This page will contain blogs about Alfa Romeo, as they become available.Alfa RomeoAlfa Romeo is an Italian automobile manufacturer. Alfa Romeo has been a part of Fiat SpA since 1986. The company was originally known as ALFA, which is an acronym for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili (translated: Lombardic Anonymous Automobiles Factory). (First logo: [1]) HistoryThe company that became Alfa Romeo was founded as "Darracq Italiana" in 1907 by Cavaliere Ugo Stella, an aristocrat from Milan, in partnership with the French automobile firm of Alexandre Darracq. The firm initially produced Darracq cars in Naples, but after the partnership collapsed Stella and the other Italian co-investors moved production to an idle Darracq factory in the Milan suburb of Portello, and the company was renamed ALFA. The first non-Darracq car produced by company was the 1910 24 HP (named for the 24 horsepower it produced), designed by Giuseppe Merosi. Merosi would go on to design a series of new ALFA cars with more powerful engines (40-60 HP). ALFA also ventured into motor racing, drivers Franchini and Ronzoni competing in the 1911 Targa Florio with two 24 HP models. However, the onset of World War I halted automobile production at ALFA for three years. 1916 saw the company come under the direction of Neopolitan entrepeneur Nicola Romeo, who converted the factory to produce military hardware for the Italian and Allied war efforts. Munitions, aircraft engines and other components, compressors and generators based on the company's existing car engines, and heavy locomotives were produced in the factory during the war. When the war was over, Romeo took complete control of ALFA and car production resumed in 1919. In 1920, the name of the company was changed to Alfa Romeo with the Torpedo 20-30 HP becoming the first car to be badged as such. Giuseppe Merosi continued as head designer, and the company continued to produce solid road cars as well as successful race cars (including the 40-60 HP and the RL Targa Florio). In 1923 Vittorio Jano was lured away from Fiat, partly thanks to the persuasion of a young Alfa racing driver named Enzo Ferrari, to replace Merosi as chief designer at Alfa Romeo. The first Alfa Romeo under Jano was the P2 Grand Prix car, which won Alfa Romeo the world championship in 1925. For Alfa road cars Jano developed a series of small-to-medium-displacement 4, 6, and 8 cylinder inline power plants based on the P2 unit that established the classic architecture of Alfa engines, with light alloy construction, hemispherical combustion chambers, centrally-located plugs, two rows of overhead valves per cylinder bank and dual overhead cams. Jano's designs proved to be both reliable and powerful. In 1928 Nicola Romeo left, with Alfa going broke after defense contracts ended, and in 1933 Alfa Romeo was rescued by the government, which then had effective control. Alfa became an instrument of Mussolini's Italy, a national emblem. The Alfa factory was bombed during World War Two, and struggled to return to profitability after the war. The luxury vehicles were out. Smaller mass-produced vehicles began to be produced in Alfa's factories. By the 1970s Alfa was again in financial trouble. The Italian government bowed out in 1986 as FIAT bought in, creating a new group, Alfa Lancia Spa, to manufacture Alfas and Lancias. Racing historyThe badge on the front of an Alfa in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum Alfa Romeo 159 detail Alfa Romeo 6C 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 Mille Miglia from the Ralph Lauren collection Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Category:Alfa Romeo vehiclesAlfa Romeo scored many prestigious victories in the following categories: Formula 1, Prototypes, Touring and Fast Touring. Private drivers also entered some rally competitions, with fine results. In 1923 Vittorio Jano was lured to Alfa from Fiat, designing the motors that gave Alfa racing success into the late 1930s. (When Alfa began to lose in the late 1930s Jano was promptly sacked.) In the 1930s Tazio Nuvolari won the Mille Miglia in a 6C 1750 [2], crossing the finishing line after having incredibly overtaken Achille Varzi without lights (at nighttime). The 8C 2300 won the Le Mans 24 Hours from 1931 to 1934, with Alfa Romeo withdrawing from racing in 1933 when the Italian government took over, and the racing of Alfas was then taken up by Scuderia Ferrari as Alfa's outsourced team. (Enzo Ferrari drove for Alfa before he went on to manage the team, and after that went on to manufacture his own cars.) In 1935 Alfa Romeo won the German Grand Prix with Nuvolari. In 1938 Biondetti won the Mille Miglia in an 8C 2900B Corto Spyder, thereafter referred to as the "Mille Miglia" model. In 1950 Nino Farina won the Formula One World Championship in a 158 with compressor, in 1951 Juan Manuel Fangio won while driving an Alfetta 159 (an evolution of the 158 with a two-stages compressor). Other titles were won in 1975 and 1977, while the 33 dominated the Prototype category from 1967 to 1977. In the 1960s Alfa Romeo became famous for its small cars and models specifically designed for the Italian police - "Panthers" [3], [4], [5], [6], [7]) and Carabinieri ([8]); among them the glorious "Giulia Super" [9] - [10], or the 2600 Sprint GT [11], which acquired the expressive nickname of "Inseguimento" (this car is wrongly supposed to be the one that the famous Roman police marshal and unrivalled driver Armandino Spadafora brought down on the Spanish Steps in 1960 while following some robbers - it was actually a black Ferrari 250 GT/E - this pic of Giulia [12], one of the dozens about this legend, is taken from a movie and not at the Spanish Steps). Economic issues caused the government to sell Alfa Romeo to Fiat in 1986, which still own it. Before being bought by Fiat, Alfa Romeo always had a daring commercial policy, constantly experimenting with new solutions and using them in its series production, even at the risk of losing market share. Alfa often used controversial and unorthodox styling too, which often challenged assumptions about styling. In an English sales brochure: It represented those makes of cars that permitted sporty driving on common roads, provided the driver was enthusiastic enough to appreciate their particular "sound". In Italian the owner of an Alfa Romeo is an "Alfista", and a group of them are "Alfisti". Alfa Romeo is sometimes worshipped by its owners, and many models have become cultural symbols [14]. There are many thriving Alfa Romeo owners clubs and Alfa Romeo Model Registers. In 1967 the famous Dustin Hoffmans film "The Graduate" gave worldwide unforgettable celebrity to the "Spider" (best known by the Italian nickname of "Duetto", or as "Osso di Seppia" or Round-tail), and its unique shape. See here [15] - [16]. The Spider was designed by Pininfarina. Return To The U.S.?In 1995 Alfa Romeo ceased exporting cars to the U.S. They may return, however as the FAQ on Alfa's website says "The long-awaited return of Alfa Romeo to the United States market should take place by 2007, with a range of new models." The models expected to come first in the us are Alfa Romeo 159 and the Alfa Romeo Brera. ProductionUntil the 1980s, Alfa Romeos, except for the Alfasud, were rear-wheel-drive. According to the current Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne, in order to reap economies of scale, all new Alfa Romeo models will be made from the same basic platform (i.e., frame). Even Maserati will share components with some Alfas.1 Cloverleaf or Quadrifoglio badges denote variants of Alfa Romeo cars where the name denotes the high-end of the range in comfort and engine size, but previously denoted Alfa Romeo racing cars in the pre-Second-World-War era. The image first appeared in 1923 when Ugo Sivocci presented one prior to the start of the 14th Targa Florio as a good luck token to the team. This became the symbol of competition Alfas, denoting higher performance. Some modern Alfas wear a cloverleaf badge which is typically a green four leaf clover on a white background (Quadrifoglio Verde), but variants of blue on white have been recently observed. It is assumed that these might denote advanced equipment in other areas (?). The Alfettas of the early 1980s had models available sold as the "Silver Leaf" and "Gold Leaf" (Quadrifoglio Oro). These models were the top of the range. Badging was the Alfa Cloverleaf in either gold or silver to denote the specification level. The Gold Leaf model was also sold as the "159i" in some markets, the name in homage to the original 159. The trim levels (option packages) offered today on the various nameplates (model lines) include the lusso, “luxury,” turismo, “touring,” and the GTA (gran tourismo alleggerita, “lightened grand touring”). The GTA package is offered in the 147 and 156 and includes a V-6 engine. In the past, Alfa Romeo offered a Sprint (from Italian sprinta, "tuned") trim level. Automotive ModelsAn exhibition celebrating 50 years of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta in Milan, 2004Concept carsAlfa Romeo 8C (2004) Engines
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Alfa Romeo 8C (2004). Autocockers are considered by many to be the most reliable paintball marker in the game today. In the past, Alfa Romeo offered a Sprint (from Italian sprinta, "tuned") trim level. The Autococker is a closed bolt, two part system that can be broken down for easier understanding. The GTA package is offered in the 147 and 156 and includes a V-6 engine. The pneumatics automatically re-cocked the marker after a shot was fired, hence the name Autococker. The trim levels (option packages) offered today on the various nameplates (model lines) include the lusso, “luxury,” turismo, “touring,” and the GTA (gran tourismo alleggerita, “lightened grand touring”). To match that, in 1990 Orr added a pneumatic system onto the pump markers he had developed to make a semiautomatic. The Gold Leaf model was also sold as the "159i" in some markets, the name in homage to the original 159. Semiautomatic markers were being created by the early 90s. Badging was the Alfa Cloverleaf in either gold or silver to denote the specification level. In 1987, Orr founded WGP (Worr Game Products) to sell the products he was developing, and by 1988 he had taken on the business full-time. These models were the top of the range. The Autococker began life in late 1986 when Bud Orr created the original Sniper pump marker(operated in a way similar to pump-action rifles, it has to be pumped after each shot to load the next)By carving the works of a standard Sheridan PGP into an aluminum block that would accept a longer barrel. The Alfettas of the early 1980s had models available sold as the "Silver Leaf" and "Gold Leaf" (Quadrifoglio Oro). Proponents will also add that its design makes the marker inherently more accurate than other markers due to the fact that the bolt's mass does not move forward when the trigger is pulled, as it does in open-bolt designs, and the ball is already "chambered" in the breech at the moment the firing cycle is initiated. It is assumed that these might denote advanced equipment in other areas (?). The Autococker is a closed-bolt semiautomatic paintball marker that is particularly notable for its popularity and customizability. Some modern Alfas wear a cloverleaf badge which is typically a green four leaf clover on a white background (Quadrifoglio Verde), but variants of blue on white have been recently observed. The ram is the actual pumping component. This became the symbol of competition Alfas, denoting higher performance. The second component is the 4-way valve (this is typically mistaken for a 3-way valve because it has 3 visible ports, however this is technically incorrect), and that directs the pressure between the front and back of the final component, the ram. The image first appeared in 1923 when Ugo Sivocci presented one prior to the start of the 14th Targa Florio as a good luck token to the team. First is the LPR (Low Pressure Regulator) which functions to bring down the pressure for the pneumatic system to use (the pneumatics typically operate at < 100 PSI, versus a typically operation pressure of 400 PSI for the rest of the marker). Cloverleaf or Quadrifoglio badges denote variants of Alfa Romeo cars where the name denotes the high-end of the range in comfort and engine size, but previously denoted Alfa Romeo racing cars in the pre-Second-World-War era. The pneumatic system basically performs the same function, by strapping three components onto the front of the marker. Even Maserati will share components with some Alfas.1. When the pump was brought forward, the chamber closed and the paintball was fully loaded, thus returning the marker to its original state, ready for firing again. According to the current Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne, in order to reap economies of scale, all new Alfa Romeo models will be made from the same basic platform (i.e., frame). This opened the chamber and allowed a new paintball to enter, and it also brought the hammer back. Until the 1980s, Alfa Romeos, except for the Alfasud, were rear-wheel-drive. The pump handle was brought back pushing back the back block which was attached to the bolt and the hammer. They may return, however as the FAQ on Alfa's website says "The long-awaited return of Alfa Romeo to the United States market should take place by 2007, with a range of new models." The models expected to come first in the us are Alfa Romeo 159 and the Alfa Romeo Brera. In the original pump marker, this was all done in one action via the pump. In 1995 Alfa Romeo ceased exporting cars to the U.S. First, the hammer needs to be brought back again recompressing the spring, and second, another paintball needs to be loaded. The Spider was designed by Pininfarina. Re-Cocking System - Having sent the paintball on its merry way, the problem that now exists is twofold. See here [15] - [16]. At this point, the valve releases a burst of gas which goes upward into the bolt which directs it behind the paintball, propelling it out the barrel. In 1967 the famous Dustin Hoffmans film "The Graduate" gave worldwide unforgettable celebrity to the "Spider" (best known by the Italian nickname of "Duetto", or as "Osso di Seppia" or Round-tail), and its unique shape. When the trigger is pulled, the sear drops releasing the hammer which is driven forward by a spring into the valve. There are many thriving Alfa Romeo owners clubs and Alfa Romeo Model Registers. At rest, the bolt is sitting forward, closing the chamber, thus the marker is a closed bolt system. Alfa Romeo is sometimes worshipped by its owners, and many models have become cultural symbols [14]. Firing System - The actual release of the gas is fairly simple to understand, especially with an understanding of other markers. In Italian the owner of an Alfa Romeo is an "Alfista", and a group of them are "Alfisti". It represented those makes of cars that permitted sporty driving on common roads, provided the driver was enthusiastic enough to appreciate their particular "sound". In an English sales brochure:. Alfa often used controversial and unorthodox styling too, which often challenged assumptions about styling. Before being bought by Fiat, Alfa Romeo always had a daring commercial policy, constantly experimenting with new solutions and using them in its series production, even at the risk of losing market share. Economic issues caused the government to sell Alfa Romeo to Fiat in 1986, which still own it. In the 1960s Alfa Romeo became famous for its small cars and models specifically designed for the Italian police - "Panthers" [3], [4], [5], [6], [7]) and Carabinieri ([8]); among them the glorious "Giulia Super" [9] - [10], or the 2600 Sprint GT [11], which acquired the expressive nickname of "Inseguimento" (this car is wrongly supposed to be the one that the famous Roman police marshal and unrivalled driver Armandino Spadafora brought down on the Spanish Steps in 1960 while following some robbers - it was actually a black Ferrari 250 GT/E - this pic of Giulia [12], one of the dozens about this legend, is taken from a movie and not at the Spanish Steps). Other titles were won in 1975 and 1977, while the 33 dominated the Prototype category from 1967 to 1977. In 1950 Nino Farina won the Formula One World Championship in a 158 with compressor, in 1951 Juan Manuel Fangio won while driving an Alfetta 159 (an evolution of the 158 with a two-stages compressor). In 1938 Biondetti won the Mille Miglia in an 8C 2900B Corto Spyder, thereafter referred to as the "Mille Miglia" model. (Enzo Ferrari drove for Alfa before he went on to manage the team, and after that went on to manufacture his own cars.) In 1935 Alfa Romeo won the German Grand Prix with Nuvolari. The 8C 2300 won the Le Mans 24 Hours from 1931 to 1934, with Alfa Romeo withdrawing from racing in 1933 when the Italian government took over, and the racing of Alfas was then taken up by Scuderia Ferrari as Alfa's outsourced team. In the 1930s Tazio Nuvolari won the Mille Miglia in a 6C 1750 [2], crossing the finishing line after having incredibly overtaken Achille Varzi without lights (at nighttime). (When Alfa began to lose in the late 1930s Jano was promptly sacked.). In 1923 Vittorio Jano was lured to Alfa from Fiat, designing the motors that gave Alfa racing success into the late 1930s. Private drivers also entered some rally competitions, with fine results. Alfa Romeo scored many prestigious victories in the following categories: Formula 1, Prototypes, Touring and Fast Touring. The Italian government bowed out in 1986 as FIAT bought in, creating a new group, Alfa Lancia Spa, to manufacture Alfas and Lancias. By the 1970s Alfa was again in financial trouble. Smaller mass-produced vehicles began to be produced in Alfa's factories. The luxury vehicles were out. The Alfa factory was bombed during World War Two, and struggled to return to profitability after the war. Alfa became an instrument of Mussolini's Italy, a national emblem. In 1928 Nicola Romeo left, with Alfa going broke after defense contracts ended, and in 1933 Alfa Romeo was rescued by the government, which then had effective control. Jano's designs proved to be both reliable and powerful. For Alfa road cars Jano developed a series of small-to-medium-displacement 4, 6, and 8 cylinder inline power plants based on the P2 unit that established the classic architecture of Alfa engines, with light alloy construction, hemispherical combustion chambers, centrally-located plugs, two rows of overhead valves per cylinder bank and dual overhead cams. The first Alfa Romeo under Jano was the P2 Grand Prix car, which won Alfa Romeo the world championship in 1925. In 1923 Vittorio Jano was lured away from Fiat, partly thanks to the persuasion of a young Alfa racing driver named Enzo Ferrari, to replace Merosi as chief designer at Alfa Romeo. Giuseppe Merosi continued as head designer, and the company continued to produce solid road cars as well as successful race cars (including the 40-60 HP and the RL Targa Florio). In 1920, the name of the company was changed to Alfa Romeo with the Torpedo 20-30 HP becoming the first car to be badged as such. When the war was over, Romeo took complete control of ALFA and car production resumed in 1919. Munitions, aircraft engines and other components, compressors and generators based on the company's existing car engines, and heavy locomotives were produced in the factory during the war. 1916 saw the company come under the direction of Neopolitan entrepeneur Nicola Romeo, who converted the factory to produce military hardware for the Italian and Allied war efforts. However, the onset of World War I halted automobile production at ALFA for three years. ALFA also ventured into motor racing, drivers Franchini and Ronzoni competing in the 1911 Targa Florio with two 24 HP models. Merosi would go on to design a series of new ALFA cars with more powerful engines (40-60 HP). The first non-Darracq car produced by company was the 1910 24 HP (named for the 24 horsepower it produced), designed by Giuseppe Merosi. The firm initially produced Darracq cars in Naples, but after the partnership collapsed Stella and the other Italian co-investors moved production to an idle Darracq factory in the Milan suburb of Portello, and the company was renamed ALFA. The company that became Alfa Romeo was founded as "Darracq Italiana" in 1907 by Cavaliere Ugo Stella, an aristocrat from Milan, in partnership with the French automobile firm of Alexandre Darracq. . (First logo: [1]). The company was originally known as ALFA, which is an acronym for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili (translated: Lombardic Anonymous Automobiles Factory). Alfa Romeo has been a part of Fiat SpA since 1986. Alfa Romeo is an Italian automobile manufacturer. The Boxer Engine or Flat-4. The Alfa Romeo TwinSpark engine. The Alfa Romeo Twin Cam engine. |