Unique Iconic Design
Discover all stages of Alfa Romeo’s legendary history
Enzo Ferrari
1923 ALFA ROMEO RL
Enzo Ferrari, founder of the Ferrari automobile brand, began his career with a brief stint as a test-driver for C.M.N (Costruzioni Meccaniche Nazionali). He was quickly promoted to race car driver and subsequently left to work and compete for Alfa Romeo in 1920.
In 1930, Ferrari founded Scuderia Ferrari, concentrating his efforts on the development and management of Alfa Romeo’s racing team; Scuderia Ferrari included the legendary driver Tazio Nuvolari. Ferrari left Alfa Romeo on 1938 and founded Auto Avio Costruzioni (AAC).
Ugo Sivocci
1923 ALFA ROMEO RLTF
Italian race car driver, Ugo Sivocci, holds a special place in Alfa Romeo’s history. He began his career in 1920 when he was hired by Alfa Romeo to race alongside Enzo Ferrari and Antonio Ascari on a three-man works team. He later began to race the Alfa Romeo RL, winning many races and boosting his status as a driver, particularly after a high-profile win at the 1923 Targa Florio. Unfortunately, that same year Sivocci tragically lost his life in an accident while testing the new Alfa Romeo P1 on the Monza circuit. His Alfa Romeo P1 was missing the traditional green cloverleaf (“quadrifoglio verde”) on the body, which was considered a lucky charm. Since then all of Alfa’s race cars featured the “Quadrifoglio Verde” symbol on their bodies.
Antonio Ascari
1925 ALFA ROMEO P2
Antonio Ascari’s successful but tragic career in motorsport racing has undoubtedly earned him a legendary status. By 1919 Ascari was racing cars in some of the most prestigious competitions in Italy and it was only a matter of time before he began driving for Alfa Romeo. Though he successfully raced Alfa cars at various events in the early 1920s, Ascari’s first major victory came in 1924 with the Alfa Romeo P2 when he became the first Italian driver to win the Italian Grand Prix in Monza.
Ascari’s impressive domination of the 1925 Belgian Grand Prix suggested another immensely successful year for the 36-year-old. Sadly, however, his career and life were cut short during an accident at the 1925 French Grand Prix, a race he had been leading prior to the incident. Still, Ascari’s racing legacy was carried on by his son, Alberto, a successful Formula 1 driver in the 1950s.
Tazio Nuvolari
1932 ALFA ROMEO P3
Tazio Nuvolari is commonly regarded as a legendary motorcycle racer and racing driver. With 150 victories in total, 72 of which were major races, he earned his status as one of the historical heroes of motorsport. In the early 1930s Nuvolari raced for Alfa Corse, Alfa Romeo’s factory racing team, winning major events such as the Italian and European Championship, Mille Miglia, and Targa Florio. He gained famed not only for his impressive feats, but also for his daring manoeuvres during the lengthy 10-hour races determined by Grand Prix regulations.
Juan Manuel Fangio
1951 ALFA ROMEO 159
Born in Argentina, Juan Manual Fangio is largely considered one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time due to his domination during the first decade of Formula 1 racing. In 1950 Fangio began racing for Alfa Romeo, winning three races at the first World Championship of Drivers with pre-war Alfettas before successfully taking the title in 1951. He later went on to win various other championships for Alfa Romeo including the Swiss, French, and Spanish Grand Prix.
Niki Lauda
1978 BRABHAM-ALFA ROMEO
Niki Lauda, three-time Formula 1 World Champion, initially gained admiration as a driver during his career with Ferrari in the 1970s. However following a serious accident, Lauda left Ferrari and joined the Brabham-Alfa Romeo team from 1978 to 1979. During this time he won several prominent races.
Most notable was his win at the Swedish Grand Prix with the widely protested “Fan Car”, a vehicle which incorporated daring and radical technology, such as a fan to generate downforce. Shortly thereafter Lauda retired, though he later returned to Formula 1 to earn his third championship.
Nicola Larini
1993 ALFA ROMEO 155 V6 TI
Nicola Larini, one of the most successful Alfa Romeo drivers in history, has had an extensive career with involvement in various racing series including Formula 1, Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM), Formula 3, Superturismo, World Touring Car Championship (WTCC), European Touring Car Championship (ETCC), and International Touring Car Championship (ITC).
His greatest success, however, undoubtedly came in Touring Car racing, where Larini raced primarily for Alfa Romeo and earned wins in the 1986 Italian Formula 3 Championship, the 1992 Italian Superturismo Championship, and the 1993 DTM Championship. In 1995, he was part of the Alfa Corse racing team, competing in the International Touring Car Championship and Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft.
