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Editorial
When A.L.F.A. became Romeo
What transforms a brand into a legend? What is the spark that ignites the passion for a car? Behind the world of Alfa Romeo – not today, but at the beginning, at the dawn of the last century – there is the genius and audacity of a man: Nicola Romeo, born in Sant’Antimo (Na). Today we would call him a creative, innovative, visionary entrepreneur. He truly was.
In 1915 he took over Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili (ALFA), a struggling company that produced a few simple four-wheelers. He didn’t just revive it by risking his own money: he laid the foundations for its transformation into a brand destined to go down in history. His vision went beyond the simple production of cars: he believed in competition as a tool to affirm the value of his work. That’s how in 1925 Alfa Romeo won the first World Motor Racing Championship with the legendary P2, establishing itself on the international scene. But Nicola Romeo’s universe didn’t stop at cars: his companies contributed to the development of the country by building trains or digging tunnels with his compressors, making Italy more modern and connected. If you want to find out more about this extraordinary figure, I invite you to read the interview with Axel Marx, the founder together with Elisabetta Cozzi of CulturAlfa on page 74, and below the article by Stefano Salvetti, the historian of the Casa del Biscione.
The world of Alfa Romeo, however, is made up first and foremost of men: engineers, workers, mechanics, salesmen and drivers. People who design, build, repair and – when they can – race these extraordinary machines. In this issue you will find the stories of these protagonists: Massimo Campi’s feature on the “Formulini” on page 34 will take you to discover a fascinating and lesser-known dimension of competitions, while other pages tell of those who began working with Alfa Romeo as boys and, even in retirement, continue to take care of our beloved “old ladies”. And then there are them, the Alfa Romeos. In Profumo di Alfa #21 you will find models that have made history, both past and recent: the Osso di Seppia, the 2600 Berlina, the 4C Spider, the 75 Evoluzione and a rare gem from the 1930s, the Faux Cabriolet with Figoni bodywork on a 6C 1750 6th series Gran Sport chassis. All that remains is to immerse yourself in these stories, browse, discover and let yourself be transported. Because Alfa Romeo is not just a car, it is a piece of our history. And by browsing these pages, that story continues.
Happy reading
