It is hard to list the best-selling car brands in the world without adding Alfa Romeo to the first few names. The Italian automaker has been giving us some of the best rides for over 100 years, creating unbeatable designs and impressive powertrains that have influenced consumer culture and other brand designs.

Despite being one of the oldest and most impressive automobile makers globally, the Alfa Romeo brand identity is still an enigma to some of their customers. Their century-old brand includes a logo that looks like a coat of arms instead of the usual trademark we associate with car branding. However, beyond the unusual design, the Alfa Romeo brand has a rich history that only an Italian automobile can create.

Here is an overview of how the Alfa Romeo Logo has evolved.

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The Alfa Romeo Was Originally A French Brand

A.L.F.A 24 HP Classic Car
Via: Wikimedia Commons

While its base has always been Strada del Portello in Milan, Italy, the Alfa Romeo brand did not fall into Italian control until 1909 when the Italian aristocrat Ugo Stella bought the major shares of the French-owned Società Italiana Automobili Darracq.

The shares gave Ugo Stella control of the Milan plant of Darracq, providing the necessary foundation for Lombard Automobile Factory, Public Company or as the Italians call it Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili (A.L.F.A.). The Milan plant of the Società Italiana Automobili Darracq started their operation in 1906, three years before they had to sell their shares.

The Alfa Romeo Logo Marked A New Beginning

ALFA 40 60 HP
Via: Wikimedia Commons

One of the first decisions Stella made was to create the ALFA brand. In 1910, he hired the designer Romano Cattaneo to design a logo that would distinguish the brand, and that was perhaps the most iconic decision in the automaker's history.

Romano Cattaneo was already a renowned designer in Milan, but the ALFA logo was one of his most remarkable creations and perhaps the longest-standing. Even 100 years after he designed it, Alfa Romeo still maintains Cattaneo’s original logo with some minor adjustments to its structure.

Cattaneo’s immortal design did not come after a series of trial and errors. He got the idea while standing by the roadside, waiting for a tram. It was not the most unlikely place. Perhaps it was the most fitting location since the Alfa Romeo brand replaced most trams and archaic transport systems.

Romano Cattaneo claimed that he got the idea while standing at Piazza Catello observing the Biscione Visconteo. The Biscione Visconteo was the coat of arms of the Visconti family. They were the ruling family in Milan, so it felt quite fitting that Milan’s biggest car brand should bear the family's symbol as proof of its connection to the city.

The most outstanding feature of the Biscione Visconteo for Romano Cattaneo was the Biscione Snake. As one of the most notable features of Milan’s history, the Biscione (or Grass Snake) is a mythical snake known for swallowing humans. Several enthusiasts keep trying to find some deeper meaning to the badge, but Cattaneo merely thought it was a good representation of ALFA's connection to Milan. Over 100 years later, it is still a consistent feature of the Alfa Romeo logo, despite its modifications.

The World Wars Saw Alfa Romeo Evolve

Red Alfa Romeo
Via: Flickr

Between 1910 and July 1914, when Italy became a member of the Triple Partners with Germany and Austria-Hungary, Alfa had created two of its most iconic vehicles. But Italy's affiliation with Germany became one of the reasons the brand did not make an impact in the Unitred States at the time. As the war efforts progressed, ALFA lost its lead engineer to the railways, and the company had amassed several debts it could not repay. The only options were letting the bank foreclose the plant or getting some investors.

In 1915, the ALFA brand reached a crucial stage in its evolution; it became the auto manufacturer we know today, Alfa Romeo. Ugo Stella did not have to lose the plant to the bank because Italian engineer Nicole Romeo took over the company in 1915 and got it back in action before the war ended. The company rewarded Nicole Romeo’s investment by putting his name in its title. That same year, the company logo reflected their new name “Alfa Romeo” with “Milano” at the end to indicate its root.

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Alfa Romeo Logos
Via: Wikimedia Commons

After the company became Alfa Romeo and updated its logo in 1915, it became one of the most recognized brands even outside Italy. This reputation was mostly from its beautiful cars, but the name and logo became a staple representation of the quality that made Alfa Romeo successful.

Alfa Romeo has modified its logo over six times since 1915, and each modification bears a representation of something notable. In 1925 the logo had golden laurels to celebrate their World Championships win. In 1946, the logo was Spartan and had a single color because the machine that created the previous logos did not survive the war.

The next modification was in 1950, when Alfa Romeo restored the colors. Subsequent versions from 1972 did not have the Milano text, and they removed the laurels in 1982. Alfa Romeo made the latest modification in 2015; this was the most prominent adjustment to date. This version had a perfect proportion and geometry to fit the modern description of Alfa Romeo’s beautiful car designs.

Every Alfa Romeo logo evolution level shows an important aspect of the brand's history. The logo reflects everything from the brand values to their services. Alfa Romeo has given us the best we can ever want in cars, and their logo is the perfect complement to their designs.