Alfa Romeo
Workshop Repair Manuals

Alfa Romeo Giulietta
Workshop Manual

Alfa Romeo Giulia
Workshop Manual

Alfa Romeo GT & GTA 1300
Workshop Manual

Alfa Romeo GTV & Spider
Workshop Manual

Alfa Romeo

Alexandre Darracq, a French Automobile entrepreneur built a manufacturing plant in Italy in 1906 with the help of Ugo Stella, and Italian aristocrat from Milan, and other investors, called Società Anonima Italiana Darracq. Three years later, due to slow sales in Italy of the Darracq, Ugo Stella established a new company call A.L.F.A, short for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili.

With Stella as the Chairman, the company employed Giuseppe Morosi as Chief Engineer. Morosi had previously worked for FIAT. Morosi was the driving force behind the first car produced by A.L.F.A. Release in 1910, the A.L.F.A 24 HP was powered by a 4 cylinder 4082 cc (249 cu in) engine producing 42 bhp (31kw) with a top speed of 100 kp/h.

Two A.L.F.A. 24 HP's were entered in the 1911 Targa Florio Endurance Race which was held in the Mountains of Sicily near Palermo. In that race, drivers Nino Franchini dropped out after an accident on the 3rd lap and Ugo Ronzoni retired his car, also on lap 3, due to exhaustion! It wasn't until 1913 A.L.F.A. managed to have a podium win. Again, it was Nino Franchini coming in second place in the Parma - Poggio Berceto race in an A.L.F.A. 40/60 HP, also designed and built by Giuseppe Morosi.

In August 1915, industrialist Nicola Romeo became a majority shareholder in A.L.F.A.. Romeo, born in 1876, graduated from politecnico di Napoli in 1899 with a degree in engineering. After working abroad for 2 years, he completed a second degree in electrical engineering in Liege, Belgium. After returning to Italy in 1911 he started a manufacturing business, Ing. Nicola Romeo e Co. The company specialised in manufacturing machinery and equipment for the mining industry.

After purchasing his shareholding in A.L.F.A., Romeo converted the factory to produce military vehicles and machinery for the Italian and Allied war efforts during World War 1. By 1918, at the end of WW1, Nicola Romeo became the sole owner of A.L.F.A. He renamed the company Societa Anonima Italiana Ing. Nicloa Romeo.

The first car to have the Alfa Romeo name, a Torpedo 20/30 HP, was produced in 1921. In 1927, the company was close to bankruptcy. Nicola Romeo was forced to leave in 1928. The company was taken over in 1932 by the Italian Government. Later in 1986, Alfa Romeo became part of the Fiat Group.