Alfa 24 HP

This vehicle marked the beginning of the typical Alfa tradition, already unveiling the characteristics of what would later on make it famous. In the summer of the year 1910, the Italian Darracq automobile production in Portello (Milano) was transferred to several businessmen and renamed Società Anonima Lombarda Fabricia Automobili. The car shown above was the first that carried the name Alfa, but not yet Alfa Romeo. Having learned its lesson from the Darracqs and their weak engines, Giuseppe Merosi, Alfa's first technical designer, conceived a strong four-cylinder engine with extraordinary top speed. The car participated in the following year in racing, and almost won the Targa Florio. However, the sales prospects for such a car were small. Therefore, what followed were models with smaller engines, for the following decade exclusively four-cylinders. By the way, the 'HP' did point towards the achievement (horsepower), but in fact described the tax HP determined by additional factors.