Alfa Romeo is a perfect proof of the adage "those with a rich history have the future at their fingertips." The famous Italian automaker commemorated its historic 112th anniversary this past June, and it continues to offer its appealing, performance-oriented cars in addition to its inherent quality. The brand reflects a legacy of unbridled ambition that is only surpassed by its unbreakable spirit.

Related: These Are Our 8 Favorite Alfa Romeo Sports Cars Of All Time

With its aggressive, sporty design concepts and potent engines, Alfa Romeo has created a number of the world’s most coveted and highly admired luxury and exotic cars, such as the Giulia Quadrifoglio, 8C Competizione, Montreal, and the legendary 33 Stradale. The Alfa Romeo, however, progressed a long way, gained a solid reputation in the world of Motorsports, and emerged as a well-known Italian carmaker. It also has amazing closely guarded facts that only true gearheads and auto fanatics are aware of. Let's look at some interesting Alfa Romeo facts.

10 French Heritage

Red Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale
Via: Alfa Romeo

Everyone immediately thinks of the renowned Italian automaker known for producing stunning, potent, and exotic cars when they hear the name Alfa Romeo, right? However, very few people are aware of its French roots—yes, you read that correctly.

Alfa Romeo 33 stradale
Via: Museo Storico Alfa Romeo

A French automaker named Darracq built an automobile facility in a Milan suburb around 1906. However, a few years later, as things started to go south economically, the company's managing director, an Italian aristocrat, Ugo Stella, bought this plant. Then, on June 24, 1910, he changed the company's name to one you can tell and started making cars under that name.

9 ALFA Is An Acronym

Alfa Romeo History
Via: Museo Storico Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo indeed conjures up images of brilliance, opulence, world-class performance, and heritage—a quality that is quite rare among many brands. However, only true car enthusiasts and ardent fans of Alfa Romeo are aware that the word "ALFA" in the marque is an abbreviation rather than a geographic or even personal name.

Related: These Are The Best Alfa Romeo GTAs

2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA 2 Cropped
Via: media.stellantis.com

The company was renamed ALFA when Ugo Stella assumed leadership and reopened the facility in 1910. The name "ALFA" is an acronym for "Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili," meaning the Lombard Automobile Factory Company. It is, without a doubt, one of Alfa Romeo's distinctive characteristics.

8 Its Iconic Logo Is A Homage To The Hometown

Alfa Romeo Giulia Speciale upholstery badge close-up view
Via: Alfa Romeo

The iconic Alfa Romeo insignia is among the most aesthetic, unique, and visually stunning of any automaker in the world, and thus has additional significance. In actuality, the company's logo honors Milan, the hometown of Alfa Romeo.

2022 alfa romeo stelvioo front 3/4 press photo
Via: Alfa Romeo

The Milanese coat of arms is represented by the white flag with the red cross on the left, while the Visconti family crest, which formerly ruled Milan and features a snake devouring a man, is shown on the right. Despite its long existence, the logo hasn't changed all that much over the years.

7 The First Alfa Was 24HP

Alfa 24HP
Via: Wikimedia Commons - Matthias v.d. Elbe

Every tale has a beginning, and the ALFA 24 HP was the intro for the Italian carmaker Alfa Romeo, which would go on to become one of the most celebrated and legendary brands in the world. The first ALFA-branded car, the 24 HP was designed by Giuseppe Merosi, the project's lead engineer and the brand's technical director. He also formerly served as the car and motorcycle designer for Fiat and Bianchi.

Alfa 24HP Side View
Via: Conceptcarz

This Italian classic gained a lot of popularity in its time and even participated in racing competitions like the Targa Florio endurance race. It was powered by a single-block, 4.1-liter engine that generated 24 horsepower and had a top speed of 68 mph. Additionally, the Italian Army's top command also selected it as its vehicle during World War I.

6 Arrival Of Romeo In 1915

nicola-romeo
Via: Museo Storico Alfa Romeo

Many folks are intrigued about the history of Alfa Romeo's naming, and after learning that it was previously known as ALFA, they wonder when Romeo was added to the moniker and what the possible reasons would be.

Related: 8 Things We Love About The Alfa Romeo 166 (2 Reasons Why We Wouldn't Buy One)

Alfa Romeo 20/30 ES
Via: Museo Storico Alfa Romeo

It all began when World War I broke out in 1914. ALFA was unable to begin car production due to a shortage of funding. At this point, Italian businessman and engineer Nicola Romeo acquired the majority of the company's shares and rebranded it with the addition of his own name. ALFA was then renamed Alfa Romeo in 1920 and a legend was born. The first vehicle to carry the Alfa Romeo badge was the Torpedo 20-30 HP.

5 Alfa Romeo Factory Was Targeted And Bombed

Luca-Danilo-Orsi-Alfa-Romeo-Giulietta-750G-Sebring
Via: Alfa Romeo

Although Alfa Romeo has experienced numerous ups and downs over the past 112 years, but none compares to the horrors caused by the bombings during World War II. Very few people are aware that the firm also endured one of the worst catastrophes in 1938 when the Germans targeted and bombed the Alfa Romeo plant along with other industrial factories in the region.

classic-alfas
Via: Alfa Romeo

After the war ended, the Alfa Romeo facility in Milan underwent reconstruction until 1947. It nearly took 10 years for the brand to recover from the bombings since they were so extreme and damaging. The legendary Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 was the first car to depart from the factory post-war, which is still considered a classic by many car aficionados.

4 The Brand Also Built Buses

1955 Alfa Romeo Bus
Via: Dorotheum

Only diehard Alfa Romeo fans and true auto enthusiasts are aware that the marque produced not only sports cars, roadsters, coupes, and spiders, but also buses, vans, coaches, trolleybuses, and even trucks. Yes, this is true. It was once a major part of the product line.

1955 Alfa Romeo Bus Side View
Via: Dorotheum

This is exactly what the company did in its early years, particularly in the twenties and thirties. The company's requirement to produce heavy vehicles for the Italian army during World War II gave the output a boost. Though their popularity peaked in the 1950s and 1960s due to their highly stylized conventional designs, it dropped off through the mid-70s.

3 Enzo Ferrari Also Worked For Alfa Romeo

Enzo Ferrari
Via: Ferrari

One of the fascinating and little-known facts about Alfa Romeo is that it had ties to Enzo Ferrari, the man responsible for creating the legendary car brand, Ferrari. Enzo oversaw the Alfa Romeo racing team for approximately ten years before starting his own company. Furthermore, Alfa Romeo cars bore his famous Prancing Horse logo.

Related: Automakers History: How Enzo Ferrari Became A Legendary Race Car Driver And Automobile Maker

Enzo Ferrari
Via: Museo Storico Alfa Romeo

In 1920, Enzo Ferrari joined on as a works driver for Alfa Romeo. Nine years later, he founded Scuderia Ferrari, which would manage Alfa Romeo's racing team for four years. When Alfa brought the team back in-house, he was appointed manager; sadly, Enzo left in 1939 and started to concentrate on what would eventually become the world’s most renowned car brand.

2 It Was Acquired By The Italian Government For Over 50 Years

Alfa Romeo Spider 
Via: Victor Troia

Anyone who has ever driven an Alfa Romeo car will testify to how much fun it is. But, how much do you actually know about the company’s ownership, though? An interesting fact is that the company has, over the years, been owned by a variety of distinct groups, one of which was the Italian government.

1979 Alfa Romeo Spider
Via: Bring A Trailer

Things were a mess, to say the least when Nicola Romeo exited the company in 1928. The Italian government then effectively acquired Alfa Romeo in 1933. Alfa Romeo was indeed controlled by the government for more than 50 years before the Fiat Group acquired the brand in 1986 and gained full control.

1 Alfa Romeo Racing Legacy And The Story Behind Four Leaf Clover

Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/3 Auction Front Quarter View
Via: RM Sotheby's

Alfa Romeo is without a doubt one of the most formidable forces in the history of motor racing. Due to their excellent handling, durability, and lighter construction, Alfa Romeo cars were very successful in events like the Mille Miglia, F1, Le Mans, the Vanderbilt Cup, and many others. This legendary company also bears the distinction of being the first car to win the World Automobile Championship in 1925.

2021-alfa-romeo-giulia-gta-front-angle-with-formula-one-race-car
Via: Alfa Romeo

Additionally, a racing tale is also related to their iconic Quadrifoglio, or four-leaf clover, badge used on each of their racing cars. After a string of second-place finishes, Ugo Sivocci painted a white square and a four-leaf clover on the side of his race car in the hopes that this would bring him luck to win the race. Eventually, it worked, and they famously won the challenging Targa Florio of 1923. However, Sivocci tragically passed away while testing a new, high-performance car. To commemorate his passing and pay tribute to his legacy, all Alfa Romeo race cars after his demise had his recognizable four-leaf clover inside a white triangle.