History, soul and future: why Alfa Romeo is more than a car brand

The Italian brand has entered the history of the automotive industry with gold bills. The new models continue the tradition of innovation, and each subsequent one pushes the boundaries of beauty and performance. Learn about the history of the Alfa Romeo brand and the most important models and technical solutions of the Italian manufacturer.

Alfa Romeo - the history of the brand and logo

It all started in 1909, when Alexander Darracq founded a company in the town of Portello, which initially sold cars and later produced them under his own brand. However, Darracq quickly fell into financial trouble and his company was bought out by a group of Lombardy entrepreneurs. Then the name Anonim Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili appeared - that is, ALFA. Although everything sounds beautiful and melodic in Italian, this abbreviation simply meant “Lombard Automobile Factory Spółka Akcyjna”. The second term of the name appeared in 1918, when engineer Nicola Romeo took over the leadership.

In the following decades, Alfa Romeo passed from hand to hand. In 1938 it was bought by the state-owned Instituto Riconstruzione Industriale, and in 1986 Fiat entered the game. In January 2021, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles became part of the Stellantis Group.

It is also worth mentioning one of the iconic things associated with the Alfa Romeo brand - the logo. The history of the logotype of the Italian brand is associated with the historical coats of arms of Milan. The red cross on a white background is an antique symbol of Milan. The man-swallowing snake, on the other hand, is a reference to the coat of arms of the influential Visconti family.

Alfa Romeo - the first steps

Already in 1911, still under the name ALFA, the brand entered the world of motorsports with its first model, which was powered by a 24 hp engine. However, it was not until 1914 that a racer from a real event appeared. The car, designated GP1914, had a four-cylinder engine with two camshafts at the top of the head and four valves per cylinder. However, World War I thwarted the manufacturer's racing plans. Production of cars was stopped, Nicola Romeo entered the company, and the factory switched to production for the military.

Interwar period

After the war, car production was resumed thanks to parts that had been in storage since 1915. In 1920, the name was changed to Alfa Romeo, and the Torpedo won the race at the legendary Mugello circuit. In 1925, the company won its first world title after bringing in an engineer from Fiat to design the P2. One of the drivers was Enzo Ferrari himself. In the 1930s, Alfa Romeo was close to bankruptcy and was saved by the state. It was then that the company began to produce luxury cars with high performance. The cars were designed, among others, by the Pininfarina studio.

History of sport written

After World War II, the factory was bombed, but this did not prevent the brand from returning to the market. Alfa Romeo became one of the first manufacturers in Formula 1. The 158 Alfetta won championship titles between 1950 and 1951. It was then that the Quadrifoglio Verde symbol appeared, which now adorns the most powerful Alfa Romeo models. It was only in 1952 that the manufacturer began work on its first compact car for a wider range of customers. However, the model with the designation Tipo 103 never went into production. Instead, in 1958, the Alfa Romeo 2000 appeared - a luxury roadster.

The 60s and 70s were another success in motorsport. The Tipo 33 prototype triumphed in the American series and in the World Constructors' Championship. It was also the beginning of Alfa Romeo's financial problems. At the beginning of the 1980s, the factory was working at only 60% of its capacity. Along the way, there was cooperation with Nissan and a desire to be bought out by Ford. In the end, Alfa Romeo ended up in the hands of Fiat and was merged with its competitor - the Lancia brand. The following years are ups and downs that continue until now. Alfa Romeo is considered an exotic brand, and Italians are quite loose about the issue of the build quality of their products and are not able to cover it with performance and attractive appearance. However, it cannot be denied that it has permanently left its mark on the history of modern motoring.

The most important models of the golden era

The first major Alfa Romeo model was Giulietta. The car debuted in 1954 and appeared in Coupe, Spider, Sprint, Sprint Speciale, sedan and even station wagon versions. The first to hit the market was the Coupe, which was presented at the Turin fair. The first copies of the Giulietta Sprint were produced by hand. The body came from Bertone, and Ghia supplied the interior elements and electrics. Sedan and Spider versions were designed by Pininfarina studio. The car combined practicality with elegant appearance and sporty performance. Under the hood worked a four-cylinder engine with a capacity of 1290 cm3 with an aluminum block. In the most powerful versions, it generated a power of 100 hp.

In 1962, Alfa Romeo appeared. Giulia, which replaced the Giulietta model. It was one of the first mass-produced cars that combined a practical sedan body, low weight and powerful engine. Depending on the configuration, the car could have a power of up to 110 hp with a weight of 978 to 1130 kg in driving condition. Giulietta and Giulia returned in the 21st century.

Another important and recognizable model is Spider, which was created in 1966. Duetto's version starred in the film “Graduate” with Dustin Hoffman. This is a two-door roadster, which is highly valued by collectors. The car is based on the Giulia model. Engines with a capacity of 1300 to 2000 cm3 were installed in it. The Pininfarina studio is responsible for the appearance of the body. The car first appeared at the Geneva Motor Show. In 1971, a version was created in honor of Niki Lauda, who joined the F1 Brabham Alfa Romeo team.

The last model worth mentioning is Alpha 6. The engine went under his hood. V6 Bus - the first forked motorcycle in the history of the Alfa Romeo brand. It was designed by Giuseppe Busso. The car debuted only in 1979, although work had been carried out earlier, but was hampered by the energy crisis. This unit was developed over decades and also came under the hood of modern Alfa Romeo models.

Alfa Romeo for the 21st century

At the turn of the 90s, Alfa Romeo returned to the peak of popularity thanks to models 147, 156 and 166which combined sport and elegance. In these last two there was no shortage of powerful editions with 4-wheel drive and the use of the V6 Busso engine. In 2005, the 156 was replaced by 159, which was another commercial success of the brand. He was even chosen by the Polish police. However, undoubtedly one of the most interesting civilian cars of the Italian manufacturer was Giulia. This is a sports sedan that boldly threw gloves at BMW, Audi and Mercedes. In the Quadrifoglio version, the 2.9 engine generated 510 hp. The car was equipped with a Torque Vectoring system, which actively distributed torque between the rear wheels.

In 2016, Alfa Romeo had to follow fashion to stay in the market. The offer includes the first SUV of the Italian brand - Stelvio. It is built on a floor slab, which is also used by the Giulia model. The car was presented in Los Angeles and it was one of the harbingers of the return of the Italian brand to the American market. The Quadrifoglio version with a 2.9 engine with 510 hp also appeared here. It is worth mentioning that it was a modified V8 engine from Ferrari with two cylinders cut off.

Although Alfa Romeo has had many sports vehicles in its history, it was not until 2008 that the first supercar appeared - 8C Competition, which referred to the naming tradition of the 30s and 40s. The car was released in coupe and roadster bodies. Both versions had a 450 hp V8 engine and rear-wheel drive. Only 500 copies were produced and some of them officially went to the USA. In 2011, the manufacturer went after the blow and showed the model 4C with a 1.75 turbo engine with 240 hp. In theory, this may be little, but in practice the car weighed less than a ton. Aluminum and carbon fiber were used for its construction.

Although ecology and automotive are not a romantic combination, in 2022 the first Alfa Romeo car with hybrid drive was introduced. This is a compact Tonale SUV that has a plug-in hybrid drive. The 1.3 turbo gasoline engine drives the front axle, and the electric motor - the rear. The total power of the set is 275 hp. In the electric version, the Tonale can travel up to 80 km in the city or 60 km in the combined cycle.

Alfa Romeo in the USA

Union Alfa Romeo from the USA is quite stormy. Americans have a different approach to motoring and a different sense of aesthetics. In the 60s and 70s, European shapes were at a price, although the American auto industry strongly promoted its muscle cars. However, the stars were very fond of the Giulia and Spider models. The manufacturer even created one model specifically for the American market. It was Giulietta Spider, and the originator of this project was Max Hoffman, then an importer. Models of the 80s and 90s were no longer so popular, so in 1995 the manufacturer withdrew from the USA. The first harbinger of the return was the availability of the 8C Competizione model to American customers. However, the official return came with the arrival of the Stelvio SUV.

This makes it possible to consider the import of Italian cars from the USA there are cars from two different eras to choose from. You can bet on new models or on classics that are not lacking in the American market, and well maintained can be a decoration of the collection or an investment of capital, especially in the case of the Spider model. It is worth considering this when considering Importing a car from the USA. If you want to bring a car from the United States, it is best to use the services of a professional broker who will find the right car for you, verify the offer and take care of the entire process of bidding, importing and helping to prepare the car for registration. One such company is Bryki from America, thanks to which hundreds of drivers from Poland can enjoy cars from the USA.