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Alfa Romeo

The Myth of Alfa Romeo

The sound of this brand is enough to get you excited: Its association with Italy, and with sporty vehicles rivals none. Alfa Romeo stands for long-term technological leadership in engine construction, for successful design, and finally for Italy's longing for automobiles for all people in the north.

Advertisements from the 1950s praised and demonstrated the high-class position of the Alfa Romeo brand. It's an Alfa Romeo, “An automobile that not everyone has, but a car that reveals the way of life.” In addition, the Alfa Romeo automobiles were, “Only built for people who are characterized by their young heart, their car understanding and their enthusiasm for the beauty of driving”.

According to the advertisement, an Alfa Romeo offered the buyer an engine full of spirit, that was unsurprisingly robust; plus handling that was second-to-none, and on top of that, the best brakes in the world; a car that was simply impossible to drive but safely.

The many successes in racing with Ascari, Nuvolari, Ferrari ...

Whatever one's personal attitude towards Alfa Romeo is, one thing is certain: the ideal way for you to go on an adventure trip to the 1950s on dream roads in Italy is from behind the wheel of an Alfa Romeo.

Dolce Vita and Alfa Romeo belong together like Roberto Rossellini and Ingrid Bergman, like Celentano and “Azzurro,” and especially like fashion and Italy. Nowhere else is this best reflected in the Italian way of life than with an Alfa Romeo.

Just one year after hitting the open roads, this model took on the oldest car race in the world; founded by the Sicilian magnate Florio: the "Targa Florio". But the current operators were not very lucky: In 1915, stock speculators ensured that an armaments company led by Ing. Nicola Romeo produced military equipment in Portello for the ongoing war.

1919 was when automobile manufacturing returned in Milan, and it was now under the name “Alfa-Romeo” (initially with a hyphen). As with other automakers in the roaring twenties, the fate of Alfa Romeo lied in the hands of wealthy financiers and their friends who recognized the dawn of a new era of cars to come.

At the Forefront of Racing:

Alfa's chief designers Giuseppe Merosi and Vittorio Jano who said that the new models should rely on large-volume four- and six-cylinder engines. The successes in the following races proved them right, and inspired Alfa Romeo's sales success. Alfa Romeo drivers included legends such as Antonio Ascari, Giuseppe Campari, Tazio Nuvolari and, of course Enzo Ferrari, who later founded his own automobile factory.

The first automobile world championship in 1925! Of the eleven participating car brands at the time, only four of those are left today: apart from Alfa Romeo, these are Mercedes-Benz, Fiat and Bugatti. However, Alfa Romeo had a legacy during these prestigious events with two first-place victories in Spa and Monza! The driver for these races was Gastone Brilli-Peri, he won in a 2-liter eight-cylinder type P2 with 140 hp and a top speed of 225 km / h.

The winner's podium of 1927 for the Mille Miglia belonged to Alfa Romeo drivers and their automobiles for a decade, with only one exception.

During a recession and a stock market crash, worsening the economic situation in the automotive industry, we can thank the car-enthused national poet Gabriele D’Annunzio and/or his supporter Benito Mussolini for considering Alfa Romeo as a national cause, rallying support for the brand and thus changing hands to the Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale(IRI), saving the cars as we know them.

Alfa Romeo delivered more than expected solely based on its experience in racing: limousines, coupés and convertibles, like the 6 C 2300 or the 8 C 2900, which, in the thirties, was the fastest production car in the world with a top speed of 205 km / h.

The Year of Dolce Vita

After the Second World War, the market for automobiles, like those ordered by Hollywood greats like Charlie Chaplin or Rita Hayworth, was simply too small.

That was why Alfa Romeo was one of the first car manufacturers to choose the "series production" strategy, of doing the same models in different body shapes. This leveled the Milanese brand and gave access to a broader group of buyers than before.

Almost everything that was necessary for this change was already there: Alfa Romeo's reputation as atechnology leader, the big names of the pre-war coachbuilders, and a committed team in the main factory in Portello, which quickly repaired the war damage.

The Giulietta is Born

The Gielietta Sprint in 1954 was presented to the world! We owe its creation to the original decision after the war. In quick succession, this technically-excited new model (see Giulietta Spider) would be accompanied by a sedan and a convertible, which would ensure that everyone who could afford it drove an Alfa Romeo.

In 1957 more Alfa Romeos were produced than in the company's entire history to that point. During the post-war period, there was an unusually large product variety, with a range of coupes, convertibles and sedans, Alfa Romeo even served Europe's jet set between Amalfi, Cortina, St. Tropez and Portofino in the 1950s and 1960s.

Americans have also been enthusiastic about Alfa Romeo. The sonorous brand not only owns one of the most beautiful emblems in the automotive industry; the red cross on a white background of the city of Milan and the dragon from the Visconti coat of arms, but, as early as 1962, the successor was ready: the legendary Giulia, for many, the epitome of the sporty sedan.

Giulietta and Giulia - the Best Cars of Their Time

The 1960s was a staple of Alfa Romeo's meteoric rise: The move from the Portello district to Arese, north of Milan, was a symbol of this.

During the heyday of motorsport, supervised by the in-house racing department Auto Delta, it was the time when comparable models from Alfa Romeo were more expensive than those from BMW - many people can only guess the reason why the Munich-based company had marginally better sales figures.

Some people assumed structural problems, e.g. the productivity of the plants, possibly politically motivated influence on the management (Alfa Romeo had been a de facto state-owned company since 1933), or maybe internal trench warfare over design and technological developments characterizing the 70s with Alfa Romeo.

During this time, a number of unshakable fans remained loyal to Alfa Romeo, however sales for the Milan-based brand continued to fall below expectations, especially abroad.

The attempt by Alfa Romeo to return to luxury class with six-cylinder engines, which had been attempted previously, had not met with lasting success. The majority of Alfa Romeo models were sporty sedans such as the 75th-year anniversary model "Alfa 75" which successfully appealed to Alfa fans, but the unique sporting feature was no longer limited to the Alfa Romeo brand.

Like the many decades before, Alfa Romeo, during the mid-1980s, in the most difficult economic waters, when the company was declared a national cause by industrial patriarch "Avvocato" Gianni Agnelli and taken over by the Italian Fiat group. Today the brand belongs to the Stellantis Group.

Now in Germany, Alfa Romeo remains one of the most popular car brands, the image of Alfa Romeo inspires the trade press, and the Giulia (sedan) and Stelvio (SUV) models are currently on offer.

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Our Alfa Romeo Models

The following Alfa Romeo models are waiting for you in our classic car fleet:
Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider
History
Technical Data
The birth of the Alfa Romeo Duetto Spider: The Giulietta Spider was one of the rare great moments of automotive design, so the headache at Alfa Romeo is the design of a worthy successor. The technology was available thanks to the Giulia sedan and the Giulia Sprint Coupé (Bertone) presented in June 1962. The Turin body builders at Pininfarina had already designed prototypes in the 1950s, which were based on the streamlined fashion of the time, the Plexiglas hoods over the headlights are evidence of this. On March 10, 1966, the time had come, a renowned Alfa historian defined the day when the new Alfa 1600 Spider was at the Geneva Motor Show as “the end of one love and the beginning of a new one”. In a large-scale competition, Alfa Romeo sought ideas from the public for the model designation, and over 100,000 suggestions were received. The winner, Guidobaldi Trionfi from the Mille Miglia city of Brescia, got a brand new white one "Duetto" accept. Although the award winner's proposal never became an official model name (Alfa Romeo simply put the engine before the term "Spider"), the name remained "Duetto" to this day, the epitome of this body with the rounded stern (also called "boat tail" or "Osso di Seppia" [squid shell]). The cinemas also helped: Right at the start of the new model, the young Dustin Hoffmann sat in "the matriculation examination" steering. The Alfa Spider became a cult object of American youth, and the 1600 engine was soon to be replaced by it 1750s ("Veloce") and the 1300 ("Junior"), for the US market with Spica injection and in Germany with the well-known two Weber double carburetors. Enjoy the iconic Duetto Spider with nostalgic against the dream scenery of Italy: at the Amalfi Coast, in Tuscany at the Mille Miglia or at that Gran Premio Nuvolari, in Emilia-Romagna at the Terra di Motori Tour and around Lake Maggiore.
Production numbers ca. 4.685
Engineering Information
Bodywork: Pininfarina
Model variants / construction time: 1955-1959 (750D), 1959-1962 (101.03)
Motor: Four cylinders in line, water-cooled
Motor installation position: front, lengthways
 Drive Rear
 Wheelbase 2.200 (750D)/ 2.250 (101.03)
 Length / Width / Height (mm):  3.850 / 1.580 / 1.335 (750D) 3.900 / 1.580 / 1.500 (101.03)
Empty weight 830 kg (750D)/ 865 kg (101.03)
Wheel size 155-15
Tank capacity 53 l
Consumption 9 l/100 km
Engine versions
Type:750D
Displacement (cm3):1.290
 Power (kW / PS - at min-1): 48/ 65/ 6.000
 Top speed 160 km/h - 100mph
 Type:  101.03
 Displacement (cm3): 1.290
 Power (kW / PS - at min-1): 59/ 80 / 6.000
 Top speed 165 km/h - 107mph
Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider
History
Technical Data
The success of the Giulietta model was overwhelming and Alfa Romeo engineers began developing the next model almost immediately. With the introduction of the Giulia sedan of the same name in June 1962, the Giulietta Spider also became thGiulia Spider: a five-speed gearbox and 1570 cc displacement instead of the 1290 cc. The Giulietta brought Alfa Romeo one sales success after another with its open two-seater style. Including some striking external features such as the distinction with the longitudinal chrome strut on the bonnet, which the Giulia Spider had replaced with a transverse chrome-plated air inlet; the lettering "1600" on the trunk and the not-triangular, but oval perforated rims. Customers could choose from six body colors: red was the favorite, followed by graphite gray, white, black, medium blue and light blue. The Giulia Spider is generously equipped from the factory with features that were by no means taken for granted in 1962: a dimming interior mirror or a lockable glove compartment. The only additional equipment that could be ordered was a hardtop for the winter. By the model change in 1965, over 10,000 Giulia Spider cars had left the factory, still located in Portello (Milan) at this time. The models that drove out the door also included the 112 hp Veloce version. You can now experience the icon of Dolce Vita on Italy's dream streets: on the Amalfi Coast, in Tuscany at the Mille Miglia or at that Gran Premio Nuvolari, in Emilia-Romagna at the Terra di Motori Tour and around Lake Maggiore. Similar models to drive could not be found on the market for less than 75,000 euros.
Production numbers approx. 10,000 (including the “Veloce” version)
Engineering Information
Bodywork:Pininfarina
Model variants / construction time:1962-1965
Motor:Four cylinders in line, water-cooled
Motor installation position:front, lengthways
 DriveRear
 Wheelbase2.250
 Length / Width / Height (mm):3.900 / 1.580 / 1.335
Empty weight885 kg
Wheel size155-15
Tank capacity53 l
Consumption 10 l/100 km
Engine versions
Type:101.23
Displacement (cm3):1.570
 Power (kW / PS - at min-1):68 / 92/ 6.000
 Top speed175 km/h - 109 mph
Alfa Romeo 1750 Spider Veloce "Duetto"
History
Technical Data
This legendary series from Alfa Romeo already expresses sporty elegance in the name: Giulietta, that sounds like Dolce Vita and films by Federico Fellini, like sun and sea. Few of them know that this convertible, one of the most beautiful and well-known Alfa Romeo models, was initially not supposed to be built. In the early 1950s, the Milan-based car manufacturer was forced to present a successor to the successful Alfa 1900 sedan and filled the gap with a coupé that was given the name Giulietta Sprint. The sporty driving characteristics of the new two-door model also impressed the, then American importer, Max Hoffman, who entreated Alfa Romeo to build an open version of the Giulietta. Initially unconvinced, the company's management only decided to produce the Giulietta Spider when the importer placed a binding order for 600 vehicles. The Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider was presented to the public for the first time at the 1955 Paris Motor Show, but due to strong demand in the USA, it would take another two years before the new dream car was available in Germany. The new four-cylinder engine features two overhead camshafts; this 885kg-light sports car is clearly superior to its competitors thanks to an output of 65 hp. The flawless elegance of the design and the advanced technology are also reflected in the price: the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider cost an impressive 14,500DM when it launched in Germany, more than the Porsche 1600 Cabriolet. That means that the Giulietta remained an unattainable dream for many, while the jeunesse dorée ordered enthusiastically: over 17,000 units were sold by 1962. You can now experience the classic elegance of the Pininfarina body and the lively Amalfi Coast, in Tuscany at the Mille Miglia or at that Gran Premio Nuvolari, in Emilia-Romagna at the Terra di Motori Tour and around the Lake Maggiore..
Production numbers approx. 10,000 (including the “Veloce” version)
Engineering Information
Bodywork:Pininfarina
Model variants / construction time:1967 – 1969
Motor:Four cylinders in line, water-cooled
Motor installation position:front, lengthways
 DriveRear
 Wheelbase2.250
 Length / Width / Height (mm):4.250 / 1.630 / 1.290
Empty weight1040 kg
Wheel size165 HR 14
Tank capacity46 l
Consumption 11,4 l/100 km
Engine versions
Type:105.57
Displacement (cm3):1.779
 Power (kW / PS - at min-1): 48/ 65/ 6.000
 Top speed 160 km/h - 100mph
 Type:  101.03
 Displacement (cm3): 1.290
 Power (kW / PS - at min-1):97 / 115 / 5.000
 Top speed190 km/h - 118mph
Alfa Romeo 2000 Spider Veloce
History
Technical Data
There is quite a legacy for the origins of the Alfa Romeo 2000 Spider: Already when the "Duetto" was presented, there were voices that the new Alfa Spider looked outdated, especially in the rear area. Before Pininfarina made the decisive change in the Turin studios, extensive studies had been carried out in wind tunnels for what design could work best. The result was impressive, at least in terms of sales. The changes affected not only the now striking rear with significantly larger taillights and the continuous stainless steel bumper, but also the front area with a wider Alfa heart, small details such as the embedded handles in the doors, and the spartan interior of the "Duetto". The Spider, initially presented with the well-known 1750 engine, would soon be followed by a 2000 series, whose four-cylinder with the familiar overhead camshafts delivers up to 131 hp and helps the lightweight Spider to achieve performance that is in no way inferior to that of other sports cars. While a "Duetto" cost just as much as a Jaguar E-Type when it was introduced in England, for example, and significantly more than an Austin Healey 3000, Alfa Romeo sold in Germany at prices starting at 14,750DM (Switzerland: 17,500 francs). For comparison: the BMW 2002 as a Baur convertible was available for only 14,250DM. To this day, this model is considered to be one of the most successful vehicles from Alfa Romeo. Its classic design makes the 2000 Veloce one of the most sought-after classics among convertibles of the seventies. The powerful, elastic motor and the rear-wheel drive ensures unlimited driving pleasure. You can now experience pure Alfa Romeo driving fun on Italy's dream roads, on the Amalfi Coast, in Tuscany at the Mille Miglia or at that Gran Premio Nuvolari, in Emilia-Romagna at the Terra di Motori Tour and around the Lake Maggiore.
Production numbers > 40.000
Engineering Information
Bodywork:Pininfarina
Model variants / construction time:1972-1982
Motor:Four cylinders in line, water-cooled
Motor installation position:front, lengthways
 DriveRear
 Wheelbase2.250
 Length / Width / Height (mm):4.120 / 1.630 / 1.290
Empty weight1020 kg
Wheel size165 HR 14/ 185 HR 14
Tank capacity51 l
Consumption 11,5 l/100 km
Engine versions
Type:105.24
Displacement (cm3):1.962
 Power (kW / PS - at min-1):97 / 132 / 6.000
 Top speed190 km/h - 118mph

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