Alfa Romeo Cars

Alfa Romeo is an Italian car maker that was founded in 1910 in the city of Milan, and the company has a long and storied history. Alfa Romeo has exported cars to many countries, including the United States; their exports included luxury and sports models, but all came with the authentic Italian workmanship that made Alfa Romeo world-famous. Today, Alfa Romeo is a part of the Fiat group; Fiat is an anagram for the Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino. Throughout the nineties and into this century, Alfa's cars have been made in a variety of Italian cities.

The company that eventually became Alfa Romeo was originally founded as the Società Anonima Italiana Darracq, or SAID, in 1906 by French auto firm owner Alexandre Darracq. At the end of 1909, the Italian Darracqs were selling rather slowly, and a new company named ALFA was founded; originally, it was run in conjunction with Darracq. Alfa's first non-Darracq car was made in 1910, and designed by Giuseppe Merosi. Alfa then got into auto racing, with two drivers (Ronzoni and Franchini) running in 1911's Targa Florio.

In August of 1915, Alfa came under the helm of an entrepreneur from Naples, Nicola Romeo. Romeo converted the Alfa factory to produce supplies for the Allied and Italian war efforts, and in 1920, the name of the company was officially changed to Alfa Romeo.

Alfa Romeo has successfully competed in many different auto racing categories, such as Grand Prix racing, sportscar series, touring car series, rally racing, and Formula One. Alfa has competed as both a builder and as an engine supplier through various works and private entries.

Alfa Romeo's first race car was built in 1913, and Alfa won the first Grand Prix world championship in 1925. Alfa Romeo has earned a good name in motorsports, and that image spilled over into sales of its street cars. In fact, the Scuderia Ferrari racing team was founded back in 1929 as an Alfa Romeo team, before it became independent in 1939.

Although Alfa Romeo's cars were exported to the United States in the past, by 1995, most United States exports had stopped. After 1995, Americans wanting an Alfa Romeo have only been able to choose from a limited number of models; sometimes they are available through Maserati dealers or other sources.

In the last few years, there have been deals undergone by both Chrysler and Fiat. Those deals make it very likely that some Alfa Romeos will be built in the United States, or at the very least, American imports will begin again. Alfa Romeo may use Chrysler plants that have been shuttered due to decreased demand. The relationship between Alfa Romeo and Chrysler may result in multiple new car lines, aimed not just at Americans, but at a global audience. As the world's auto market continues to evolve in order to meet changing demand, keep an eye on Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Chrysler.