Inside the amazing Alfa Romeo museum

Tim Pitt

January 30, 2024

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico
© MR
Lorenzo Ardizio, curator of the Museo Storico, describes this outwardly brutalist building near Milan as a ‘temple to Alfa Romeo’. Inside, around 70 road, race and concept cars chart the company’s illustrious history, from its birth as A.L.F.A. (Societa Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili) in 1910 to the latest Giulia and Stelvio. Here are some of the highlights from our visit.
Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Corto ‘Mille Miglia’
© MR
Let’s start with one of the Alfa’s most evocative sports cars: the 8C 2300. Its long, louvred nose hides a 155-horsepower supercharged straight-eight displacing 2,236cc (not quite the 2.3 liters its name suggests). Racing ‘Mille Miglia’ versions were campaigned by Alfa Romeo and the fledgling Scuderia Ferrari, taking victory in the eponymous event in 1932 and 1933.
Alfa Romeo Giulia
© MR
Fan of the latest Alfa Romeo Giulia? Well, here’s where it all began. You wouldn’t think it, but the boxy original Giulia was actually designed using a wind tunnel, which helped shape its tapered front end and truncated tail. Powered by a twin-cam 1.6-liter engine, the Giulia was a huge success – with nearly 600,000 built between 1962 and 1978. It was also a firm favourite with the Carabinieri (Italian police).
Alfa Romeo Montreal
© MR
This much-loved Alfa started life as a concept car intended to embody ‘man’s utmost automotive aspiration’ at Expo 1967 in Montreal. However, the Marcello Gandini-styled coupe proved so popular that it entered production in 1970. Behind its retractable eyelashes, the Montreal has a 200-horsepower 2.6-liter V8 – good for a top speed of 137 mph.
Alfa Romeo Carabo
© MR
Here’s a concept that – much to our dismay – never made production. Styled by Gandini during his time at Bertone (spot his trademark asymmetric rear wheelarches), the 1968 Carabo remains the embodiment of the futuristic supercar. Its wedgy profile and vertically-opening doors were a direct influence on the Lamborghini Countach.
Alfa Romeo 8C Competitzione
© MR
Now for Alfa’s very own supercar – one that would take on Ferrari and Lamborghini at their own game. With a name that evoked those 1930s racers, plus the small matter of a 450-horsepower Maserati V8, the 8C could hit 60 mph in around 4.0 seconds. Just 500 examples of this carbonfiber-bodied flagship were made.
Alfa Romeo Bimotore
© MR
What’s better than one 270-horsepower straight-eight? Why, two of course. The bonkers Bimotore had one engine in front of the cockpit and another over the rear wheels. Despite its prodigious power, though, the 1935 Bimotore wasn’t a great success. Even Alfa Romeo’s official history describes it as ‘cantankerous and difficult to tame’. Only two were made, but it stands in testament to pre-war Alfa’s engineering prowess.
Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale prototype
© MR
The 1967 33 Stradale is such an iconic design that, much like the Ford GT40 or Lancia Stratos, it has subsequently been ‘reimagined’ with modern mechanicals. And why not? For our money, this voluptuous road-legal racer is one of the best looking cars ever. It’s also one of the most valuable: with only 18 made, any Stradale commands a seven-figure price tag.
Alfa Romeo Alfasud
© MR
Alfasud translates as ‘Alfa South’, reflecting the fact that the factory was in the south of Italy – part of a state-sponsored effort to bring work to the region. And the ‘Sud’ was indeed a car for the people, with a spacious interior and a peppy 63-horsepower 1.2-liter engine. Sadly, nearly all of the 900,000 built have now rusted away.
Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 Lungo
© MR
We make no apologies for including a second 8C here. The beautiful 1938 8C 2900 Lungo is described in the Museo Storico guidebook as no less than ‘Touring’s masterpiece and the ultimate Alfa Romeo’. Well, that’s settled then. Only 10 examples of the long-bodied Lungo were built, all using the well-proven 220-horsepower 2.9-liter straight-eight.
Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ 2
© MR
The 1965 Giulia TZ 2 bears more than a passing resemblance to the Ferrari 250 GTO. In short, it’s utterly fabulous. Its powertrain, however, is more modest; where the Ferrari has a 300-horsepower V12, the Alfa makes do with a 170-horsepower four-cylinder twin-cam. Even so, with a tubular spaceframe chassis and lightweight fiberglass panels, the TZ 2 was quick – as class wins in the Targa Florio and numerous other events proved.
Alfa Romeo Iguana
© MR
Based on the rolling chassis of the 33 Stradale, the Giugiaro-penned Iguana concept was rather more angular, but no less striking. Its mid-mounted 2.0-liter V8 produced 230-horsepower at a heady 8,800rpm, while its electrically-adjustable rear spoiler also acted as an air brake. The ‘grazed’ paint finish was unique, too.
Alfa Romeo RL Targa Florio
© MR
This 1923 RL Targa Florio was the first car to wear the cloverleaf ‘Quadrifoglio’ badge. Driven by Ugo Sivocci, it won the Targa Florio at its first attempt, with Alberto Ascari finishing second in another RL. The four-leaf clover was added afterwards as a symbol of good luck that’s still seen on fast Alfa Romeos to this day.
Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior
© MR
Small but mighty, the Bertone-bodied GT 1300 Junior packed a 165-horsepower punch: not bad in a car weighing just 760kg (note the lack of bumpers to save vital kilos). The Bertone-bodied Junior was a hit on the road and race track, winning the European Championships in 1971 and 1972. We bet it’s an absolute riot to drive.
A.L.F.A. 24 HP
© MR
We end at the beginning, so to speak. The 24 HP is the very first Alfa Romeo, and a remarkably luxurious car for 1910. It had a side-valve engine, four-speed gearbox and a top speed of 60mph: mildly terrifying with drum brakes on the rear wheels only. Production was halted by the outbreak of the First World War, by which time more than 200 had been made.

Inside the amazing Alfa Romeo museum

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Corto ‘Mille Miglia’

Alfa Romeo Giulia

Alfa Romeo Montreal

Alfa Romeo Carabo

Alfa Romeo 8C Competitzione

Alfa Romeo Bimotore

Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale prototype

Alfa Romeo Alfasud

Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 Lungo

Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ 2

Alfa Romeo Iguana

Alfa Romeo RL Targa Florio

Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior

A.L.F.A. 24 HP

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

Alfa Romeo Museo Storico

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