100 Years of Alfa Romeo
Thursday June 24, 2010
Alfa Romeo
Image courtesy of Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo turns 100 years old today, the 24th of June 2010. The Alfa factory in Milan's first model was the Alfa 24 HP A, designed by Giuseppi Merosi.
Over the years, the marque has produced many cars of high performance, beauty and elegance. Legendary motorsport achievements have further embellished the marque's reputation. It was with Alfa Romeo's racing team that Enzo Ferrari got his start in racing and later managing the team. In the eyes of many enthusiasts, for these reasons the name Alfa Romeo has become synonymous with passion.
Engineering aside, the marque has often been plagued with financial difficulties, from the 1920 depression through to the most recent troubles for the firm when the Fiat Group stepped in to take over ownership, and the still retain ownership today. Despite these troubles, the cars produced by the firm have always held something special for many motoring aficionados.
As a tribute to Alfa Romeo, we have selected 10 of the greatest, most interesting and important Alfa Romeos produced yet.
1. Alfa 24 HP A
The car that got Alfa's ball rolling. A side-valve, 100 mm bore by 130.0 mm stroke 4 cylinder engine of 4084 cc capacity, with 42 horsepower. A four speed gearbox was fitted, and it could manage a top speed of 100 km/h.
2. Alfa Romeo 6C 1750
One of the marque's greatest sporting successes, the Vittorio Jano-designed 6C 1750 epitomised pre-World War II sports racing cars. The styling was superbly executed, leaving no-one in any doubt of its massive performance potential. Entered into the 1929 Mille Miglia, the first four places were taken by 6C 1750 models. Sitting on a 2745 mm wheelbase, the little 2 seater roadster was powered by a straight 6 twin overhead cam engine with bore and stroke fo 65.0 mm and 88.0 mm respectively, giving a displacement of 1752 cc. Without supercharging, the engine produced 65 PS at 4500 rpm and this endowed it with a 130 km/h top speed. With an Alfa Romeo Roots-type supercharger fitted, the power was raised to 85 PS at 4500 rpm.
3. Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B Lungo
Alfa Romeo's great pre-World War II flagship, the 8C 2900 had a straight 8 twin overhead cam engine. With a bore of 68.0 mm and a stroke of 100.0 mm, the big Alfa Romeo had a capacity of 2905 cc. Fitted with a supercharger and twin Zenith carburettors, the output of 180 PS at 5200 rpm was sufficient to propel it to 175 km/h.
4. Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale
In the post-World War II years, Alfa Romeo had relied on older pre-war designs initially, and then on the venerable 1900 series to keep sales ticking over. In 1954 however, Alfa Romeo launched what would be a truly ground-breaking car. The Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint coupé arrived on the scene with a tiny beauty of an engine. Displacing only 1290 cc from its 4 cylinder engine, it managed to produce a credible 65 PS (90 PS in Veloce form) at 5200 rpm. The delicate Bertone bodywork is still able to turn heads today. The Giulietta range, which started with the coupé and the Pininfarina-designed Spider in 1954, was followed by the saloon a year later. These models formed the backbone of the Alfa Romeo range for the next few years. One of the most remarkable of the Giulietta variants was the stunning Giulietta Sprint Speciale. With 100 PS now being coaxed from the little 4 cylinder motor, the aerodynamically efficient Sprint Speciale could reach 193 km/h.
5. Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint
The larger Alfa Romeo range, the 2000 model series, was updated to become the 2600 range in 1962. The coupé versions were styled by Bertone, the Spiders by Pininfarina and the saloon was an in-house Alfa Romeo effort. The Bertone coupé, the Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint, mustered 145 PS from its 2584 cc twin overhead cam straight 6 engine. The styling was again a high point, and the performance was rapid, if not startling. A 5 speed manual gearbox was fitted to the coupé.
6. Alfa Romeo Spider Duetto
The Giulia range replaced the Giuliettas in 1962. The coupé was again designed by Bertone and the Spider by Pininfarina. It was the Spider that would become one of the most iconic Alfa Romeos of all time, with the rounded tail styling of the Duetto finding huge acclaim. It became known as the Graduate in the USA due to the use of one in the movie of the same name with Dustin Hoffman. Detail changes were made over the years, the most controversial being the adoption of the so-called Kamm-tail, but it continued in production until the early nineties. The original Spider Duetto was powered by a 1570 cc twincam 4 pot producing 109 PS at 6000 rpm.
7. Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale
Possibly the most extreme road-going Alfa Romeo until the advent of the 8c Competizione in 2006, the 1967 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale had dazzling lines and specification. A mid-mounted 2 litre V8 engine, claimed to produce 230 PS at a screaming 8800 rpm was coupled to a 6 speed manual transmission. The engine was fitted with Spica mechanical fuel injection. The Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is considered by many to be amongst the most beautiful cars ever made, with the Franco Scaglione bodywork managing to be both sensual and aggressive at the same time. It was not a commercial success at all, and approximately 18 were made in total.
8. Alfa Romeo SZ
Alfa Romeo and Zagato have had a long and fruitful partnership over the years, with Zagato producing special bodies on various Alfa Romeo chassis. Possibly the most outrageous products of the combination was the 1989 Alfa Romeo SZ. It had a hunkered down, mean look about it, and although it was powered by just a 3.0 V6, it was widely hailed as one of the best handling cars ever, able to pull over 1.1 g of cornering force. The platform for the SZ came from the Alfa Romeo 75 line. It utilised the 3.0 V6 from the 75 range, tweaked to produce 210 PS at 6200 rpm and 245 Nm at 4500 rpm. It could cover the standing kilometre in 27.4 seconds, spri9nt from rest to 100 km/h in 7.0 seconds and on to a top speed of 245 km/h. A convertible version, the Alfa Romeo RZ, followed in 1993.
9. Alfa Romeo 156 GTA
Alfa Romeo were starting to lose traction in the early nineties, with no rear-drive models on sale and some Fiat-sourced platforms causing mutterings amongst the Alfisti that Alfa Romeo had abandoned their heritage. In 1997, Alfa Romeo launched a new saloon range, the 156. It was still front wheel drive, but Alfa Romeo had produced a remarkable escape act - it was cleverly styled and good enough overall to win back the hearts of enthusiasts. It was very successful in Touring Car racing as well. The ultimate version - the Alfa Romeo 156 GTA - was powered by a 3.2 litre 60 degree V6 engine, producing 250 PS at 6200 rpm and 300 Nm at 4800 rpm.
10. Alfa Romeo 8c Competizione
The Alfa Romeo 8c Competizione coupé was a surprise when it was shown in prototype form in 2003. By 2006 it was in production and had re-established Alfa Romeo near the top of the performance market. A front-engined coupé, its styling is evocative of the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale. It is not simply a retro-styled caricature of the Stradale, but it has a look of its own with rounded, muscular haunches and a low, menacing front. Short and wide, is sits on a wheelbase of 2696 mm, with overall length of 4381 mm and a width of 1894 mm. It is powered by a 450 PS 4.7 litre V8, derived from the contemporary Maserati V8 engine. A top speed of 293 km/h is claimed.
Over the years, the marque has produced many cars of high performance, beauty and elegance. Legendary motorsport achievements have further embellished the marque's reputation. It was with Alfa Romeo's racing team that Enzo Ferrari got his start in racing and later managing the team. In the eyes of many enthusiasts, for these reasons the name Alfa Romeo has become synonymous with passion.
Engineering aside, the marque has often been plagued with financial difficulties, from the 1920 depression through to the most recent troubles for the firm when the Fiat Group stepped in to take over ownership, and the still retain ownership today. Despite these troubles, the cars produced by the firm have always held something special for many motoring aficionados.
As a tribute to Alfa Romeo, we have selected 10 of the greatest, most interesting and important Alfa Romeos produced yet.
1. Alfa 24 HP A
The car that got Alfa's ball rolling. A side-valve, 100 mm bore by 130.0 mm stroke 4 cylinder engine of 4084 cc capacity, with 42 horsepower. A four speed gearbox was fitted, and it could manage a top speed of 100 km/h.
2. Alfa Romeo 6C 1750
One of the marque's greatest sporting successes, the Vittorio Jano-designed 6C 1750 epitomised pre-World War II sports racing cars. The styling was superbly executed, leaving no-one in any doubt of its massive performance potential. Entered into the 1929 Mille Miglia, the first four places were taken by 6C 1750 models. Sitting on a 2745 mm wheelbase, the little 2 seater roadster was powered by a straight 6 twin overhead cam engine with bore and stroke fo 65.0 mm and 88.0 mm respectively, giving a displacement of 1752 cc. Without supercharging, the engine produced 65 PS at 4500 rpm and this endowed it with a 130 km/h top speed. With an Alfa Romeo Roots-type supercharger fitted, the power was raised to 85 PS at 4500 rpm.
3. Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B Lungo
Alfa Romeo's great pre-World War II flagship, the 8C 2900 had a straight 8 twin overhead cam engine. With a bore of 68.0 mm and a stroke of 100.0 mm, the big Alfa Romeo had a capacity of 2905 cc. Fitted with a supercharger and twin Zenith carburettors, the output of 180 PS at 5200 rpm was sufficient to propel it to 175 km/h.
4. Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale
In the post-World War II years, Alfa Romeo had relied on older pre-war designs initially, and then on the venerable 1900 series to keep sales ticking over. In 1954 however, Alfa Romeo launched what would be a truly ground-breaking car. The Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint coupé arrived on the scene with a tiny beauty of an engine. Displacing only 1290 cc from its 4 cylinder engine, it managed to produce a credible 65 PS (90 PS in Veloce form) at 5200 rpm. The delicate Bertone bodywork is still able to turn heads today. The Giulietta range, which started with the coupé and the Pininfarina-designed Spider in 1954, was followed by the saloon a year later. These models formed the backbone of the Alfa Romeo range for the next few years. One of the most remarkable of the Giulietta variants was the stunning Giulietta Sprint Speciale. With 100 PS now being coaxed from the little 4 cylinder motor, the aerodynamically efficient Sprint Speciale could reach 193 km/h.
5. Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint
The larger Alfa Romeo range, the 2000 model series, was updated to become the 2600 range in 1962. The coupé versions were styled by Bertone, the Spiders by Pininfarina and the saloon was an in-house Alfa Romeo effort. The Bertone coupé, the Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint, mustered 145 PS from its 2584 cc twin overhead cam straight 6 engine. The styling was again a high point, and the performance was rapid, if not startling. A 5 speed manual gearbox was fitted to the coupé.
6. Alfa Romeo Spider Duetto
The Giulia range replaced the Giuliettas in 1962. The coupé was again designed by Bertone and the Spider by Pininfarina. It was the Spider that would become one of the most iconic Alfa Romeos of all time, with the rounded tail styling of the Duetto finding huge acclaim. It became known as the Graduate in the USA due to the use of one in the movie of the same name with Dustin Hoffman. Detail changes were made over the years, the most controversial being the adoption of the so-called Kamm-tail, but it continued in production until the early nineties. The original Spider Duetto was powered by a 1570 cc twincam 4 pot producing 109 PS at 6000 rpm.
7. Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale
Possibly the most extreme road-going Alfa Romeo until the advent of the 8c Competizione in 2006, the 1967 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale had dazzling lines and specification. A mid-mounted 2 litre V8 engine, claimed to produce 230 PS at a screaming 8800 rpm was coupled to a 6 speed manual transmission. The engine was fitted with Spica mechanical fuel injection. The Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is considered by many to be amongst the most beautiful cars ever made, with the Franco Scaglione bodywork managing to be both sensual and aggressive at the same time. It was not a commercial success at all, and approximately 18 were made in total.
8. Alfa Romeo SZ
Alfa Romeo and Zagato have had a long and fruitful partnership over the years, with Zagato producing special bodies on various Alfa Romeo chassis. Possibly the most outrageous products of the combination was the 1989 Alfa Romeo SZ. It had a hunkered down, mean look about it, and although it was powered by just a 3.0 V6, it was widely hailed as one of the best handling cars ever, able to pull over 1.1 g of cornering force. The platform for the SZ came from the Alfa Romeo 75 line. It utilised the 3.0 V6 from the 75 range, tweaked to produce 210 PS at 6200 rpm and 245 Nm at 4500 rpm. It could cover the standing kilometre in 27.4 seconds, spri9nt from rest to 100 km/h in 7.0 seconds and on to a top speed of 245 km/h. A convertible version, the Alfa Romeo RZ, followed in 1993.
9. Alfa Romeo 156 GTA
Alfa Romeo were starting to lose traction in the early nineties, with no rear-drive models on sale and some Fiat-sourced platforms causing mutterings amongst the Alfisti that Alfa Romeo had abandoned their heritage. In 1997, Alfa Romeo launched a new saloon range, the 156. It was still front wheel drive, but Alfa Romeo had produced a remarkable escape act - it was cleverly styled and good enough overall to win back the hearts of enthusiasts. It was very successful in Touring Car racing as well. The ultimate version - the Alfa Romeo 156 GTA - was powered by a 3.2 litre 60 degree V6 engine, producing 250 PS at 6200 rpm and 300 Nm at 4800 rpm.
10. Alfa Romeo 8c Competizione
The Alfa Romeo 8c Competizione coupé was a surprise when it was shown in prototype form in 2003. By 2006 it was in production and had re-established Alfa Romeo near the top of the performance market. A front-engined coupé, its styling is evocative of the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale. It is not simply a retro-styled caricature of the Stradale, but it has a look of its own with rounded, muscular haunches and a low, menacing front. Short and wide, is sits on a wheelbase of 2696 mm, with overall length of 4381 mm and a width of 1894 mm. It is powered by a 450 PS 4.7 litre V8, derived from the contemporary Maserati V8 engine. A top speed of 293 km/h is claimed.
