MECHANICS OF EMOTIONS

Discover the history of an epoch-making sports car brand on a private tour of the official Museum of Alfa Romeo.

Located in Arese, just outside Milan, on the former premises of the Alfa Romeo factory, the museum showcases a permanent collection of Alfa Romeo vehicles, celebrating over one hundred years of history of this motorsport legend.

Founded in 1910, Alfa Romeo’s vast and wide-ranging production has included automobiles, trucks, locomotives, tractors, buses, trams and marine and aircraft engines. However, it is for the company’s skilfully designed dream cars, worshipped by generations of drivers, that it is most famous. You will learn all about the world of Alfa Romeo, from the outstanding achievements of the 1920s and 30s to the forward-looking projects of the third millennium. You will also unravel the meaning of the Alfa Romeo logo, a tribute to Milan, consisting of two images traditionally associated with the city: a red cross – the heraldic symbol of Milan – and the crowned viper swallowing a Moor – emblem of the House of Visconti, powerful rulers of the city in the 14th century.

Alfa Romeo’s history is studded with motor racing triumphs and commercial successes and the extraordinary cars on display allow visitors to retrace the key events that marked the life of the brand, starting with the 24 HP, the very first car to be produced, up to the 8C Competizione, the dream car of the 21st century. You will admire the earliest Gran Turismo vehicles and discover the innovatory solutions introduced by the Alfetta and Alfasud. The collection also features eight ultra-modern-styled cars – almost all of them unique models – that attest to Alfa Romeo’s revolutionary approach to design and continuous investments in the fields of research and technology. Pictures of the protagonists of the company’s history, including managers and designers, and of the plants where the projects were first drawn up are also on display. A section of the museum is dedicated to the much-loved Giulietta, which played a decisive role in Alfa Romeo’s history, and constituted a key factor in securing its place among the world’s best known, well reputed, thriving carmakers.

Whether motor fans and amateurs or just curious visitors, you cannot fail to be entranced by the “mechanics of emotions” – the company motto – of this Italian automotive icon.