An Italian automotive giant that has survived to the present day: The history of Alfa Romeo

The first factory building was established in 1906 as the first property of the 'Società Anonima Italiana Darracq' (SAID), founded with the French automobile company Alexandre Darracq and Italian investors. One of the investors was Cavaliere Ugo Stella, a Milanese aristocrat who became president of SAID in 1909. The firm's original location was in Naples, but before construction of the planned factory began, it was relocated and it was decided that Milan would be more suitable.

In late 1909, cars began to sell slowly, which hurt the company. In 1910, Ugo Stella, together with other Italian co-investors, founded a new company called "A.L.F.A." (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili). The first automobile produced by the new company was designed by Giuseppe Merosi, a car manufacturer and designer hired in 1909 to design new cars better suited to the Italian market. The first model was the 1910 24 HP. The designer continued to design new ALFA car models with more powerful engines such as many 40-60 HP. The brand entered motor racing, where Franchini and Ronzoni competed in the Targa Florio auto race in 1911 with two 24-hp models. The brand's logo was first designed by a young Italian painter named Romano Cattaneo of ALFA technical office in 1910.

In 1914, the "GP1914" model, an advanced Grand Prix car with a four-cylinder engine, dual ignition and more, was designed and built. However, the onset of the First World War stopped the brand's automobile production for three years. The following year, the company placed it under the direction of entrepreneur Nicola Romeo, who converted the factory to manufacture military hardware, and the name was changed to "Alfa Romeo". Ammo, aircraft engines and everything else based on the company's existing car engines were produced in a greatly enlarged factory during the war. After the war, Romeo invested his war profits in purchasing the locomotive and rail transport factories that were added to the company's ownership.

In the factory, which was not originally intended to produce cars, production was resumed in 1919 as parts remained for the completion of 105 cars. The name of the company was changed to "Alfa Romeo" with the "Torpedo 20-30 HP" model produced in 1920, and it was also recognized as the first car to have this badge. Their first success was in 1920 when motor racing driver Giuseppe Campari won at the Mugello circuit. He then continued with his second place in the Targa Florio race driven by Enzo Ferrari. At the company, Giuseppe Merosi remained as chief designer, while the factory continued to produce race cars as well as rugged road cars.

In 1923, Jano left the Fiat automaker after automobile designer Vittorio Jano was persuaded to join Alfa Romeo as chief designer. The first car under Jano's direction was the "P2 Grand Prix" model car, which won the company its first world championship in 1925. Jano has added and improved many new features and components to the architecture of the company's engines, proving that the designs are both reliable and powerful.

In 1928, Nicola Romeo left the company. In the same year, the "6C 1500 Sport" appeared, the first road car with a double overhead cam engine. In 1933 the firm was bailed out by the government, which had effective control. The company became a vehicle of Mussolini's Italy, a national emblem, and during this period produced bespoke vehicles for the wealthy with superstructures. The company also peaked with the "Alfa Romeo 2900B Type 35" race cars.

The Alpha factory was bombed during WWII and struggled to get back to profit sales after the war, producing small vehicles. Beginning with the 1954 model year, smaller, mass-produced vehicles began to be produced with the introduction of new features of the Giulietta series. These three variants also used different materials and advanced structures, so they would remain in production until 1995.

When motorsport resumed after WWII, the company proved to be the car to beat at Grand Prix events. The introduction of the new formula (Formula 1) for single-seater race cars provided the ideal setting for the company's "Tipo 158 Alfetta", adapted from a prewar voiturette. Pilot Giuseppe Farina won the first Formula One World Championship in 1950 with 158. The following year, driver Juan Manuel Fangio took the Alfa's second consecutive title.

In 1952 the firm began experimenting with "Project 13–61", its first front-wheel drive compact car, and made a second attempt in the late 1950s, based on "Project 13–61". The car, which would be called the "Tipo 103", looked like a smaller version of the popular Alfa Romeo Giulia. However, the model, which never went into production due to financial difficulties in post-war Italy, would be the first "modern" front-wheel drive compact car.

In the 1960s, the firm focused on motorsport using production-based cars, including the GTA (Gran Turismo Allegerita), an aluminum-bodied version of the Bertone-designed coupe. Among other victories, the GTA won the first championship of Trans-Am, the Sports Car Club of America's sports car racing series, in 1966. In the 1970s, the company focused on prototype sports car racing with the "Tipo 33" model and achieved victories in 1971. In 1975 the "Tipo 33TT12" model won the Constructors' World Championship for the company, and in 1977, the "Tipo 33SC12" model won the Sports Car World Championship.

Because the firm was state-controlled, they were often subject to political pressure. To help industrialize Italy's underdeveloped south, the company's new compact car, the "Alfa Sud" (Alpha South) Campania, was produced at a new factory in Pomigliano d'Arco, reflecting where it was produced along with the car name.

In the 1970s the company again fell into financial trouble and continued to operate at about sixty percent of its capacity in 1980. Introduced in 1980 with the "Alfa Romeo Spider" model sold in the USA, mechanical variable valve timing was used in all "Alfa Romeo Spider" models from 1983 onwards.

Alfa Romeo was controlled by the Italian government-owned "Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale"(IRI), and a new deal was made. But it didn't succeed. Other creative measures were then attempted to support the firm, including an ultimately unsuccessful joint venture business with Nissan, which was endorsed by the company's then-president Ettore Massacesi and Prime Minister Francesco Cossiga. In 1986 IRI was suffering heavy losses and Alfa Romeo company had not been making a profit for the last 13 years. The head of IRI put the company up for sale and first met with Italian manufacturer Fiat, who offered to form a joint venture with Alfa.

Fiat made an offer to buy the entire Alfa Romeo company and to guarantee jobs for Italian workers. Moreover, the acquisition by Fiat would not have hurt any of the parties involved if the company was held by Italy. In 1986, Alfa Romeo's rival Lancia joined the automaker Fiat's Alfa Lancia Industriale S.p.A the agreement was signed with the merger of the company. The following year, then-President of the company, Ettore Massacesi, added that Alfa would never use Fiat engines because the engines were largely Alfa Romeo's identity, adding that he would be happy to cooperate fully with everything else.

Models produced from 1990 combined the company's traditional avant-garde style and sporty flair with economic benefits. Among those produced; it included a "GTA" version of the 147 hatchback, the Giugiaro-designed Brera, and an exotic high-performance model called the 8C Competizione.

In 2005, Maserati was under Fiat's full control. Fiat Group has decided to create a sports and luxury division from Maserati and Alfa Romeo. Two years later, Fiat Auto S.p.A. was reorganized. Four new, wholly owned, Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A. automobile companies were established. These; Fiat Automobiles S.p.A., Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A., Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. and Fiat Light Commercial Vehicles S.p.A. is.

The Alfa Romeo company suffered from falling sales. In 2010, it sold approximately 112,000 cars in total, well below its global sales target of 300,000. The company set out to meet its sales target of 170,000 units in 2011 as well, but sold 130,000 units that year. The highlight of Alfa Romeo's North American return came in 2014 with the launch of the more affordable two-seat "4C coupe". In 2015, the company's return to this market was further supported by the display of the new "Alfa Romeo Giulia" at the Los Angeles Auto Show. In 2017, Alfa Romeo managed to increase its production by 62 percent by producing a total of 150,722 vehicles at the company's three factories.

In January 2021, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Peugeout SA were merged to form the automotive manufacturing company Stellantis NV, which was renamed "Stellantis Italy". Despite falling sales, in 2021 Alfa Romeo's CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato reported that a new model will be launched every year between 2022 and 2026.

Alfa Romeo Tonale is a compact crossover SUV model introduced in March 2022. It was the first new model introduced by the brand six years later, and the first model introduced under the Stellantis brand.

Alfa Romeo's logo would combine two heraldic vehicles traditionally associated with its birthplace, the city of Milan. These; the emblem of Milan is a red cross, and from the emblem of the city's rulers in the 14th century, the Visconti Dynasty, is the biscione, a large grass snake that swallows a child. On the 105th anniversary of the company, the brand's new logo was introduced at a press conference held at the Alfa Romeo Museum. The redesign of the logo was carried out by Robilant Associati. The number of colors in the logo has been reduced from four to three. These; the green of the biscione, the red of the cross, and the dark blue of the surrounding ring.

Although Alfa Romeo is best known as a manufacturer of automobiles, it has also produced commercial vehicles, railway locomotives, tractors, buses, trams, compressors, generators, electric cookers, marine and aircraft engines in different sizes. Alfa Romeo company has succeeded in implementing many technological innovations over the years. The company was often among the first users of new technologies.