individually built for racing in five months, most being used in the Alfa Romeo Monoposto 8C 35 Type C, as raced by Scuderia Ferrari. The 3.8 produced at 5500 rpm, and had from...
racers.
The Alfa factory (converted during wartime to the production of Macchi C.202 Folgore engines) was bombed during the Second World War, and struggled to return to profitability after the war. The luxury vehicles were out. Smaller mass-produced vehicles began to be produced in Alfa's factories beginning with the 1954 model year, with the introduction of the Giulietta
Alfa Romeo Giulietta
The Alfa Romeo Giulietta was a subcompact automobile manufactured by the Italian car maker Alfa Romeo from 1954 to 1965. The Giulietta was introduced at the Turin Motor Show in 1954 and almost 132,000 were built in the Portello factory in Milan.The first Giulietta model was a coupé, the Giulietta...
series of berline (saloons/sedans), coupes and open two-seaters. All three varieties shared what would become the classic Alfa Romeo overhead Twin Cam
Alfa Romeo Twin Cam engine
The all alloy Alfa Romeo Twin Cam engine series was an inline-4 cylinder engine produced by Alfa Romeo from 1954 to 1994. For earlier Alfa Romeo engines featuring twin camshafts, refer to the main Alfa Romeo page...
four cylinder engine, initially in 1300 cc form. This engine would eventually be enlarged to 2 litres (2000 cc) and would remain in production until 1995.
Post war
Once motorsports resumed after the Second World War, Alfa Romeo proved to be the car to beat in Grand Prix events. The introduction of the new formula (Formula OneFormula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
) for single-seat racing cars provided an ideal setting for Alfa Romeo's tipo 158 Alfetta
Alfa Romeo 158/159 Alfetta
The Alfa Romeo 158/159, also known as the Alfetta , is one of the most successful racing cars ever produced. The 158 and its derivative, the 159, took 47 wins from 54 Grands Prix entered. It was originally developed for the pre-World War II voiturette formula and has a 1.5 litre straight-8...
, adapted from a pre-war voiturette, and Giuseppe Farina
Giuseppe Farina
Emilio Giuseppe "Nino" Farina was an Italian racing driver. He stands out in the history of Grand Prix motor racing for his much copied 'straight-arm' driving style and his status as the first ever Formula One World Champion.-Biography:Born in Turin, Italy and nicknamed "Nino", Farina was a doctor...
won the first Formula One World Championship in 1950 in the 158. Juan Manuel Fangio
Juan Manuel Fangio
Juan Manuel Fangio , nicknamed El Chueco or El Maestro , was a racing car driver from Argentina, who dominated the first decade of Formula One racing...
secured Alfa's second consecutive championship in 1951.
| Year | Cars |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 197,680 |
| 1999 | 208,336 |
| 2000 | 206,836 |
| 2001 | 213,638 |
| 2002 | 187,437 |
| 2003 | 182,469 |
| 2004 | 162,179 |
| 2005 | 130,815 |
| 2006 | 157,794 |
| 2007 | 151,898 |
| 2008 | 103,097 |
| 2009 | 103,687 |
| 2010 | 119,451 |
In 1952, Alfa-Romeo had experimented with its first front-wheel drive compact car named "Project 13-61". It had the same transverse-mounted, forward-motor layout as the modern front-wheel drive automobiles. Alfa-Romeo made a second attempt toward the late 1950s based on Project 13-61. It was to be called Tipo 103. It even resembled the smaller version of its popular Alfa-Romeo Giulia. However, due to the financial difficulties in post-war Italy, the Tipo 103 never saw the production. Had Alfa-Romeo succeed in producing Tipo 103, it would precede the Mini as the first "modern" front-wheel drive compact car.
During the 1960s, Alfa concentrated on competition using production-based cars, including the GTA
Alfa Romeo GTA
The GTA 1300 Junior had a 1300 cc engine that was based on the 1600 engine but with a short stroke crankshaft. The GTA Junior in stradale form did not have many of the light weight features of the 1600 GTA, such as the plastic windows, magnesium engine components and alloy wheels. At start...
(standing for Gran Turismo Allegerita), an aluminium-bodied version of the Bertone-designed coupe with a powerful twin-plug engine. Among other victories, the GTA won the inaugural Sports Car Club of America
Sports Car Club of America
The Sports Car Club of America is a club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional racers.-History:...
's Trans-Am
Trans-Am Series
The Trans-Am Series is an automobile racing series which was created in 1966 by Sports Car Club of America President John Bishop. Originally known as the Trans-American Sedan Championship it has evolved over time from its original format as a manufacturers championship for modified racing sedans...
championship in 1966. In the 1970s, Alfa concentrated on prototype sports car racing with the Tipo 33, with early victories in 1971. Eventually the Tipo 33TT12 gained the World Championship for Makes
1975 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1975 World Sportscar Championship season was the 23rd season of FIA World Sportscar Championship motor racing. It featured the 1975 World Championship for Makes which was open to Group 5 Sports Cars and Group 4 Special GT Cars. It also included the FIA Cup for GT Cars and the FIA Cup for...
for Alfa Romeo in 1975 and the Tipo 33SC12 won the World Championship for Sports Cars
1977 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1977 World Sports Car Championship season was part of the 25th FIA World Sportscar Championship. It was a series open-cockpit sports cars. It ran from April 17, 1977 to September 18, 1977, and comprised 8 races total.-World Championship of Makes:...
in 1977.
By the 1970s Alfa was again in financial trouble. The Italian government company Finmeccanica
Finmeccanica
Finmeccanica S.p.A. is an Italian conglomerate. Finmeccanica is the second largest industrial group and the largest of the hi-tech industrial groups based in Italy. It works in the fields of defence, aerospace, security, automation, transport and energy...
bowed out in 1986 as Fiat Group bought in, creating a new group, Alfa Lancia Industriale S.p.A., to manufacture Alfas and Lancias. Models produced subsequent to the 1990s combined Alfa's traditional virtues of avant-garde styling and sporting panache with the economic benefits of product rationalisation, and include a "GTA" version of the 147
Alfa Romeo 147
The Alfa Romeo 147 is a small family car produced by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo from 2000 to 2010. The 147 was voted European Car of the Year for 2001, beating the Ford Mondeo and the Toyota Prius....
hatchback, the Giugiaro-designed Brera
Alfa Romeo Brera
The Alfa Romeo Brera is a sports car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 2005 and 2010. The Spider roadster was produced between 2006 to 2010. Both cars were manufactured by Pininfarina. Only 12,488 units of Spider and 21,786 units of Brera were built. Production of both models...
, and a high-performance exotic called the 8C Competizione
Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione is a sports car produced by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo. It was first presented as a concept car at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show and later released for sale for the 2007 model year...
(named after one of Alfa's most successful prewar sports and racing cars, the 8C
Alfa Romeo 8C
-1935 Monoposto 8C 35 Type C:Eight 3.8 litre versions, sharing no castings with the earlier blocks, were individually built for racing in five months, most being used in the Alfa Romeo Monoposto 8C 35 Type C, as raced by Scuderia Ferrari. The 3.8 produced at 5500 rpm, and had from...
of the 1930s).
In 2005 Maserati was bought back from Ferrari and brought under Fiat's full control. The Fiat Group plans to create a sports and luxury division from Maserati and Alfa Romeo. There is a planned strategic relationship between these two; engines, platforms and
possibly dealers will be shared in some market areas.
In the beginning of 2007, Fiat Auto S.p.A. was reorganized and four new automobile companies were created; Fiat Automobiles S.p.A., Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A., Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. and Fiat Light Commercial Vehicles S.p.A. These companies are fully owned by Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A.
Carabinieri and Italian government
and Carabinieri
Carabinieri
The Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations, and is a branch of the armed forces.-Early history:...
; among them the glorious "Giulia Super" or the 2600 Sprint GT, which acquired the expressive nickname of "Inseguimento" dir. trl. "to chase or predate" (this car is wrongly supposed to be the one that the famous Roman police marshal and unrivalled driver Armandino Spadafora brought down on the Spanish Steps in 1960 while following some robbers — it was actually a black Ferrari 250 GT/E — this picture of Giulia, one of the dozens about this legend, is taken from a film and not at the Spanish Steps). The colours of the Alfa Romeos used by the Polizia were grey/blue with white stripes and writing, known as "Pantera" (Panther), enhancing the aggressive look of the Alfa (particularly the Giulia series), while the Carabinieri Alfas were dark blue with white roofs and red stripes, known as the "Gazzella" (Antelope) denoting the speed and agility of these "Pattuglie" (armed response patrol units). However, the term "Pantera" became used interchangeably and the image helped create a no-nonsense, determined and respected perception by the general public of the men that drove these cars, true to their history.
Since then, Alfas remain the chosen mount of the Carabinieri (renowned arm of the Italian Armed Forces seconded only partly for civilian Policing purposes), Polizia Autostradale (Highway Police) and the conventional police service (Polizia). Successively, the following Alfa Romeo Berlinas have found favour for Italian Police and Government employment:
- Alfa Romeo Alfetta
- Alfa Romeo "Nuova" Giulietta
- Alfa Romeo 33 (Only Polizia di StatoPolizia di StatoThe Polizia di Stato is one of the national police forces of Italy.It is the main police force for providing police duties and it is also responsible for patrolling motorways , railways , airports , customs as well as certain waterways, and assisting the local police...
) - Alfa Romeo 75
- Alfa Romeo 164 (Official Vehicles)
- Alfa Romeo 155
- Alfa Romeo 156
- Alfa Romeo 166 (Official Vehicles)
- Alfa Romeo 159
Since 1960s, the Italian Prime Minister has used Alfa Romeos (and lately the new Maserati Quattroporte) as preferred government limousines. The 164, and 166 have found particular employment in the last two decades.
Recent developments
Alfa Romeo has been suffering from falling sales. Some analysts concluded that the automaker suffered large operating losses in the mid-2000s - estimated to be about 15 percent to 20 percent of the Alfa’s annual revenues—or about 300 million to 500 million euros a year. For the year of 2010, it sold a total of about 112,000 units which was significantly lower than Fiat CEO Marchionne's global sales target of 300,000. Alfa wants to achieve 170,000 sales in 2011, including 100,000 Giulietta and 60,000 MiTo, and 500,000 by 2014 including 85,000 from N. American market.Return to the United States
Alfa Romeo was imported to the United States by Max HoffmanMax Hoffman
Max Hoffman, , was an Austrian-born importer of automobiles into the United States during the 1950s. Doing business among gentlemen who knew one another well, he was known for his handshake deals that always were upheld without a written contract...
starting from the mid 1950s. The Giulietta Spider was born by request of Max Hoffman, he made proposal to produce an open version of the Giulietta. In 1961 Alfa Romeo started importing cars to the United States.
In 1995 Alfa Romeo ceased exporting cars to the United States, the last model to be sold being the 164. Rumours began of their return, however as the FAQ on Alfa's English website had said "The long-awaited return of Alfa Romeo to the United States market should take place by 2007, with a range of new models."
Alfa Romeo's return to United States was confirmed on 5 May 2006 by Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne
Sergio Marchionne
Sergio Marchionne is an international manager best known for his turnaround of the Italian automotive group Fiat and, more recently, for managing the US automotive group Chrysler from bankruptcy to profitability...
. Alfa Romeo resumed sales in the United States with the 8C Competizione in October 2008. Alfa Romeo and Chrysler are currently in discussions, with Alfa Romeo possibly using Chrysler manufacturing plants that have been shut down due to unneeded product.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Nov. 4, 2009, that Chrysler would announce that it is dropping several models of Dodge and Jeep while phasing in Alfa Romeo and Fiat 500 models.
The Alfa Romeo 4C
Alfa Romeo 4C
The Alfa Romeo 4C Concept debuted at the 81st Geneva International Motor Show in March 2011. The 4C is small lightweight rear wheel drive sports car; its size is similar or slightly smaller than Alfa Romeo MiTo supermini...
will be the first mass produced car to re-enter the US market in 2013.
Technological development
Alfa Romeo has introduced some technological innovations over the years, and the company has often been among the first users of new technologies. Alfa Romeo's trademark double overhead cam engine was used for the first time in the 1914 Grand PrixAlfa Romeo Grand Prix
A.L.F.A. 40/60 GP or GP was a fully working early racing car prototype made by the company now called Alfa Romeo. Only one example was built in 1914, which was later modified in 1921. This was creation of Giuseppe Merosi and was first Alfa Romeo DOHC engine. It had also four valves per cylinder,...
car, the first road car with such an engine the 6C 1500 Sport
Alfa Romeo 6C
The Alfa Romeo 6C name was used on road, race and sports cars made between 1925–1954 by Alfa Romeo. 6C refers to a straight 6 engine. Bodies for these cars were made by coachbuilders such as James Young, Zagato, Touring, Castagna, and Pininfarina...
appeared in the 1928.
Alfa Romeo tested one of the very first electric injection systems (Caproni
Caproni
thumb|right|300px|[[Caproni Ca.316]] seaplane at its moorings.Caproni was an Italian aircraft manufacturer founded in 1908 by Giovanni Battista "Gianni" Caproni....
-Fuscaldo) in the Alfa Romeo 6C 2500
Alfa Romeo 6C
The Alfa Romeo 6C name was used on road, race and sports cars made between 1925–1954 by Alfa Romeo. 6C refers to a straight 6 engine. Bodies for these cars were made by coachbuilders such as James Young, Zagato, Touring, Castagna, and Pininfarina...
with "Ala spessa" body in 1940 Mille Miglia
Mille Miglia
The Mille Miglia was an open-road endurance race which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 ....
. The engine had six electrically operated injectors which were fed by a semi-high pressure circulating fuel pump system.
Mechanical Variable Valve Timing
Variable valve timing
In internal combustion engines, variable valve timing , also known as Variable valve actuation , is a generalized term used to describe any mechanism or method that can alter the shape or timing of a valve lift event within an internal combustion engine...
was introduced in the Alfa Romeo Spider
Alfa Romeo Spider
The Alfa Romeo Spider is a roadster produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo from 1966 to 1993 . Widely regarded as a design classic, it remained in production for almost three decades with only minor aesthetic and mechanical changes...
sold in U.S. markets in 1980. Electronic Variable Valve Timing was introduced in the (Alfetta).
The 105 series Giulia
Alfa Romeo Giulia
The Alfa Romeo Giulia is an Alfa Romeo automobile. Alfa was one of the first manufacturers to put a powerful engine in a light-weight car for mainstream production. The Giulia weighed about . The car was equipped with a light alloy twin overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine, similar to that of...
was a quite advanced car using such technologies as: All-wheel disc brake
Disc brake
The disc brake or disk brake is a device for slowing or stopping the rotation of a wheel while it is in motion.A brake disc is usually made of cast iron, but may in some cases be made of composites such as reinforced carbon–carbon or ceramic matrix composites. This is connected to the wheel and/or...
s, plastic radiator header tank it had also the lowest Drag Coefficient
Drag coefficient
In fluid dynamics, the drag coefficient is a dimensionless quantity that is used to quantify the drag or resistance of an object in a fluid environment such as air or water. It is used in the drag equation, where a lower drag coefficient indicates the object will have less aerodynamic or...
(Cd) in its class The same trend continued with the Alfetta 2000 and GTV, which had such things as 50:50 weight distribution
Weight distribution
Weight distribution is the apportioning of weight within a vehicle, especially cars, airplanes, and trains.In a vehicle which relies on gravity in some way, weight distribution directly affects a variety of vehicle characteristics, including handling, acceleration, traction, and component life...
, standard fit alloy wheel
Alloy wheel
Alloy wheels are automobile wheels which are made from an alloy of aluminium or magnesium. They are typically lighter for the same strength...
s and transaxle
Transaxle
In the automotive field, a transaxle is a major mechanical component that combines the functionality of the transmission, the differential, and associated components of the driven axle into one integrated assembly....
.
Newer innovations include complete CAD design process used in Alfa Romeo 164
Alfa Romeo 164
The Alfa Romeo 164 is an executive car with saloon body, produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo from 1987 to 1998.The 164 was re-badged as the 168 for the Hong Kong and Malaysian markets, as the number "164" had a very negative connotation , and "168" has quite the opposite The Alfa Romeo 164...
, robotised/paddle control transmission
Electrohydraulic manual transmission
Electrohydraulic manual transmission is a type of semi-automatic transmission system, which uses an automated clutch unlike conventional manual transmissions where the driver operates the clutch. The clutch is controlled by electronic computers and hydraulics...
Selespeed
Selespeed
Selespeed is the name of an electrohydraulic manual transmission used in Alfa Romeo cars, developed by Italian company Magneti Marelli. The Selespeed is a robotized manual gearbox with electronic clutch. In its current incarnation it can be operated via paddle shifters from the steering wheel or...
used in 156
Alfa Romeo 156
The Alfa Romeo 156 is a compact executive car introduced by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show as the replacement for the Alfa Romeo 155...
, the 156 was also world's first passenger car to use Common rail
Common rail
Common rail direct fuel injection is a modern variant of direct fuel injection system for petrol and diesel engines.On diesel engines, it features a high-pressure fuel rail feeding individual solenoid valves, as opposed to low-pressure fuel pump feeding unit injectors...
diesel engine. The Multiair
Multiair
Multiair is an electro-hydraulic variable valve actuation technology controlling air intake in petrol or diesel engines . It is compatible with both naturally aspirated and forced-induction engines....
-an electro-hydraulic variable valve actuation technology used in MiTo
Alfa Romeo MiTo
The Alfa Romeo MiTo is a three door sporty supermini officially introduced on June 19, 2008, at Castello Sforzesco in Milan, with an international introduction at the British Motor Show in 2008. The car was available in all Alfa's major markets in stages from July...
was introduced in 2009.
Body design
Over the life of the marque, many famous automotive design houses in Italy have accepted commissions to produce concepts and production vehicle shapes for Alfa Romeo. A selection of these include the following- Bertone
- Giorgetto Giugiaro / Italdesign
- Pininfarina
- Zagato
- Centro Stile Alfa Romeo
The last mentioned, the Centro Stile, has rapidly gained international credibility with its work. The 8C Competizione super-coupé, and the MiTo hatchback are the result of their work.
Construction techniques used by Alfa Romeo have become imitated by other car makers, and in this way Alfa Romeo body design has often been very influential. The following is a list of innovations, and where appropriate, examples of imitation by other car manufacturers:
- 1950s : Monocoque body design in the Giulia : While not an imitation per se, this construction technique became extremely widespread, and remains so to the present day.
- 1960s : Aerodynamics : The 116-series Giulia boasted a very low Cd. Toyota in particular sought to produce a similarly shaped series of vehicles at this time.
- 1970s : Fairing of bumpers : In order to meet American crash standards, Alfa formulated design styling techniques to incorporate bumpers into the overall bodywork design of vehicles so as to not ruin their lines. The culmination of this design technique was 1980s Alfa Romeo 75. The process was widely copied, particularly in Germany and Japan.
- 1980s : The Alfa 164 : The design process and influence of this car is almost completely out of all proportion to previous Alfas. The 164 introduced complete CAD/CAM in the manufacturing cycle, with very little directly made by hand in the vehicle. In addition, the 164's styling influence continues into the present day line of modern Alfa's. Most manufacturers incorporated design ideas first expressed in the 164 into their own designs, including greater reliance on on-board computers.
- 1990s : The pseudo-coupé : The Alfa 156 and 147, while four door vehicles, represented themselves as two-doors with prominent front door handles, and less visible rear door-handle flaps. Honda has used this design style in the latest Civic hatchback, and a somewhat similar idea is also seen in the most recent Mazda RX-8 four-seat coupé.
- 2000s : The Brera and 159 : These vehicles design, by Giorgetto Guigaro, have proven influential as regards sedan and coupé styling, demonstrating that concept vehicles are often immediately translatable into road car form, providing that initial design takes place using CAD systems.
Alfa Romeo models have also served as the inspiration and basis of some very interesting and often beautiful concept cars. Here follows a short list of concept cars, and their impacts on car design:
1950s - The B.A.T. cars
The Berlina Aerodinamica Tecnica
Alfa Romeo BAT
The Alfa Romeo BAT is an Italian concept car. The car originated in a joint collaboration project between Alfa Romeo and the Italian design house; Bertone that began in 1953...
prototype cars were designed by Bertone as an exercise in determining whether streamlining and wind-tunnel driven designs would result in high performance on a standard chassis, and whether the resulting vehicles would be palatable to public. Alfa 1900 Sprint were the basis of the B.A.T. 5, 7 and 9. The later B.A.T. 11 was based on the 8C Competizione.
1960s and 1970s - Descendants of the Tipo 33
The Tipo 33 racing car, with its high-revving 2000 cc V8 engine became the basis for a number of different concept cars during 1960s and 1970s, two of which ultimately resulted in production vehicles. Most made their appearances at the Auto Salon Genève. Here is a brief list:
- Gandini/Bertone Carabo (1968) - Marcello Gandini expressed ideas that would come to fruition in the Lamborghini Countach.
- Tipo 33.2 (1969)- Designed by Pininfarina, this car ultimately resulted in the 33 Stradale road car
- Gandini/Bertone Montreal Concept (1967) - making its appearance at the 1967 Montreal Expo, this Giulia-based concept resulted in the production Alfa Romeo MontrealAlfa Romeo MontrealThe Alfa Romeo Montreal is a 2+2 coupé automobile produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo from 1970 to 1977.-Concept car:The Alfa Romeo Montreal was introduced as a concept car in 1967 at Expo 67, held in Montreal, Canada. Originally, the concept cars were displayed without any model name,...
road car with a variant of the Tipo 33 V8 engine. - Bertone/Guigaro Navajo (1976)- A fully fibreglassed vehicle, and in some ways the epitome of Guigaro's 'Origami' style of flat planes.
1980s-today - Modern ideas
In general, concept cars for Alfa Romeo have generally become production vehicles, after some modification to make them suitable for manufacture, and to provide driver and passenger safety. The Zagato SZ, GTV and Spider (descended from the Proteo), Brera and 159 are all good examples of Alfa Romeo's stylistic commitment in this direction.
The future
Alfa Romeo concept cars have mostly emphasized performance in combination with historical tradition. The Nuvola Concept, and the independently designed Diva Concept cars have demonstrated that this ethos is the centre of Alfa conceptualisation. The Centro Stile website also gives designers very good direction in terms of the combination of line and form Alfa prefers to see in the design process of its car's bodywork.
The badge
Technical drawing
Technical drawing, also known as drafting or draughting, is the act and discipline of composing plans that visually communicate how something functions or has to be constructed.Drafting is the language of industry....
Romano Cattaneo who used two heraldic devices
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
traditionally associated with Milan: on the right is the Biscione
Biscione
The Biscione , also known as the Vipera , is a heraldic charge showing in Argent an Azure serpent in the act of consuming a human; usually a child and sometimes described as a Moor. It has been the emblem of the Italian Visconti family for around a thousand years...
, the emblem of the House of Visconti
House of Visconti
Visconti is the family name of two important Italian noble dynasties of the Middle Ages. There are two distinct Visconti families: The first one in the Republic of Pisa in the mid twelfth century who achieved prominence first in Pisa, then in Sardinia where they became rulers of Gallura...
, rulers of Milan in the 14th century; on the left is a red cross on a white field, the emblem of Milan, which Cattaneo had seen on the door of the Castello Sforzesco
Castello Sforzesco
Castello Sforzesco is a castle in Milan, Italy, that used to be the seat and residence of the Duchy of Milan and one of the biggest citadels in Europe and now houses several of the city's museums and art collections.-History:...
. In 1918, after the company was purchased by Nicola Romeo
Nicola Romeo
Nicola Romeo was an Italian engineer and an entrepreneur.Nicola graduated with a degree in engineering from the Politecnico di Torino in 1899. After that, he worked for a couple of years abroad and completed a second bachelor degree in electrical engineering in Liège, Belgium. In 1911 he returned...
, the badge was redesigned with the help of Giuseppe Merosi
Giuseppe Merosi
Giuseppe Merosi was a famous Italian automobile engineer.Born in Piacenza, Merosi trained as a building surveyor, before he discovered his gift for the automotive engineering. He gained first experiences at Bianchi and the running department of Fiats...
. A dark blue metallic ring was added, containing the inscription "ALFA — ROMEO" and "MILANO" separated by two Savoy dynasty
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
knots to honour the Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
. After the victory of the P2
Alfa Romeo P2
The Alfa Romeo P2 won the inaugural Automobile World Championship in 1925, taking victory in two of the four championship rounds when Antonio Ascari drove it in the European Grand Prix at Spa and Gastone Brilli-Peri won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza after Ascari died while leading the intervening...
in the inaugural Automobile World Championship in 1925, Alfa added a laurel wreath
Laurel wreath
A laurel wreath is a circular wreath made of interlocking branches and leaves of the bay laurel , an aromatic broadleaf evergreen. In Greek mythology, Apollo is represented wearing a laurel wreath on his head...
around the badge. In 1946, after the abolition of the monarchy, the Savoy knots were replaced with two curvy lines. The name "MILANO", the hyphen, and the lines were eliminated when Alfa Romeo opened its factory at Pomigliano d'Arco, Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
in the early 1970s.
Motorsport
A.L.F.A 24 HP
The A.L.F.A 24 HP came on the market in 1910. This was the first automobile created by A.L.F.A . Giuseppe Merosi was the man behind engineering. The car was used for the first time in car racing in the 1911 Targa Florio. This was first commercial success for the company and the timeline of the HP...
models on Targa Florio competition. In the 1920s and 30s Alfa Romeo scored wins at many of the most famous and prestigious races and motoring events such as Targa Florio
Targa Florio
The Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973...
, Mille Miglia
Mille Miglia
The Mille Miglia was an open-road endurance race which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 ....
and Le Mans. Great success continued with Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
, Prototypes, Touring and Fast Touring. Private drivers also entered some rally competitions, with fine results. Alfa Romeo has competed both as a constructor and an engine supplier, via works entries Alfa Corse
Alfa Corse
Alfa Corse is the name of Alfa Romeo's factory racing team. Throughout the years, Alfa Corse has competed in various forms of motorsport, from Grand Prix motor racing to touring car racing....
, Autodelta
Autodelta
Autodelta SpA was the name of Alfa Romeo's competition department. Established in 1961 as Auto-Delta, the company was started by Carlo Chiti, a former Alfa Romeo and Ferrari engineer, and Ludovico Chizzola, an official Alfa Romeo dealer. The team was officially made a department of Alfa Romeo on...
and private entries. Alfa Romeo's factory racing team was outsourced to Enzo Ferrari's Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
between 1933-1938. The most legendary Alfa Romeo driver is Tazio Nuvolari, who took one of the most legendary victories of all time by winning the 1935 German Grand Prix
German Grand Prix
The German Grand Prix is an annual automobile race.Because Germany was banned from taking part in international events after World War II, the German GP only became part of the Formula One World Championship in 1951...
at the Nürburgring.
Production
Until the 1980s, Alfa Romeos, except for the AlfasudAlfa Romeo Alfasud
The Alfa Romeo Alfasud is a compact car made by Alfa Romeo of Italy from 1971 to 1989. It was considered one of Alfa Romeo's most successful models, sold 893,719 examples from 1972 to 1983 plus 121,434 Sprint versions from 1976 to 1989. A common nickname for the car is ’Sud...
, were rear-wheel-drive.
According to the current Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne in order to reap economies of scale, all new Alfa Romeo models will be made from the same basic platform (i.e., frame). Even Maserati
Maserati
Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
will share components with some Alfas.
Cloverleaf, or Quadrifoglio, badges denote high-end in comfort and engine size variants of Alfa Romeo cars, but previously denoted Alfa Romeo racing cars in the pre-Second-World-War era. The image first appeared in 1923 when Ugo Sivocci
Ugo Sivocci
Ugo Sivocci was an Italian race car driver.Born in Salerno, Sivocci started his racing career with bicycle racing. After World War I, he worked as an auto mechanic in Milan. Being a friend of Enzo Ferrari, he was hired by Alfa Romeo in 1920 to drive Alfa in three-man works team: with Antonio...
presented one prior to the start of the 14th Targa Florio
Targa Florio
The Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973...
as a good luck token to the team. This became the symbol of competition Alfas, denoting higher performance. Some modern Alfas wear a clover
Clover
Clover , or trefoil, is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the leguminous pea family Fabaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution; the highest diversity is found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also occur in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes...
leaf badge which is typically a green four leaf clover on a white background (Quadrifoglio Verde), but variants of blue on white have been recently observed as well.
The Alfettas of the early 1980s had models available sold as the "Silver Leaf" and "Gold Leaf" (Quadrifoglio Oro). These models were the top of the range. Badging was the Alfa Cloverleaf in either gold or silver to denote the specification level. The Gold Leaf model was also sold as the "159i" in some markets, the name in homage to the original 159.
The trim levels (option packages) offered today on the various nameplates (model lines) include the lusso ("luxury"), turismo ("touring"), and the GTA (gran tourismo alleggerita) ("light-weight grand tourer"). The GTA package is offered in the 147 and 156 and includes a V-6 engine. In the past, Alfa Romeo offered a Sprint trim level.
During the 1990s, Alfa Romeo moved car production to other districts in Italy. The Pomigliano d’Arco plant produced the 155, followed by the 145 and the 146, while the Arese plant
Alfa Romeo Arese Plant
The Alfa Romeo Arese Plant was a plant area where Alfa Romeo had its head office for more than two decades prior to 1986 was known to be. After Fiat Group purchased Alfa Romeo in 1986, Arese became one of the assembly plants of Fiat Group. The factory is in the Province of Milan in the Italian...
manufactured the 164 and new Spider and GTV. The 156 was launched in 1997, and became quite successful for Alfa Romeo; in 1998 it was voted “Car of the Year”. The same year a new flagship, the 166 (assembled in Rivalta, near Turin) was launched. At the beginning of the third millennium, the 147 was released, which won the prestigious title of “Car of the Year 2001”. In 2003 the Arese factory was closed.
The Arese factory
Alfa Romeo Arese Plant
The Alfa Romeo Arese Plant was a plant area where Alfa Romeo had its head office for more than two decades prior to 1986 was known to be. After Fiat Group purchased Alfa Romeo in 1986, Arese became one of the assembly plants of Fiat Group. The factory is in the Province of Milan in the Italian...
today hosts almost nothing and is nearly abandoned. What remains are some offices and the great Alfa Romeo Historical Museum
Alfa Romeo Museum
Alfa Romeo History Museum , which opened on December 18, 1976, is located in Arese, Milan, Italy. The museum is located in the now unused Alfa Romeo Arese factory area, which stopped manufacturing of cars in 2003 and engines in 2005, with the museum, left is only Alfa Romeo style centre.The whole...
, a must-see for Alfa Romeo fans.
In the 60s, the main Alfa Romeo seat was moved from inside Milan to a very large and nearby area extending over the municipalities of Arese
Arese
Arese is a comune in the Province of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northwest of Milan. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 19,333 and an area of ....
, Lainate
Lainate
Lainate is a comune in the Province of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 15 km northwest of Milan. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 24,146 and an area of 12.9 km²....
and Garbagnate Milanese
Garbagnate Milanese
Garbagnate Milanese is a comune in the Province of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 15 km northwest of Milan....
. However, since then the Alfa seat is known to be in Arese, since the offices and the main entrance of the area are there.
In the late 1960s, a number of European automobile manufacturers established facilities in South Africa to assemble right hand drive vehicles. Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
and other Italian manufacturers established factories along with these other manufacturers, Alfa-Romeos were assembled in Brits
Brits, North West
Brits is a large town and district situated in a fertile, citrus, vegetable and grain-producing area that is irrigated by the waters of the Hartbeespoort Dam in North West Province of South Africa. It is close to the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, which includes Pretoria and...
, outside of Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
in the Transvaal Province
Transvaal Province
Transvaal Province was a province of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961, and of its successor, the Republic of South Africa, from 1961 until the end of apartheid in 1994 when a new constitution subdivided it.-History:...
of South Africa. With the imposition of sanctions by western powers in the 1970s and 1980s, South Africa became self sufficient, and in car production came to rely more and more on the products from local factories. This led to a remarkable set of circumstances where between 1972 and 1989, South Africa had the greatest number of Alfa Romeos on the road outside of Italy. Even stranger, Alfa Romeos Brits plant was used in 1984-85 to build Daihatsu Charades both for local consumption but also for export to Italy, to skirt Italian limits on Japanese imports.
In late 1985, with the impending Fiat takeover and an international boycott of the South African Apartheid government, Alfa Romeo withdrew from the market and closed the plant. After the plants closing, literally tons of valuable parts were bulldozed into the ground to escape paying import duties.
| Assembly plants by model | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | Owner | Location | Model(s) |
| Cassino Piedimonte S. Germano | Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A. | Piedimonte San Germano Piedimonte San Germano Piedimonte San Germano is a comune in the Province of Frosinone in the Italian region of Lazio, located in the Liri River valley about 110 km southeast of Rome and about 35 km southeast of Frosinone.... |
Giulietta |
| Stabilimento Mirafiori | Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A. | Turin Turin Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat... |
MiTo |
| Giambattista Vico | Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A. | Pomigliano d'Arco, Naples Naples Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples... |
159, 159 Sportwagon |
Current models
| MiTo Alfa Romeo MiTo The Alfa Romeo MiTo is a three door sporty supermini officially introduced on June 19, 2008, at Castello Sforzesco in Milan, with an international introduction at the British Motor Show in 2008. The car was available in all Alfa's major markets in stages from July... |
Giulietta | 159 Alfa Romeo 159 The Alfa Romeo 159 is a compact executive car produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo between 2005 and 2011. The 159 was introduced in production form at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show as a replacement for the successful Alfa Romeo 156. The 159 uses the GM/Fiat Premium platform, shared with... |
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Alfa Romeo MiTo
The MiTo
Alfa Romeo MiTo
The Alfa Romeo MiTo is a three door sporty supermini officially introduced on June 19, 2008, at Castello Sforzesco in Milan, with an international introduction at the British Motor Show in 2008. The car was available in all Alfa's major markets in stages from July...
is a three door sporty supermini
Supermini car
A supermini is a British term that describes automobiles larger than a city car but smaller than a small family car. This car class is also known as the B-segment across Europe, and as subcompact in North America....
officially introduced on 19 June 2008 in Castello Sforzesco
Castello Sforzesco
Castello Sforzesco is a castle in Milan, Italy, that used to be the seat and residence of the Duchy of Milan and one of the biggest citadels in Europe and now houses several of the city's museums and art collections.-History:...
in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, the international introduction was at British Motor Show in 2008.
Alfa Romeo Giulietta
The Giulietta (previously Milano) is a five door, small family car officially revealed at the Geneva Motor Show 2010. It replaced the 147.
Alfa Romeo 159
Current mid-size saloon, introduced officially in production form at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show, the 159
Alfa Romeo 159
The Alfa Romeo 159 is a compact executive car produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo between 2005 and 2011. The 159 was introduced in production form at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show as a replacement for the successful Alfa Romeo 156. The 159 uses the GM/Fiat Premium platform, shared with...
is available with four different petrol engines and three diesels. 159 Sportwagon is an estate version of this car. Was launched in 2005 to replace the 156.
Future models
- Alfa Romeo GiuliaAlfa Romeo Giulia (2012)The Alfa Romeo Giulia is upcoming compact executive car model by Alfa Romeo, it will replace the 159and it is planned to be unveiled in 2014 as sedan and station wagon body styles...
sedan and station wagon (Expected-2014) - Alfa Romeo 4CAlfa Romeo 4CThe Alfa Romeo 4C Concept debuted at the 81st Geneva International Motor Show in March 2011. The 4C is small lightweight rear wheel drive sports car; its size is similar or slightly smaller than Alfa Romeo MiTo supermini...
(Expected-2013) - Alfa Romeo C-SUV (Expected-2013)
- Alfa Romeo Spider (new) (Expected-2014)
- Alfa Romeo 169 (Expected-2014)
Historic models
| Road cars | Racing cars | |
|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 1910-1920 24 HP A.L.F.A 24 HP The A.L.F.A 24 HP came on the market in 1910. This was the first automobile created by A.L.F.A . Giuseppe Merosi was the man behind engineering. The car was used for the first time in car racing in the 1911 Targa Florio. This was first commercial success for the company and the timeline of the HP... 1910-1911 12 HP A.L.F.A 24 HP The A.L.F.A 24 HP came on the market in 1910. This was the first automobile created by A.L.F.A . Giuseppe Merosi was the man behind engineering. The car was used for the first time in car racing in the 1911 Targa Florio. This was first commercial success for the company and the timeline of the HP... 1911-1920 15 HP A.L.F.A 24 HP The A.L.F.A 24 HP came on the market in 1910. This was the first automobile created by A.L.F.A . Giuseppe Merosi was the man behind engineering. The car was used for the first time in car racing in the 1911 Targa Florio. This was first commercial success for the company and the timeline of the HP... 1913-1922 40-60 HP A.L.F.A 40/60 HP The A.L.F.A 40/60 HP was a race and road car made by Italian car manufacturer A.L.F.A . This model was made between 1913 and 1922 and was designed by Giuseppe Merosi, just like all other Alfas at that time. The 40/60 HP has a 6082 cc straight-4 engine with overhead valves, which produced and its... |
1911 15 HP Corsa A.L.F.A 24 HP The A.L.F.A 24 HP came on the market in 1910. This was the first automobile created by A.L.F.A . Giuseppe Merosi was the man behind engineering. The car was used for the first time in car racing in the 1911 Targa Florio. This was first commercial success for the company and the timeline of the HP... 1913 40-60 HP Corsa A.L.F.A 40/60 HP The A.L.F.A 40/60 HP was a race and road car made by Italian car manufacturer A.L.F.A . This model was made between 1913 and 1922 and was designed by Giuseppe Merosi, just like all other Alfas at that time. The 40/60 HP has a 6082 cc straight-4 engine with overhead valves, which produced and its... 1914 Grand Prix Alfa Romeo Grand Prix A.L.F.A. 40/60 GP or GP was a fully working early racing car prototype made by the company now called Alfa Romeo. Only one example was built in 1914, which was later modified in 1921. This was creation of Giuseppe Merosi and was first Alfa Romeo DOHC engine. It had also four valves per cylinder,... |
| 1920 | 1921-1922 20-30 HP Alfa Romeo 20/30 HP A.L.F.A. or later Alfa Romeo has made three cars named as 20/30 HP, first one 1910 4-cylinder 4-6-seater tourer, improved version 20/30 HP E in 1914 and 1921 the 20/30 HP ES Sport, a 4-seater sportscar.-The Alfa 20-30 HP:... 1920-1921 G1 Alfa Romeo G1 The Alfa Romeo G1 was the first all-new design from Alfa Romeo after the end of the A.L.F.A. brand. Giuseppe Merosi, while into a legal action against Nicola Romeo about the takeover conditions, designed at home the drawings for both the update of the prewar 24HP into the revised 20/30ES and the... 1921-1921 G2 Alfa Romeo G1 The Alfa Romeo G1 was the first all-new design from Alfa Romeo after the end of the A.L.F.A. brand. Giuseppe Merosi, while into a legal action against Nicola Romeo about the takeover conditions, designed at home the drawings for both the update of the prewar 24HP into the revised 20/30ES and the... 1922-1927 RL Alfa Romeo RL The Alfa Romeo RL was produced between 1922-1927. It was Alfa's first sport model after World War I. The car was designed in 1921 by Giuseppe Merosi. It had a straight-6 engine with overhead valves... 1923-1925 RM Alfa Romeo RM Alfa Romeo RM was produced between 1923–1925, it was based on RL model. Car was introduced first time in 1923 Paris Motor Show and total production was around 500 cars. RM had 2.0 L straight-4 engine, which produced between to . As most of Alfa Romeo cars this was also used in racing purpose.Three... 1927-1929 6C 1500 Alfa Romeo 6C The Alfa Romeo 6C name was used on road, race and sports cars made between 1925–1954 by Alfa Romeo. 6C refers to a straight 6 engine. Bodies for these cars were made by coachbuilders such as James Young, Zagato, Touring, Castagna, and Pininfarina... 1929-1933 6C 1750 Alfa Romeo 6C The Alfa Romeo 6C name was used on road, race and sports cars made between 1925–1954 by Alfa Romeo. 6C refers to a straight 6 engine. Bodies for these cars were made by coachbuilders such as James Young, Zagato, Touring, Castagna, and Pininfarina... |
1922 RL Super Sport Alfa Romeo RL The Alfa Romeo RL was produced between 1922-1927. It was Alfa's first sport model after World War I. The car was designed in 1921 by Giuseppe Merosi. It had a straight-6 engine with overhead valves... 1923 RL Targa Florio Alfa Romeo RL The Alfa Romeo RL was produced between 1922-1927. It was Alfa's first sport model after World War I. The car was designed in 1921 by Giuseppe Merosi. It had a straight-6 engine with overhead valves... 1923 P1 Alfa Romeo P1 Alfa Romeo Tipo P1 was the first Grand Prix car made by Alfa Romeo in 1923. The car had a 2.0 L straight-6 engine and it produced at 5000 rpms. Two cars were entered in the Italian GP at Monza in 1923, one for Antonio Ascari and one for Ugo Sivocci. When Sivocci was practicing for the GP in... 1924 P2 Alfa Romeo P2 The Alfa Romeo P2 won the inaugural Automobile World Championship in 1925, taking victory in two of the four championship rounds when Antonio Ascari drove it in the European Grand Prix at Spa and Gastone Brilli-Peri won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza after Ascari died while leading the intervening... 1928 6C 1500 MMS Alfa Romeo 6C The Alfa Romeo 6C name was used on road, race and sports cars made between 1925–1954 by Alfa Romeo. 6C refers to a straight 6 engine. Bodies for these cars were made by coachbuilders such as James Young, Zagato, Touring, Castagna, and Pininfarina... 1929 6C 1750 Super Sport Alfa Romeo 6C The Alfa Romeo 6C name was used on road, race and sports cars made between 1925–1954 by Alfa Romeo. 6C refers to a straight 6 engine. Bodies for these cars were made by coachbuilders such as James Young, Zagato, Touring, Castagna, and Pininfarina... |
| 1930 | 1931-1934 8C 2300 Alfa Romeo 8C -1935 Monoposto 8C 35 Type C:Eight 3.8 litre versions, sharing no castings with the earlier blocks, were individually built for racing in five months, most being used in the Alfa Romeo Monoposto 8C 35 Type C, as raced by Scuderia Ferrari. The 3.8 produced at 5500 rpm, and had from... 1933-1933 6C 1900 Alfa Romeo 6C The Alfa Romeo 6C name was used on road, race and sports cars made between 1925–1954 by Alfa Romeo. 6C refers to a straight 6 engine. Bodies for these cars were made by coachbuilders such as James Young, Zagato, Touring, Castagna, and Pininfarina... 1934-1937 6C 2300 Alfa Romeo 6C The Alfa Romeo 6C name was used on road, race and sports cars made between 1925–1954 by Alfa Romeo. 6C refers to a straight 6 engine. Bodies for these cars were made by coachbuilders such as James Young, Zagato, Touring, Castagna, and Pininfarina... 1935-1939 8C 2900 Alfa Romeo 8C -1935 Monoposto 8C 35 Type C:Eight 3.8 litre versions, sharing no castings with the earlier blocks, were individually built for racing in five months, most being used in the Alfa Romeo Monoposto 8C 35 Type C, as raced by Scuderia Ferrari. The 3.8 produced at 5500 rpm, and had from... 1939-1950 6C 2500 Alfa Romeo 6C The Alfa Romeo 6C name was used on road, race and sports cars made between 1925–1954 by Alfa Romeo. 6C refers to a straight 6 engine. Bodies for these cars were made by coachbuilders such as James Young, Zagato, Touring, Castagna, and Pininfarina... |
1931 Tipo A Alfa Romeo Tipo A Alfa Romeo Tipo A Monoposto was the first monoposto racing car, designed by Alfa Romeo. The car had two 6C 1750 straight-6 engines and gearboxes assembled side by side. Producing , the car had top speed of .... 1931 8C 2300 Monza Alfa Romeo 8C -1935 Monoposto 8C 35 Type C:Eight 3.8 litre versions, sharing no castings with the earlier blocks, were individually built for racing in five months, most being used in the Alfa Romeo Monoposto 8C 35 Type C, as raced by Scuderia Ferrari. The 3.8 produced at 5500 rpm, and had from... 1932 Tipo B (P3) Alfa Romeo P3 The Alfa Romeo P3, P3 monoposto or Tipo B was a classic Grand Prix car designed by Vittorio Jano, one of the Alfa Romeo 8C models. The P3 was first genuine single-seat Grand Prix racing car and Alfa Romeo's second monoposto after Tipo A monoposto . It was based on the earlier successful Alfa Romeo P2... 1935 Bimotore Alfa Romeo 8C -1935 Monoposto 8C 35 Type C:Eight 3.8 litre versions, sharing no castings with the earlier blocks, were individually built for racing in five months, most being used in the Alfa Romeo Monoposto 8C 35 Type C, as raced by Scuderia Ferrari. The 3.8 produced at 5500 rpm, and had from... 1935 8C 35 Alfa Romeo 8C -1935 Monoposto 8C 35 Type C:Eight 3.8 litre versions, sharing no castings with the earlier blocks, were individually built for racing in five months, most being used in the Alfa Romeo Monoposto 8C 35 Type C, as raced by Scuderia Ferrari. The 3.8 produced at 5500 rpm, and had from... 1935 8C 2900A Alfa Romeo 8C -1935 Monoposto 8C 35 Type C:Eight 3.8 litre versions, sharing no castings with the earlier blocks, were individually built for racing in five months, most being used in the Alfa Romeo Monoposto 8C 35 Type C, as raced by Scuderia Ferrari. The 3.8 produced at 5500 rpm, and had from... 1936 12C 36 Alfa Romeo 12C The Alfa Romeo 12C or Tipo C was a 12 cylinder Grand Prix car. The 12C-36 made its debut in Tripoli Grand Prix 1936, and the 12C-37 in Coppa Acerbo 1937. The 12C36 was a Tipo C fitted with the new V12 instead of the 3.8 straight-eight of the 8C-35... 1937 12C 37 Alfa Romeo 12C The Alfa Romeo 12C or Tipo C was a 12 cylinder Grand Prix car. The 12C-36 made its debut in Tripoli Grand Prix 1936, and the 12C-37 in Coppa Acerbo 1937. The 12C36 was a Tipo C fitted with the new V12 instead of the 3.8 straight-eight of the 8C-35... 1937 6C 2300B Mille Miglia Alfa Romeo 6C The Alfa Romeo 6C name was used on road, race and sports cars made between 1925–1954 by Alfa Romeo. 6C refers to a straight 6 engine. Bodies for these cars were made by coachbuilders such as James Young, Zagato, Touring, Castagna, and Pininfarina... 1937 8C 2900B Mille Miglia Alfa Romeo 8C -1935 Monoposto 8C 35 Type C:Eight 3.8 litre versions, sharing no castings with the earlier blocks, were individually built for racing in five months, most being used in the Alfa Romeo Monoposto 8C 35 Type C, as raced by Scuderia Ferrari. The 3.8 produced at 5500 rpm, and had from... 1938 308 Alfa Romeo Tipo 308 The Alfa Romeo 308 or 8C-308 is a Grand Prix racing car made for the 3 litre class in 1938, only four cars was produced, actually modified from Tipo C with the engine mounted lower into the chassis and a slimmer body. The chassis was derived from the Tipo C and the engine from the 8C 2900... 1938 312 Alfa Romeo Tipo 312 The Alfa Romeo Tipo 312, 312 or 12C-312 was a 3 litre formula racing car that was used in the 1938 Grand Prix season, drivers were Raymond Sommer, Giuseppe Farina, Eugenio Siena, Clemente Biondetti, Carlo Pintacuda, Jean-Pierre Wimille, Gianfranco Comotti, Piero Taruffi and Pietro Ghersi.Tipo 312... 1938 316 Alfa Romeo Tipo 316 Alfa Romeo Tipo 316, 316 or 16C-316 Grand prix car was used in Grand Prix seasons 1938 and 1939, when its was driven by Giuseppe Farina and Clemente Biondetti. The Tipo 316 was one of three Alfa Romeo cars designed for the new rules in 1938, which differed mainly by the engine, the other two were... 1938 158 1939 6C 2500 Super Sport Corsa Alfa Romeo 6C The Alfa Romeo 6C name was used on road, race and sports cars made between 1925–1954 by Alfa Romeo. 6C refers to a straight 6 engine. Bodies for these cars were made by coachbuilders such as James Young, Zagato, Touring, Castagna, and Pininfarina... |
| 1940 | 1948 6C 2500 Competizione Alfa Romeo 6C The Alfa Romeo 6C name was used on road, race and sports cars made between 1925–1954 by Alfa Romeo. 6C refers to a straight 6 engine. Bodies for these cars were made by coachbuilders such as James Young, Zagato, Touring, Castagna, and Pininfarina... |
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| 1950 | 1950-1958 1900 Alfa Romeo 1900 The Alfa Romeo 1900 is a sports sedan designed by Orazio Satta for the Alfa Romeo company in 1950. It was Alfa Romeo's first car built entirely on a production line and was also Alfa's first production car without separate chassis and first Alfa offered with left-hand drive... 1951-1953 Matta Alfa Romeo Matta - External links :**... 1954-1962 Giulietta Alfa Romeo Giulietta The Alfa Romeo Giulietta was a subcompact automobile manufactured by the Italian car maker Alfa Romeo from 1954 to 1965. The Giulietta was introduced at the Turin Motor Show in 1954 and almost 132,000 were built in the Portello factory in Milan.The first Giulietta model was a coupé, the Giulietta... 1958-1962 2000 Alfa Romeo 2000 Alfa Romeo 2000 is a car produced by the Italian automobile manufacturing company Alfa Romeo as a successor to the 1900.First shown in 1957 on the Turin autosalon, the car was produced in two models, the Berlina with and the Spider with since 1958. In 1960, the Sprint was added... 1959-1964 Dauphine |
1951 159 Alfa Romeo 158/159 Alfetta The Alfa Romeo 158/159, also known as the Alfetta , is one of the most successful racing cars ever produced. The 158 and its derivative, the 159, took 47 wins from 54 Grands Prix entered. It was originally developed for the pre-World War II voiturette formula and has a 1.5 litre straight-8... 1952 6C 3000 CM Alfa Romeo 6C The Alfa Romeo 6C name was used on road, race and sports cars made between 1925–1954 by Alfa Romeo. 6C refers to a straight 6 engine. Bodies for these cars were made by coachbuilders such as James Young, Zagato, Touring, Castagna, and Pininfarina... |
| 1960 | 1962-1968 2600 Alfa Romeo 2600 The Alfa Romeo 2600 was Alfa Romeo´s six-cylinder flagship produced from 1961 to 1968. It was the successor to the Alfa Romeo 2000. It has become historically significant as the last Alfa Romeo to have been fitted with an inline six-cylinder engine having twin overhead camshafts... 1962-1976 Giulia Saloon Alfa Romeo Giulia The Alfa Romeo Giulia is an Alfa Romeo automobile. Alfa was one of the first manufacturers to put a powerful engine in a light-weight car for mainstream production. The Giulia weighed about . The car was equipped with a light alloy twin overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine, similar to that of... 1963-1967 Giulia TZ Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ The Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ was a small sports car manufactured by Alfa Romeo from 1963 to 1967. It replaced the Giulietta SZ.- TZ :... 1963-1977 Giulia Sprint Alfa Romeo Sprint GT (Veloce) The Alfa Romeo 105/115 series Coupés were a range of cars made by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo from 1963 until 1977. They were the successors to the celebrated Giulietta Sprint coupé and used a shortened floorpan from the Giulia Berlina car.... 1965-1967 Gran Sport Quattroruote Alfa Romeo Gran Sport Quattroruote The Alfa Romeo Gran Sport Quattroruote is a two-seater roadster constructed between 1965 and 1967 by the Italian car manufacturer Alfa Romeo. The car is a "retro" replica of the 1930s 1750 Gran Sport model , and was inspired by an article published in the Milan-based car magazine Quattroruote... 1965-1971 GTA Alfa Romeo GTA The GTA 1300 Junior had a 1300 cc engine that was based on the 1600 engine but with a short stroke crankshaft. The GTA Junior in stradale form did not have many of the light weight features of the 1600 GTA, such as the plastic windows, magnesium engine components and alloy wheels. At start... 1966-1993 Spider Alfa Romeo Spider The Alfa Romeo Spider is a roadster produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo from 1966 to 1993 . Widely regarded as a design classic, it remained in production for almost three decades with only minor aesthetic and mechanical changes... 1967-1969 33 Stradale Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale The Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is an extremely rare road car built by Alfa Romeo of Italy. Only 18 are reported to have been made, plus three design studies based on the 33 Stradale the 33.2, Iguana and Carabo... 1967-1977 1750/2000 Berlina Alfa Romeo 1750 The Alfa Romeo 1750/2000 is a medium-priced range of cars presented in 1967 by Alfa Romeo.The 1750 Berlina sedan was introduced in 1967, together with the 1750 GTV coupe and 2000 Spider. The 1750 models replaced the earlier 2600 Berlina, Sprint and Spider at the top of the Alfa Romeo range... |
1960 Giulietta SZ Alfa Romeo Giulietta The Alfa Romeo Giulietta was a subcompact automobile manufactured by the Italian car maker Alfa Romeo from 1954 to 1965. The Giulietta was introduced at the Turin Motor Show in 1954 and almost 132,000 were built in the Portello factory in Milan.The first Giulietta model was a coupé, the Giulietta... 1963 Giulia TZ Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ The Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ was a small sports car manufactured by Alfa Romeo from 1963 to 1967. It replaced the Giulietta SZ.- TZ :... 1965 GTA Alfa Romeo GTA The GTA 1300 Junior had a 1300 cc engine that was based on the 1600 engine but with a short stroke crankshaft. The GTA Junior in stradale form did not have many of the light weight features of the 1600 GTA, such as the plastic windows, magnesium engine components and alloy wheels. At start... 1965 Tipo 33 1968 33/2 1969 33/3 |
| 1970 | 1970-1977 Montreal Alfa Romeo Montreal The Alfa Romeo Montreal is a 2+2 coupé automobile produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo from 1970 to 1977.-Concept car:The Alfa Romeo Montreal was introduced as a concept car in 1967 at Expo 67, held in Montreal, Canada. Originally, the concept cars were displayed without any model name,... 1972-1983 Alfasud Alfa Romeo Alfasud The Alfa Romeo Alfasud is a compact car made by Alfa Romeo of Italy from 1971 to 1989. It was considered one of Alfa Romeo's most successful models, sold 893,719 examples from 1972 to 1983 plus 121,434 Sprint versions from 1976 to 1989. A common nickname for the car is ’Sud... 1972-1984 Alfetta saloon Alfa Romeo Alfetta Alfa Romeo GTV redirects here. For 916 series GTV see Alfa Romeo GTV & SpiderThe Alfa Romeo Alfetta is an Italian rear-wheel drive executive saloon car and fastback coupé produced from 1972 until 1987 by Alfa Romeo... 1974-1987 Alfetta GT/GTV Alfa Romeo Alfetta Alfa Romeo GTV redirects here. For 916 series GTV see Alfa Romeo GTV & SpiderThe Alfa Romeo Alfetta is an Italian rear-wheel drive executive saloon car and fastback coupé produced from 1972 until 1987 by Alfa Romeo... 1976-1989 Alfasud Sprint Alfa Romeo Sprint The Alfa Romeo Sprint is a coupé version of the Alfa Romeo Alfasud, produced from 1976 to 1989 by Alfa Romeo. 116,552 examples of the Alfasud Sprint and Alfa Romeo Sprint were built in total. The Sprint was sold in Europe, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.-History:Until 1983, the car's name... 1977-1985 Nuova Giulietta Alfa Romeo Giulietta (nuova) The Alfa Romeo Giulietta is an automobile manufactured by the Italian car maker Alfa Romeo. The car was introduced in November 1977 and while it took its name from the original Giulietta of 1954 to 1965, it was a new design based on the Alfa Romeo Alfetta chassis .-History:At the beginning, two... 1979-1986 Alfa 6 Alfa Romeo Alfa 6 The Alfa Romeo Alfa 6 is an executive car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo from 1979 to 1986.On its launch in 1979, the Alfa 6 was the flagship of the Alfa Romeo range... |
1972 33/4 1973 33TT12 1976 33SC12 1979 177 Alfa Romeo 177 The Alfa Romeo 177 was a Formula One car used by the Alfa Romeo team during the 1979 Formula One season, debuting at the 1979 Belgian Grand Prix.The car's name is derived from the fact that the design was commenced in 1977.... 1979 179 Alfa Romeo 179 The Alfa Romeo 179 is a Formula One car which was used by the Alfa Romeo team from to . The 179 made its debut at the 1979 Italian Grand Prix, replacing the flat-12 engined Alfa Romeo 177... |
| 1980 | 1983-1994 33 1984-1987 Arna Alfa Romeo Arna The Alfa Romeo Arna is a subcompact automobile produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo between 1983 and 1987.Launched at the 1983 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Arna was a product of a short-lived partnership between Alfa Romeo and Japanese manufacturer Nissan; the car's name was an acronym... 1984-1987 90 Alfa Romeo 90 The Alfa Romeo 90 is an executive car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 1984 and 1987.Designed by Bertone and introduced at the 1984 Turin Motor Show, the 90 was pitched between the Alfa Romeo Alfetta and the Alfa Romeo Alfa 6, both of which were soon discontinued after the 90's... 1985-1992 75 Alfa Romeo 75 The Alfa Romeo 75, sold in North America as the Milano, was a compact sports saloon / compact executive car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 1985 and 1992... 1987-1998 164 Alfa Romeo 164 The Alfa Romeo 164 is an executive car with saloon body, produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo from 1987 to 1998.The 164 was re-badged as the 168 for the Hong Kong and Malaysian markets, as the number "164" had a very negative connotation , and "168" has quite the opposite The Alfa Romeo 164... 1989-1993 SZ/RZ Alfa Romeo SZ The Alfa Romeo SZ or ES-30 is a high-performance limited-production sports car/road-concept car built between 1989 and 1991 with partnership via Centro Stile Zagato, Centro Stile Alfa Romeo and Centro Stile Fiat... |
1982 182 Alfa Romeo 182 The Alfa Romeo 182 is a Formula One car that was used by the Alfa Romeo team during the 1982 Formula One season. The car made its debut at the 1982 Brazilian Grand Prix. In the third race of the season at Long Beach, Andrea de Cesaris achieved pole position at an average speed of . The best race... 1983 183 Alfa Romeo 183T The Alfa Romeo 183T was a Formula One car designed by Gérard Ducarouge and Mario Tollentino and was used by Marlboro Team Alfa Romeo during the 1983 Formula One season. The car, with a newly-designed flat bottom, made its debut at the 1983 Brazilian Grand Prix. It was powered by the Alfa Romeo... 1984 184 Alfa Romeo 184T The Alfa Romeo 184T is a Formula One car which was used by the Alfa Romeo team during the and Formula One seasons. The car, which was Mario Tollentino's first F1 design, bore the colours of the team's major sponsor Benetton.... 1985 185 Alfa Romeo 185T The Alfa Romeo 185T is a Formula One car that Benetton Team Alfa Romeo used during the 1985 season. The car was entered in 8 races, but without any success and suffering from poor reliability, the team returned to the previous year's car, the 184T, uprated to "184TB" specification. The 1985 season... |
| 1990 | 1992-1998 155 Alfa Romeo 155 The Alfa Romeo 155 is a compact executive car produced under the Italian Alfa Romeo marque between 1992 and 1998.-Design:Built to replace the 75 and based on the parent Fiat Group's Type Three platform, the 155 was somewhat larger in dimension than the 75 but evolved its styling from that of its... 1994-2000 145 Alfa Romeo 145 The Alfa Romeo 145 and 146 are small family cars produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 1994 and 2001. They were launched at the 1994 Turin Motor Show... 1994-2000 146 Alfa Romeo 145 The Alfa Romeo 145 and 146 are small family cars produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 1994 and 2001. They were launched at the 1994 Turin Motor Show... 1995-2006 GTV/Spider Alfa Romeo GTV & Spider The Alfa Romeo GTV and Alfa Romeo Spider were two sports cars produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo from 1995 to 2006.... 1997-2005 156 Alfa Romeo 156 The Alfa Romeo 156 is a compact executive car introduced by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show as the replacement for the Alfa Romeo 155... 1998-2007 166 Alfa Romeo 166 The Alfa Romeo 166 is an executive car that was produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 1998 and 2007.The car was designed by Centro Stile Alfa Romeo under the control of Walter de'Silva, and was facelifted in 2003.- History :... |
1993 155 V6 TI Alfa Romeo 155 The Alfa Romeo 155 is a compact executive car produced under the Italian Alfa Romeo marque between 1992 and 1998.-Design:Built to replace the 75 and based on the parent Fiat Group's Type Three platform, the 155 was somewhat larger in dimension than the 75 but evolved its styling from that of its... |
| 2000 | 2000-2010 147 Alfa Romeo 147 The Alfa Romeo 147 is a small family car produced by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo from 2000 to 2010. The 147 was voted European Car of the Year for 2001, beating the Ford Mondeo and the Toyota Prius.... 2007-2009 8C Competizione Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione is a sports car produced by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo. It was first presented as a concept car at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show and later released for sale for the 2007 model year... 2008-2010 8C Spider Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione is a sports car produced by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo. It was first presented as a concept car at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show and later released for sale for the 2007 model year... 2003-2010 GT Alfa Romeo GT The Alfa Romeo GT is a sports car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 2003 and 2010. A total of 80,832 units were produced. The GT was introduced in March 2003 Geneva Motor Show and it came for sale in Italian markets January 2004... 2005–2010 Brera Alfa Romeo Brera The Alfa Romeo Brera is a sports car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 2005 and 2010. The Spider roadster was produced between 2006 to 2010. Both cars were manufactured by Pininfarina. Only 12,488 units of Spider and 21,786 units of Brera were built. Production of both models... 2006–2010 Spider |
Trucks and light commercial vehicles
Büssing
Büssing was a German bus and truck manufacturer established by Heinrich Büssing at Braunschweig in 1903. Büssing's first truck was a 2 ton payload machine powered by a 2-cylinder gasoline engine and featuring worm drive...
constructions. In the Second World War Alfa Romeo also built trucks for the Italian army ("35 tons anywhere") and later also for the German Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
. After the war, commercial motor vehicle production was resumed.
In co-operation with FIAT
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
and Saviem
Saviem
Saviem is a French manufacturer of trucks and buses and a part of the Renault group...
starting from the 60s different light truck models were developed.
The production of heavy LCVs was terminated in 1967. In Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
the heavy trucks were built still few years by Alfa Romeo subsidiary Fábrica Nacional de Motores
Fábrica Nacional de Motores
Fábrica Nacional de Motores was a Brazilian manufacturer of engines and motor vehicles based in the Xerém district of Duque de Caxias near Rio de Janeiro that operated between 1942 and 1988.-Origins:...
under the name FNM. The last Alfa Romeo vans were the Alfa Romeo AR6 and AR8, which were rebadged versions of Iveco Daily and Fiat Ducato. The company also produced trolleybus
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
es for many systems in Italy, Latin America, Sweden, Greece, Germany, Turkey and South Africa. Later, Alfa Romeo concentrated only on passenger car manufacturing.
LCVs
- RomeoAlfa Romeo RomeoThe first Alfa Romeo lorry was built in 1914 using the 20/30HP chassis. The company built also other commercial vehicles during the early days of the company, in 1954 a new small van family was created, the "Autotutto" .- Alfa Romeo Romeo :...
(1954–1958) - Romeo 2 (until 1966)
- Romeo 3 (1966)
- A11/F11
- A12/F12 (until 1983)
- AR8 (based on first generation Iveco DailyIveco DailyThe Iveco Daily is a large van produced by Iveco from 1978; it was sold also as Fiat Daily until 1983. It is also available as a minibus.-First generation :...
) - AR6 (based on first generation Fiat DucatoFiat DucatoThe Fiat Ducato is a large van produced by Fiat. The Fiat Ducato is the same van as the Citroën Jumper and the Peugeot Boxer, which are all very popular vans to convert into motorhomes...
) - Alfa Romeo F20 (SaviemSaviemSaviem is a French manufacturer of trucks and buses and a part of the Renault group...
license)
Trucks
- Alfa Romeo 50 "Biscione" (BüssingBüssingBüssing was a German bus and truck manufacturer established by Heinrich Büssing at Braunschweig in 1903. Büssing's first truck was a 2 ton payload machine powered by a 2-cylinder gasoline engine and featuring worm drive...
-NAG 50)/ 80 (1931–1934) - Alfa Romeo 85 / 110 (1934 - n/a)
- Alfa Romeo 350 (1935 - n/a)
- Alfa Romeo 430Alfa Romeo 430The Alfa Romeo 430 is 5-ton truck produced by Alfa Romeo between 1942 and 1950, it started as military project based on larger Alfa Romeo 800 truck. Some of the trucks were convertedinto anti-aircraft vehicles equipped with a machine-gun of IF Scotti...
(1942–1950) - Alfa Romeo 500 (1937 - n/a)
- Alfa Romeo 800Alfa Romeo 800The Alfa Romeo 800 is a heavy truck produced by Alfa Romeo between 1940 to 1947. It was first produced as a military version 800RE and after the war as civilian version. The military version was initially used only in the Italian Army , mainly in North Africa, Russia and occupied France...
(1940–1943) - Alfa Romeo 900 (1947–1954)
- Alfa Romeo 950 (1954–1958)
- Alfa Romeo Mille (Alfa Romeo 1000) (1958–1964)
- Alfa Romeo A15 (Saviem license)
- Alfa Romeo A19 (Saviem license)
- Alfa Romeo A38 (Saviem license)
- Alfa Romeo 140 A.
- Alfa Romeo 900 A.
- Alfa Romeo 950.
- Alfa Romeo Mille (Alfa Romeo 1000)
Trolleybuses
- Alfa Romeo 110AF (1938)
- Alfa Romeo 140AF (1949)
- Alfa Romeo 900
- Alfa Romeo Mille (Alfa Romeo 1000)
Concepts
Design has always played a large role in the history of Alfa Romeo. There have been many Alfa Romeo concept cars, often made by famous design houses and designers. The BAT seriesAlfa Romeo BAT
The Alfa Romeo BAT is an Italian concept car. The car originated in a joint collaboration project between Alfa Romeo and the Italian design house; Bertone that began in 1953...
of concepts from the 1950s was a joint collaboration project with the Italian design house Bertone. Other famous Italian coachbuilders and design houses like Pininfarina
Pininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder in Cambiano, Italy.Founded as Società anonima Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930 by automobile designer and builder Battista "Pinin" Farina, Pininfarina has been employed by a wide variety of high-end automobile manufacturers,...
, Bertone, Zagato
Zagato
Zagato is a design consultancy and engineering services company situated just outside Milan, Italy.The company's premises occupy an area of , of which are covered....
and ItalDesign-Giugiaro have also played a great role in Alfa Romeo's history, and even today some of models are designed and constructed by these great names.
Other production
Although Alfa Romeo is best known as automobile manufacturer it has produced also commercial vehicles, railway locomotives, tractors, buses, trams, compressors, generators, cookers, marine and aircraft engines.Aircraft engines
Savoia-Marchetti SM.75
The Savoia-Marchetti SM.75 Marsupiale was an Italian passenger and military transport aircraft of the 1930s and 1940s. It was a low-wing, trimotor monoplane of mixed metal and wood construction with a retractable tailwheel undercarriage....
, Savoia-Marchetti SM.79
Savoia-Marchetti SM.79
The Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero was a three-engined Italian medium bomber with a wood and metal structure. Originally designed as a fast passenger aircraft, this low-wing monoplane, in the years 1937–39, set 26 world records that qualified it for some time as the fastest medium bomber in the...
, Savoia Marchetti SM.81 and Cant Z506B Airone
CANT Z.506
The CANT Z.506 Airone was a triple-engine floatplane produced by CANT from 1935. It served as a transport and postal aircraft with the Italian airline "Ala Littoria"...
all used Alfa Romeo manufactured engines. In 1931, a competition was arranged where Tazio Nuvolari
Tazio Nuvolari
Tazio Giorgio Nuvolari was an Italian motorcycle and racecar driver, known as Il Mantovano Volante or Nivola. He was the 1932 European Champion in Grand Prix motor racing...
drove his Alfa Romeo 8C 3000 Monza
Alfa Romeo 8C
-1935 Monoposto 8C 35 Type C:Eight 3.8 litre versions, sharing no castings with the earlier blocks, were individually built for racing in five months, most being used in the Alfa Romeo Monoposto 8C 35 Type C, as raced by Scuderia Ferrari. The 3.8 produced at 5500 rpm, and had from...
against a Caproni
Caproni
thumb|right|300px|[[Caproni Ca.316]] seaplane at its moorings.Caproni was an Italian aircraft manufacturer founded in 1908 by Giovanni Battista "Gianni" Caproni....
Ca.100 airplane. Alfa Romeo built various aircraft engines during the Second World War; the best known was the RA.1000 RC 41-I Monsone, a licensed version of the Daimler-Benz DB 601
Daimler-Benz DB 601
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Mankau, Heinz and Peter Petrick. Messerschmitt Bf 110, Me 210, Me 410. Raumfahrt, Germany: Aviatic Verlag, 2001. ISBN 3-92550-562-8.* Neil Gregor Daimler-Benz in the Third Reich. Yale University Press, 1998-External links:...
. This engine made it possible to build efficient fighter aircraft like the Macchi C.202 Folgore for the Italian army. After the Second World War Alfa Romeo produced engines for Fiat, Aerfer
Aerfer
Aerfer was an Italian manufacturing company created in 1955 by the merger of IMAM and Meridionali. The name is a contraction of Costruzioni Aer onautiche e Fer roviarie ....
and Ambrosini
Ambrosini (aircraft manufacturer)
SAI Ambrosini was an Italian aircraft manufacturer established in Passignano sul Trasimeno, Italy in 1922 as the Società Aeronautica Italiana. It became SAI Ambrosini when it was acquired by the Ambrosini group in 1934. Prior to World War II, the firm built a number of light touring and racing...
. In the 1960s Alfa Romeo mainly focused upgrading and maintaining Curtiss-Wright, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce and General Electric aircraft engines. Alfa Romeo built also Italy's first turbine engine, installed to the Beechcraft King Air
Beechcraft King Air
The Beechcraft King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by the Beech Aircraft Corporation...
. Alfa Romeo's Avio division was sold to Aeritalia
Aeritalia
Aeritalia was an aerospace engineering corporation based in Italy, originally Fiat Aviazione before merging with Aerfer, and now part of Alenia Aeronautica....
in 1988, from 1996 it was part of Fiat Avio. Alfa Avio was also part of developing team to the new T700-T6E1 engine to the NHI NH90
NHI NH90
The NHIndustries NH90 is a medium sized, twin-engine, multi-role military helicopter manufactured by NHIndustries. The first prototype had its maiden flight in December 1995...
helicopter.
Media and public profile
In Italian the owner of an Alfa Romeo is an "Alfista", and a group of them are "Alfisti". There are many thriving Alfa Romeo owners clubs and Alfa Romeo Model Registers.The Graduate
The Graduate
The Graduate is a 1967 American comedy-drama motion picture directed by Mike Nichols. It is based on the 1963 novel The Graduate by Charles Webb, who wrote it shortly after graduating from Williams College. The screenplay was by Buck Henry, who makes a cameo appearance as a hotel clerk, and Calder...
, starring Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters....
, Katharine Ross
Katharine Ross
Katharine Juliet Ross is an American film and stage actress. Trained at the San Francisco Workshop, she is perhaps best known for her role as Elaine Robinson in the 1967 film The Graduate, opposite Dustin Hoffman, which won her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and her role...
and Anne Bancroft
Anne Bancroft
Anne Bancroft was an American actress associated with the Method acting school, which she had studied under Lee Strasberg....
. It gave worldwide celebrity to the "Spider
Alfa Romeo Spider
The Alfa Romeo Spider is a roadster produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo from 1966 to 1993 . Widely regarded as a design classic, it remained in production for almost three decades with only minor aesthetic and mechanical changes...
". The Spider depicted on screen had its engine note accurately recorded, and electrical foibles (the non-functional fuel gauge) reproduced.
On the strength of the Spider's appeal, Alfa Romeo continued sales of the Spider into the 1990s, and a special edition named the Alfa Graduate was available in the United States in the 1980s.
The entire set of scenes featuring the Spider in the Graduate were replicated in satire by Mike Myers
Mike Myers (actor)
Michael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer of British parentage...
in his comedy, Wayne's World 2
Wayne's World 2
Wayne's World 2 is a 1993 comedy film starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as hosts of a Public-access television cable TV show from Aurora, Illinois. The film was adapted from a sketch on NBC's Saturday Night Live and is the sequel to Wayne's World....
. The Spider here cuts out Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson" when passing under a bridge (implying music being played on a radio), but still has a non-functional fuel gauge - causing it to ultimately grind to halt (fortunately at the correct church!)
The Spider was designed by Pininfarina
Pininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder in Cambiano, Italy.Founded as Società anonima Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930 by automobile designer and builder Battista "Pinin" Farina, Pininfarina has been employed by a wide variety of high-end automobile manufacturers,...
; derived from several design studies dating back to the late 1950s, the Spider is believed to be the last design on which Battista Farina
Battista Farina
Battista "Pinin" Farina was an Italian automobile designer, the founder of the Carrozzeria Pininfarina coachbuilding company, a name associated with many of the best-known postwar sports cars....
personally worked.
James Bond
One of the most prominent roles was when James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
(Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
) stole and then drove a graphite GTV6 in 1983's Octopussy
Octopussy
Octopussy is the thirteenth entry in the James Bond series, and the sixth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's title is taken from a short story in Ian Fleming's 1966 short story collection Octopussy and The Living Daylights...
. In the scene it is pursued by two Bavarian BMW 5-series police cars.
A pair of black Alfa Romeo 159
Alfa Romeo 159
The Alfa Romeo 159 is a compact executive car produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo between 2005 and 2011. The 159 was introduced in production form at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show as a replacement for the successful Alfa Romeo 156. The 159 uses the GM/Fiat Premium platform, shared with...
Ti cars appeared in the opening scenes of the 2008 James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
film Quantum of Solace. They featured in the car chase with James Bond's Aston Martin DBS V12
Aston Martin DBS V12
The modern Aston Martin DBS is a high performance GT sports car from the UK manufacturer Aston Martin. Aston has used the DBS name once before on their 1967–72 grand tourer coupe...
around Lake Garda
Lake Garda
Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy. It is located in Northern Italy, about half-way between Brescia and Verona, and between Venice and Milan. Glaciers formed this alpine region at the end of the last ice age...
, Italy. Noteworthy attention was paid to the auditory qualities of the Alfa's, which have the characteristic 'Big V-6' sound on-screen. The same film also features a Carabineri Alfa 156. Rene Mathis also has an Alfa, a white 2600 GT coupe.
Other films
- Giulietta MasinaGiulietta MasinaGiulietta Masina was an Italian film and stage actress. She starred in La Strada and Nights of Cabiria, both winners of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, in 1956 and 1957, respectively...
in Fellini'sFederico FelliniFederico Fellini, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI , was an Italian film director and scriptwriter. Known for a distinct style that blends fantasy and baroque images, he is considered one of the most influential and widely revered filmmakers of the 20th century...
Juliet of the SpiritsJuliet of the SpiritsJuliet of the Spirits is a 1965 Italian film directed by Federico Fellini that uses "caricatural types and dream situations to represent a psychic landscape"...
is courted by a "Romeo" in a Giulietta (Spider)Alfa Romeo GiuliettaThe Alfa Romeo Giulietta was a subcompact automobile manufactured by the Italian car maker Alfa Romeo from 1954 to 1965. The Giulietta was introduced at the Turin Motor Show in 1954 and almost 132,000 were built in the Portello factory in Milan.The first Giulietta model was a coupé, the Giulietta...
, a double play on words.
- Edward FoxEdward Fox (actor)Edward Charles Morice Fox, OBE is an English stage, film and television actor.He is generally associated with portraying the role of the upper-class Englishman, such as the title character in the film The Day of the Jackal and King Edward VIII in the serial Edward & Mrs...
's character, the titular Jackal, in 1973's The Day of the JackalThe Day of the Jackal (film)The Day of the Jackal is a 1973 Anglo-French film, set in August 1963 and based on the novel of the same name by Frederick Forsyth. Directed by Fred Zinnemann, it stars Edward Fox as the assassin known only as "the Jackal" who is hired to assassinate Charles de Gaulle.- Synopsis :The film opens...
drives a white Giulietta SpiderAlfa Romeo GiuliettaThe Alfa Romeo Giulietta was a subcompact automobile manufactured by the Italian car maker Alfa Romeo from 1954 to 1965. The Giulietta was introduced at the Turin Motor Show in 1954 and almost 132,000 were built in the Portello factory in Milan.The first Giulietta model was a coupé, the Giulietta...
. He repaints the car blue in a forest clearing to avoid police, then crashes the car.
- Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) in The GodfatherThe GodfatherThe Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
drove a black Alfa Romeo 6CAlfa Romeo 6CThe Alfa Romeo 6C name was used on road, race and sports cars made between 1925–1954 by Alfa Romeo. 6C refers to a straight 6 engine. Bodies for these cars were made by coachbuilders such as James Young, Zagato, Touring, Castagna, and Pininfarina...
while in exile in Sicily. This was actually the car that was booby-trapped and explodes with Apollonia, his Sicilian wife, in it.
- John Malkovich, as Tom Ripley, in Ripley's GameRipley's Game (film)Ripley's Game is a feature film based on the 1974 novel of the same name, the third in Patricia Highsmith's "Ripliad," a series of books chronicling the murderous adventures of con artist Tom Ripley...
, drives a red Alfa Romeo 156Alfa Romeo 156The Alfa Romeo 156 is a compact executive car introduced by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show as the replacement for the Alfa Romeo 155...
Sportwagon.
- The 1982 film The SoldierThe SoldierThe Soldier is a title with several meanings:* The Soldier , a 1982 action film* "The Soldier" , a poem by Rupert Brooke, fifth in a series entitled 1914* "The Soldier" a 1960 novel by Richard Powell...
featured an Alfa Romeo Alfetta sedan as a getaway vehicle.
Television
- In the television crime film series Ein Fall für ZweiEin Fall für ZweiEin Fall für zwei is a German television series, which premiered on September 11, 1981 on the broadcasting corporation ZDF. The series, which is situated in Frankfurt am Main, shows two main characters, a defense attorney and a private investigator, who solve crimes.The character of the private...
("a case for two", over 250 episodes made so far), the leading actor Claus Theo GärtnerClaus Theo GärtnerClaus Theo Gärtner in Berlin, Germany is a German television actor mainly known for his role as Josef Matula, the main character in the German detective show series Ein Fall für Zwei ....
, who plays the role of the private detective Josef Matula, has always been driving Alfa Romeo, starting from Giulia Super to the latest Alfa Romeo models.
- Alfa Romeo had also a "role" in the Austrian detective series Kommissar RexKommissar RexKommissar Rex is a popular Austrian-made police television drama, aired from 1994 to 2004. In 2007 a new series was released , under Austrian-Italian production. From February 18, 2008, the 12th season was shot in Rome...
(Inspector Rex). At the beginning, Tobias MorettiTobias MorettiTobias Moretti is an Austrian actor.-Biography:Born in Gries am Brenner, Tyrol, Moretti is the eldest of four brothers. His brothers are named Tomas, Cristoph and Gregor. Since 1997 he has been married to Julia Moretti , an oboist...
drove a 155 and later Gedeon BurkhardGedeon BurkhardGedeon Burkhard is a German film and television actor. Although he has appeared in numerous films and TV series in both Europe and the US, he is probably best recognised for his role as Alexander Brandtner in the Austrian/German television series Kommissar Rex , which has been aired on television...
drove a 166.
Top Gear
In recent times, the BBC 2 Series 'Top Gear' has had quite an impact on the popular conception of the Alfa Romeo. Co-presenter Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May...
insists that "nobody can call themselves a true petrolhead" until they have owned one.
Literature
In the first printing of Dan Brown
Dan Brown
Dan Brown is an American author of thriller fiction, best known for the 2003 bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code. Brown's novels, which are treasure hunts set in a 24-hour time period, feature the recurring themes of cryptography, keys, symbols, codes, and conspiracy theories...
's novel Angels & Demons, the members of the Swiss Guard
Swiss Guard
Swiss Guards or Schweizergarde is the name given to the Swiss soldiers who have served as bodyguards, ceremonial guards, and palace guards at foreign European courts since the late 15th century. They have had a high reputation for discipline, as well as loyalty to their employers...
all drive Alfa Romeo sedans (albeit inaccurately referred to as 'Alpha Romeos' throughout the book).
In the Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
novel Moonraker
Moonraker
Moonraker is the third novel by British author Ian Fleming featuring the fictional British Secret Service agent Commander James Bond. The book was first published by Jonathan Cape on 5 April 1955, bearing a cover based on Fleming's own concept...
, James Bond becomes involved in an impromptu race with a young man driving an Alfa Romeo while he pursues Hugo Drax. This scene in the novel results in the death of the young man, the destruction of his car, and the eventual destruction of Bond's Bentley
Bentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
Mark IV.
Marketing and sponsorship
During the years Alfa Romeo has been marketed with different slogans like: "The family car that wins races" used in the 1950s in Alfa Romeo 1900 marketing campaign, "racing since 1911" used on most 1960s Alfa advertisements, In the 1970s the Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV was marketed as "if this kind of handling is good enough for our racing cars, it’s good enough for you." The Giulia Sprint GTA was marketed as "The car you drive to work is a champion".More recent slogans used are "Mediocrity is a sin", "Driven by Passion", "Cuore Sportivo" and "Beauty is not enough".
As part of its marketing policy, Alfa Romeo sponsors a number of sporting events, such as the Mille Miglia
Mille Miglia
The Mille Miglia was an open-road endurance race which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 ....
rally. It has sponsored the SBK Superbike World Championship
Superbike World Championship
Superbike World Championship is the worldwide Superbike racing Championship. The championship was founded in . The Superbike World Championship season consists of a series of rounds held on permanent racing facilities...
and Ducati Corse since 2007, and the Goodwood Festival of Speed
Goodwood Festival of Speed
The Goodwood Festival of Speed, commonly abbreviated as FoS and referred within the United Kingdom as simply the Festival of Speed, is an annual hill climb featuring historic motor racing vehicles that is held in the grounds of Goodwood House, West Sussex, England.Typically held in late June or...
for many years, and was one of the featured brands in 2010 when Alfa Romeo celebrated its 100th anniversary. The Alfa Romeo Giulietta has been used since Monza 2010 race as the safety car in Superbike World Championship events.
In 2002, Alfa Romeo I, the first Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo (yacht)
Alfa Romeo can refer to several yachts owned by Neville Crichton, the Alfa Romeo automobile distributor for Australia and New Zealand. In 2003, Crichton was named Yachting New Zealand's "Sailor of the Year" for his accomplishments with yacht Alfa Romeo I.Alfa Romeo I is a fixed keel "supermaxi"...
super maxi yacht
Maxi yacht
A maxi yacht usually refers to a racing sailboat of at least in length. It is also a Swedish brand of smaller sailing yachts.-Origin:The term maxi originated with the International Offshore Rule rating system, which in the 1970s and 1980s measured offshore racing yachts and applied a...
was launched. She has been first to finish in at least 74 races including the 2002 Sydney—Hobart Race
Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting in Sydney, Australia on Boxing Day and finishing in Hobart. The race distance is approximately...
. A new state-of-the-art super maxi, Alfa Romeo II, was commissioned in 2005, measuring 30 metres (98.4 ft) LOA. Alfa Romeo II set a new elapsed-time record for monohulls in the 2009 Transpac race, of 5 days, 14 hours, 36 minutes, 20 seconds She has been first to finish in at least 140 races. In mid-2008 Alfa Romeo III was launched for competitive fleet racing under the IRC
IRC (Sailing)
IRC is a system of handicapping sailboats and yachts for the purpose of racing. It is managed by the Royal Ocean Racing Club in the United Kingdom through their dedicated Rating Office....
rule. Alfa Romeo III measures 21.4 metres (70.2 ft) LOA and features interior design styled after the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione is a sports car produced by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo. It was first presented as a concept car at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show and later released for sale for the 2007 model year...
.
See also
- Alfa Romeo Arese PlantAlfa Romeo Arese PlantThe Alfa Romeo Arese Plant was a plant area where Alfa Romeo had its head office for more than two decades prior to 1986 was known to be. After Fiat Group purchased Alfa Romeo in 1986, Arese became one of the assembly plants of Fiat Group. The factory is in the Province of Milan in the Italian...
- Alfa Romeo Pomigliano d'Arco PlantAlfa Romeo Pomigliano d'Arco PlantThe Alfa Romeo Pomigliano d'Arco plant, commonly known as the Alfasud Pomigliano and renamed in 2008 as "Giambattista Vico" in memory of the Neapolitan philosopher, is a car factory , situated on the in the town of Pomigliano d'Arco, and partly in Acerra. The factory is nowadays owned by the Fiat...
- Alfa Romeo Portello PlantAlfa Romeo Portello PlantThe Alfa Romeo Portello Plant in Milan, Italy was the first factory of Alfa Romeo, and the main factory between 1908 and the 1960s. The factory was closed in 1986, buth all major production was transferred already 20 years earlier to the Alfa Romeo Arese Plant...
- Alfa Romeo MuseumAlfa Romeo MuseumAlfa Romeo History Museum , which opened on December 18, 1976, is located in Arese, Milan, Italy. The museum is located in the now unused Alfa Romeo Arese factory area, which stopped manufacturing of cars in 2003 and engines in 2005, with the museum, left is only Alfa Romeo style centre.The whole...
:Category: Alfa Romeo engines
:Category: Alfa Romeo people
Further reading
- Borgeson, GriffithGriffith BorgesonGriffith Borgeson was an influential American race car historian, described by the Society of Automotive Engineers as one of the world's preeminent automotive historians....
(1990). The Alfa Romeo Tradition. Haynes (Foulis) Publishing Group Ltd. Somerset, UK. ISBN 0-85429-875-4. - Braden, Pat (1994). Alfa Romeo Owner's Bible Cambridge: Bentley Publishers. ISBN 0-8376-0707-8.
- Stefano d' Amico and Maurizio Tabuchi (2004). Alfa Romeo Production Cars. Giorgio NADA Editore. ISBN 88-7911-322-4.
- Hull and Slater (1982). Alfa Romeo: a History. Transport Bookman Publications. ISBN 0-85184-041-8.
- Venables, David (2000). First among Champions. Osceola: Motorbooks International. ISBN 1-85960-631-8.
- Owen, David. Great Marques, Alfa Romeo. London: Octopus Books, 1985. ISBN 0-7064-2219-8
- Owen, David. Alfa Romeo: Always with Passion. Haynes Publications, 1999. ISBN 1-85960-628-8
- Moore, Simon (1987). Immortal 2.9. Parkside Pubns. ISBN 978-0-9617266-0-7.
- Mcdonough, E., & Collins, P. (2005). Alfa Romeo Tipo 33. Veloce Publishing. ISBN 1-904788-71-8
- Tipler, JohnJohn TiplerJohnny Tipler, a freelance writer, was born in Leicester, lived in Leeds as a child and grew up in Chelmsford.He attended King Edward VI Grammar School and then Southend College of Art...
. Alfa Romeo Spider, The complete history. Crowood Press (UK), 1998. ISBN 1-86126-122-5 - Tipler, John. Alfa Romeo Giulia Coupe Gt & Gta. Veloce Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-903706-47-5