Alfa Romeo celebrated its 111th anniversary today, June 24. (Photos courtesy Alfa Romeo)
Today marks the 111th anniversary of the Alfa Romeo brand. Founded on June 24, 1910, in Milan, Italy, the company began as Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili — A.L.F.A.
Engineer and entrepreneur Nicola Romeo joined a few years later as director. And in 1918 the carmaker would be renamed Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili Romeo — Alfa Romeo.
The first car carrying the Alfa Romeo badge was the 1921 Torpedo 20/30 HP.
Inside the museum.
Red Cars
When Alfa Romeo was first established, its cars were red. Since then, the color red has become an integral part of the brand’s DNA.
The Arese Museum were tinged with red on this day to honor the journey and heritage of Alfa Romeo.
The road course at the Arese Museum in Italy. (Alfa Romeo)
Alfa Romeo GTA and GTAm
The anniversary also marks the first customer deliveries of the new high-performance Giulia GTA and GTAm. But the halo models will only be sold in Europe.
The GTAm starts at roughly $225,000 with the slightly less-extreme GTA costing $6,000 less, according to Car and Driver. Only 500 cars are being produced, which seems like a lot for a $225K sport sedan.
The GTA badge recalls the “lightened” 1965 Giulia Sprint GTA, or Gran Turismo Alleggerita.
Each of the early buyers got an exclusive experience at the Arese Museum. Owners were given a track-ready kit of a Bell helmet in GTA red livery, a full racing set by Alpinestars (race suit, gloves and shoes) and a personalized Goodwool car cover. Included with the kit was a driving course devised by the Alfa Romeo Driving Academy.
The tail wing of the GTm.
More Power
The Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA and its extreme version Giulia GTAm are based on the top-line, 505-hp Giulia Quadrifoglio, but with more power.
Enhancements to the GTA “lightened” the curb weight by 220 pounds. Weight savers included carbon fiber for the drive shaft, hood, roof, front bumper, front wheel arches and rear wheel arch inserts. Carbon fiber is also used on the seats of the GTAm, with six-point Sabelt safety belts.
The Giulia GTA and its extreme version Giulia GTAm are based on the top-line, 505-hp Giulia Quadrifoglio, but with more power.
Horsepower was increased to 540-hp from the 2.9-liter biturbo V-6 Bi-Turbo. The eight-speed automatic transmission is by ZF. Acceleration to 62 mph takes 3.8 seconds, the company says.
The Giulia GTAm is a two-seat configuration approved for on-road use. The GTA version, with the same power, has four seats and no rear roll-bar.
