Italian auto companies

Italian auto companies

Maserati’s history  

Relive Maserati’s history, from 1914 to the present day

Officine Alfieri Maserati was founded on December 1, 1914 in Bologna, Italy. Since then, Maserati has played a consistently important role in the history of sports car culture and its development.

Nearly a century of activity has brought with it glorious achievements both on the road and the track as well as more challenging times, which have helped forge the company’s character and personality.

This section brings you some of the most important milestones in the story of the Maserati marque. These include the 246.029 km/h world speed record set by Borzacchini in 1929, the 1957 F1 World Championship title won by Fangio at the wheel of the 250F, and the more recent launch of the new 405 bhp GranTurismo in Geneva in March 2007.

However, Maserati’s history involves more than its glorious sporting achievements and the launch of great road cars. The company has also developed industrially over the years.

Its relocation from Bologna to the current site on Viale Ciro Menotti in Modena, Italy, in 1940 and its acquisition by Ferrari, completed in 1997, are just two examples of the many major events in the development of Maserati.

Maserati is a marque that began life in a local context but then went on to become a major international player, with representation in 43 countries. In this section, you can relive Maserati’s enthralling history and get to know the people, achievements and cars which have made the marque famous.

The Maserati brothers

The seven Maserati brothers were born in Voghera, Italy to Rodolfo, a train driver, and Carolina Losi. Carlo, their first son, was born in 1881, Bindo in 1883 and Alfieri in 1885. At just a few months old, Alfieri sadly passed away and his parents decided to name their next son, born in 1887, after him. They were to have three more children: in 1890 Mario was born, followed by Ettore in 1894 and Ernesto in 1898.

All of the Maseratis were involved in the engineering, design, and construction of cars except for Mario, who was a painter and artist. However Mario’s contribution to the Maserati company was just as important and lasting as his engineer brothers’: he created the company trademark, the Trident, inspired by the statue of Neptune in the square of the same name in their home city of Bologna.

The first of the brothers to become involved with engines was Carlo, who worked in a bicycle factory in Affori, near Milan. He designed a single-cylinder engine for a velocipede, which was later manufactured by the Marquis Carcano di Anzano del Parco. Carlo Maserati also raced on Carcano bikes equipped with the engine he had designed, winning a few races and setting a speed record of 50 km/h (31 mph) in 1900.

Carlo moved to Fiat in 1901 when Carcano closed down and then, in 1903, to Isotta Fraschini, where he worked as a mechanic and test driver. Thanks to his influence, Isotta also employed his brother Alfieri, despite the fact that he was only 16 at the time. Carlo had a brilliant but ultimately short career, dying when he was just 29, by which time he had worked and raced for Bianchi, become General Manager of Junior, and started up his own workshop with his brother Ettore to manufacture both low and high voltage electrical transformers for cars.

Alfieri soon emerged as Carlo's spiritual heir, with the same extrovert personality and skills as a technician and driver. In 1908 Isotta entrusted a car to him which he brought home in 14th place in the Grand Prix for Voiturettes in Dieppe, despite his carburetor breaking. In the meantime, Bindo and Ettore had also joined Isotta Fraschini, where Alfieri had started out as a mechanic and progressed to driving. In 1912, after having represented the company in Argentina, the USA and Great Britain with his brother Ettore, Alfieri was put in charge of Isotta’s customer service structure in Bologna.

The wide-ranging experience he had built up during his career convinced Alfieri that he was ready to explore the possibility of going into business in his own right to exploit his talents and creativity to the fullest extent. In 1914 he rented office space in Via dé Pepoli, in Bologna’s old town center, and this went on to become the first headquarters of the Società Anonima Officine Alfieri Maserati.

The first Maserati era, from 1914 to 1937

After the First World War, the company moved from Via dé Pepoli to new offices in the suburbs of Bologna. The Maserati brothers’ main activity was still tuning Isotta Fraschini cars, but they also worked on other marques.

Alfieri began his career as a racing driver and soon proved his worth, winning on the Susa-Moncenisio, the Mugello Circuit and the Aosta-Great Saint Bernard. Diatto offered him a chance to design cars for the company and even to race with them. Unfortunately, in 1924, after having dominated the San Sebastiano GP, he was disqualified for five years, even though he had retired from the race, for having replaced the 2-litre engine in his car with a 3-litre unit. The penalty was lifted a few months later.

Away from the racing world, Alfieri completely dedicated himself to the workshop and in 1926, after leaving Diatto, he produced the Tipo 26, the first all-Maserati car, and the first to sport the trident badge. The Tipo 26 won its class in its debut race, the grueling Targa Florio open road race, driven by Alfieri Maserati himself.

In 1927 Alfieri had a serious accident in the Messina Cup at the wheel of the Tipo 26B, after taking third place at the Targa Florio. But even with him sidelined, Maserati still won the Italian Constructors’ Championship. In 1929 the V4 appeared, with a 16-cylinder engine, making its debut at the Italian Grand Prix and setting the world Class C speed record over 10 km at 246.069 km/h in Cremona, with Baconin Borzacchini.

The record set by the V4 helped to further enhance the company’s image and led to a considerable influx of funds, allowing both the company and its activities to expand. In 1930 the V4 driven by Borzacchini won Maserati’s first outright Grand Prix victory in Tripoli.

In 1931 came the 4CTR and the front-wheel-drive 8C 2500, the last car to be designed by Alfieri Maserati, who died on March 3rd, 1932. An enormous crowd attended his funeral in Bologna, including workers from the plant, famous drivers, and ordinary people, who all wanted to show their affection for the great man.

Alfieri's death did not discourage the Maserati brothers; Bindo left Isotta Fraschini and returned to Bologna to continue the great venture began by Alfieri, alongside Ernesto and Ettore. Maserati's racing activities continued to be both intense and successful; an 8-cylinder, 3-litre engine also appeared.

In 1933 racing great Tazio Nuvolari joined the team, making a significant technical contribution, particularly in fine tuning the chassis, and adapting it to the characteristics of the new engine; Nuvolari won the Belgian Grand Prix, and those of Montenero and Nice. That was when Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union began a sustained – and government backed – assault on the racing scene, making life difficult for Maserati in the more important races.

In spite of this, the company continued to notch up victories in more minor, national races, and this led the brothers to concentrate output in this area. In 1936 they found a patron in Gino Rovere who invested a great deal in the company and appointed Nino Farina, his ‘protégé’, as Chairman. The 6CM appeared, which gave Maserati the competitive edge in the voiturette class.

The golden years, from 1937 to 1967

In 1937 the Maserati brothers sold their shares in the company to the Orsi family from Modena, even though they were not in need of the financing, and the company relocated from Bologna to the now historic headquarters on Viale Ciro Menotti in Modena.

Ernesto had already designed the 4CL and 8CL engines, which powered the cars of the same name in the late 1930s. The Maserati brothers stayed on in Modena as chief engineers until 1948.

The company dominated the racing scene again, despite strong competition from Mercedes. On May 30, 1939 it scored an important victory in the Indianapolis 500 with Wilbur Shaw at the wheel of the 8CTF, a feat it repeated the following year. Maserati remains to this day the only Italian marque to have won the Indy 500.

During the Second World War Maserati adapted its production accordingly, turning out machine tools, electrical components, spark plugs and electric vehicles, but returned to its original activities after the war, with a new GT car, the A6 1500. The A6G CS successfully debuted on the Modena circuit with Alberto Ascari at the wheel; and in those years its racing rivals were the Alfettas, Ferraris and Talbots. After several wins racing became much more competitive in the 1950s with the rise of Alfa Romeo and Ferrari. In 1953 Gioacchino Colombo was appointed Chief Engineer and modified the A6GCM. The team was also strengthened by the arrival of drivers of the caliber of Fangio, Gonzalez, Marimon, Bonetto and de Graffenried and brought home some important victories in the 1953 season; in fact, Fangio won that year's Italian Grand Prix ahead of Ascari’s and Farina’s Ferraris in a race that was only decided after the final corner.

Colombo also laid the foundation for the legendary Maserati 250F, which saw its debut in 1954. Fangio won the Argentine Grand Prix on its debut race.

In 1955 and 1956 Maserati won other important victories; in 1957 Fangio returned to Maserati and won the World Title for the fifth time – the first time for Maserati - with the 250F. Fangio’s win in a 250F at the Nürburgring in 1957 is considered by many racing historians to be the greatest drive in the history of the sport.

Although the company announced its official retirement from racing that very year it never withdrew from the scene completely because Maserati continued to build sports racing cars like the Birdcage and other prototypes for private teams, and to supply engines for the Formula 1 cars of other constructors, such as Cooper, for which it developed a 12-cylinder, three-valve engine with triple ignition in 1965. The Birdcage was an innovative racecar, and was campaigned most notably by the Camoradi Racing team with legends Stirling Moss, Masten Gregory, Dan Gurney and Carroll Shelby all taking turns behind the wheel. Carroll Shelby's last race as a driver was behind the wheel of a Birdcage, when health concerns sent him off into another famed venture.

The Birdcage was such an iconic racer that in 2005 and the Birdcage idea was reborn by Pininfarina, as a modern design concept to celebrate their own 75th Anniversary.

Production of the 3500 GT road car, which was launched in 1958, began the start of an important new era for Maserati and consequently the plant had to be expanded. Production cars and sales became the main goals and the future of Maserati.

The Sebring was presented in 1962 and the Quattroporte, the first modern sports sedan, in 1963.

Highs and lows, and back to highs, from 1968 to the present day

The big news came in 1968, when Citroën bought out the Orsi family's shares, although Adolfo Orsi remained the company’s Honorary Chairman.

The Giugiaro-designed Bora, the first mass-produced mid-engined Maserati, was presented at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show; Maserati also built the occasional racing car engine, and that same year, a Citroën SM with a Maserati engine won the Morocco Rally.

With the launch of the Merak and Khamsin Maserati’s production continued apace. But in 1973 the Yom Kippur War sparked the Oil Crisis, making life increasingly uncertain for the company, although it still had enough vitality to introduce both the Quattroporte II prototype, bodied by Bertone, and the Merak SS.

The situation worsened, and on 23 May, Citroën announced that Maserati had gone into liquidation (the French car maker had signed an agreement with Peugeot but had lost interest in Maserati). Pressure from the industrialists’ association and the local and provincial councils in Italy succeeded in persuading the government to intervene, and Maserati avoided closure by handing over control to GEPI (a government agency that financed companies in difficulty in order to save jobs).

In an agreement signed on August 8, 1975, most of the company's share capital was acquired by the Benelli company, and Alejandro De Tomaso, a former racing driver from Argentina who had also competed for Maserati, became Managing Director. De Tomaso managed to get the company off the ground again, albeit with difficulty, and by 1976 he had launched a new model, the Kyalami, and presented the Quattroporte III, designed by Giugiaro, soon after at the Turin Motor Show. By the end of the year, output had significantly increased.

The 1980s saw the production of a new type of car, with a relatively low purchase price but impressive performance: the Biturbo, of which over 30 different versions appeared, in coupé, 4-door sedan and spyder forms.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s a major recession devastated the economy in North America, and Maserati, along with other storied European brands such as Citroën, Peugeot, Alfa Romeo and Fiat, withdrew from that market.

The turning point for Maserati came in 1993, when the company's entire share capital was acquired by Fiat Auto. A year later the first new arrival under Fiat ownership appeared in the form of the Quattroporte IV. Designed by Marcello Gandini, it boasted all of the refinement, luxury and sportiness for which the marque was renowned.

On July 1, 1997 Fiat transferred control of Maserati to Ferrari, also a part of Fiat, and an exciting new era began for the company. Once fierce competitors on both the street and track, now Ferrari and Maserati were joining forces, combining their engineering skill and technical expertise. That year the historic plant on Viale Ciro Menotti closed temporarily while an ultra-modern assembly line was installed, to produce a new car, the 3200 GT.

The 3200 GT was presented to the public at the 1998 Paris Motor Show and proved to be a thoroughbred, front-engined GT in the best Maserati tradition. It was joined that same year by the Quattroporte Evoluzione, and production soon exceeded 2,000 cars a year.

The complete reorganization of the marketing network and the expansion of the plant, where new management offices were built, gave further momentum to the renewal process in 2000. The following year the new Spyder appeared, unveiled for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show, during which Maserati also announced its intention to return to the North American market. This decision was confirmed in January 2002, when the Coupé made its world debut at the Detroit Motor Show. Like the Spyder, it introduced a number of important innovations, from a new 4,200 cc 390-bhp V8 engine co-developed with Ferrari, to its suspension, chassis and F1-style gearbox, also making use of Ferrari racing technology.

Besides returning to the most important markets with high-class and sophisticated models, Maserati also made a successful comeback to the world of racing thanks to the MC12 (in the FIA GT and ALMS championships), the Trofeo (in the single-make series for gentlemen drivers in Europe and Brazil) and the Trofeo Light (in the Italian GT and the American Grand-Am series). To date the MC12 has amassed 8 different Championship titles, securing its place as one of the greatest modern racecars and a fitting continuation of Maserati’s racing heritage.

In September 2003 at the Frankfurt motorshow the car that would be at the center of Maserati’s unstoppable growth was previewed: the Maserati Quattroporte. The new Maserati sedan enjoyed immediate success in terms of sales and also earned many prizes and widespread praise from clients and journalists around the world.

2005 was a record year for Maserati, with 5,659 cars sold worldwide. This was an increase of 22.8% from the equally impressive 2004, and the natural confirmation of the product and quality measures begun in 1998, when only 518 vehicles were sold.

Great satisfaction also came from Maserati’s Corse racing group. The incredible work of this team allowed Maserati to claim the Constructors’ Cup and Team Vitaphone (Maserati) the team title. Maserati’s one-two finish at the Spa 24 Hours was truly unforgettable, topped only by another 1-2 victory in 2008.

The Trofeo Light also secured a number of titles and wins, dominating the GT3 class of the Italian GT championship. The company’s vitality is strengthened by the success of its single-make series, now into its fourth year in Europe and its third in Brazil.

In early 2005, ownership of Maserati was transferred from Ferrari back to Fiat, which allowed Maserati to achieve important industrial and commercial synergies with Alfa Romeo – leading to the beautiful Alfa Romeo 8C, which was developed and built by Maserati for Alfa Romeo in the Maserati factory. Close technical and commercial collaboration within the group has provided Maserati with the impetus to position itself as the leader in its sector. It has also broadened its presence throughout the international markets thanks to models including the GranSport, the GranSport Spyder, and the MC Victory, developed to celebrate successes in the FIA GT series.

Maserati’s success in North America was also swift and dramatic, with sales in the US and Canada now accounting for over 30% of Maserati’s worldwide volume. Maserati has truly resonated with North American clients and has achieved tremendous growth: Maserati was the fastest growing car company in the US in 2007, and the dealer network has grown from 33 dealers in 2002 to almost 60 in 2008 to meet demand.

In 2007, above all, Maserati’s impressive performance was mainly thanks to the new GranTurismo as the accounts once more showed a profit. The GranTurismo is a car that can be used everyday, with superb handling and a sporty, captivating ride. The international press deemed the car an immediate success and lavished it with praise as it made the covers of countless magazines.

Maserati continues to excel in the world of competition and recently claimed all four titles on offer in the GT1 Class of the 2007 FIA GT International championship, adding to the Manufacturers' Cup won in 2005 and continuing the winning trend following the Team and Drivers’ titles from 2006.

2008 saw the introduction of the GranTurismo S, and the refreshed Quattroporte and new Quattroporte S – models that look set to continue the spectacular success of Maserati.

Maserati’s success shows no signs of slowing down. Twelve FIA GT titles have been won since 2005: 2 Manufacturers’ Cups (2005 and 2007); 4 Drivers titles (Bartels-Bertolini in 2006, Thomas Biagi in 2007, Bartels-Bertolini in 2008 and 2009); 5 Team titles (won by the Vitaphone Racing Team since 2005) and 1 Citation Cup in 2007 courtesy of gentleman driver Ben Aucott (JMB Racing). Added to this haul are the three wins in the 24 Hours of Spa (2005, 2006 and 2008).

On the global market, Maserati continues to attain commercial success and critical acclaim. The Quattroporte, following the launch of the latest version powered by a 4.7 litre engine and featuring an automatic transmission, has collected over 56 awards from the international press. The GranTurismo range has recently been broadened with the introduction of the MC Stradale and is a model that is recognised as being one of the best looking cars of its generation. It is a car that has rewritten the rules in the sports sector of the market with its speed and luxury; it can also carry four adults in total comfort. To round things off is the GranCabrio, the first droptop in Maserati’s history. The GranCabrio has been hailed by the international media as one of the world’s most stunning cars and has recorded sales figures that have equalled, and even exceeded, forecasts in each of the 60 markets in which it is available.

Lamborghini’s history

Ferruccio Lamborghini

Ferruccio Lamborghini was born in Italy in 1916. He was fascinated with engines from an early age. During World War II he joined the army and was stationed on the island of Rhodes. Fortunately there was little going on there during the war.  The island was essentially isolated from the rest of the world. Any cars, trucks or motorcycles that broke down had to be repaired on the spot with reused parts.  Lamborghini became known as a wizard at mechanical improvisation and became very much in demand at fixing engines.

After the war he returned to his home near Modena in northern Italy and setup a small car and motorcycle repair shop.  He soon realized that there was a desperate need for tractors in the agricultural area in which he lived. He found he could build about one tractor a month from derelict military vehicles. As Italy's economy grew demand for his high quality tractors started to grow. He began building his own tractor engines. His tractor business became very successful reaching a rate of over 400 a month in 1960. He soon looked at expanding the business and in 1960 began manufacturing heaters and air conditioning units for buildings as well as maintaining the tractor business. This too became very successful.

About this time Lamborghini started to get interested in developing a high performance car. He had owned Oscas, Maseratis and Ferraris but was always disappointed with them.  Particularly their engines. There is a now famous story about how he was frustrated with problems he had with a clutch in a Ferrari (a Ferrari 250 GT), and went to visit Enzo Ferrari who's factory was nearby. Enzo had no time for a tractor manufacture and simply dismissed him. Lamborghini decided there was nothing Ferrari was doing he could not do better. He decided too build his own car with a V12 engine.  For the design he found a very talented engineer named Giampaolo Dallara who had previously worked on a Ferrari V12 engine.

The new engine had 4 cams, a short stroke and 4 big bore valves per cylinder.  It developed a surprising 350 HP. It was an all aluminum engine with a crankshaft supported by seven main bearings. These crankshafts were machined from SAE 9840 steel.  The connecting rods (12) were of SAE 4340 steel. The pistons were of forged aluminum. Each pair of camshafts were driven by their own half engine speed sprocket and silent chain.  This engine was really the prototype for all future Lamborghini engines. A body designed by Scaglione-Touring was used to house the engine.

The Lamborghini "350 GTV" prototype was shown to the public on the Turin Auto Show of 1963. Sales started the following year. The car was called the 350 GT. It was a complete success.  Over 130 were sold.The future of Automobili Lamborghini looked very bright during the sixties. The     350 GT was succeeded by the 400 GT and then the  400 GT 2+2.  The 350 GT and 400 GT 2+2 made the Lamborghini name known throughout the world. With the funds coming in from these cars and his successful tractor business Ferruccio allowed his engineers to design and construction a new car - the Lamborghini Miura. The Miura made the Lamborghini name legendary. It was a car truly ahead of its time. It shocked even companies like Ferrari and Maserati.

The Miura was first shown on November 1965 at the Turin Auto Show by Ferruccio Lamborghini himself. Only the chassis was shown at the show, the engine was transversely mid-mounted, something up to then only seen in real F1 race cars. The design of the body was executed by Marcello Gandini in less than a year, and on the March 1966 Geneva Show it was completed and on display. It looked even better than in Turin. The car was very aggressively styled, and an appropriate name was chosen for it, the Miura, a name taken from the ferocious Spanish fighting bulls.  Again the car was a complete success.

This was followed in 1973 at the Geneva Auto Show when Lamborghini shocked the world again with his revolutionary LP400 Countach. Only a prototype was shown. Today it is difficult to realize the impact that car had on everybody at that time. Even now the car is a show stopper! The car at the show was painted in a bright red and with a black suede interior. It showed for the first time, the by now, famous, Lamborghini signature swing up doors. It also displayed unique vertically mounted rear air intakes to go with its powerful 4 Liter engine.

In 1974 disaster struck.  The Lamborghini tractor business received a major setback. A massive order for tractors to a south American country was     cancelled. Lamborghini anticipating the demand, had previously upgraded the tractor factory to be able to build the numbers of tractors required. The company lost a lot of money over it. Compounding things also at this time was a series of labor problems at the factory. While his personal fortune was still considerable he decided to sell part of his share in the factory. Eventually the factory was taken over by Fiat.

During the seventies the company survived on sales of Miura's. The car business started to be self sufficient and make money.  However Lamborghini eventually sold all his remaining stock in the company to a Swiss investor.  The company to this day still retains his name however.  Ferruccio Lamborghini died in February 1993 at the age of almost 76

The oil crisis of the 70's started to made sales of high performance cars difficult.  Production art the factory was plagued with budget and parts supply problems.  People gave up waiting for cars with two year back orders. A wealthy Canadian, Walter Wolf,  played a major role is supporting Lamborghini and developing the Countach during these difficult times.

In 1978 the company declared bankruptcy. An Italian court was appointed to find a buyer.  A Swiss based group called the Mimran brother's were able to save the factory. Patrick Mimran (one of the brothers),  in 1980 started to turn the company around. The Countach was developed further under him from the LP500 S right up to the impressive QuattroValvole. .

Just as things were going well, the Mimran brothers sold the company to Chrysler Corporation.  This was a big surprise at the time.  Chrysler support however was just what the company needed at that time. They were working on a Countach successor --  the Diablo. Chrysler kept the winning team together in Italy. While the cultures of the two companies were different and things got stressful between the management groups, they did succeed in bringing the vast resources of Chrysler to bear on the  design, pollution controls, and new manufacturing techniques etc. for the new car.

Again the result was an outstanding success. The new Lamborghini Diablo got rave reviews everywhere it went.  However in another twist of faith, in 1994 Chrysler fell upon hard times and had to sell the company. It was bought by an Indonesian investment group headed by Tommy Suharto of the well known Suharto family.  Unfortunately in the late 90's an economical crisis started to hit the Indonesian owners hard and the much needed money for research on a successor to the Diablo started to dry up.

Fortunately the German company Audi had an interest in Lamborghini. On August 4 1998, in a complex series of transactions Audi AG became the sole owner of Automobili Lamborghini. As in the case of the Chrysler buyout, this could not have been a better time for Lamborghini. Audi took an active role in designing the Murcielago and brought to the table again the vast resources of a major automobile company to develop and produce another exotic car.

Lets hope this is the last chapter of ownership changes in this unique little Italian car company.  It is to the credit of the people there that they have hung in to all the changes of ownership they have experienced over the years and yet produced such exciting cars.

Alfa Romeo history 

Alfa Romeo is one of the most famous sports cars in the world, along with Porsche, Ferrari, Maserati, Corvette, Lamborghini, and Jaguar. After experiencing severe economic difficulties during the early 1990s, which resulted in the company's pullout from the U.S. market, Alfa Romeo and its parent company, Fiat, have performed a turnaround of the legendary carmaker--booking international success with the 156 model, introduced in 1998 to universal acclaim, followed by the 166 sedan. In 2000 the company prepared for more success with the October launch of the 147. Alfa Romeo's renewed success has not been enough for Fiat, however, which saw losses totaling more than US$100 million in 1999. In March 2000, Fiat announced a share-swap partnership agreement with General Motors Corporation (GM), giving the U.S. carmaker 20 percent of Fiat and making Italy's dominant automaker the largest single GM shareholder, with 5.1 percent of the Detroit company. The GM-Fiat agreement has already produced a bonus for Alfa Romeo--following the agreement, Fiat announced its intention to reintroduce Alfa Romeo to the U.S. market with a new Spider design.

Founding an Automotive Legend in 1910

Alfa Romeo was founded in Portello, just north of Milan, in 1910. Cav Ugo Stella, managing director of a Portello assembly plant for the Darracq, a French automobile, decided to organize a group to purchase the plant and build a car more suitable for the harsh and mountainous Italian roads. Along with a few Milanese businessmen, he took out a loan to purchase the Darracq plant. The group named itself the Lombardy Car Manufacturing Company (Società Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili) and soon was known by its initials--ALFA.

Ugo Stella hired Giuseppi Merosi as chief automotive designer of the new company. Merosi had worked previously as a designer for Marchand, Fiat, and Bianchi car companies and was well qualified to design both touring cars and cars for the racing circuit. His first design for ALFA included a monobloc engine, high tension magneto ignition, three-bearing crankshaft, side valves, and pressure lubrication. A radiator badge also was designed for the new firm's cars, including the soon-to-be famous red cross and snake, symbols that were part of the emblems of the city of Milan and the Visconti family. A blue border surrounded the edge of the circular badge, with the word 'ALFA' at the top and 'MILANO' at the bottom. First inscribed in brass lettering, the lettering was replaced shortly afterward with white enamel. During the first year of business, ALFA manufactured ten cars each of a 12 horsepower and a 24 horsepower model; one year later, production had increased to 40 cars of each model. By the time World War I began in 1914, ALFA was manufacturing 272 chassis a year with a staff of almost 300.

Although revenues from car sales seemed to provide adequate funds for ALFA to continue business, in 1915 the company was acquired, suddenly and surprisingly, by Nicola Romeo. From rather humble beginnings, Romeo had graduated from the University of Liege with a degree in electrical engineering. After working for a short time in Germany and then France, he returned to his native Italy and started a business in Milan in association with the American company Ingersoll-Rand. Romeo's business was so successful that he soon formed his own firm to manufacture mining equipment. This, too, proved successful; the expansion of his company was so rapid, that the number of employees he hired increased from 100 to more than 1,200 in three months during the summer of 1915.

When Romeo purchased ALFA in 1915, there were fears among the remaining management and workers that the company was doomed for extinction. Romeo had purchased not only ALFA, but also numerous other firms in the area. His goal was to create an engineering combine that manufactured compressors, tractors, air brakes, ploughs, railway equipment, and other assorted products for use in heavy industry. Fortunately, Romeo was also a motoring enthusiast and had always dreamed of making a prestigious Italian sports car. As a result, he immediately expanded the production facilities at the ALFA factory in Portello. In February 1918, he changed the name of the firm to Società Anonima Italiana Ing. Nicola Romeo & Company. In addition, he decided to place his own name next to the well-respected ALFA name on the company's radiator badge, and after 1918 all the firm's cars appeared with 'Alfa Romeo' on the hood.

During the 1920s Alfa Romeos on the racing circuit established the company as one of the premier sports car manufacturers in the world. Alfa Romeo relied heavily on modified versions of its prewar racing cars, while designer Merosi labored frantically to design more up-to-date models. As Merosi's new designs were introduced on the raceways, the company began to win such prestigious competitions as the Parma-Berceto, the Consuma Hill Climb, the Coppa Florio, the Aosta-Great St. Bernard Hill Climb, the Autumn Grand Prix, the Circuit of Savio race, the Circuit of Mantua race, the European Grand Prix, and many, many more. Nicola Romeo was determined to wrest the European racing crown from Italian competitor and rival Fiat, and he employed the best drivers and mechanics in order to do so. Enzo Ferrari, who was to become famous in his own right as an Italian sports car manufacturer, won the 1927 Circuit of Modena in a six-cylinder 150 Alfa Romeo. As Alfa Romeo continued to win races, the innovations that led to the successes of the racing cars directly affected the design and production of the company's touring cars and roadsters; for example, front wheel brakes, adapted from the Alfa Romeo racing cars, were installed on touring cars for the first time.

Vittorio Jano, who replaced Merosi as head of design at Alfa Romeo in 1926, continued the tradition of improving the company's cars through his creations for the racing circuit. Jano's first design for general production was the NR (Nicola Romeo) touring car, which included a single overhead camshaft, coil ignition, a four-speed gearbox, and rod-operated brakes. Despite the growing success and reputation of the company, Nicola Romeo suddenly and inexplicably retired in 1928, and management of the company was assumed by the board of directors. Unfortunately, the firm began to experience financial difficulties as soon as Romeo retired.

During the early 1930s, management changed the name of the firm from Ing Nicola Romeo and Company to Societe Anonomie Alfa Romeo. Alfa Romeo's revenues continued to diminish, and in 1933 the government-sponsored Istituto Riconstruzione Industriale (IRI) assumed control of the company. Although Alfa Romeo technically retained its status as a private corporation with its own board of directors, the company had essentially been nationalized. Under the auspices of IRI, and with the rise of Benito Mussolini as dictator of Italy, Alfa Romeo's production facilities at Portello were expanded to include airplane engines, armaments, diesel engines, and even light aircraft. Jano continued to design touring cars and racing cars for the company through the mid-1930s, but car production became less and less important as Mussolini prepared Italy for war.

Alfa Romeo's fortunes during World War II slipped even further. In 1936 a Spanish engineer by the name of Wilfredo Ricart was hired to replace Jano as head of the design office at Alfa Romeo. Ricart had extensive experience designing diesel engines and sports and racing cars and also had organized public transportation in the city of Valencia before arriving in Italy. Expectations of his potential for designing Alfa Romeo cars were very high. But Ricart, it was soon discovered, exhibited some very strange habits, including a penchant for wearing enormously thick rubber-soled shoes. When asked by Enzo Ferrari why he affected these shoes, Ricart replied in all seriousness that a genius's brain must be cushioned against the harsh unevenness of the ground lest its delicate mechanics be disrupted. Upon hearing Ricart's response, Ferrari left Alfa Romeo. During the war years, Ricart's designs for the company never went beyond the prototype stage.

Postwar Reconstruction

After the end of World War II, Alfa Romeo's factory at Portello needed rebuilding because of the damage inflicted by American and British bombing raids. At the same time, the company's board of directors decided to release Ricart from his contract and hire Orazio Satta to replace him. Satta was the last of the great Alfa Romeo designers. Educated as an aeronautical engineer, Satta guided the company into an era of racing success and economic prosperity. Satta was responsible for designing the 6C 2500 Super Sport, the 1900 Sprint, the Giulietta Sprint Special, and the famous Spider Veloce. All of these cars sold extremely well abroad, with the Spider Veloce selling especially well in both Britain and the United States. During Satta's tenure, Alfa Romeo also continued to be successful in racing, winning such prestigious races as the 1950 and 1951 Swiss Grand Prix and the 1953 Grand Prix of Supercortmaggiore at Merano.

By the early 1960s, the factory at Portello was unable to produce enough cars to suit the growing demand of Alfa Romeo customers, so the company built a new assembly plant at Arese, about ten miles from Portello. In 1963 the first Giulia Sprint GT rolled out of the plant at Arese, and by 1970 manufacturing capacity had increased to 150,000 automobiles per year. Still striving for the best performance from its vehicles, the company built a test track at Balocco, west of Milan. Numerous prototypes were tested on this track, and Satta's reputation as a designer continued to grow with each successful production. As sales increased, Alfa Romeo laid the foundation for a new plant just outside Naples, the place of Nicola Romeo's birth.

In 1970 Alfa Romeo sold 109,598 cars worldwide, primarily in Europe and the United States. The company was at the height of its success, with a growing share of the sports car market in every country where it sold cars. When Satta retired, accolades were heaped upon him, both by his peers and by the Italian government. After Satta's retirement, however, Alfa Romeo began to experience managerial and financial problems. Rising production costs and increased competition from Ferrari, Maserati, Jaguar, Porsche, and American car manufacturers led to declining revenues. In addition, the tradition of testing new Alfa Romeo models through the racing circuit was growing less important to the design office, and technical problems began to occur in cars purchased by customers expecting high levels of performance. By the early 1980s, the manufacturer's financial position had deteriorated so rapidly that the state-owned holding company Finmeccanica had taken control of the Alfa Romeo factories.

Under the auspices of Finmeccanica, Alfa Romeo's fortunes fared no better. Management was unable to stop the company's financial hemorrhaging and, as a result, Alfa Romeo became an attractive takeover target. Ford Motor Company expressed interest, but in 1986 Fiat outbid Ford, acquiring Alfa Romeo and all its holdings for US$1.75 billion. Fiat, a well-established Italian car manufacturer owned by the Agnelli family, regarded Alfa Romeo as the perfect complement to its own line of European sports cars.

Alfa Romeo benefited from Fiat's largesse--Fiat decided to invest more than US$1 billion in rehabilitating and improving the company's manufacturing plants in Portello, Naples, and Arese, while more than US$1.25 billion was earmarked for research and development. Yet Fiat's direct management and supervision of Alfa Romeo car production and distribution was unable to reverse the company's fortunes. In 1989 Fiat formed Alfa Romeo Distributors of North America, a 50--50 joint venture with Chrysler. This arrangement, it was hoped, would enable Alfa Romeo to increase its presence in the American automobile market. Since Alfa Romeo had sold 8,201 cars in 1986 in the United States, it was not an unwarranted prediction that annual sales would increase to 12,000 by 1991. With new designs ready to roll from the company's Italian factories, Chrysler and Fiat were even confident enough to project annual sales figures of US$40,000 to US$50,000 by 1995. Fiat depended on Chrysler's knowledge of the American car market and gave Chrysler management a free hand in advertising and distributing Alfa Romeo cars.

Falling and Rising in the 1990s

From the beginning of the collaboration, however, almost nothing went according to plan. The first Alfa Romeo car produced under Fiat ownership, the 164 sedan, was delayed so that Fiat engineers could improve its quality and add a 2.0-liter turbo engine. The delay lasted months longer than expected, and distributors in the United States were left with nothing to sell except the Milano sedan and the old version of the Spider convertible. Unfortunately, the Alfa Romeo Milano, another design significantly influenced by Fiat engineers, was plagued with mechanical problems and quickly developed a reputation for unreliability. Chrysler, dissatisfied with the results of the joint venture, decided to dissolve the partnership in 1991. Chrysler's withdrawal left Fiat to market Alfa Romeo cars alone in the United States and, as a result, Alfa Romeo's presence in the United States began to decline dramatically. During 1991 only 649 Alfa Romeo cars were sold in the United States.

In an attempt to improve Alfa Romeo's dwindling market share, Fiat engineers conceived the 155, introducing the car in Europe in 1992. The car did not sell well, however, which industry analysts attributed to the lackluster exterior and interior design. With earnings decreasing and debt rising for its U.S. operation, Fiat decided not to export the 155 to the United States. In 1993 Alfa Romeo's car production dropped 24 percent to only 109,598 units, most of which were sold in Europe. A decision by Fiat management not to sell the new Spider convertible, the Spider coupe, or the newly designed 145 hatchback in the United States confirmed the company's decision to pull out of the U.S. market.

Nonetheless, Fiat had far from abandoned the legendary Alfa Romeo name. Throughout the 1990s, the company initiated a retooling of the Alfa Romeo, aimed at winning back customers through an increased commitment to quality in manufacturing as well as a return to the design excellence that had built the Alfa Romeo name. By 1998, Alfa Romeo was officially 'back': in that year the company's new 156 sedan won the European Car of the Year award, sparking a rush of orders. By the end of 1998, the success of the 156 was confirmed, with orders nearing 200,000 cars from 60 countries.

Alfa Romeo celebrated its 90th anniversary in 1999 with another success, the launch of the 166 sedan, designed to compete in the same class as the Mercedes E series. The 166 proved as successful as the 156, and in Europe, at least, Alfa Romeo had once again become a favorite among car buyers. The return of the Alfa Romeo image was not enough to rescue the failing Fiat, however. After posting losses of more than US$100 million in 1999, Fiat acknowledged that it was seeking a 'partner' automotive company.

In March 2000, the company reached a partnership agreement with General Motors. In a share-swap agreement, which gave GM 20 percent of Fiat and Fiat 5.1 percent of GM--making the Italian company the largest GM shareholder--the two companies announced their intention to join forces to enhance their positions in the European and Latin American markets. At the same time, Fiat acknowledged its intention to return Alfa Romeo to the U.S. market as early as 2004, with a new Spider model especially designed for the U.S. car market. With the backing of Fiat, Italy's largest industrial concern, and GM, the world's largest automaker, the Alfa Romeo name seemed certain to continue thrilling sports car enthusiasts well into the 21st century.

FERRARI Brand History 

Ferrari has been manufacturing annoyingly outstanding cars since 1947, becoming a major player in all professional racing events and staying ahead of the majority of competitors ever since. Founded by rebel spirited Enzo Ferrari, the story of the famous Scuderia is that of dedication, distinction and really, really fast cars.

Having become enamored with driving and car engineering in his youth and having gained substantial race car test driving experience through a series of jobs for different companies in Turin in Milan, Enzo set the base of the red-flagged road legend. Initially, the Scuderia appeared as a conglomerate of sponsors and trainers for Alfa Romeo whom Enzo had worked for as head of the racing department during the late '30s.

His ties to Alfa Romeo would only last for 2 years as Enzo parted from the company upon learning of their plans to take over his Scuderia. Still bound to racing restrictions stated in his contract, Enzo had little to do except becoming a temporary supplier of tools and accessories for producers like Piaggio and RIV. After moving to Maranello in 1943, Enzo built the Tipo 815 which was the actual first Ferrari and not the 125 Sport as it is mistakingly believed.

The latter was indeed much more popular than the first. Propelled by a 1.5 L V12 engine, the raw, beautifully unfinished model set the landmark for a future highly acclaimed racing dynasty. However, it would not be easy to rise to the rank it holds today. Following several tensions between Ferrari's wife and Scuderia manager, Romolo Tavoni, a lot of key employess were fired, including Tavoni  and some top engineers.

Left paralyzed and unprepared to battle the Jaguar E-type on track, the company could do little to ensure regrowth. Help came from one of the people had fired himself, former chief engineer Carlo Chiti who brought new men on the team to complete the development of the 250 GTO model. The   mission of finishing the GTO was successfully accomplished by the Forghieri-Scaglietii duo, among others. The way the car had been built later earned the Scuderia several victories in the Sebring race.

Ferrari would flourish in the 60's under the magical commanding touch of Forghieri's engineering talent. Models like the Dino became almost instantly classic hits, resulting in a great increase in sales. The steady cash flow allowed the Ferrari team to further deepen in research and new engine development that was eventually crowned by the ulterior release of the 250 P.

During the mid-60s , Ferrari saw a set back delivered by the Ford GT mark 2 who abruptly ended Scuderia's winning streak at Le Mans. After safely emerging from a FIA  bill banning all cars above 3000cc from entering LeMans and having had to pause the 312 P model project, Ferrari would make acquaintance with a new contender. The menace came from Porsche who dominated racing in the early 70's , leaving Ferrari dreaming about the title.

Later however, Ferrari would make a spectacular comeback withe their later 312PB model. 1973 saw Ferrari retire form sports car racing to focus entirely on F1. After a life caught between struggle, jet-setting and winnings, Enzo Ferrari passed away a age 90. His demise cemented the maturity of the Ferrari myth as well as it helped boost sales and the overall value of the brand.

Presently, Ferrari is part of the Fiat group who owns the majority of the company's share. As for Ferrari's modern days of racing, they are far from being over. Between 2000 and 2004, Ferrari pilot Michael Schumacher went straight for world domination and won the World Driver's championship four times in a row. Subsequently,  Ferrari was the keeper of the Constructor's Championship for 5 years (1999-2004).

Ferrari has long shed the mantle of sports-car status, becoming an icon while Enzo Ferrari was unofficially appointed Patron Saint of Sports Cars. Curiously enough, Ferrari  never made use of advertising, being a brand built entirely though tradition and quality.