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A Brief History Of The Alfa Romeo

This world renowned automobile company Alfa Romeo was birthed in Italy in 1906 by a partnership between Italian aristocrat Ugo Stella and a French automobile firm pertaining to Alexandre Durrocq. Initially known only as ALFA, an acronym for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili, the fledgling company originally produced cars in Naples, but after the partnership between Stella and Durrocq floundered, production was moved to Portello.
It was in the year 1910 that the very first non Durroqc car was created, and this model was called the 24 HP. With designer Guiseppe Merosi at the helm of several designs, ALFA began venturing into the world of motor racing, however, with the onset of the first World War, production of further vehicles halted for 3 years.

It was in 1916 that, under the direction of entrepreneur Nicole Romeo, the company’s factory was made to produce military hardware. Car production re-commenced in 1919 and that was the year the the company was completely overtaken by Nicole Romeo. the following year, the very first car to be badged with the Alfa Romeo title was the Torpedo 20-30 HP. The newly titled company continued creating reliable road cars and successful race cars, with their first success coming in 1920 with a win at the Mugello racing circuit.

Despite its successes, Alfa found itself in dire straits when Nicole Romeo left the company in 1928 as it struggled to gain momentum due to the end of defense contracts. It was in 1932 that the Italian government took effective control of the company and salvaged it, eventually turning it into a national emblem. This proved to be Alfa Romeo’s renaissance, with the brand still churning out winning race cars like the Alfa Romeo 2900 B Type35 and luxury vehicles for the rich.
Even with the onset of World War 2, which saw Alfa Romeo’s factory fall under bombing, the company merely changed its models to compliment the ever changing era. Luxury cars gave way to Coupes, two seaters and sedans pertaining to the Guiletta series. Under the hood of these models lay the classic Alfa Romeo Twin Cam engine, which remained in production until 1995.

The Alfa Romeo proved to be the car to beat when racing was concerned. In the early 1950’s, Alfa Romeo’s 158 Alfetta was crowned king of the first and second Formula One Championships.
The 1960’s saw Alfa succeed with the creation of the GTA. It placed first in the Sports Car Club of America's Trans-Am championship in 1966.
When the 70’s rolled around, Alfa had several other victories to add to its belt, but even with these, it once again found itself in a financial predicament. The Fiat Group then bought into the company in 1986. This move combined Alfa’s avant garde styling and sporting flair with the economic benefits that stemmed from product rationalization and when the 1990’s came about, a GTA version of the hatchback and the high performance 8C Competizione embodied these ideals.

With such a rich history it is no surprise that the Alfa Romeo remains revered by the automotive world to this day. It’s embodiment of sheer class and impeccable performance has earned it its place in the pantheon of vehicular manufacturers. Current models like the Spider, GT, 159 and 157 do their part in representing the beauty and strength of the company, and with more models in the pipeline, Alfa Romeo a name that will ring right into future.

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