Giuseppe Merosi was a famous Italian automobile engineer.

Born in Piacenza

Piacenza

Piacenza is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Piacenza...

, Merosi trained as a building surveyor, before he discovered his gift for the automotive engineering. He gained first experiences at Bianchi

Bianchi

Bianchi, a plural of bianco , is a frequent proper name; notable people with that surname include:*Andrea Bianchi, an Italian film director*Bianca Bianchi , stage name of Bertha Schwarz, German/Austrian opera soprano...

 and the running department of 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...

s. Soon he was hired (1910) as a new chief engineer to new company A.L.F.A which was established at 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...

 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 predecessor company, which had manufactured licensed products of the French automaker Darracq, had failed. The first Alfa designed by Merosi was A.L.F.A 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...

, which came on the market in 24 June 1910. From its 4.1 litres capacity were obtained a proud 42 hp and the cars reached 100 km/h (62.1 mph), at that time a very considerable maximum speed. In the first year already 50 pieces were sold. The cars proved to be durable and reliable vehicles with an elegant design. Higher HP models followed in the coming years. In 1914 Merosi designed the first Alfa Romeo DOHC engine, 4 cylinders, 4.5 litres and 16 valve head, this was used in 1914 Alfa Romeo 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,...

 car. World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 stopped development and it wasn't until 1922 Merosi came again with DOHC engine. The beginning of the 20's also saw the luxurious Alfa Romeo 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...

.

Merosi recognized also the meaning of racing both for the development and for the mark image. Thus already 1911 Alfa Romeo HP took part 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...

. The first pure racing cars were starting from 1920 the 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...

 and 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...

 as well as the 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...

. 1923 Targa Florio was won for the first time.

1924 Merosi left the company and he was replaced with new chief engineer 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...

. He worked afterwards for Isotta Fraschini and died at the age of 84 in 1956.