Press Release
24 hp (1910)
The first Alfa was designed in its entirety by Giuseppe Merosi and other Italian engineers, and was a technically innovative and durable four cylinder car. The 4084 cc engine delivered 40 horse power and was capable of more than 100 km/h, a considerable speed at that time. The transmission featured a universal joint in only one section, and a rigid, steel box-sectioned rear axle. More than 200 chassis were produced and then handed over to a coachbuilder to complete the final vehicle, as was the custom at that time. The results were the two-seater Spider and Corsa, a seven-seater Limousine and the Torpedo. The Torpedo was the most popular version and was used by the army high command during World War One.
P2 (1924)
This was one of Vittorio Jano's masterpieces. The 2.0 litre engine was an eight cylinder unit with two engine blocks. It delivered 140 bhp, rising to 155 bhp the following year, and 175 in 1930. The car was driven round the Cremona circuit at an average speed of 195 km/h, peaking at 225 km/h. With Antonio Ascari, Gastone Brilli Peri, Giuseppe Campari and Achille Varzi at the wheel, the P2 won races regularly for five years, including its first World Championship in 1925. The car had two
unusual features: the rear could be pointed or made into a boot and the owner was responsible for making the car road-worthy by adding an electrical system and mudguards.
6C 2500 Super Sport Villa d'Este (1949)
This magnificent post-war car was the most powerful version of the six cylinder 2500. Given its name after winning the Villa d'Este car design competition in 1949 (the body was by Touring), the car displayed certain features typical of industrial-scale production. Under the bonnet lay a six cylinder in-line 2443 cc unit with a cast iron engine block and light alloy cylinder head. Its power output was 110 bhp at 4800 rpm and it could reach 170 km/h.
1900 (1950)
Alfa Romeo invented the sports saloon when it designed the 1900 in 1950. In some ways this light car – it was the first Alfa with a load-bearing body – heralded the styling of the Giulietta. The four-door saloon was very roomy inside and could accommodate up to six people. This was a family car, yet it came with an effervescent 1884 cc four cylinder in-line engine that offered the driver 90 bhp and took the car to 150 km/h. This figure rose to 180 km/h in the TI model, and an impressive 190 km/h in the case of the 1900 Super and Supersprint. This model provided Alfa Romeo with success in sporting competitions: the Tour de France, the Targa Florio, the Stella Alpina and the Coupe des Alpes. An advertising slogan of the day described it as 'The family car that wins races'. Above all, it introduced the idea of a new motoring concept: a high-performing saloon for everyday use.
159 (1951)
Although only four of these racing cars were ever built, the vehicle nevertheless made its mark as an all-time great. Externally it was almost identical to the 158, which won so many races and was world champion in 1950, but inside it possessed significant new mechanical features. The 1479 cc engine – the most powerful 1500 ever built at the time – developed 425 bhp at 9300 rpm and could propel the Alfa 159 to more than 300 km/h. More precisely, a speed of 320 km/h was clocked during the Pescara GP. The 159 was immortalised by victory in the 1951 world championship, with Juan Manuel Fangio at the wheel.
Giulietta (1954)
This model made its debut in 1954 as a Bertone Sprint version. One year later, the saloon appeared at the 37th Turin Motor Show: 1290 cc, 53 bhp and a 140 km/h top speed (becoming 62 bhp and 145 km/h in 1962). Nothing could beat it in its class at the time, and motorists knew it. For about 10 years, the Giulietta Sprint, Saloon and Spider continued to exert the same appeal, and increased Alfa Romeo sales from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. The 100 000th Giulietta rolled off the Portello production line in February 1961 in the presence of actress Giulietta Masina as godmother. Although its cylinder capacity and dimensions were small, this Alfa deserves a place in the Alfa Romeo sports hall of fame for its combination of uncluttered, appealing lines reminiscent of a coupé, state-of-the-art mechanicals, good power-to-weight ratio and strong roadholding.
Giulia (1962)
An advertisement for the Giulia TI saloon called it the car 'designed by the wind'. Its styling was revolutionary: a low front featured four headlights, a plunging bonnet, a windscreen as small as that of a fighter aircraft and a cut-off tail. The engine was a 1570 cc unit capable of 92 bhp. In 1963, the magazine Car and Driver wrote of the Giulia 1600 Sprint coupé: 'Driving this car is pure entertainment'. Its roomy passenger compartment, big boot and carefully designed interior made it a top-class saloon, yet it concealed an unashamed sporting temperament. The Giulia Super 1600 of 1965 featured padded, wraparound seats and a facia with a wooden dashboard. The car was also fitted with a chrome strip beneath the doors and stainless steel bumpers.
1750 Spider (1967)
This car was the direct successor to the Duetto, but differed from it in certain mechanical respects, most notably in its engine, which was increased in size from 1570 to 1779 cc on the later car. The bigger engine ensured a higher power output (114 bhp) and top speed: almost 190 km/h. Like its sister car, which was made famous by The Graduate, a film which starred Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft, this model was also given the curious name of Cuttlefish because of its shape. The model continued in production until 1973, by which time 8701 cars had been made. Of these, 4027 were sold in the US market.
Alfetta (1972)
The Alfetta saloon went on sale in 1972 and rapidly became a symbol of the decade. It owed its success to excellent design, which combined an appealingly modern style with a lively engine and sophisticated transaxle mechanicals. The engine was a tried and tested 122 bhp 1.8 twin overhead camshaft four cylinder unit capable of propelling the car, which weighed just over 1000 kg and measured 4.28 metres long, to 180 km/h.
The Alfetta also won praise for its styling. This was the outcome of painstaking efforts to combine a compact exterior with outstanding interior space and a boot volume of more than half a cubic metre. In 1975, the model range was extended to include a version with a 109 bhp 1.6 engine (identifiable from the outside by its grille which contained just two headlights) while the 1.8 underwent some changes.
The Alfetta 2.0 that appeared two years later was different, however: the redesigned front end was 10 centimetres longer; the headlights had become rectangular and other changes had been made to the grille, bumpers, tail-lights and the interior. The facia was more linear (it was also walnut trimmed on the 2000 L from 1978) and the upholstery and door panels were in fine cloth. The steering wheel, seat profile and instruments and controls were also different. The bigger capacity made the car easier to handle and ensured the Alfetta was one of the best balanced cars in its category.
After 1979, it was also the first turbodiesel saloon to feature a cylinder head divided into four parts, one per cylinder.
33 (1969-1977)
The number 33 identifies a series of racing Alfa Romeos that won World Makes Championships throughout the Sixties and Seventies. The first, the 33/2 Sport Prototipo, made its first appearance in 1967. It came with a 1995 cc V8 engine that delivered 270 bhp, providing a top speed of 300 km/h. Two years later came the 33/3: 2998 cc, 400 bhp and a 310 km/h top speed.
The 33 TT 3 was put through its paces for the first time at the 1971 Targa Florio. It featured a redesigned body and the same engine as before, but with power increased to 440 bhp. Further technical refinements and the adoption of a new 12 cylinder boxer engine led to the creation of the 33 TT 12, a 1975 version that delivered 500 bhp at 11 500 rpm and dominated the World Makes Championship by winning seven out of eight races.
The following year saw the appearance of the 33 SC 12 that came with a 2995 cc 12 cylinder horizontally opposed boxer engine that developed more than 520 bhp. This model made Alfa the Sports Car Champion of 1977. The last race of the season was contested by the 33 SC 12 version with a turbo engine. Although engine capacity was reduced to 2134 cc, the 12 cylinder boxer engine developed 640 bhp and allowed the car to reach more than 350 km/h.
