Alfa Romeo is an Italian automobile manufacturer.
Alfa Romeo has been a part of Fiat SpA since 1986. The company was originally known as ALFA, which is an acronym for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili (translated: Lombard Automobile Factory, Public Company).
The company that became Alfa Romeo was founded as “Darracq Italiana” in 1907 by Cavaliere Ugo Stella, an aristocrat from Milan, in partnership with the French automobile firm of Alexandre Darracq. The firm initially produced Darracq cars in Naples, but after the partnership collapsed Stella and the other Italian co-investors moved production to an idle Darracq factory in the Milan suburb of Portello, and the company was renamed ALFA (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili). The first non-Darracq car produced by company was the 1910 24 HP (named for the 24 horsepower it produced), designed by Giuseppe Merosi. Merosi would go on to design a series of new ALFA cars with more powerful engines (40-60 HP). ALFA also ventured into motor racing, drivers Franchini and Ronzoni competing in the 1911 Targa Florio with two 24 HP models. However, the onset of World War I halted automobile production at ALFA for three years.
Recently (1989), Alfa Romeo has moved their car production to districts within Italy. The Pomigliano d’Arco plant produces the 155, which is followed by the 145 and the 146, while Arese witnesses the creation of the thrilling new Spider and GTV. 1997 is the year of the 156, which in 1998 is voted “Car of the Year”. 1998 sees the launch of the new flagship, the 166. Which takes us to 2000, to the threshold of the third millennium, and the 147, which wins the prestigious title of “Car of the Year 2001”.