History of Alfa Romeo

The history of Alfa Romeo , an Italian car manufacturer known for the production of sports cars [1] , began on 24 June 1910 with the foundation of ALFA ( acronym for "Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili") in Milan [2] . In 1918 the company changed its name to "Alfa Romeo" following the acquisition of control of the company by Nicola Romeo [3] .

In 1933 the ownership of Alfa Romeo passed, through IRI , to the Italian State due to the heavy debt that the company had contracted with the banks starting from the previous decade [4] . Alfa Romeo continued to produce cars in a semi-artisanal way until the beginning of the fifties , when it transformed into a real automotive industry thanks to the introduction of the assembly line [5] in the production departments. Starting from this decade, Alfa Romeo experienced a phase of growing success which reached its peak in the sixties [6] . In the seventies, however, there was a reversal of the trend which caused a profound crisis [7] . The accounts in the red then led the Italian state, in 1986, to sell the car company to the Fiat group [8] . The relaunch of Alfa Romeo took place in the second part of the nineties [9] . In 2014 the brand became part of the galaxy of brands controlled by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and from 2021 by the Stellantis company .    

 

 

 

 

L'ALFA [ modifica | modify wikitesto ]
The origins of Alfa Romeo have French and Neapolitan ancestry. The genesis of the brand is in fact connected to the foundation of the Società Italiana Automobili Darracq , which was opened in Naples on 6 April 1906 [10] [11] . The entrepreneurial adventure, however, immediately proved to be fraught with difficulties, especially due to the great distance of Naples from France [12] . For this reason, already at the end of 1906, the company was transferred to Milan with the construction of a factory in the Portello area [12] . The first industrial settlement which was the origin of Alfa Romeo, and which remained active until 1986, was built on a vast square bordering the areas that had hosted the 1906 Expo [13] [14] . However, the difficulties continued and sales proved insufficient to guarantee the survival of the production activity [12] . Due to these problems, already at the end of 1909 the company was put into liquidation [12] and was then taken over by some Lombard entrepreneurs, who purchased it in 1910 together with Ugo Stella, who participated in the transaction [2] .

 Giuseppe Merosi
The change of ownership took place on 24 June 1910, on which occasion the company changed its name to ALFA ( acronym for "Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili") [2] . The name chosen recalled the first letter of the Greek alphabet , wanting to underline the beginning of a new industrial adventure [2] .

 A 1910 ALFA 24 HP with bodywork by Castagna Milano
At this point the new management recognized the need to completely review its models, adapting them to the needs of the Italian market [12] [15] and therefore decided to hire Giuseppe Merosi , a designer from Piacenza with various experiences in the nascent Italian automotive industry [12] [15] . Merosi, who therefore became the first technical manager of the newly formed car company, was entrusted with the task of designing a totally new car model [2] . On this occasion, the company's first logo was also designed [2] . Sketched by Merosi himself [2] , the brand recalled ALFA's ties with the city of origin: on one side the Visconti snake (the " biscione "), on the other the red cross on a white field , the medieval symbol of Milan [ 2] . Around the two emblems there were the words "ALFA" and "MILANO" divided by two Savoy knots in honor of the Italian ruling house [2] .

The new model was launched in the same year in which the change of ownership took place [2] . Designed by Merosi, the ALFA 24 HP , this is its name, had a four-cylinder in-line engine with side valves of 4,084 cm³ of displacement which delivered 42 HP of power (the 24 HP in the name of the model instead referred to the power tax [16] ) [17] [18] . The 24 HP was designed considering the defects of the Darracq models, and was therefore equipped with a very robust structure and a powerful engine that allowed the car to reach the remarkable speed (for the time) of 100 km/h [16 ] [ 17] . The model guaranteed reliability thanks to the preliminary tests that were carried out before the launch at the behest of Giuseppe Merosi, and therefore sales of the ALFA gradually began to grow [19] . However, the 24 HP was marketed with a "naked" chassis , i.e. without the bodywork ; at the time, in fact, it was common to sell the models produced without the car body, so as to give buyers the possibility of completing them according to their personal tastes by taking them to their trusted body shop [16] [19] .

The first truck model built by Alfa Romeo was derived from the 24 HP . Built in 1914, it was obtained through a substantial modification of the car's structure [20] . This truck inaugurated a tradition that marked the home of Biscione for decades. Alfa Romeo produced commercial vehicles until 1988 and was, after FIAT , the Italian company that built this type of transport for the longest time [21] .

The 24 HP was successful and therefore, in the same year, a smaller car was launched, the 12 HP , which was equipped with a 2,413 cm³ and 22 HP four-cylinder inline engine [16] [19] . Both the engine and the chassis of the 12 HP were derived from those of the 24 HP [19] . In 1911 the 12 HP was updated with the installation of an upgraded version of the engine, which now delivered 24 HP; for this reason, the model changed its name to 15 HP , given that the fiscal horsepower also changed although the displacement remained the same [19] . In 1914 the 15 HP underwent an update similar to the one that had led to its birth. In fact, these changes mainly involved the engine: the displacement was kept unchanged in the face of an increase in power output, which grew up to 28 HP [22] . From these modifications the 15-20 HP was born [22] . The previous year (1913) the successor model to the 24 HP, the 40-60 HP [16], was launched . This new car essentially represented the fruit of the development of the previous model and marked a turning point for the design of the car manufacturer's cars, thanks to the high engineering level of its mechanics [16] [23] . The new model had a 6,082 cm³ and 70 HP six-cylinder engine [16] [17] which differed from previous engines due to the presence of overhead valves instead of those in a lateral position [24] .

 A competition ALFA 40-60 HP
In 1911 ALFA debuted, with the 24 HP, in motor racing [16] . To try to win over new buyers, the ALFA management was thinking about launching a new car which should have been characterized by a more luxurious trim level and a higher price, at least compared to the standards of the previous models [24] . However, the idea was soon shelved due to the risks involved, which were linked to a possible negative response from the market and the danger of losing already acquired customers [24] , accustomed to the peculiarities of the previous ALFA cars: it could not therefore predict their reaction towards a completely new type of car [24] . It was therefore decided to prepare a racing model, which with its eventual successes could attract new buyers [24] . Merosi was therefore commissioned to transform two 24 HP examples into cars suitable for racing [24] . The objective was achieved thanks to the lightening of the two vehicles which was achieved, for example, by eliminating the bodywork [24] ; furthermore the wheelbase was shortened and the axles were replaced [24] . These examples were entered in the 1911 Targa Florio , but without success; the disappointing results were then repeated the following year [24] . However, racing success came in 1913 thanks to a competition version of the 40-60 HP. The model won the Parma-Poggio di Berceto, finishing first in its class and second in the overall ranking [24] .

The victory of the 40-60 HP gave ALFA the impetus to continue participating in competitions and this resulted in the design of a racing model suitable for participation in motor racing Grands Prix [25] , which attracted greater interest from the public compared to endurance races [25] . In 1914 Giuseppe Merosi was therefore commissioned to design a model useful for the purpose, however using an existing car as the basis for the design, given that the creation of a new model from scratch would have absorbed too many financial resources [25] . Thus the ALFA Grand Prix was born in 1914 , which was derived from the 40-60 HP and which was the first car designed by the Biscione company to be intended exclusively for competitions [23] [25] . The model was characterized by innovations regarding engine technology [26] : it had a double overhead camshaft distribution and had dual ignition per cylinder [26] . The drive unit was the first engine from the Alfa Romeo company to have these characteristics and was therefore the forerunner of the Alfa Romeo twin-cam engine and the Twin Spark ignition system , which were produced a few decades later [26] . Due to the outbreak of the First World War , in which Italy initially did not take part, the organization of international competitions was suspended and therefore the ALFA Grand Prix had a rather short competitive activity [25] .

The birth of the Alfa Romeo brand modify wikitesto ]
 Nicola Romeo
Before Italy's entry into the war, sales of the ALFA gradually increased, going from 80 examples in 1911 to 150 in 1912, to 200 in 1913, to 272 in 1914 and then dropped to 207 in 1915 [13] . With the outbreak of the conflict (1914), the Milanese car manufacturer entered into crisis due to the stagnation of the domestic car market and the interruption of exports [13] [27] . ALFA, in fact, was broadening its commercial horizons in those years by also aiming at foreign markets [13] . The situation worsened with Italy's entry into the war (1915) [27] . The national production system converted its industrial activities to meet the demand for war supplies and this put ALFA in a difficult situation [27] [28] : the owners of the Milanese car manufacturer did not have the financial resources to convert the plants for this purpose [26] . However, an attempt was made by Merosi to modify the engine of the 15-20 HP into a generator suitable for the Royal Army , but without success [3] . To avoid finding itself in a situation in which the factory would no longer produce profits, the owners therefore decided to sell ALFA to the Banca Italiana di Sconto [26] .

The credit institution identified Nicola Romeo , a mechanical engineer from Sant'Antimo , as the potential buyer who could manage and subsequently purchase the ALFA [17] [26] . Previously Romeo, after having had some experiences abroad, had founded the "Società in conmandita simple Ing. Nicola Romeo e Co" in Milan in 1911. for the production of machinery for mining activities [17] . After the outbreak of the war, the Neapolitan entrepreneur decided to enter the military procurement business, obtaining a significant order for the Royal Army in July 1915, which involved the production of munitions [29] . Since his company did not have the resources to fulfill this order, Nicola Romeo decided to take over ALFA by entering into the company capital with the purchase of some shares [3] [29] . On 4 August 1915 Nicola Romeo was appointed director of the Portello plant [29] and within two years the industrial group led by the engineer from Sant'Antimo managed to acquire control of the company; on this occasion, ALFA changed its name to "Società Anonima Italiana Ing. Nicola Romeo" [3] . It therefore concentrated on the manufacture of ammunition (75 mm shells loaded on 75 Krupp and Déport guns and 149 caliber shells loaded on 149/35 guns ), flamethrowers , generator sets (using the 15-20 HP engine and mounted on tanks specially supplied by the Bollani body shop), aeronautical engines under Isotta-Fraschini license and mining equipment, which were essential in the trenches of the Italian front [30] , temporarily interrupting the production of cars [27] . The mining equipment was moved by air compressors , officially called Motocompressore Tipo C (Cadottato) but known as "Il Piccolo Italiano", which were designed by Merosi and which were driven by the engines already mounted on the 15 HP and the 24 HP [ 30] . In this context, due to the conflictual relationship that existed between Merosi and Romeo, the designer from Piacenza was sent to Southern Italy to lead a factory owned by the engineer from Sant'Antimo [3] [31] .

Once the war ended, the military orders dried up and Romeo decided to convert the company's activities into the production of cars for civilian use [3] [30] . This process was facilitated by the warehouse stocks of car components that had been made before the conflict [3] and by the substantial funds set aside by Romeo thanks to military supplies [30] . At the same time, Bolinder heavy oil engines for fishing boats were imported. [32] . Romeo, who was aware of the value of the ALFA brand in the marketing of car models, decided to change the name of the company to "Alfa Romeo" [3] . The official act of the birth of Alfa Romeo is dated 3 February 1918 and was signed by the notary Federico Guasti of Milan [17] . In the same year Merosi returned to the company following the resolution of the conflicts with Romeo [31] . This was also achieved thanks to the revision of the contract that linked Merosi to the Portello car manufacturer [31] , including an extraordinary payment based on the number of cars sold [31] .

The financial liquidity had also previously been used by Romeo's group for the purchase of other mechanical companies: Costruzioni Meccaniche di Saronno , Officine Ferroviarie Meridionali di Napoli and Officine Ferroviarie Romane [30] . With them Romeo built rolling stock until 1925 [33] . Romeo, however, did not own the majority of the shares of the companies in his group: further shareholders were in fact the Banca Italiana di Sconto and other financiers [34] . Although he did not possess the majority, Romeo managed to have absolute control of the companies he led [35] . From 1918 to 1921 the company led by Romeo produced a model of agricultural tractor under license from International Harvester , the Romeo [36] . The Romeo had little commercial success, especially on the basis of its technical characteristics, which had already been obsolete for a few years [36] . An example of Romeo is preserved at the Alfa Romeo historical museum in Arese [36] . This was the only agricultural tractor model marketed by the Portello company [36] .

The first post-war period and the twenties [ edit | edit wikitext ]
 Un'Alfa Romeo 20-30 HP
The first car model produced after the end of the First World War thanks to warehouse stocks was the pre-war 15/20 HP, whose marketing began again in 1919 [3] [37] . To see the resumption of normal car production, however, it was necessary to wait until 1920, when the Alfa Romeo 20-30 HP was launched , which was therefore the first road model to be marketed with the new name of the company [17] . The Alfa Romeo brand had already debuted on 23 November 1919 on a racing version of the 40-60 HP, which participated in the Targa Florio [37] .

In 1921, a new model designed by Merosi, the G1 , was launched [38] [39] . The 40-60 HP had in fact become obsolete and therefore Alfa Romeo's offer required a completely new high-level model [40] . The G1, due to its imposing dimensions, was the largest Alfa Romeo ever built until then [38] [40] . The model, however, had no market in Italy also due to the high tax burden which, being calculated on the basis of the engine capacity, penalized models with large engines [40] . The 50 expensive examples produced were therefore all sold in Australia [38] .

 Ugo Sivocci's Alfa Romeo RL Targa Florio
Business worsened due to low sales [38] . The reasons for this limited success lay in the almost total absence of a network of dealers and in the corporate disorganization that originated from the management of Romeo [38] who, consequently, began to get into debt with the banks [38] . Business did not improve even with the launch of a new car which was equipped with a six-cylinder engine designed by Merosi, the RL [41] . The new model was received lukewarmly by the market precisely because of the engine, characterized by relatively low power [42] . However, the RL was launched on the markets to complete the range with a road model whose racing version would have to satisfy the new Grand Prix regulations [41] , which provided for a reduction in the maximum displacement of the participating cars [41] . However, the RL was important for the history of the Alfa Romeo manufacturer: on one example of the racing version the symbol of the Alfa Romeo four-leaf clover made its debut which, from then on, would appear in all the competitive activities of the Milanese company and on the sportier versions of its cars [43] [44] . The four-leaf clover was painted by the driver Ugo Sivocci on his car for the 1923 Targa Florio for superstitious reasons, given that the model was entered in the competition with the number 13; with this symbol the driver from Salerno achieved the first victory of his career [43] [45] . The victory was also Alfa Romeo's first in the famous Sicilian competition [43] . In the twenties Alfa Romeo successfully expanded its sporting activity thanks to drivers of the caliber of Antonio Ascari , Giuseppe Campari , Enzo Ferrari and Sivocci himself [43] [46] [47] . Thanks to its sporting victories, Alfa Romeo achieved international fame [48] .

 Vittorio Jano and an Alfa Romeo P2 [49]
In the financial field, Alfa Romeo's situation worsened with the bankruptcy of the Banca Italiana di Sconto in 1921 [42] . This event was caused by the excessive debt contracted by the companies, which were in fact in difficulty due to the complications caused by the post-war reconversion [42] . The failed banking institution was taken over by the Bank of Italy through the Banca Nazionale di Credito and therefore a part of the debts of the companies involved was substantially managed by the Italian State [42] . Consequently these companies were effectively controlled by the Italian State also from an administrative point of view and Alfa Romeo was no exception [50] . In 1922 Benito Mussolini took power ; the leader of fascism decided to cut public spending and therefore the National Credit Bank was no longer able to provide the substantial liquidity that had been provided up to then [42] . No longer having access to credit with relative ease, Alfa Romeo's situation worsened considerably and the possibility of closure was mooted [42] . However, Mussolini was not as perplexed towards the Milanese car manufacturer as he was towards other industrial companies in crisis [42] . According to the Duce, in fact, Alfa Romeo's victories in car competitions gave the brand, and therefore also Italy, a certain prestige [42] . Mussolini therefore decided to save Alfa Romeo from closure [42] . However, with sales continuing to languish, in 1925 the Banca Nazionale di Credito asserted its weight and ousted Romeo from the company, replacing him with Pasquale Gallo [42] .

The tarnishing of the Alfa Romeo brand caused by the limited commercial success of the road models was mitigated by the successes in competitions, and in particular by the triumph of the Alfa Romeo P2 in the first motor racing world championship organized in history (1925), which was won thanks to the victories of Antonio Ascari and Gastone Brilli-Peri [38] [51] . The two defeated the drivers of the car manufacturers that dominated the Grand Prix of the time and were therefore favorites for the title ( Bugatti , Fiat , Delage , Sunbeam and Miller ) [52] . To celebrate the victory, a laurel wreath was added to the edge of the coat of arms of the Milanese car manufacturer [38] . The P2 was the first Alfa Romeo designed by Vittorio Jano , who in the meantime had replaced Merosi as the company's technical director; the latter, in fact, had left Alfa Romeo due to conflicts with Gallo [53] . In particular, the choice to replace Merosi with Jano was made the day after Sivocci's death on a P1 during some tests [54] . The owners identified the technical director from Piacenza as the main person responsible for the tragedy, and therefore decided to replace him [54] . The choice of successor then fell on Jano, who was working at Fiat at the time [54] . However, since the affinity between the world champion Alfa Romeo model and the Fiat 805 was evident , Giovanni Agnelli became convinced that Jano had used some drawings from Fiat as a basis for the P2 and therefore turned to the competent authorities [54] . The subsequent investigations exonerated Jano: the two cars, despite the aesthetic similarity, were in fact mechanically very different [49] . With Jano, a period of great sporting successes and technological advances began for Alfa Romeo which would later lead to the relaunch of the company [17] .

 A 1929 Alfa Romeo 6C 1500
Participation in competitions was a means of increasing the sales of civilian cars and therefore it was essential to launch a model which, in the wake of the victory at the world championship, would drive sales by attracting new customers [55] . In 1927 Alfa Romeo therefore presented the 6C 1500 , an easy-to-handle model with small dimensions [53] [56] . Designed by Jano, the 6C 1500 was derived from the P2 [55] and was, from a technological point of view, equipped with exceptional characteristics [53] : it was equipped with a six-cylinder engine with overhead valves of 1.5 L displacement, which it was equipped with a single-shaft distribution system [53] [57] . It was later updated with the installation, on the Sport version, of a double overhead camshaft [58] [59] . However, due to the company's inefficiencies, the model was marketed at an excessively high price [53] . Furthermore, the short wheelbase version, the sports one, did not have the desired success and therefore the launch of the new car did not allow the Milanese car manufacturer to capitalize on the victory at the world championship [55] . Despite the lack of success, the 6C was still the progenitor model of a series of cars that would later enter automotive history thanks to their performance, their design and their reliability [58] . The 6C 1500 was in fact followed by the 6C 1750 , obtained from the parent model thanks to an increase in engine displacement [60] . The 6C 1500 Sport won the Mille Miglia for the first time for Alfa Romeo (1928) [45] [59] . This success was then followed by two other victories (1929 and 1930) which were instead obtained by the 6C 1750 [45] [61] .

 An Alfa Romeo P3
In the meantime, due to the corporate vicissitudes that had involved Gallo, the company was still in difficulty despite the moderate recovery in sales that had been recorded thanks to the launch of the 6C 1750 [53] [62] . Gallo was arrested because he was caught red-handed while attempting to provide aid to a staunch opponent of the fascist regime, the Honorable Cipriano Facchinetti , who wanted to escape from Italy [53] . Gallo's management, despite its short duration, was nevertheless characterized by a reorganization of production activities which was then important for the subsequent relaunch of the company [53] . At this point the Duce himself chose Prospero Gianferrari as director , who further improved the production processes and who established, within Alfa Romeo, a sector that would be responsible for creating bodywork, thus giving the company the possibility of build complete cars [63] . Furthermore, Gianferrari chose to diversify his production activity [63] : in 1931 the first industrial vehicle not derived from road cars, the Alfa Romeo Tipo 50 , was introduced, while in 1932 the first aeronautical engine totally designed by Alfa Romeo was presented, the D2 , which was then mounted on the Caproni Ca.101 [64] . As for the cars, those years saw the introduction, in 1931, of the 8C 2300 [65] and the launch of the 6C 2300 [66] . On the competition front, Jano designed, again in 1931, Alfa Romeo's first single-seater car, the Tipo A [67] . The model, which was extraordinarily powerful thanks to the installation of two engines, was however not very robust and difficult to control [68] . From the same era is another racing car designed by Jano, the P3 ("Type B"); it, thanks to the numerous victories achieved especially by Tazio Nuvolari , is considered one of the best racing cars ever built [69] [70] .

The thirties and forties [ edit | edit wikitext ]
 Ugo Gobbato
Despite the sporting successes, Alfa Romeo's financial situation continued to be critical [4] . Added to the other problems in the 1930s was the great economic crisis which had begun in 1929 with the collapse of the Wall Street stock market and which precipitated the situation [4] . In this context, in 1933, the Italian government decided to take over the shares of Alfa Romeo that were owned by the banks, officially acquiring control of the company, which therefore became state-owned [4] [71] . In this situation, given that the accounts continued to worsen, some representatives of the Treasury Ministry hypothesized the closure of the car manufacturer [72] . At this point Mussolini personally intervened again and decided, through the IRI (the state body created with the aim of supporting banks and companies in difficulty), to save the company, giving Ugo Gobbato the task of reorganizing Alfa Romeo from both a financial and production point of view [72] . Mussolini's personal interest was not accidental: the Duce was in fact a great admirer of Alfa Romeo especially for the sporting results achieved [72] [73] . It was again the latter who pushed Mussolini to go against the opinion of his ministry by deciding, for the second time, to save the Milanese car manufacturer [72] .

 A 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300
The rescue of Alfa Romeo was achieved thanks to the synergistic work carried out by Jano and Gobbato [74] : the former continued his work of designing new models, made constantly competitive on the market thanks to the contribution that Gobbato gave to the improvement of production processes [74] . From these years are the 6C 2300 (which was characterized by a simpler structure and therefore sold well even for the lower price [73] ), the 6C 2500 (which was the more powerful and sumptuous version of the same model) and the large and luxurious 8C 2900 [75] . Overall, the years preceding the Second World War were characterized by powerful and refined models, characterized by an elegant line [75] . In particular, the three models which in the 1930s made Alfa Romeo a world-famous brand also for road cars were the 6C 1500 , the 8C 2300 and the aforementioned 8C 2900 [76] .

In April 1936, Alfa Romeo set up a company club in its Milanese plant [77] . The football section made its debut in the 1936-1937 Lombardy First Division championship , finishing the season in first place and thus gaining access to Serie C. Starting from the 1937-1938 season, the Alfa Romeo Football Group was formed , independent of the company's after-work club although connected to it. [78] The following season Alfa Romeo hired - thanks also to the prospect of stable employment as a mechanic [79] [80] - the eighteen-year-old Valentino Mazzola , future captain of Grande Torino , who remained in the red jersey only one season before to move to Venezia . The club played five seasons in the third tier until the 1941–42 season , after which it renounced its membership; it also played four editions of the Italian Cup without ever getting past the first qualifying round.

In this context, in 1933 Gobbato decided to withdraw Alfa Romeo from official and direct participation in competitions, selling his cars to Scuderia Ferrari , founded a few years earlier and having already been using cars from the Biscione company for some time [74] [ 81] . However, in 1937 Jano was removed from Alfa Romeo due to disagreements with the management, who criticized him for his lack of success in the races (in these years there was in fact a supremacy of German cars [82] ) [74] . The technician defended himself by citing as an excuse the lack of support from the management, considered necessary by Jano for the development of his Di lui projects [74] . Jano was replaced, initially, by Bruno Trevisan , who, in turn, was replaced in 1936 by the Spaniard Wifredo Ricart [74] . Ricart left an indelible mark in the history of Alfa Romeo, given that he introduced the De Dion bridge on the brand's cars; this technical peculiarity would later characterize the models of the Milanese car manufacturer for decades [74] . As regards Gobbato's administration, there is no doubt that it was fundamental for the brand which became, under his direction, famous and esteemed throughout the world also for mass-produced cars [83] . The international fame achieved by Alfa Romeo made Henry Ford say , in a conversation that took place in 1939 with Gobbato, "when I see an Alfa Romeo go by, I take my hat off" [83] . This worldwide fame was also consolidated thanks to the races and the drivers who, despite the German supremacy, still achieved significant successes [83] . Among those who contributed to writing important pages in the history of Alfa Romeo of this decade were Giuseppe Campari , Tazio Nuvolari, Achille Varzi , Louis Chiron and Mario Umberto Baconin Borzacchini [84] [85] .

 A 1938 Alfa Romeo 6C 2300
In the 1930s there was also the success of Alfa Romeo commercial vehicles, which was achieved above all thanks to their use in the Italian colonies [86] . Such was their diffusion and reputation that even in the 21st century in Ethiopia the term romeo generically indicates "lorry" [86] . The most famous Alfa Romeo truck models were produced in the forties, fifties and sixties and were the 430 , the 900 and the Mille [21] . Also in this context, at the beginning of the 1930s the first buses and trolleybuses branded Alfa Romeo also made their appearance which were, essentially, modified trucks [87] . After the 1950s, the Biscione company began producing this type of vehicle without making it derived from trucks [88] . With the passage of time, Alfa Romeo's tradition in the field of public transport assembly was consolidated, making the Alfa Romeo company one of the major Italian producers in this sector [88] . Specifically, it produced buses and trolleybuses until the sixties, while it continued to build lighter vehicles such as school buses and minibuses until the eighties [88] .

This continuation of the production diversification strategy was also the work of Gobbato, who also focused on the manufacturing of aeronautical engines [74] ; in this context, in 1938, construction work began on a production plant in Pomigliano d'Arco , in the province of Naples, which was supposed to deal with the design and assembly of these types of engines [74] . This industrial site was the ancestor of the modern production plant of the Fiat group [89] . In this context, in 1941, Alfa Romeo Avio was born , i.e. the division that dealt exclusively with aeronautical production [90] . Also in 1938 there was the official return of Alfa Romeo to competitions, with the foundation of Alfa Corse , i.e. a section which was connected to the design, construction and maintenance of racing cars and which was managed by Enzo Ferrari [ 91] . The racing models produced in this period were instead designed by Gioachino Colombo and Luigi Bazzi under the guidance of Ricart [91] . Enzo Ferrari then left Alfa Corse in 1939 due to the conflicts that had arisen with the other members of the sporting department [92] .

However, towards the end of the 1930s the political situation in Europe was changing. The winds of war led the various nations, including Italy, towards an arms race [75] [93] . Alfa Romeo's industrial production was oriented towards the assembly of aeronautical engines and trucks, which would have been more useful to Italy in the event of an armed conflict [71] . The assembly of civilian cars was therefore drastically reduced in favor above all of aeronautical production, which in the years preceding the Second World War generated almost 80% of Alfa Romeo's turnover [71] . Alfa Romeo's tradition in the aeronautical field had its roots in the early history of the brand [94] . As the decades passed, Alfa Romeo aeronautical engines became famous for their successful participation in the various attempts to break world records in the aeronautical field and for their sporting triumphs, where they demonstrated a certain technical supremacy [94] . The aeronautical engines of the Biscione company were therefore mounted on a considerable number of aircraft of the Regia Aeronautica , contributing to writing important pages in the history of Italian aviation [95] [96] . In the field of military engines, many were derived from models, such as the Jupiter [97] , produced under license and characterized by powers which, if in the 1930s were adequate, with the rapid evolution of technology later proved to be too low for use war, while reliability and robustness remained always high. Military engines were almost all radial and air-cooled; the exception was the RA 1000 RC.41 which was a licensed production of the famous Daimler-Benz DB 601 and equipped the Macchi MC202 and Reggiane Re.2001 fighters .

 The Alfa Romeo RA1000 aeronautical engine preserved at the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology in Milan
In the powerboat field, Alfa Romeo supplied its Lynx aircraft engine to an airboat at the second edition of the Pavia - Venice Raid in 1930. Participation in this competition continued in the following years and in 1938 the company won its first victory with the D2 C.30 engine . At the helm was Lieutenant Colonel Goffredo Gorini, a civil aircraft pilot, who repeated the feat the following year on board the SIAI-Alfa Romeo airboat [32] .

As far as car competitions were concerned, the second part of the 1930s saw a supremacy of German cars [82] : the Nazi regime had decided to allocate considerable funds to the Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz with the aim of making them more competitive , and therefore victorious in the competitions, the two houses [82] . The limited resources that Italy could provide at the time did not allow Alfa Romeo to do the same, responding on the track to the German victories [82] . However, these years saw the creation of the 158 , one of the most successful racing cars produced by the company [98] which, after the Second World War, would win the inaugural edition of the Formula 1 World Championship [71] . The war broke out in 1939 and, due to the war events, Alfa Corse was temporarily closed on 29 February 1940 [99] . Italy entered the war in June of the same year.

The Second World War also left many marks on the Portello factory, considered very important for war supplies [100] . Already during the war it was decided to move some departments to the Milanese hinterland and to transfer part of the warehouse to the surroundings of Vicenza , to defend these resources from bombings [101] . Furthermore, Gobbato prepared a plan to hide the components of the cars, a plan that would prove fundamental for the resumption of production activities once the conflict was over [101] . Due to its strategic importance, on 14 February and 13 August 1943 the Milanese factory suffered two heavy bombings [101] . The final blow came on 20 October 1944, when the most violent bombing that Milan had suffered up until then caused the demolition of over 60% of the structure, causing the closure of the production site [75] [100] [102] . The Pomigliano d'Arco factory suffered the same fate on 30 May 1943, with the destruction of 70% of the operational structures [101] .

The fifties [ edit | edit wikitext ]
In 1945, once the conflict was over, Alfa Romeo found itself in a situation of great difficulty. During the war the Portello plant had been heavily damaged and there was almost no longer an Italian car market [75] . There was also a shortage of raw materials and there was a lack of men who could have managed the situation; Gobbato had in fact been assassinated on 28 April 1945 and Ricart, linked to Francisco Franco , had returned to Spain following the fall of fascism in Italy [100] [103] . The fate of Alfa Romeo was once again entrusted to Pasquale Gallo, appointed extraordinary commissioner by the CNL and then became president, a position he held until 1948 [104] [105] [106] .

Since the end of the war, the company tried to put the damaged plants back into operation, initially dedicating itself to the construction of electric and gas cookers , metal frames , electric motors , buffers for railway carriages , furniture and other manufactured goods . [100] [103] [107] The production strategy set up by Gallo, in fact, was inspired by the Swiss model of the so-called "organized craftsmanship", in the continuation of the construction of highly elitist sports cars, helping himself economically with the production of other products, including non-motor sectors, exploiting the great elasticity allowed by an artisanal system, and avoiding mass production, which according to Gallo is destined to succumb to the imposing US industry. [108]

 One of the post-war 6C 2500s
Already at the end of 1945 Alfa Romeo returned to the traditional car production activity with the creation of two examples of a pre-war car, the 6C 2500 [100] . The following year, thanks to the great availability of manpower and the large stocks of automotive components in the warehouses that had been saved from the bombings, automotive production resumed steadily, again thanks to the assembly of examples of the 6C 2500 [71] [109] [110] . The 6C 2000 "Gazzella" , a prototype which had been designed by Ricart during the last years of the war and which was equipped with cutting-edge mechanics (for example, the model anticipated the transaxle transmission which was later mounted thirty years later on the Alfetta ) [102] .

Alfa Romeo management made this choice because putting a completely new model into production implied a substantial investment of funds [102] . Although the car that went back into production dated back to before the war, the market response was good [110] : thanks to the growing demand for cars that arose from the first signs of economic recovery, these examples, as soon as they were completed, left the factory destined for buyers [110] . In addition to the market recovery, the abundance of labor also contributed to restarting Alfa Romeo, given that it was in the government's interest to reabsorb the unemployed in the factories [110] . A special version of the 6C 2500 called the "Golden Arrow" was much appreciated by the public and was also purchased by King Fārūq I of Egypt , Rita Hayworth and Tyrone Power [103] . Instead, on the competition front, in 1947 Alfa Romeo won the first edition of the Mille Miglia organized after the end of the war with a 1938 8C 2900B [111] .

 Orazio Satta Puli
On the managerial front, in 1946 Orazio Satta Puliga was appointed technical manager , whose contribution would prove decisive for the relaunch of the brand [110] . Satta Puliga in fact demonstrated his value in the following years, transforming Alfa Romeo into a car manufacturer producing cars with a wider diffusion, at least compared to the models produced until then [110] . Even in this moment of difficulty, as had already happened with Gobbato, Alfa Romeo found the right man to solve the problems [110] . These choices were made in synergy with Giuseppe Luraghi , who was president of Finmeccanica , i.e. the financial company leading the IRI sector which owned Alfa Romeo [112] . In fact, it was Luraghi who appointed Satta Puliga as technical manager of the Biscione company: the Milanese manager's objective was to relaunch the brand, given that he recognized great potential for expansion in Alfa Romeo (Luraghi would then remain in Finmeccanica until 1956) [112 ] . The first measure that Satta Puliga took after his appointment as technical manager was to modernize the 6C 2500, at the same time giving life to the design phase for the launch of a new model [109] . Furthermore, he entrusted the production of secondary components to external companies, thus reducing part of the costs necessary to assemble the cars [109] . The new model, which was given the name 1900 , debuted in 1950 and was decisive for saving the company [71] [113] : in 1949 Finmeccanica was in fact intending to close it due to low car sales and the drastic decline in orders relating to aeronautical engines [114] which, with the end of the war, were much less requested by the market [114] . Furthermore, the assiduous participation in competitions involved the use of many funds and therefore Alfa Romeo's financial situation was not prosperous [114] .

 An Alfa Romeo 1900
To develop the 1900 project, Satta Puliga kept in mind some fundamental principles that would prove decisive for the success of the car: reliability, ease of driving, sporting characteristics and a non-prohibitive price [113] . In particular, driveability was a fundamental aspect for widening the pool of potential customers; now, in fact, a 1900 could be purchased and driven even by not very experienced drivers [115] . Production costs were instead reduced thanks to the introduction of the assembly line at Portello in 1952 (the first 1900s had not been produced on the line) [113] [116] . Thanks to this construction technique, which was introduced into Alfa Romeo again at the behest of Satta Puliga and which was developed thanks to the aid of the Marshall Plan , the time necessary to assemble a car fell from 250 to 100 hours, however allowing that standard to be maintained high. quality that was necessary for an Alfa Romeo model [113] [117] . In fact, IRI was not able to provide substantial funds to invest in the car company and therefore the aid from the United States [117] was decisive for the relaunch of the brand, which they allocated to the Milanese company, through the Marshall Plan , 5 million dollars [117] . With the 1900, Alfa Romeo therefore went from a car company that assembled luxury models, on an almost artisanal level, to a brand that industrially produced its own products, which became accessible to a greater number of potential buyers thanks to the reduction of production costs [5] . The 1900 also had two other records: it was the first Alfa Romeo to have a monocoque structure and to have driving on the left side [113] [118] . All Alfa Romeo cars that followed the 1900, except some racing models, would have been left-hand drive [118] . The name of the model was instead linked to the engine displacement, which was 1,884 cm³, while the mechanics derived from the Alfa Romeo racing cars [116] . The 1900 immediately established itself on the markets, given that it was a model with particularly brilliant performance but, at the same time, mass-produced and therefore sold at a relatively low price [113] . The new course immediately bore fruit: thousands of vehicles a year now came out of the Portello plant and this was a record: previously production stood at a maximum of a thousand cars per year, often without reaching the planned number of units [115 ][119] . Growth was constant: from the 6,104 cars assembled in 1955, the production capacity of the plant reached 57,870 units in 1960 [120] .

 The Alfa Romeo 159 that won the Formula 1 world championship in 1951
Thanks to the increase in production volumes, the 1900 range was later expanded [115] . In 1951 the 1900 Sprint was launched, a coupé equipped with a more powerful engine, and the following year the 1900 TI sedan was introduced, which was equipped with the same engine as the 1900 Sprint and which was instead also intended for competitions [113] . For these reasons, the motto "the family car that wins races" was chosen as the advertising slogan for the 1900 [119] . From 1900 came the so-called " Disco Volante ", which was particularly appreciated for its futuristic lines [121] . This car, however, was produced in very few examples and never went into series production [121] .

In this context two important victories in car races also came. In fact, two Alfa Romeos won the first two editions of the Formula 1 world championship, winning the title in the 1950 and 1951 seasons thanks, respectively, to Nino Farina aboard a 158 (nicknamed "Alfetta" due to its small size [71] ), and to Juan Manuel Fangio , who instead drove a 159 [71] . After these two victories, despite the complaints of fans, professionals and some of the most prominent political representatives, Alfa Romeo temporarily withdrew from Formula 1 due to the high costs that were necessary to continue participating in the championship [ 71] [122] .

Another model produced in these years was the Matta , that is, an off-road vehicle that was created following Alfa Romeo's participation in a tender from the Italian Army for the supply of reconnaissance cars; However, the Italian Armed Forces purchased few examples of this model due to the cost, which was higher than that of the competing car, the Fiat Campagnola [123] . La Matta did not have a positive response even from the private market [123] . Still in the field of supply to the State, it was the 1900 that paved the way for the sale of Alfa Romeo cars to the police : it was the model that inaugurated the famous "Panthers" series, i.e. the cars supplied to the flying squad whose nickname derived from with a black colour, aggressive shapes and snappy performance [123] . In 1954, the first van built by Alfa Romeo, the Romeo , was introduced, which was in production until 1967 [124] . Subsequently, the F11/A11 (between 1967 and 1971) and the F12/A12 were produced , which was assembled between 1967 and 1983 [124] .

 An Alfa Romeo Giulietta
However, for technical reasons, the 1900 was still linked to the pre-war Alfa Romeos [5] . Thanks to the excellent sales recorded and the success of the change in company strategy, which now envisaged models marketed in relatively high sales volumes, Alfa Romeo decided to design a new model intended this time for the middle class, also counting on the fact that the The Italian car market, in the second part of the fifties , had fully recovered from the post-war economic crisis [5] [123] . In addition, Portello needed a car produced in large volumes that would allow the company's coffers to breathe new life [125] . Thus was born the Giulietta , that is, a smaller, less expensive and constructionally simpler model than the 1900 [121] [123] [125] . In Italy, in fact, we were in the midst of an economic boom and therefore consumption was constantly growing, thus bringing more and more potential customers into the position of being able to afford a model like the Giulietta, preferring it to the lackluster Fiat 1100 or the elegant Lancia Appia [126] . Rudolf Hruska , the Austrian engineer who had designed the Volkswagen Beetle a few years earlier and who was hired at Alfa Romeo at Luraghi's behest [112] [126] , also participated in the development of the Giulietta . In the years following the launch, many versions of the Giulietta followed, all of which were fitted with a 1.3 L engine from which Giuseppe Busso , the designer who developed the mechanics of the Alfa Romeo models starting from 1900, managed to obtain up to 90 HP of power [127] . It was therefore decided not to use the more common 1.1 L engine so as not to irritate Fiat, which in fact dominated this market segment with the 1100 [128] . However, the Giulietta remained an unattainable desire for the great majority of Italians, who could not afford it; Despite this, the model had unprecedented success for an Alfa Romeo model and earned the nickname "Italy's sweetheart" [127] . With the Giulietta the term "alfista" was born, which from then on would define the enthusiasts of the Milanese brand [127] .

The Giulietta was followed in 1958 by the less successful 2000 , which did not reach the hoped-for market shares due to competition from the more successful Lancia Flaminia , the backwardness of the mechanics and the too high price [129] . In 1959 Alfa Romeo introduced the Dauphine , a small car produced under Renault license which was launched on the markets to saturate the production lines of the Portello plant [130] . Given that in Italy the small car market segment was almost completely controlled by Fiat, Alfa Romeo management decided not to invest resources in the development of a completely new model, but to rely on another automotive brand that had more experience on this type of vehicle [130] . However, the Dauphine did not have the hoped-for success [131] . However, thanks to the launch of the 1900 and the Giulietta, Alfa Romeo's sales from 1951 to 1957 increased by 187%, and this guaranteed the salvation of the brand [132] .

The sixties [ edit | edit wikitext ]
 Giuseppe Luraghi
At the beginning of the sixties the 2600 was introduced , which marked the return to models with large displacement engines [133] . An evolution of the 2000, it was the last Alfa Romeo with a straight-six twin-cam engine [130] . In this context, the management of the Milanese car manufacturer decided to give priority to the design of the successor model to the Giulietta which, in the meantime, had reached the one hundred thousandth example produced (this milestone, reached in 1961, was celebrated in the presence of the actress Giulietta Masina ) [71] [131] . The need for the new model was in fact becoming more and more pressing, given that one of the most expanding sectors, thanks to increasingly widespread prosperity at all levels, was that of medium-sized cars; furthermore, competition on this market had become fierce, with customers asking for increasingly powerful models with brilliant performance [131] [134] . On the managerial front, in 1960 Luraghi became president and thus returned to take care of the Biscione car manufacturer after an experience at Lanerossi [112] [135] .

 An Alfa Romeo Giulia
In the meantime, the production capacity of the Portello plant was reaching saturation and therefore an expansion of the industrial infrastructures became necessary [107] . However, the Portello factory was progressively becoming part of the urban fabric of Milan due to the urban expansion of the city, and therefore the management of Alfa Romeo decided to open a new plant on the outskirts of Milan which did not have the problems of the urban site [ 107] : the expansion of the town center of Milan made it impossible to enlarge the factory [107] . The official decision to open a new production site was taken on 27 February 1959, when the board of directors decreed the purchase of a vast free area just outside Milan, between the municipalities of Arese and Garbagnate Milanese [107] [136] . However, the construction phases of the Arese factory , strongly desired by Luraghi, took longer than expected due to problems relating to procurement and therefore the inauguration of the structure was postponed to 1963 [131] [137] [138] . For this reason, the assembly of the Giulietta's successor model was initially planned at Portello, with the intention of transferring production to Arese when the new plant was completed [131] . Still in reference to infrastructure, these years also saw the inauguration of the Balocco Experimental Center , that is, a track intended for testing cars which reproduced the most famous and challenging curves of the motor circuits of the time [ 71] [139] .

 A 1969 Alfa Romeo 1750 GT Veloce
In the meantime, the design of the model that would replace the Giulietta continued with the aim of launching it on the markets before the predecessor car went out of production [140] . The first version of the Giulia , this was its name, was introduced on the markets in June 1962 [140] . Already from the name, its position on the markets was understood [140] . Slightly larger than the Giulietta, it was in fact placed in a slightly higher range [140] : while the Giulietta was a competitor of the models with a displacement of around 1300 cm³, the Giulia was placed in the market segment of the cars that had a 1600 cm³ engine. cm³ [134] . However, the similarity between the two models did not lie only in the name, given that the Giulia inherited the type of engines previously mounted on the 1900 and the Giulietta [134] . What changed was the line, which was completely redesigned at the behest of Satta Puliga [134] . The result was a very particular bodywork, which did not resemble that of any other contemporary car and which possessed, thanks to the use of the wind tunnel , a particularly aerodynamic shape [134] . In fact , due to its very low C x the slogan "the Giulia, the car designed by the wind" was coined [140] . The new 1.6 L Alfa Romeo twin-cam engine , which debuted on the model, allowed the Giulia to place itself in first place in the ranking of European sedans drawn up based on performance [140] . In the following years, many variants of the Giulia were launched on the market, which also completed the range with distinctly sporty versions such as the Giulia GT (later marketed simply as "GT") [141] [142] [143] . Thanks to the prosperity that began to spread in Italy following the economic boom, more and more Italians could afford an Alfa Romeo [144] . The Giulia, also thanks to the 1.3 L engine that was added to the aforementioned 1.6 L engine, was the emblem of this period [144] . In fact, Giulias with a 1.3 L engine were the prerogative of the middle-upper class, while the models with a 1.6 L engine were generally purchased by wealthier customers [144] .

 An Alfa Romeo Spider
 An Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale
To complete the range, Alfa Romeo then decided to launch on the markets a spyder model with brilliant performance which would succeed the Giulia Spider whose line, in turn, derived from that of the Giulietta Spider [143] . The design of the line of the new car was entrusted to Pininfarina which had also designed, among other things, the bodywork of its two ancestors [143] . The model to be mass produced debuted in March 1966 under the name "1600 Spider" [143] [145] . Immediately afterwards, however, it was decided to associate the car with a name that would enter the collective imagination and therefore a competition was announced by Quattroruote magazine where readers could suggest the name; the winner was an engineer from Brescia, Guidobaldo Trionfi, who had proposed the name " Duetto ", recalling the fact that the model was a two-seater [143] [145] . Already in 1966 this name was officially added to the 1600 Spider, but it could only be used for a short time due to the homonymy with a chocolate snack sold at the time [143] . The manufacturing confectionery company in fact claimed the exclusive right to commercial use of the "Duetto" name and therefore the Milanese car manufacturer was forced to change the name of the model to "Alfa Romeo Spider"; despite this diatribe, the model is universally known as the "Duetto" [143] [145] . The platform of the Duetto derived from that of the Giulia, and was Battista Farina 's last work before his death [143] . The Duet had a huge success that crossed national borders reaching the United States , where it was very popular also thanks to its appearance in the film The Graduate (1967; this film was, among other things, Dustin Hoffman 's first leading role ) [6] . In these years Alfa Romeo, which was at the height of its fame [6] , introduced another model that went down in history, the 33 Stradale [6] . Derived from the Tipo 33 competition model and equipped with a bodywork that was one of the most beautiful of its era, the 33 Stradale was produced in a very limited number of examples [6] [146] . The project from which the Tipo 33 was born, the progenitor of many racing models that raced until the seventies ,it was Luraghi's idea [147] .

In 1963, again at the behest of Luraghi and thanks to the commitment of Carlo Chiti , Autodelta was born , which the following year transformed into the racing section of Alfa Romeo [139] [148] . This external racing department was wanted by Luraghi to provide Alfa Romeo with a streamlined and independent structure that would relieve the parent company of the conspicuous work connected to competitions [149] . In 1966 Alfa Romeo purchased Autodelta, which then became the company's new official racing department, replacing the internal one of the company [150] . One of the models prepared by Autodelta in this period, the Giulia GTA , won six European Touring Car Championships between the sixties and seventies [151] [152] [153] .

At the time, Alfa Romeo's dominance in the medium-large car category was unchallenged and therefore the Milanese car manufacturer decided to design a model that would replace the less than successful 2600, placing it in the large displacement car segment [154] . This time they opted for a smaller and less expensive model, using the Giulia as a basis to limit design costs [154] . Thus, in 1967, the 1750 [154] was born . The new car, which was appreciated by the market, was however also the first "victim" of the hot autumn given that, due to trade union unrest, slowdowns in production activity and episodes of sabotage were recorded starting from 1969 [154] .

The seventies [ edit | edit wikitext ]
The sixties and seventies were characterized by the collaboration between Alfa Romeo and the best Italian designers ; for example, Zagato worked for the Biscione company , which designed the lines of many of the brand's coupés, Pininfarina, which created the Duetto, and Bertone , which designed, among other things, the Montreal of 1970 [155] , a model that did not have the desired success because it was launched on the markets shortly before the energy crisis of 1973 and was therefore penalized by the high consumption of its 2.5 l V8 engine [156] . As regards the existing models, in 1971 the 2000 was developed from the 1750 [156] .

 An Alfa Romeo Alfasud
In terms of corporate strategies, already at the end of the sixties it was decided to renovate the Pomigliano d'Arco plant, which envisaged its transformation from a production center for aeronautical engines to a full-fledged automotive plant [157] . The project to assemble a small model in southern Italy however dates back to the 1950s even if, due to various vicissitudes, it was only made operational in the 1970s [158] . One of the reasons that pushed Luraghi to invest in Southern Italy was the attempt to limit Southern emigration towards Northern factories, thus bringing work to the areas of origin of the phenomenon [89] . In this way, according to Luraghi, the emergence of those social and integration problems that arose from the massive exodus of migrants towards the northern regions would have been limited [89] .

The first car that was produced in Pomigliano d'Arco was the Alfasud , that is, a medium-small model that marked the debut of the Biscione company in this segment and which was assembled starting from 1972 [159] . The Alfasud was equipped with a bodywork designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro [159] and a small 1.2 l engine which, however, due to its size, did not compromise the brilliant performance of the model [160] . The model had two records: it was the first Alfa Romeo with front-wheel drive and the first model from the Alfa Romeo company to have installed the Alfa Romeo boxer engine [152] [161] . Already at the time of its launch, Alfasud had good commercial success also thanks to the downward expansion of its potential clientele [160] . The latter, in fact, now also included possible buyers who previously would never have been able to afford a new Alfa Romeo model [160] . Since production was now not only carried out in the province of Milan but also in Campania, the reference to the Milanese capital was removed from the Alfa Romeo brand [89] .

 An Alfa Romeo Alfetta
Also in 1972, the Alfasud was joined by a new model, the Alfetta , which was a medium-high range sedan which was placed - in the Alfa Romeo range - between the Giulia and the 2000 [89] . The Alfetta was powered by the 1.8-litre version of the Alfa Romeo twin-cam engine which had made its debut in 1968 on the 1750 [152] . The Alfetta featured completely new mechanics which were developed to modernize the transmission , suspension and chassis , the designs of which dated back to 1900 [162] and had become obsolete, especially in light of the technological progress made by the competition [162] . The name of the new car instead derived from the nickname of the racing model that had won the first Formula 1 world championship, the 158 [162] . The choice of the name was not random and was not even dictated by tradition: the new mechanics, in fact, derived from racing cars and included a chassis with quadrilateral front suspension and a De Dion rear axle [162] . The transmission instead followed the transaxle layout , with the gearbox and clutch mounted en masse in the rear axle to obtain perfect mass distribution [162] . Specifically, the De Dion bridge solution derived from the racing cars of the 1950s and was installed because it allowed the wheels to move independently without having unfavorable camber deviations , with consequent improvement in road holding [163] . Due to these technical innovations, the Alfetta initially aroused some doubts in some Alfa Romeo managers, who feared a negative response from the market [89] accustomed to the classic and tested Alfa Romeo mechanics: the reaction of the potential buyers towards such a radical change [89] . From a mechanical point of view, however, the Alfetta was at the forefront, and no other competing model possessed such a refined scheme [164] . The new model, however, had a significant flaw: it had some assembly problems [164] .

 The Alfa Romeo 33 SC 12 Sport Prototype world champion in 1977 with Arturo Merzario, Vittorio Brambilla and Jean-Pierre Jarier [164]
As regards competitions, the seventies saw Alfa Romeo mainly involved in racing with "covered wheel" cars, in particular with the Tipo 33 and its derivatives, which won two editions of the world sports prototype championship (1975 and 1977) [165] . In the 1977 edition Alfa Romeo won all the races on the calendar in its category, while in the 1975 edition it won in the overall ranking [165] . The pilots responsible for these successes were Arturo Merzario , Jacques Laffite , Jochen Mass , Derek Bell , Nino Vaccarella , Jean-Pierre Jarier , Vittorio Brambilla and Henri Pescarolo [165] .

Despite the sporting victories, the seventies were not as fortunate in terms of mass production, especially due to the 1973 oil crisis which heavily affected the car sector [7] . In fact, car sales recorded a significant decline due to the rapid and dramatic increase in fuel prices [7] . Instead, on the managerial front, in 1974 Luraghi left Alfa Romeo [135] following the clash that occurred with the managers of IRI and CIPE for the possible construction of a fourth Alfa Romeo plant in Irpinia , constituency of Ciriaco De Mita [112] [166] . The objective was in fact to produce the Alfetta there with the simultaneous downsizing of the Arese factory [112] [167] . Luraghi considered the proposal to open a second factory in the South to be uneconomical, especially in light of the difficulties that arose due to the energy crisis, preferring, on the contrary, to strengthen the Arese production site [112] . This fourth Alfa Romeo plant was then built in Pratola Serra in 1981 for the assembly of the Arna [168] . Engines have been produced there for the Fiat group since 1996 [169] .

 An Alfa Romeo Giulietta
As regards road models, the second part of the seventies was marked by the start of a phase of serious difficulties which translated into a substantial passivity towards the updating of older models and the launch of new cars [7 ] . The Giulia, which had already been obsolete for years [7] , was replaced only in 1977 by the new Giulietta [170] , which took the mechanics from the Alfetta but positioned itself in a lower market segment given that it was offered with two smaller engines , 1300 and 1600 cm³ [170] . The bodywork, however, was completely different from that of the Giulia, as it was characterized by squared lines [170] [171] . At the same time, the Alfetta with a 2-litre engine was introduced, whose debut followed the version with a 1.6-litre engine by a few years [172] .

A little later, and after a long gestation, the new flagship was introduced, which was given the name Alfa 6 (1979) [173] . Despite being equipped with the famous Busso V6 engine , the first Alfa Romeo six-cylinder engine after the one installed on the 2600, the Alfa 6 proved to be a commercial flop due to its obsolete design and the economic climate of those years which discouraged the purchase. of large-displacement cars and the growing antagonism of BMW and Mercedes-Benz models [171] [173] . In the same year, the first Italian car with a supercharged diesel engine , the Alfetta Turbodiesel, debuted; it had good success above all thanks to its performance, which placed it in the top positions of the ranking drawn up based on the performance of cars with this type of fuel [173] . The affirmation alleviated the failure of the first Alfa Romeo Diesel, a Giulia to which the engine of the Alfa Romeo F12 van had been fitted in 1976 [173] .

At the end of the seventies, Alfa Romeo returned to competing in Formula 1. The prelude dated back to the previous decade, when the Biscione company had supplied the engine to smaller teams [174] , and to the first part of the seventies, when the engines Alfa Romeos had been mounted on McLaren and March cars from 1970 to 1971 [175] . With the intention of gaining experience in Grand Prix racing while preparing for direct participation as a manufacturer, in 1975 Alfa Romeo stipulated an agreement with Brabham again for the supply of engines [175] . Alfa Romeo then took part in the Formula 1 championship as a constructor from 1979 to 1985, but without achieving great success [176] . This return to Formula 1 was marred by the death of the driver Patrick Depailler , who crashed his Alfa Romeo Di lui during some tests in Germany in 1980 [176] .

The eighties [ edit | edit wikitext ]
 Un'Alfa Romeo Arna
The period between the end of the seventies and the beginning of the eighties was characterized by the presence, in the Alfa Romeo range, of obsolete and outdated models which were not replaced by new cars worthy of the brand's prestige [177] . The workmanship of the models was also lacking, due to careless assembly and the poor quality of the materials [177] . The latter, in particular, also led to rust problems on the car body and this caused, among other things, the worsening of the brand's image, especially internationally [177] . Meanwhile, the energy crisis was mitigating its inhibitory effects on the economy and this also led - among various consequences - to stronger competition from foreign car manufacturers [177] . Therefore, Alfa Romeo went from a situation characterized by the presence of only one main competitor - Lancia - to a new condition which was characterized by the presence of strong and growing competition from the models of foreign brands, which had benefited from the internationalization of the markets occurred during the energy crisis [177] . In this unfavorable context, Alfa Romeo's situation worsened further [177] . The first measure that was taken by the Alfa Romeo management to deal with the situation was to carry out, at the beginning of the eighties, a restyling of the entire range with aesthetically questionable results [178] . This update, consequently, did not bring the hoped-for benefits [178] .

 Alfa Romeo 33 from 1984
An event that temporarily improved the situation was the launch, in 1983, of the new model that replaced the Alfasud, the 33 [179] . The 33 was based on the chassis and mechanics of the model it replaced, but featured a body with modern lines [179] . The 33 had an excellent commercial response and therefore gave the company some relief [152] [179] . The success was also decreed by the 4x4 and family versions ; the latter, in particular, helped to spread this type of bodywork among Italians [180] . Until then, in fact, family cars were considered only suitable for use as work vehicles [180] . As a consequence of the launch of the 33 estate, and also thanks to the homologous version of the Lancia Thema , Italians began to appreciate this type of bodywork also as a family car [180] . Also in 1983, the attempted joint venture with the Japanese company Nissan came to life which led to the putting into production of the Arna : based on the chassis of the Nissan Cherry and equipped with the mechanics of the 33, the Arna however did not achieve the hoped-for success since the potential customers did not recognize in this model the characteristic features typical of the cars of the Biscione company, from which the model was in fact very distant, thus decreeing a sensational commercial flop [181] . With this model, Alfa Romeo's prestige probably reached the lowest point in its history [180] .

At this point Alfa Romeo found itself without the liquidity necessary to radically renew the range by replacing the older cars and therefore the management decided to launch a new flagship on the markets which should have been based on the previous models [182] . The 90 , this is its name, debuted on the markets in 1984 and replaced both the Alfetta and the Alfa 6 [183] . It was equipped with the mechanics of the first and a modern car body designed by Bertone [182] .

 An Alfa Romeo 75
The new flagship, however, was overshadowed by another new model which was based on the Alfetta, the 75 [184] . The 75, which replaced the Giulietta in 1985, took its name from the anniversary of the founding of Alfa Romeo, which celebrated 75 years of activity that year, and was yet another result of the strategy of deriving the new models from previous cars [184] . The 75 had good success on the markets and was the first Alfa Romeo to mount the new Twin Spark engine [184] [185] . However, this was not the company's first engine to have dual ignition , which had debuted in 1914 on the Grand Prix [26] [185] . The 75 was the last rear-wheel drive Alfa Romeo sports sedan [186] until the debut of the Giulia in 2015 and was offered on the markets with a wide range of engines [187] .

On the competition front, these years were full of satisfactions especially thanks to the GTV 6 , which won the European Touring Car Championship in the 1982, 1983, 1984 seasons [188] . Again with reference to tenders, in 1985 it was decided to liquidate Autodelta [189] ; from the following year, the races returned to being managed by Alfa Corse , whose name had already been associated with a structure that had handled the competitions of the Biscione car manufacturer [150] [189] .

 An Alfa Romeo 164
The company, despite the launch of models that had a good commercial response, still had its accounts in the red [184] . This financial situation was mainly due to the high production costs; for example, at the beginning of the eighties, Alfa Romeo spent three times the price at which the model was then sold to the public to assemble an Alfetta [152] . With the aim of reducing IRI's losses, the Italian government at the time instructed the president of the state industries holding company, Romano Prodi , to sell the Biscione car company, which in the meantime had reached a real debt of over 2000 billion of lire (well over the 700 billion officially recognized) [190] to a private group [8] . In 1986, after a heated battle with Ford , the Fiat group acquired Alfa Romeo thanks to the intercession of Prodi who prevented, not without controversy, the purchase by the US automotive group [8] [191] . After the acquisition, Fiat decided to merge Alfa Romeo with another company in the group, Lancia , giving life to "Alfa-Lancia Industriale", whose presidency was appointed Vittorio Ghidella [192] [8] [193 ] . At the same time, the new ownership decided to optimize the range of cars with the exit of the Arna and the 90 and with the updating of the other models remaining in the list [8] .

In 1987 the 164 was introduced , the flagship born from the development of the Tipo4 platform of Fiat origin, together with Lancia and SAAB. This was possible thanks to an agreement between Alfa Romeo and the two competing automotive groups before the purchase by Fiat, the aim of which was to contain the costs of designing and developing the models [8] . However, the 164 had a particular stylistic design, designed by Pininfarina [8] . The model represented a milestone in the history of the company, given that it was the first Alfa Romeo flagship with front-wheel drive [194] . In the meantime, before the launch of the new models which would be based on Fiat group platforms, the 75 and 33 had been revised respectively in 1988 and 1989 [194] . Also in 1989, a limited series coupé was presented which had the aim of reviving Alfa Romeo's sporting fame [194] . The SZ , this was its name, was then joined in 1991 by the RZ , i.e. its cabriolet version [195] . The SZ was the first Alfa Romeo model entirely designed and produced under the guidance of the Fiat group, while maintaining mechanical architectures deriving from the Alfetta [196] . However, production of the vans ended in 1988 [197] . The last two models made, the AR6 and the AR8 , originated from an agreement with Iveco and were, respectively, rebranded Fiat Ducatos and Iveco Daily [198] [199] . With them, the production of Alfa Romeo branded commercial vehicles ended [21] .

The nineties [ edit | edit wikitext ]
 An Alfa Romeo 155
The beginning of the final decade of the 20th century was characterized by the last update of the Spider Duetto, whose origins date back to the sixties [200] . These changes, which were introduced in 1990, included the installation of body-coloured bumpers and the revision of the rear end, the design of which was now influenced by that of the 164 [200] .

The second model designed and developed by the new ownership was the 155 , which was introduced in 1992 [201] . It was based on the Tipo2 platform , which was already used by many cars of the group at the time, the 155 was assembled in the Pomigliano d'Arco factory [200] [202] . Due to the mechanics being in synergy with other cars in the group and the abandonment of rear-wheel drive in favor of front-wheel drive, the 155 was not welcomed favorably by Alfisti, despite the presence of refined mechanical solutions such as the " Twin Spark" twin-shaft engines with with dual ignition and phase variator or the technology of the Q4 all-wheel drive version , which derived from that of the Lancia Delta Integrale [200] [203] . Fiat decided to derive the mechanics of the Alfa Romeo models from that of the Fiat cars with the aim of containing costs, choosing solutions that simplified as much as possible the schemes that were the basis of the suspensions, transmission and other elements, also providing attention to the maintenance simplicity of the mechanical components [204] . In competitions, the 155 won several national touring championships, including the prestigious Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft , interrupting the dominance of German cars [205] .

 An Alfa Romeo 146
Shortly afterwards, the two models that replaced the 33, the 145 and the 146 , were launched, which debuted in 1994 and 1995 respectively [202] [206] . Both cars were sedans based on the platform of the 155 and were characterized by a bodywork with innovative features: the 145 had small dimensions and had a three-door, two-volume body, while the 146 was a two-and-a-half volume, five-door body [ 206] . From the 33, the two models inherited the Alfa Romeo boxer engines, replaced a few years later by the Twin Sparks [202] [207] .

1995 was also the debut year of another pair of models which this time took up two historical names for the Biscione house: the GTV and the Spider [9] . They were introduced to revive the sporting fame of the brand and were therefore equipped with engines with brilliant performance [9] . However, the mechanics derived from that of the Fiat Tipo, although an adaptation was made to provide sportiness to the models [9] . Also due to the competition from their German counterparts, the two models did not have the hoped-for success [208] .

 An Alfa Romeo 156
The turning point for Alfa Romeo was 1997, thanks to the launch of the 156 [9] . The 156 replaced the less successful 155 and marked, with its sporty and innovative line, a break with the cars of the past while at the same time marking the beginning of a new style concept which was then also applied to the following models, albeit with various updates [9] . This new concept of style, which was the work of Walter de Silva , combined the characteristic lines of famous Alfa Romeo models of the past with modern stylistic features [209] . The 156 immediately had a notable and unexpected success, so much so that in 1998 it won the prestigious Car of the Year award , also thanks to its refined mechanics [202] [209] [210] . It was on this model that the selespeed gearbox was introduced for the first time , i.e. a semi-automatic transmission with two levers behind the steering wheel that controlled the engagement of the gears; this gearbox derived from the world of racing and its launch was made to allow sporting use of the car [211] . The 156 was also the first car in the world to have installed the common rail turbo diesel engine [210] . In 2000, the family version, the Sportwagon , was introduced [210] .

In 1998 the production of the 164 ended, which gave way to the company's new flagship, the 166 [210] . The 166 presented itself with even more generous dimensions than its predecessor but retaining front-wheel drive [210] . This last aspect generated discontent among Alfisti, also in light of the trend followed by rival brands, aimed at marketing rear-wheel drive models [210] . However, the 166 was equipped with a very comfortable interior and particularly rich equipment which made the model suitable, among other things, for long itineraries [212] . The 166 was withdrawn from the market in 2007 after having achieved good commercial success [213] [214] .

As regards competitions, in this period Alfa Romeo won four European tourism drivers' titles with the 156 (from 2000 to 2003) thanks to Fabrizio Giovanardi and Gabriele Tarquini , and three European tourism brands championships (from 2000 to 2002) [202 ] [215] [216] .

The years two thousand and two thousand and ten [ edit | edit wikitext ]
 An Alfa Romeo 147
The new millennium began for the Biscione company under excellent commercial auspices. The new model that was introduced in 2000, the compact 147 , was in fact a great success among the public and managed to win the Golden Steering Wheel award in 2000 and the title of Car of the Year in 2001 [214] [217] [ 218] . From a stylistic point of view, the introduction on the 147 of a front with more decisive and defined lines, which was reminiscent of that of the 1900 , marked the beginning of a new style that would distinguish the front parts of subsequent models and the facelifts of the cars in price list [219] .

 An Alfa Romeo MiTo
2003 was characterized by the updating of the entire range, which was achieved through a radical facelift [217] . In fact, the 156, the Spider, the GTV and the 166 were renewed [217] . Also in 2003 was the presentation of the GT model , which the following year won the "Most beautiful car in the world" award [220] [221] . In 2004 the 147 was updated and two new versions of the 156 were launched on the markets, the Q4 and the GT [217] .

In 2005 the 159 debuted , i.e. the medium-high range model that replaced the 156 [222] . Designed by Giugiaro , the 159 was essentially an evolution of the model it replaced despite having larger dimensions and weight [222] . The car was created in collaboration with the General Motors group ; the platform, in fact, was the result of a cooperation with the Opel brand which however was not followed up [222] . The 159 was equipped with a wide range of engines from which customers could choose, and was offered in both sedan and estate Sportwagon versions [222] . In the same year the new sports coupé made its debut, again designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and which took the place of the GTV: the Brera [223] .

 An Alfa Romeo Giulietta
In 2006 the new Spider was introduced , which was an evolution of the Brera and which replaced the previous model of the same name [223] . 2007 was the time of the debut of the sporty 8C Competizione , whose shapes were suggested by the 33 Stradale [223] . It was marketed in a limited series and the planned 500 examples were all sold as soon as it was introduced on the market to wealthy customers [223] . It was equipped with a 4.7 l 450 HP Maserati Squadra Corse V8 engine, which was assembled by Ferrari and which was derived from the engine mounted on the Maserati 4200 GT [223] . The model took its name from the Alfa Romeo cars with an eight-cylinder engine marketed in the 1930s and 1940s and marked the return of the Alfa Romeo company to rear-wheel drive [224] . The car was very successful and for this reason the Fiat group decided to also create a spyder version, which went into production in 2009 [225] . Even of the open version only 500 examples were assembled [225] .

June 2008 saw the commercial launch of the compact MiTo ("Mi" for Milan, where Alfa Romeo was born, and "To" for Turin, where it is built), which was conceived to try to increase sales by extending the downward range [225] . It was positioned below the 147 and - thanks to its sporty and dynamic image - was designed to attract a young audience [225] . The MiTo is based on the FGA Small Platform and was the first Alfa Romeo to be assembled in the Fiat Mirafiori plant [225] . The MiTo is available with a wide choice of engines and has a decidedly low C x (0.29), the result of an in-depth study on aerodynamics [226] .

 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio
In 2010, on the occasion of the centenary of the company's foundation, Alfa Romeo presented the model that replaced the 147, the Giulietta [227] . The car is based on the new FGA Compact platform and has sophisticated mechanical features such as the dual clutch gearbox [227] . Furthermore, the Giulietta is equipped with the start and stop system , the Alfa Romeo DNA (introduced on the MiTo in 2008 [228] ), the electronic stability control and the Q2 differential [227] . Also in 2010, Zagato presented the TZ3 , which was assembled in ten units (including the one-off example ) [229] [230] . On the occasion of the centenary there was also a rationalization of the range, with the exit of the GT, the Brera and the Spider [231] [232] .

In 2013, the 4C [233] went into production with which Alfa Romeo returns to rear-wheel drive in a (non-limited) series car after about twenty years. On 24 June 2015, on the occasion of the 105th anniversary of the foundation of the company, the Giulia [234] was presented at the Alfa Romeo historical museum , followed, on 16 November 2016, by the presentation of the first SUV produced by the company, called Stelvio , which it shares the platform and engines with the Giulia [235] .

At the end of July 2018, production of the MiTo ceased, which did not have an immediate replacement in its segment [236] . On 8 February 2022, the second SUV