motor

Alfa Romeo is a name synonymous with performance and style. The company’s ‘cuore sportivo’ - or sporting heart - lives on to the present day, though the company has been a part of the Fiat Group since 1986. Alfas are thoroughbred cars with a racing heritage.

The fundamentals of sports car handling, performance and safety are carried over from competition to road cars. The current Alfa Romeo models include the Alfa 147, 159, Alfa GT, Alfa Brera and Alfa Spider.

ALFA ROMEO HISTORY

Founded in 1910 in Milan, Italy, Alfa came under the control of Nicola Romeo in 1915 and the company was renamed Alfa Romeo five years later. In 1920, the Torpedo 20-30 HP became the first car produced with the Alfa Romeo badge. Alfa Romeo enjoyed racing success between the wars, but still made solid road cars.

After WWII, Alfa changed to smaller mass-produced vehicles introducing the Giulietta series and classic twin cam engine. Models produced since the Fiat takeover combine Alfa's style and sporting panache with mass production.

ALFA ROMEO FACTS

    * Type: a subsidiary of Fiat
    * Founded: 1910
    * Headquarters: Turin, Italy
    * Key people: di Montezemolo - President, Luca De Meo - CEO
    * Industry: Automotive
    * Products: Cars

FEATURED MODELS

    * ALFA ROMEO 147 - The 147 is a small family car produced with three or five door versions.
    * ALFA ROMEO 156 - A compact executive car introduced in 1997 and produced until 2005
    * ALFA ROMEO GT - A Bertone-designed coupé. Engine options include two petrol and one diesel versions. It shares its he interior with the 147
    * ALFA ROMEO GTV - The GTV is a sports car produced by Alfa Romeo from 1995 to 2006. A 2+2 coupé, it was the successor to the long-discontinued Alfetta GTV coupé

DID YOU KNOW?

    * Legend has it that Henry Ford doffed his cap when an Alfa went by
    * The first time he managed to beat the Alfas, Enzo Ferrari cried like a baby. Enzo was a racing driver and team manager for Alfa in the 1920s before founding Ferrari
    * There are many myths surrounding the origins of the first Alfa Romeo badge, but it is thought that it was inspired by Milano's coat of arms, the city where the company originated, and still is
    * From Edward Fox in The Day Of The Jackal, to Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate, Alfa Romeos have always had a place in popular culture. They are often considered as fiery, temperamental Italian cars driven by likeable, interesting people less concerned with cold efficiency and much more interested in being interested