The short answer
Alfa Romeo, founded in Milan on 24 June 1910, started with a much simpler serpent logo, built aircraft engines between the two World Wars, hand-assembled the ultra-rare 1967 33 Stradale, sold cars in the US and South America in the 1920s–30s, and used the wind tunnel to give the boxy 1962 Giulia TI a drag coefficient of about 0.34.
Say "Alfa Romeo" and most people picture a red Italian sports car, a snake on the badge, and a lot of passion. All true. But behind the price lists and museum displays, the Milan brand hides stories that even many car fans have never heard. Here are five of them — each one says something about why this brand still gets hearts racing more than a century later.
In this article
1. The serpent logo didn't always look like that 2. Alfa Romeo built aircraft engines 3. The 33 Stradale was nearly hand-built 4. A global brand before "global" was a thing 5. A car "designed by the wind"The Serpent Logo Didn't Always Look Like That
Alfa Romeo's badge — the famous Biscione — is one of the most recognisable emblems in the car world. But the 1910 original was far simpler. The serpent and the details around it were drawn in a much more basic way, and the design kept evolving through the 20th century until it became the badge we know today.
Colours, details and the outer ring all changed several times. What never changed are the two roots of the design: the red cross of Milan and the serpent of the Visconti family, the city's old rulers. That is why the badge still feels instantly "Alfa" in every era.
💡 Did you know? "Alfa" is not a word — it's an acronym for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili, roughly "Lombard Automobile Factory Company". The "Romeo" came later, from Neapolitan businessman Nicola Romeo, who took over the company and added his name.
Alfa Romeo Also Built Aircraft Engines
This is the chapter most people have never heard. Alfa Romeo didn't only make cars — it also built engines for aeroplanes, especially in the years between the two World Wars. That included engines for military aircraft, proof that the company's industrial muscle went far beyond the car factory.
During World War II, its best-known aviation engine was the RA.1000 "Monsone", a licence-built version of the German Daimler-Benz DB 601, which powered Italian fighters such as the Macchi C.202 Folgore. The aviation side later became Alfa Romeo Avio. Just as important: the engineering know-how from the sky flowed back into the cars on the road.
Lessons learned building engines for planes were later carried over into Alfa Romeo's cars.
— Why the aviation chapter still mattersThe Original 33 Stradale Was Nearly Hand-Built
Launched in 1967, the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale came straight from the brand's racing cars and brought race-level technology to the street. It was made in tiny numbers — only 18 cars — and assembled almost by hand, so each car differs slightly from the next.
In other words, it was a "made-to-measure" supercar before that idea even existed. Today many people rank it among the most beautiful Alfas ever built, and it is one of the most wanted Italian cars among collectors worldwide.
A Global Brand Before "Global" Was a Thing
In the 1920s and 1930s, while many European carmakers still sold almost only at home, Alfa Romeo was already exporting to far-away markets like the United States and South America — and racing and winning there too.
That fame was built by cars such as the 6C 1750, a Mille Miglia winner, followed by the 8C 2300 and 8C 2900, seen as some of the fastest and most advanced cars of their day. Big international wins made Alfa Romeo a world-class name long before today's giant car groups existed.
A Car "Designed by the Wind"
Alfa Romeo was among the first Italian carmakers to use the wind tunnel in a systematic way, in the 1960s and 1970s. The best example is the 1962 Giulia TI. It looks like a simple box — but it was shaped with a lot of aerodynamic work behind it.
The result: a drag coefficient of about 0.34, a remarkable number for a four-door family car of that time, and similar to many cars that arrived decades later. Alfa proudly said the Giulia was "designed by the wind". Better aerodynamics meant more stability at high speed and more of the engine's power actually reaching the road.
What 0.34 means — lower drag = the car slices through air more easily
Alfa Romeo in 7 Moments
Quick Questions, Quick Answers
What does the name "Alfa Romeo" mean?
"ALFA" stands for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili. "Romeo" comes from Nicola Romeo, the businessman who took control of the company and added his surname.
What is the snake on the Alfa Romeo logo?
It's the Biscione, the serpent from the crest of the Visconti family who once ruled Milan. The red cross on the other half is the symbol of Milan itself.
Did Alfa Romeo really make airplane engines?
Yes. It built aircraft engines, mainly between the two World Wars, including engines for military planes. In WWII its RA.1000 engine powered fighters like the Macchi C.202.
How many original Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale cars were made?
Only 18 were built from 1967, and each was assembled almost by hand, so no two are exactly the same.
Why was the Giulia called "designed by the wind"?
Because Alfa shaped the 1962 Giulia TI using wind-tunnel testing. Despite its boxy look, it reached a drag coefficient of about 0.34 — excellent for a 1960s saloon.
The bottom line
Alfa Romeo's story isn't only about pretty red cars. It's about a Milan company that built engines for the sky, crafted supercars by hand, sold to the world early, and chased the wind before most rivals cared. That hidden engineering DNA is exactly why the badge still means something today.
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