Today we say Alfa Romeo. At the beginning of the century we said A.L.F.A.: this is in fact what some young industrialists christened the workshops of Monsieur Darracq, buying them for the sum of 500,000 lire lent by a Milanese bank. A.L.F.A. means Anonima Lombarda Fabbriea Automobili, but also "beginning": embarking on a long adventure. The factory is entirely Milanese and therefore its coat of arms features the red cross on a white field of the Municipality of Milan and the Viscontean snake.
When the first Alfa appears - year of birth 1910, baptismal name "Torpedo 24 HP" - people are still wondering how human beings can survive such crazy speeds. The Torpedo, with 4084 cc. displacement, goes at 100 kilometers per hour: driving it was an exhilarating undertaking for the automobile pioneers, like taming a wild horse.
After the 15/20 HP in 1912, a large-displacement, racing model: the 40/60 HP with 6000 cc exceeds 120 kilometers per hour. Alfas are born with speed in their blood and victory in their pocket: in fact, the 40/60 HP conquers the first two places in the Parma-Poggio di Berceto uphill race and, after the parenthesis of the world war, wins the Mugello race in 1920. Again with the 40/60 HP, in a futuristic aerodynamic collaboration by coachbuilder Castagna, the great Mareo Ricotti reaches 130 kilometers per hour in Melies in 1913. It is the era of the first record attempts and Alfa is immediately present, ready to demonstrate that its sporting prerogatives are a question of temperament: Alfa is made like this, made to win. A.L.F.A. and Romeo: "the roaring victories."
In 1914, a man with an exceptional personality, engineer Nicola Romeo, arrived at the Portello workshops, linking his name to the initials A.L.F.A.: the new company was called ALFA ROMEO. After the war production period, the Portello company, thanks to the perseverance and genius of its technicians, received a new boost: it began producing ploughs, tractors, motor compressor units, probes, metal carpentry, steam locomotives, articulated lorries and, of course, it stood out above all for its exceptional car models, which would soon make it famous throughout the world. In fact, from 1923 onwards, its sporting activity became more systematic: in this year, the R.L. Targa Florio was released - the first car to boast the green four-leaf clover on a white background which won the 14th Targa Florio. The following year the P2 appeared, which, after having competed in Cremona at a record average of 158 kilometres per hour, established itself internationally for a few years, winning, among other things, the first World Motor Racing Championship, held in Monza in 1925.
The P2 remains one of the most glorious road cars in the history of world motoring.
The series models followed: 6C 1500, 6C 1750, 8C 2300, 8C 2900, cars that had the grit and technical perfection of racing cars and embodied in their line the taste of the "roaring years". Admired and victorious, they carried the name of Alfa throughout the world.
In 1938 a new racing model - the "Alfetta" 158 - was believed to be the worthy successor of the P2. It was hidden during the war to escape destruction and reappeared in 1946. For six consecutive years it would dominate all sports competitions. With the "Alfetta" 158 Nino Farina won the World Championship in 1950; the following year Juan Manuel Fangio won it with a more powerful version called "Alfetta" 159.
From the track to the road: the Alfa series
In forty years of history, from 1910 to 1951, the Alfa Romeos, driven by the best drivers of all time (Nuvolari, Aseari, Ferrari, Campari, Brilli Peri, Sivocci, Masetti, Borzacchini, Sommer, Chiron, Varzi, Wimille, Trossi, Sanesi and, in the two-year period 1950-51 with the famous "Alfetta" 158 and 159, Fangio, Farina and Fagioli) dictated the law on the circuits of the whole world. From the track to the road, the red racing cars of the tracks, were always first at the finish line, to the production cars that maintain their sporty temperament and do not betray their original origins: in other words, a glorious sporting tradition and unsurpassed, modern features within the reach of an ever-widening public, this is the new history of Alfa Romeo starting from 1951, when the decision was made to decisively take the road to series production. First the "1900", "the family car that wins races": this very successful car marks the transition of Alfa Romeo production from artisanal to industrial dimensions. Then, in 1954, the Giulietta Sprint followed by the Giulietta sedan, spider, SS, SZ models: it is Alfa Romeo's response to the car boom that is about to explode in Italy.
The Portello plant was no longer enough.
From Portello to Arese: the Giulia is born. The new Alfa Romeo car was to be born in the new complex in Arese, very modern and functional. It was called Giulia and immediately achieved enormous success throughout the world in its saloon and sports versions.
The Giulia confirms the new policy started by Alfa Romeo with the 1900 and continued with the Giulietta: to build series cars with a refined stylistic line with those particular qualities of speed, acceleration, durability and road holding, once considered exclusive to racing cars. The Giulia models, 1300 and 1600, were then joined by the cars of the 1750 and 2000 series, the Montreal, the new Alfetta saloon and GT.
Alfa Romeo Alfasud: a new factory for new cars
In 1968 the first stone was laid in Pomigliano d'Areo for a new plant, from which, four years later, the first Alfasuds would be used, now widespread and appreciated throughout the world.
So we are in our days: the small Portello factory from the distant 1910 has now become a large industrial complex with 6 plants in Italy - in which, in addition to cars, industrial vehicles, diesel engines are produced and the construction and overhaul of aircraft engines is carried out - and other manufacturing and assembly plants in 9 foreign countries. The vehicles produced, which in 1950 were less than 2,000, became 210 thousand in 1974 and, within a few years, it is expected to reach 350 thousand. The sales and service network has 14 branches in Italy and 13 subsidiaries abroad, which coordinate the activities of another 5,000 sales and service points spread across 70 countries. The group's total workforce is another 45,000 people. 1975: Alfa Romeo is World Champion of Marche With industrial and commercial development, the passion for sport does not diminish: Alfas continue to run and win on circuits and roads all over the world, and sporting activity is increasingly directed towards providing valuable experience from which derive the qualities of robustness, durability, safety and reliability for which Alfa Romeo series production is appreciated everywhere.
Every year there are another 500 overall, category and class victories obtained by Alfa Romeo cars: to the roll of honor of the most prestigious victories, in 1975 is added the conquest of a fourth world title, the World Championship of Marche won by the 33 TT 12 with 7 first places overall in 7 consecutive races. And another glorious affirmation such as the 11 Mille Miglia, the 10 Targa Florio, the 4 "24 Hours" of Le Mans, the hundred Grand Prix, the 7 consecutive European Touring Car Championships and the endless series of world championships and records also achieved in motorboating with boats equipped with Alfa Romeo engines.
