The year 1910 was marked by several historical events. In Portugal, 1910 was marked by the establishment of the Portuguese Republic and the consequent alteration of national symbols – the flag, bust and the national anthem. Already in Italy, a few months before the October 5th Revolution, another event of enormous importance – at least for us petrolheads – took place in the city of Milan: the founding of Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili, better known as Alfa Romeo.
Like the current symbol, the brand's first emblem (in the image below) included three main elements, each with its own meaning.
The blue ring with the inscription “Alfa Romeo Milano” represented the Royal Family. The city flag of Milan, with the cross of Saint George on a white background, followed the tradition of using regional symbols in competitions. Finally, we have the green snake – Biscione – created by Ottone Visconti, Archbishop of Milan.
There are several versions of the Biscione: some say it was a mythological being who would have given birth to a child, while others believed that the snake was a gift from the Archbishop of Milan to which a Saracen was added in the mouth to symbolize victory after the domain of Jerusalem.
Over the years, the Alfa Romeo logo has undergone modifications, but without detracting from the original symbols. The biggest change occurred in 1972, when the brand removed the word “Milano”. The last modification happened in 2015, with the golden lines being replaced by silver colors. According to the brand, the new symbol is a “perfect combination between the proportions and geometry of each element”.
For the most curious…
- In 1932, a French importer convinced the company to replace the word “Milano” with “Paris” in the logos of all cars exported to France. These brand emblems are nowadays a much sought after rarity by collectors.
- After World War II, for a short period, a simpler Alfa Romeo logo was used, with the letters and figures in polished metal and a blood red background.
- The story goes that Henry Ford used to take his hat off every time he saw an Alfa Romeo pass...