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Alfa Romeo Motor Company In 1906, Societa Anonima Italiana Darracq (SAID) was the founding company that later became world famous as Alfa Romeo. Calvaliere Ugo Stella, an aristocrat from Milan took up partnership with the French automobile firm; Alexandre Darracq to form SAID and initially produced Darracq cars in Naples. Their partnership eventually collapsed and Stella, with some of the other Italian investors moved production to an idle Darracq factory in the Milan suburb of Portello. It was then that the company first changed its name to A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili). Together, with the design skills of Giuseppe Merosi, they produced their first car, the 1910 24 HP. From here, with the guidance of Merosi, they went on to design a whole series of ALFA cars with much more powerful engines. They then ventured into the world of motor racing, with drivers Franchini and Ronzoni competing in the 1911 Targa Florio, in two 24HP models. This was all before the onset of the First World War however, which halted automobile production at ALFA for no less than three years. After this glut, in 1916, ALFA saw the company come under the direction of Neapolitan entrepreneur Nicola Romeo, who had the innovative idea of converting the factory to produce military hardware for the Italian and Allied war efforts. They built munitions, aircraft engines and components, generators and compressors that were based on the company's existing car engines. They even produced heavy locomotives with their engine know-how. Nicola Romeo took complete control over the company after the First World War was over and ALFA resumed car production in1919. The next year they changed their name to Alfa Romeo, with Merosi continuing as head designer, they gave the Torpedo 20-30 HP the first badge with the new company name. A young racing driver named Enzo Ferrari lured Vittorio Jano away from Fiat to replace Merosi as Chief Designer at Alfa Romeo. Proving his worth with the company, his first design was the P2 Grand Prix which won Alfa Romeo the inaugural world championship for Grand Prix cars in 1925. Ferrari proved himself to be a better team manager at Alfa during this time, and the factory team was privatised, becoming Scuderia Ferrari. Enzo Ferrari eventually left the company to begin building his own cars. Nicola Romeo's departure in1928 saw the company go broke soon after, only managing to stay afloat thanks to the Italian Government. Alfa was turned into an instrument of Mussolini's Italy, it became a national emblem. Alfa began making bespoke vehicles for the wealthiest people of Italy during this time. The Alfa factory was converted to making Macchi C.202 Folgore engine during the Second World War and was eventually bombed, struggling afterwards to come back to profitability. Smaller, mass-produced vehicles soon replaced the luxury of yesteryear, and in the model year of 1954, Alfa introduced the first series of saloons/sedans, coupes and open two-seaters. Motorsports eventually resumed after the war and Alfa Romeo oncxe again proved they were the car to beat in Grand Prix events. Formula One was introduced and Alfa Romeo won their first championship in 1950 with Juan Manuel Fangio securing Alfa's secondary win in 1951. During this time and all the way through into the 1960's, Alfa Romeo concentrated on competition driving. By the 1970's, Alfa Romeo was in financial difficulties again with the Italian government company Finmeccanica finally bowing out in 1986 as the Fiat group bought in, creating Alfa Lancia Industriale S.P.A who manufactured Alfa's and Lancia's. The models produced in the 1990's combined Alfa's traditional virtues of avant guarde styling and sporting panache with the economic beliefs of product rationalisation. By 2005 Fiat had bought Maserati back from Ferrari and is now firmly back in their control. The Fiat Group plans to create a sports and luxury division from Maserati and Alfa Romeo. In the beginning of 2007, Fiat Auto SpA was reorganizated and four new automobile companies were born; Fiatr Automobiles SpA, Alfa Romeo Automobiles SpA, Lancia Automobiles Spa and Fiat light Commercial vehicles SpA, all are fully owned by the Fiat Group Automobiles Spa. |
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