Alfa Romeo,Heritage | February 14 2020

Alfa Romeo: Love that Lasts

Alfa Romeo has designed and crafted some of the most stylish and exclusive cars in automotive history since its founding in Milan, Italy, in 1910. 

This passion has spanned 110 years and is as strong as ever in today’s vehicles. The Giulia, Stelvio and 4C Spider carry on Alfa Romeo’s rich history of Italian styling, best-in-class performance, and a heritage of being the “heart and soul of the automobile industry.”

History

The storied history of Alfa Romeo began on June 24, 1910. Cavalier Ugo Stella registered the new company Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili, with the acronym A.L.F.A. The brand’s first car was the 24 HP.

24 HP

Origin of Quadrifoglio

A select few Alfa Romeo vehicles carry the four-leaf clover. Those lucky enough to be adorned with the Quadrifoglio, have the green, four-leaf clover encased in a triangle.

The history of the Quadrifoglio logo on Alfa Romeo vehicles dates back to the 1923 Targa Florio race in Italy. Alfa Romeo driver Ugo Sivocci, who was incredibly superstitious, painted a four-leaf clover encased in a square box on the side of his 1923 Targa Florio RL for good luck.

In his first race with his new good luck charm, he won. A few weeks later, Sivocci was testing a new car, but did not have time to paint his good luck charm on the car. Tragically, he crashed and lost his life and a legend was born.

To honor Sivocci, all future clovers were encased in a triangle. The missing point symbolizes the loss of Sivocci.

Motorsport excellence

Alfa Romeo is not just a brand for consumers, but one that is also a formidable force on the race track. Through the years, Alfa Romeo has won:

– 5 World Championships

– 17 European Championships

– 11 Mille Miglias

– 10 Targa Florios

– 4 Le Mans

These titles have been won by some of the most revered names in racing and the automotive world, including Enzo Ferrari, Juan Manuel Fangio and Niki Lauda. Alfa Romeo made its return to Formula One and the world of racing in 2018 after a 30-year absence. Driving for Alfa Romeo this season are Kimi Räikkönen and Antonio Giovinazzi. 

Anniversary celebration

110 years of Alfa Romeo tradition is being celebrated with a new logo design that keeps the classic “Biscione” or heraldic serpent, while the “110” numbers are showcased in a perspective that projects the brand across the past, present and future. 

The artwork will be used in multiple communications and customer initiatives around the world, culminating in an anniversary celebration that will take place on June 24 at the Alfa Romeo museum in Arese, Italy.

Learn more about the past, present and future of Alfa Romeo by visiting AlfaRomeoUSA.com.

Edward Cardenas

Hello from the Motor City! I’m Edward Cardenas and I’m multimedia editor for Stellantis. As a lifelong Detroiter, I have been surrounded by the automotive industry. I’ve had members of my immediate and extended family work in the industry. I’ve covered it as a journalist and advocated for it as
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Hello from the Motor City! I’m Edward Cardenas and I’m multimedia editor for Stellantis. As a lifelong Detroiter, I have been surrounded by the automotive industry. I’ve had members of my immediate and extended family work in the industry. I’ve covered it as a journalist and advocated for it as a communications professional. I have also experienced the thrills of the industry while riding in a race car at nearly 200 miles per hour. Having this breadth of experience, I look forward to drawing upon my experiences to bring a wide range of stories, photos and videos about Chrysler, FIAT and Alfa Romeo to Stellantis Digital Media. When I’m not covering my brands, I’m spending time with my wife and two boys.