Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili (ALFA ) was founded on this day in 1910, the predecessor to Alfa Romeo. Born out of the French Darracq car company that was founded four years prior, ALFA got its start after Italian Giuseppe Merosi was hired by the French company to design more appealing cars for the Italian market. Upon finding success in Italy, ALFA broke away from Darracq in 1910, officially becoming its own entity.
Top: c.1910 ALFA 24 hp
The next year ALFA made its racing debut at the 1911 Targa Florio with two 24-hp models. From then on, racing would always be a part of Alfa Romeo. The company name was officially changed to Alfa Romeo after Nicola Romeo took over as director in 1920. In 1925 Alfa Romeo would win the inaugural world championship for Grand Prix cars. Enzo Ferrari even founded an Alfa Romeo racing team called Scuderia Ferrari in 1929 prior to becoming independent in 1939. Alfa Romeo holds the world’s title of the most wins of any automobile marque in the world.
