Alfa romeo
Learn here about famous Italian sports car manufacturer - everything on Alfa Romeo history you wanted to be aware.
ALFA ROMEO
Alfa Romeo (Alfa Romeo S.p.A) is an Italian industrial company specialized in production of sport high-class cars and other vehicles. Its headquarters are located in Milan.
The history of this company started after in 1906 Societa Italiana Automobili Darracq company was formed in Portello town not far from Milan that was planning to assemble light French automobiles Darracq. Ugo Stella was the head of this company. The light automobiles were not popular in Italy and Ugo Stella decided to reorganize the only plant of the company into an original manufacture of Italian cars. So in 1910 A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica di Automobili), e.g. Lombard Joint-stock Car Manufacture appeared.
In 1910 Stella employed J. Merosi, an engineer that used to work for Fiat who designed his first brainchild, a 5-seated open-body 24CV making 42 horsepower. Its less powerful 12CV version made up to 22 horsepower. These models were the basis for pre-war productions of ALFA Company.
Racing cars were constructed with the chassis of basic sport models, and 12CV was really successful at a prestigious racing event in Moden.
The First World War temporarily stopped the production, but in 1925 the firm was purchased by Nicola Rome, who resumed production of automobiles equipped with a new 4-cylinder engine after the war was over. Romeo gave the company his fashionable easy-to-remember name.
The victory of Alfa P2 on the first World Motor Racing Championship in 1925 brought the company big success. Exactly in 20ies their racing cars became world-famous.
After facing financial difficulties caused by bankruptcy of many Italian banks the company decided to seek for help abroad, in UK, USA and Spain.
Since 1933 the company was nationalized and a special committee was formed for managing it, that was titled IRI (Instituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale) and elected among the stockholders and employees of the Company on 50/50 basis. Alfa Romeo kept on producing expensive sport cars and prestigious racing cars, but at the same time the company got orders for producing military trucks and engines for aircrafts. During the World War II engine production practically ousted out automobile production.
After the War the company released a new model constructed before the war that was titled Golden arrow (Alfa Romeo 6C Golden Arrow), produced on the basis of aluminum alloys. The great success of this model allowed restoring the material losses caused by the War in a short space of time.
In 1950ies the company management employed engineer O. Satti who was assigned to combine the racing and family car characteristics. The result of his work was Alfa Romeo Ti and its improved Ti Coupe Sprint and Ti Sprint Super Sports versions.
Giulia (Giulia Sprint GT) that had a cabriolet body style was first made on a new factory in Arese.
In 70ies a new front-drive Alfasud model was a major breakthrough in car industry that was assembled at car factories in Pomigliano near Neapolis.
Since 1982 Alfa Romeo was effectively cooperating with Nissan and together they constructed Arna model that combined the features of Datsun Cherry and Alfasud.
Since 1986 the company became a division of FIAT concern. The sport utility style of Alfa Romeo retained for Alfa Spider model, one with an unusual aggressively streamlined body design.
The advent of a new leader-car of the famous Milan brand Alfa Romeo 164, provided with a body designed by Pinnifarina made a sensation on a Frankfurt 1987 auto-show. For the first time in many years the company made a brilliant display of its engineering originality. And despite of the fact that some features (like the door shape etc) of this dynamic streamlined car (0.3 Cx coefficient) resembled the ones peculiar to pan European tipo fore platform jointly developed by Alfo Romeo, FIAT and 8MB, according to the common opinion the behindhand Alfa Romeo 164 had the most successful design.
The first show of model 145 (3-doors body) occurred in July 1994; 146 model (5-door body) was presented in December 1994. These were middle class-models with transverse engine and front-wheel drive.
In January 1999 complete modernization of this model occurred.
In 2000 production of this model stopped, giving way to Alfa Romeo 147.
ALFA ROMEO GTV/Spider, sport car models, coupe and Spider with transverse engine placement and front-wheel drive, the results of collaboration with Pininfarina Company were first shown in Paris in 1994.
Since November 1996 GTV was equipped with a new 3.0-liter V6 engine; since May 1998 with a new improved version of 2.0 TS 16v engine.
In spring 1998 all these models were redesigned.
In 1997 Alfa Romeo sedan-156 (Juliette) was nominated The Car of The Year in Europe. Alfa Romeo also became famous for their cars sport achievements.
In 1999 the optional configuration of Alfa 156 2.0 was widened with a 5-speed automatic Selespeed gearbox. Developed in accordance with the technical program of construction of Scuderia Ferrari racing cars, the gearbox of Alfa 156 has the same characteristics as the one of Michael Schumachers F399 racing car.
ALFA ROMEO 166, the model of e-class car with a transverse engine and front-wheel drive, the successor of 164 model, had its debut in autumn 1998.
ALFA ROMEO 147 was first presented on an auto show in Torino on the 8th of June 2000. The European juries nominated Alfa Romeo 47 The Car of 2001
In 2006 Alfa Romeo is going to celebrate its century anniversary, and the world public awaits for a special Alfa-Romeo super-car to be released for marking it.
The history of this company started after in 1906 Societa Italiana Automobili Darracq company was formed in Portello town not far from Milan that was planning to assemble light French automobiles Darracq. Ugo Stella was the head of this company. The light automobiles were not popular in Italy and Ugo Stella decided to reorganize the only plant of the company into an original manufacture of Italian cars. So in 1910 A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica di Automobili), e.g. Lombard Joint-stock Car Manufacture appeared.
In 1910 Stella employed J. Merosi, an engineer that used to work for Fiat who designed his first brainchild, a 5-seated open-body 24CV making 42 horsepower. Its less powerful 12CV version made up to 22 horsepower. These models were the basis for pre-war productions of ALFA Company.
Racing cars were constructed with the chassis of basic sport models, and 12CV was really successful at a prestigious racing event in Moden.
The First World War temporarily stopped the production, but in 1925 the firm was purchased by Nicola Rome, who resumed production of automobiles equipped with a new 4-cylinder engine after the war was over. Romeo gave the company his fashionable easy-to-remember name.
The victory of Alfa P2 on the first World Motor Racing Championship in 1925 brought the company big success. Exactly in 20ies their racing cars became world-famous.
After facing financial difficulties caused by bankruptcy of many Italian banks the company decided to seek for help abroad, in UK, USA and Spain.
Since 1933 the company was nationalized and a special committee was formed for managing it, that was titled IRI (Instituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale) and elected among the stockholders and employees of the Company on 50/50 basis. Alfa Romeo kept on producing expensive sport cars and prestigious racing cars, but at the same time the company got orders for producing military trucks and engines for aircrafts. During the World War II engine production practically ousted out automobile production.
After the War the company released a new model constructed before the war that was titled Golden arrow (Alfa Romeo 6C Golden Arrow), produced on the basis of aluminum alloys. The great success of this model allowed restoring the material losses caused by the War in a short space of time.
In 1950ies the company management employed engineer O. Satti who was assigned to combine the racing and family car characteristics. The result of his work was Alfa Romeo Ti and its improved Ti Coupe Sprint and Ti Sprint Super Sports versions.
Giulia (Giulia Sprint GT) that had a cabriolet body style was first made on a new factory in Arese.
In 70ies a new front-drive Alfasud model was a major breakthrough in car industry that was assembled at car factories in Pomigliano near Neapolis.
Since 1982 Alfa Romeo was effectively cooperating with Nissan and together they constructed Arna model that combined the features of Datsun Cherry and Alfasud.
Since 1986 the company became a division of FIAT concern. The sport utility style of Alfa Romeo retained for Alfa Spider model, one with an unusual aggressively streamlined body design.
The advent of a new leader-car of the famous Milan brand Alfa Romeo 164, provided with a body designed by Pinnifarina made a sensation on a Frankfurt 1987 auto-show. For the first time in many years the company made a brilliant display of its engineering originality. And despite of the fact that some features (like the door shape etc) of this dynamic streamlined car (0.3 Cx coefficient) resembled the ones peculiar to pan European tipo fore platform jointly developed by Alfo Romeo, FIAT and 8MB, according to the common opinion the behindhand Alfa Romeo 164 had the most successful design.
The first show of model 145 (3-doors body) occurred in July 1994; 146 model (5-door body) was presented in December 1994. These were middle class-models with transverse engine and front-wheel drive.
In January 1999 complete modernization of this model occurred.
In 2000 production of this model stopped, giving way to Alfa Romeo 147.
ALFA ROMEO GTV/Spider, sport car models, coupe and Spider with transverse engine placement and front-wheel drive, the results of collaboration with Pininfarina Company were first shown in Paris in 1994.
Since November 1996 GTV was equipped with a new 3.0-liter V6 engine; since May 1998 with a new improved version of 2.0 TS 16v engine.
In spring 1998 all these models were redesigned.
In 1997 Alfa Romeo sedan-156 (Juliette) was nominated The Car of The Year in Europe. Alfa Romeo also became famous for their cars sport achievements.
In 1999 the optional configuration of Alfa 156 2.0 was widened with a 5-speed automatic Selespeed gearbox. Developed in accordance with the technical program of construction of Scuderia Ferrari racing cars, the gearbox of Alfa 156 has the same characteristics as the one of Michael Schumachers F399 racing car.
ALFA ROMEO 166, the model of e-class car with a transverse engine and front-wheel drive, the successor of 164 model, had its debut in autumn 1998.
ALFA ROMEO 147 was first presented on an auto show in Torino on the 8th of June 2000. The European juries nominated Alfa Romeo 47 The Car of 2001
In 2006 Alfa Romeo is going to celebrate its century anniversary, and the world public awaits for a special Alfa-Romeo super-car to be released for marking it.
Alfa Romeo Historical Milestones
|
|