Alfa Romeo – Technical Data & Specifications

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Alfa Romeo

Founded
1910-06-24
Founder
Nicola Romeo, Giuseppe Merosi
Country of origin
Italy
Headquarters
Milan, Lombardy
Group
Stellantis
Models in the Catalog
37
Annual production
~0.15 million vehicles

A racing driver got fired. That's how Alfa Romeo started. Amedeo Arese, an Italian businessman, took over a failing Darracq factory in Milan in 1910 and renamed it Alfa — Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili. But the real magic happened when Nicolò Romeo joined as technical director in 1915, transforming it into something obsessed with speed and style. The name stuck: Alfa Romeo. From day one, they weren't building cars to sell. They were building cars to win, then selling the winners to people who wanted that fire in their veins.

Think about Italian design philosophy — emotion over efficiency, passion over practicality. That's Alfa Romeo distilled. They pioneered lightweight construction techniques, pioneered double overhead camshaft engines when everyone else was still figuring out single cams, and created some of the most beautiful automotive shapes ever conceived. The 8C Competizione isn't just a car; it's sculpture that moves. The Disco Volante, the Giulietta — these names carry weight. Alfa Romeo won 47 Formula One races. They invented the mid-engine configuration that dominates racing today. Every innovation came wrapped in Italian elegance, never in cold engineering speak.

Today's lineup balances heritage with reality. Their sedans carry the brand's sporting DNA into everyday driving. The SUV lineup proves they can adapt without selling their soul. Even their electric vehicles refuse to be boring. Thirty-seven models across a century of evolution. Still chasing that perfect balance between heart and engineering. Still Italian.

History

Alfa Romeo was born in 1910 in Milan. Giuseppe Merosi designed the first car — the 24 HP — and it was immediately obvious this wouldn't be another generic manufacturer. The company started as A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili), but Nicola Romeo joined in 1915 and brought capital, ambition, and a reputation for engineering excellence. Why did this matter? Because from day one, Alfa Romeo wasn't interested in building cars for the masses. They wanted to build cars that mattered. Racing machines. Luxury machines. Machines with character.

The 1900 arrived in 1950 and changed everything. This was their first true production car — not a hand-built racer, but something ordinary people could actually buy. Suddenly Alfa Romeo had a future beyond motorsport. Sales climbed. The factory expanded. By the 1960s, they were building thousands of cars annually, creating icons like the Giulietta and the Spider. Not their fastest period. But their most important one.

The 1970s brought crisis. Economic collapse. Oil embargo. Fiat took control in 1971 — a merger that probably saved the company financially but felt like a betrayal to purists. Think about that for a second. You're an independent Italian manufacturer with a century of racing heritage, and suddenly you're owned by Turin's industrial giant. The Alfetta (1972) proved Alfa Romeo could still innovate under pressure — transaxle layout, perfect weight distribution, brilliant handling dynamics. The car was technically superior to almost anything competing against it. Buyers knew it. Critics knew it. Only problem? Rust. Terrible, catastrophic rust that made cars fall apart within five years. Not their best move.

Recovery came slowly through the 1980s and 1990s. The 75 (1985) was a legitimate executive sedan competing with Mercedes and BMW. The 164 (1987) pushed higher into the luxury market. Then came the 156 in 1997 — a masterpiece. Giugiaro's design. Turbocharged engines. The 156 made Alfa Romeo relevant again in a crowded market. Suddenly they had a car that could genuinely compete with the German establishment. Motorsport success followed. Touring car championships. Respect returned.

Modern Alfa Romeo navigated the 2000s with mixed results. The 159 (2005) was brilliant but arrived during the SUV boom. The Stelvio (2017) proved they understood that market shift. Today, Alfa Romeo stands at a crossroads — building small turbocharged cars, pursuing electrification, trying to balance heritage with modernity. You can explore their electric lineup to see where they're heading. Will they survive another century? Honestly, nobody knows. But if any Italian brand has earned the right to exist on passion alone, it's Alfa Romeo.

The Alfa Romeo Legacy Continues

Alfa Romeo — nearly a century of passion packed into metal and speed. That's not marketing speak. It's what happens when Italian engineering meets pure emotional design, when a company refuses to play it safe even when bankruptcy looms. Today's lineup spans 37 models across every category imaginable, from the modern SUVs that keep the lights on to the electric future they're building. Still making you feel something. Still taking risks. That's the Alfa Romeo way — always has been, always will be.

Alfa-romeo Model Categories

Technical overview of Alfa-romeo models

SegmentModelsPerformanceDriveFeatures
Segment
Estate 5 door
Models Performance
53 - 260 PS
Drive
4x4, FWD, RWD
Features
-
Segment
Mini 5 doors
Models Performance
60 - 137 PS
Drive
FWD, 4x4
Features
-
Segment
Sedan
Models Performance
53 - 520 PS
Drive
4x4, FWD, RWD
Features
-
Segment
Coupe
Models Performance
80 - 620 PS
Drive
RWD, FWD
Features
-
Segment
Roadster
Models Performance
450 PS
Drive
RWD
Features
-
Segment
Estate 3 door
Models Performance
63 - 69 PS
Drive
FWD
Features
-
Segment
Mini 3 doors
Models Performance
70 - 170 PS
Drive
FWD
Features
-
Segment
Cabrio
Models Performance
45 - 260 PS
Drive
RWD, FWD, 4x4
Features
-
Segment
Hatchback 3 door
Models Performance
90 - 260 PS
Drive
FWD, 4x4
Features
-
Segment
Hatchback 5 door
Models Performance
90 - 240 PS
Drive
FWD
Features
-
Segment
Suv 5 doors
Models Performance
130 - 520 PS
Drive
RWD, 4x4, FWD
Features
-
Segment
Targa
Models Performance
240 PS
Drive
RWD
Features
-

Frequently asked questions about Alfa-romeo

How many models does Alfa Romeo currently produce?

Alfa Romeo's got 37 models in its catalog spanning over a century. Thirty-three distinct nameplates. That's a lot of history packed into one brand. Today? The lineup's tighter. You've got your sedans like the Giulietta and 159, then there's the Stelvio SUV. Not huge compared to BMW or Mercedes. But that's Alfa—quality over quantity.

When was Alfa Romeo founded?

Here's the thing about Alfa Romeo's origin story. It started in 1910 in Milan as ALFA—Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili. Fancy name. Then Nicola Romeo came aboard in 1915, and boom—Alfa Romeo was born. One hundred fifteen years of Italian passion. Through two world wars, economic collapse, and enough corporate reshuffles to make your head spin. The 1900 in 1950 became their first mass-produced model. Before that? Mostly bespoke racing machines and limited-production sports cars. That DNA never left.

What's Alfa Romeo's signature technology or design philosophy?

Alfa Romeo doesn't do 'boring.' Their signature move? Lightweight construction married to responsive handling. They've been using aluminum bodies since way back—saves weight, improves dynamics. Independent suspensions, high-revving inline engines, steering that actually communicates with your hands. The 8C Competizione embodied this perfectly—a raw, unfiltered driving experience. And their design philosophy? Form follows function, but it's gotta look stunning doing it. The GTV and 156 proved it works. Emotional connection matters. That's not marketing speak—that's Alfa's DNA.

Does Alfa Romeo make electric vehicles?

Short answer? Not really. Alfa Romeo's been dragging their feet on full electric vehicles. You can check their electric lineup right now. Sparse. They're playing the hybrid card instead—keeping combustion engines alive while adding electric assistance. Parent company Stellantis is pushing hard for electrification though. So within the next few years? You'll see a proper Alfa EV. The real question: will it have that visceral, connected feeling that makes Alfa special? That's what keeps me up at night about this transition.

What's Alfa Romeo's most popular model?

Depends on when you ask. Right now? The Giulietta carries the load as their volume seller. Compact, sporty, affordable enough for regular folks. Before that, the 156 was the hero—a proper sedan that went toe-to-toe with BMWs. Go back to the '70s and '80s? The Alfasud was everywhere in Europe. Cheap, cheerful, rust-prone. But loved. Every era has its champion. The Giulietta's solid, but nothing quite matches the mystique of those older models.

Where is Alfa Romeo headquartered?

Milan. That's where Alfa Romeo was born in 1910, and that's where the brand still calls home. Italian soul, Italian design, Italian passion. Sure, Stellantis owns them now—a massive multinational conglomerate. But the headquarters? Still Milan. The Arese plant, just outside the city, has been their production nerve center for years. It's where the 8C Competizione rolled off the line. Where engineers obsess over steering geometry and engine tuning. That Italian DNA never leaves. Even when everything else changes—ownership, technology, market pressures—Milan stays. That matters.

Last updated

2026-02-19

Source

Alfa Romeo S.p.A. (official), Ministero dei Trasporti e della Mobilità Sostenibile, Wikipedia, Associazione Nazionale Filiera Italiana Motoristica (ANFIA), Museo Storico Alfa Romeo

All technical data is taken from official manufacturer specifications and is regularly updated.