Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo is an Italian car manufacturer with a thorough-bred, motor racing pedigree.  The company is known for developing concept cars which in turn become production models and Alfa’s inspire an almost divine devotion in their owners or “Alfistas”.  Alfa Romeo has been part of the Italian Fiat car giant since 1986 after a serious of financial issues culminated in the company being taken out of public ownership and placed with the private sector (the Italian government owned Alfa between 1932 and 1986).

The company was originally known as ALFA which was an acronym for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili – in English, the Lombard Automobile Factory Inc.  The origins of the company lie originally in France, but the Italian chairman of the company decided Milan would be a better and more stable location for the company so it was removed to Italy.The company is known for producing racing cars and their road-legal sports equivalent such as the Spyder and and the 147. And has an enviable post-War racing pedigree.

Alfa Romeo is the Italian car manufacturer based in Milan and has an enviable history as a racing car manufacturer.  Alfa Romeo instills an absolute devotion in owners who are known as “Alfistas” and certainly in the immediate post-War years, Alfas were the cars to beat for many years.  It is typical of Alfa Romeo for cutting edge concept cars and turning them into production models – many of the Alfa classics such as the Spyder, started life as racing concepts, were transferred to the race track and ultimately turned into much sought after production models.

Alfa has its origins in France as the company was initially established there with a mixed group of French and Italian investors; the chairman was Italian and decided to move the company location to Milan, Italy which has been the home ever since.  The name “ALFA” was coined as an acronym – Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili or Lombard Automobile Factory Inc.  Today, the company is owned by Fiat, the Italian car making giant who acquired the company in 1986 from the Italian government who had owned the brand since 1932.