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Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian automaker founded on 24 June 1910 in Milan.[1] Alfa Romeo has been a part of the Fiat Group since 1986.[2] The company was originally known as A.L.F.A., which is an acronym for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili (translated: Lombard Automobile Factory, Public Company).
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.[4] The firm's initial location was in Naples, but even before the construction of the planned factory had started, Darracq decided late 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 6,700 square metres (8,000 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 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. also ventured into motor racing, 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.[5] However, the onset of World War I 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.[4] 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.[6]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 World War II.
In 1928 Nicola Romeo left, with Alfa going broke after defense contracts ended, and in the end of 1932 Alfa Romeo was rescued by the government,[6] 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 World War II, 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 Twin Cam engine, initially in 1300 cc form. This engine would eventually be enlarged to just under 2 liters (1962 cc) and would remain in production through 1995.
Post war
Once motorsports resumed after World War II, Alfa Romeo proved to be the car to beat in Grand Prix events. The introduction of the new formula (Formula One) 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 1954, Alfa-Romeo had experimented with its first front-wheel drive compact car named "33" (not related or referred to sports car similarly named "33").[citation needed] It had the same transverse-mounted, forward-motor layout as the modern front-wheel drive automobiles. It even resembled the smaller version of its popular Alfa-Romeo Giulia. However, due to the financial difficulties in post-war Italy, the 33 never saw the production. Had Alfa-Romeo succeed in producing 33, 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.,[6] 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.[7] There is a planned strategic relationship between these two; engines, platforms and possibly dealers will be shared in some market areas.[8]
In the beginning of 2007, Fiat Auto S.p.A. was reorganizated 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.[9]
The history of the Alfa Romeo badge
The evolution of the Alfa Romeo badge.
The badge and the traditional shape of the Alfa Romeo grille.In 1910 a draughtsman named Romano Cattaneo was given the job of coming up with a badge for a new Milan-based company, ALFA. The story goes that as he was waiting for a train at the Piazza Castello terminus in Milan, he gained inspiration from the great Visconti family's red cross and biscione (human child-eating serpent) coat of arms emblazoned over the great door of Castello Sforzesco.
In 1918 after the company was purchased by Nicola Romeo, the badge was redesigned with the help of Giuseppe Merosi, including now the City of Milan's emblem and that of the Visconti family in a circular motif, bordered by a dark blue metallic ring 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 logo.
In 1946 after the victory of the Italian Republic Savoy knots were replaced with two curvy lines.
The name "MILANO", the hyphen and the Savoy knots (lines) were eliminated when Alfa Romeo opened the factory at Pomigliano d'Arco, Naples in early 1970s.
Racing history
Brian Redman driving with Alfa Romeo 33 TT 12Main article: Alfa Romeo in motorsport
Alfa Romeo has been always involved with motor racing. 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 1, 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. Today Alfa Romeo is active in different Touring car series and the new Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione is planned to take part to Le Mans GT2 class in the near future.
Carabinieri & Italian Government
"Panther" Alfa Giulia SuperIn 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" (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 [1], one of the dozens about this legend, is taken from a movie and not at the Spanish Steps).
Since then, Alfas remain the chosen mount of the Carabinieri, and Autostrada police. Successively, the following Alfa Romeo Berlinas have found favour for Italian Police and Government employment:
Alfetta
Nuovo Guiletta
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.
[edit] Technological development
Alfa Romeo remains in the forefront of automotive technology and design, producing vehicles whose features are very often copied within the next generations of their competition. Throughout its history, Alfa has introduced features which at the time where controversial, but whose concepts have now become commonplace in automotive engineering practice.
The following is a list of the most prominent technology introduced by Alfa Romeo, along with the models that introduced each one:
DOHC Engine (1914 GP, 1920s 6C road cars)
Mechanical Variable Valve Timing (Duetto/Spider)
All-wheel disc brakes (105 series Giulia)
Plastic radiator header tank (105 series Giulia)
Lowest Drag Coefficient (Cd) in class (105 series Giulia)
50:50 weight distribution (Alfetta 2000 & GTV)
Standard Fit Alloy Wheels (Alfetta 2000 & GTV)
Transaxle (Alfetta 2000 & GTV)
Complete CAD design process (Alfa Romeo 164)
Electronic Variable Valve Timing (Alfa Romeo 164)
Robotised/Paddle control transmission (Alfa Romeo 156 & 147 Selespeed)
Phaser Ignition System (Alfa Romeo 156 , GT and Brera)[clarification needed]
Before being bought by Fiat, Alfa Romeo always had a daring commercial policy, constantly experimenting with new solutions and using them in its series production, even at the risk of losing market share. It represented those makes of cars that permitted sporty driving on common roads, provided the driver was enthusiastic enough to appreciate their particular "sound".
Styling
Alfa have often used controversial and unorthodox styling, which often challenged assumptions. However, Alfa have also been responsible for some of the most beautiful Italian cars ever made, as well as some of the most influential. From the 1930s, Alfa was in the vanguard of design when it came to integrating aeronautical design and aerodynamics into motor vehicles (the Berlina Aerodinamica Technica, the BAT cars), which has since been a design feature of Alfa to the present day.
Italian design houses, when commissioned by the Fiat Group to produce a set of new car designs, appear to follow a 'rule' which defines their creative output in terms of Marque. Since 2005, the following 'pattern' appears to be in use:
Alfa Sports
Ferrari
Maserati / Alfa Berlina
Fiat
Lancia
An example of this would be the design process of 2005: The 8C Competizione's design elements set the standard for that year, expressed in classic super-coupe form. Those design elements where then translated into gran tourismo form in the Ferrari 599. Evidence of this is the similarity in design of the front lights, body form, and the Ferrari's retention of the 8C's twin rear lights, which is unusual for a Ferrari (they tend towards having a quartet or rear lights)
In a similar process, some of the Maserati Quattroporte's design features were reflected in the design of the Alfa Romeo 159 Berlina. Examples include the door design strategy, the interior form, and bodylines. It should be noted that this is the limit of sharing, as in all other ways the Alfa follows a different design ethic.
Alfa have, during the 1980s and 1990s, allowed the flagship 'halo' model's design to permeate the design process for other models, in order to increase sales, and market share. This is not an unusual process : competitors such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi all share this philosophy. Alfa have demonstrated a unique approach, in which styling cues may be present, but each model displays a distinct character out of keeping with siblings, characteristics not shared with competition.
The most prominent example of this process is the evolution of the Alfa Romeo 33: each generation (I, II and III) inherited successively styling cues from the flagship model. Cognoscenti among Alfisti consequently label Series I as 'Alfa 90' 33's, the Series II as 'Alfa 75' 33's, and Series III as 'Alfa 164' 33's, for the resemblance to each model. However, Alfa has always transferred technology from flagship to base models - in consequence, the '164' 33's are the most desirable, as they possess the highest level of construction, rust-proof galvanisation of the body (introduced in the 164), as well as superior Bosch electronics with fuel injection. All of these features were not present in the first generations of Alfa Romeo 33's, which demonstrates the effect of styling on Alfa design.
Throughout its history, prominent styling houses have produced very beautiful designs for Alfa, which has contributed to their international reputation for beauty. A selection of designers include:
Bertone
Giorgetto Guigaro / Italdesign
Pininfarina
Zagato
Centro Stile Alfa Romeo
In a British sales brochure:
The Alfa Romeo Giulia 1600 SS — For the man who has everything, here is the car to keep him company. ... The price is GBP 2394.1.3 including tax. Expensive? Naturally! What else would you expect a hand-built Alfa to be?
Sociology
In Italian the owner of an Alfa Romeo is an "Alfista", and a group of them are "Alfisti". Alfa Romeo is sometimes worshipped by its owners, and many models have become cultural symbols. There are many thriving Alfa Romeo owners clubs and Alfa Romeo Model Registers.
Alfa Romeo motorcars are recognised by all Motor enthusiasts as being the first "supercar", with the term being coined in the 1920s by a British journalist to describe an Alfa Romeo. Some notable owners include Beppe Carletti (Musician, Retailer - 2000 Spider), Jeremy Christian (Classic Track Driver, Writer - GTV), Jeremy Clarkson (Motoring Journalist - GTV6), Alex Hucksley (Actor, Stock Broker - Duetto), Roger Moore (Actor - GTV6) and Michael Schumacher (F1 Driver - Giulietta Super).
The Hosting team of the popular British motoring interest show Top Gear often state that a car enthusiast must have owned an Alfa Romeo at some point before they can be considered a true petrolhead (meaning an extreme car enthusiast).
Movies and television
Alfa Romeos have been natural television and film subjects, due to their excellence of styling. Appearances have been numerous and widespread. The following list is not exhaustive. Appearances are listed according to their impact on popular culture.
The Graduate
Certainly the most famous appearance and presence on screen of any Alfa must be
Dustin Hoffman's Spider runs out of gas in The Graduate.1967's hit film The Graduate, starring Dustin Hoffman, Katharine Ross and Anne Bancroft. It gave worldwide celebrity to the "Spider" (best known by the Italian nickname of "Duetto", or as "Osso di Seppia," meaning "cuttlefish bone," or Round-tail), and also for its elegant and attractive form [3]. 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 to sales of the Spider into 1980s in the United States as the Alfa Graduate.
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.
The Italian Job
Alfa Romeo Giulia 'Panthers' appear as Polizia cars in the 1969 movie The Italian Job. During the chase in Turin each suffers an unpleasant, yet humorous demise. Memorable 'deaths' include breaking down on top the roof of a gently sloping building dome, and being washed away by the flow of water from a weir while chasing a mini.
James Bond
Alfas have featured on-screen in three James Bond films.
Blue Polizia Alfettas are seen in For Your Eyes Only, haring up a snowy mountainside in one shot.
One of the most prominent roles was when James Bond (Roger Moore) stole and then drove with great skill a smart silver GTV6 in 1983's Octopussy. In the scene is pursued by two Bavarian BMW 5-series police cars, who have no luck in catching up to the Alfa !
A pair of black Alfa Romeo 159s 3.2 Q4's appeared in the opening scenes of the 2008 James Bond film Quantum of Solace. They featured in the spectacular car chase with James Bond's Aston Martin DBS V12 around Lake Garda in Italy, to the delight of Alfisti. Noteworthy attention was paid to the sound of 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 Masina in Fellini's Juliet of the Spirits is courted by a "Romeo" in a Giulietta (Spider), a double play on words.
Edward Fox's character, the titular Jackal, in 1973's The Day of the Jackal drives a white Giulietta Spider. He repaints the car blue in a rented garage to avoid police, then crashes the car.
Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) in The Godfather drove a black Alfa Romeo 6C while in exile in Sicily. This was actually the car that was booby-trapped and explodes with Apollonia, his Sicilian wife, in it toward the end of the movie.
John Malkovich, as Tom Ripley, in Ripley's Game, drives a red Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon.
In 2009s The International, starring Clive Owen, has a black Alfa Romeo 164 integral in a pivotal scene.
Aside from this, Alfas on screen are widespread in numerous Italian local productions.
Television
In the television crime film series Ein Fall für Zwei ("a case for two", over 250 episodes made so far), the leading actor Claus Theo Gärtner, 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 Rex (Inspector Rex). At the beginning, Tobias Moretti drove a 155 and later Gedeon Burkhard drove a 166.
Literature
In Dan Brown's novel Angels & Demons, the members of the Swiss Guard all drive Alfa Romeo sedans.
Production
Alfa Romeo production between 1998-2007[11] Year Cars
1998 197,680
1999 208,336
2000 206,836
2001 213,638
2001 187,437
2002 187,437
2003 182,469
2004 162,179
2005 130,815
2006 157,794
2007 151,898
Until the 1980s, Alfa Romeos, except for the Alfasud, 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.
Quadrifoglio badge on the Alfetta 159Cloverleaf, 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 cloverleaf 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 (from Italian sprintare, "to accelerate fast") 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 Arese 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 is closed.
The 155, 156, and GTV/Spider are no longer produced. The GTV/Spider was made in limited numbers, and is still a sought after model.
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
