The company that became Alfa Romeo was founded in 1907 as "Darracq Italiana" by a nobleman of Milan , the Cavaliere Ugo Stella (Ugo Stella), in partnership with the French automaker Aleksandr Ntarak . The company began producing vehicles Darracq in Naples . But when co wrecked Stella and other Italian investors moved production to a factory in Milan and the company was renamed ALFA. The first car of the newly renamed company was " 24IR " of the 24 horses attributed the engine ( 1910 ) . The ALFA also involved in motor racing , with drivers Franchini and Rontsoni to lead the struggle of the Targa Florio (Targa Florio) in 1911 . The outbreak of the First World War contributed to inhibiting the production company for three years .
In 1916 , the company's president became the Neapolitan entrepreneur Nicola Romeo . Under the command of Romeo , the company factory modified to produce war materials for the Italian and Allied troops . Ammunition , aircraft engines and parts, as well as locomotives were the products of the factory during the war . When the war ended , the Romeo acquired complete control of ALFA, and vehicle production was resumed in 1919 . In 1920 the company name was changed to Alfa Romeo, the model Torpedo 20-30HP be the first model in the brand new company .
In 1923, Vittorio TZANOU switched to Alfa Romeo from Fiat , mainly thanks to the tenacity of a young Alfa racing driver of Enzo Ferrari (Enzo Ferrari), to replace Giuseppe PART as chief designer of the company.
The Alfa Spider
The first car under the custody of design TZANOU was the P2 Grand Prix, which won the world championship in 1925 . A new engine with little capacity of 4, 6 and 8 cylinders designed under the supervision of TZANOU . These engines were not only strong and credible . In 1928 Nicola Romeo left the company , and Alfa Romeo came close to bankruptcy , and after the expiry of defense contracts . In 1933 the company survived thanks to the Italian government , which then had effective control. Alpha became instrument of Mussolini's Italy and national emblem. He Mussolini had Alpha and was fond of the leads. The Alfa factory was bombed during the Second World War and the company struggled to return to profitability after the war. The large luxury vehicles were replaced by smaller , mass production .
By 1970 , however , the company was again in dire straits due to financial problems . The Italian government left the company in 1986 , and Fiat bought the company and created a new group of companies, Alfa Lancia SpA, to produce vehicles of the companies Alfa Romeo and Lancia .