Here’s a paradoxical clich – Nothing is permanent, but change.
While this statement holds true in many cases, there are few artifacts that manage to retain their aura of pride, quality, and elegance. This is certainly true with luxury brands. For instance, nobody would accuse Gucci or Versace of poor workmanship, as they have been producing quality fashion accessories for decades.
That is why luxury brand car manufacturers focus upon making their mark by providing utmost value to the customer. Superior quality leads to tight customer loyalty which may be passed on to social connections and subsequent generations.
Alfa Romeo is one such company which has successfully maintained its panache for over a century. They don’t just manufacture luxury cars, but inspire people everywhere to be successful enough to own one. In fact, the company’s luxury cars has been hypnotizing car lovers for over one hundred years now.
The story of Alfa Romeo began in Italy in 1906. A factory was established in Milan by Alexandre Darracq with the help of a few Italian investors. A few years later, it was observed that their cars were selling quite slowly. A change was needed to make the vehicles more appealing to potential buyers. Giuseppe Merosi, a renowned car designer, was hired to add some innovation to the company’s line of models. He came up with the A.L.F.A 24HP, which became a huge commercial success.
After the success of the A.L.F.A 24HP, the company had found their niche. They began targeting high class consumers and even got engaged in the world of motor sports. In the 1911 Grand Prix, racing enthusiasts raved about the breathtaking power and speed of Alfa Romeo vehicles.
Things were looking bright for Alfa Romeo, but then production of cars was suddenly halted during World War I. Because of war needs, the Alfa Romeo factory was changed to to produce military supplies for the Italian and Allied forces. Because this “war profiteering” was quite profitable, luxury cars got put on hold even after the war was over.
In 1919, however, although the company was not much interested in sports cars, the owner noticed that there were several spare parts in the factory which belonged to some 105 unfinished cars. As an entrepreneur, the thought of making money from these parts cropped up into his mind and it was decided to use these parts properly and manufacture the unfinished vehicles. Soon after that, the Torpedo 20-30 was launched. A year later, An Alfa Romeo vehicle won a race on the Mugello Circuit. The hysteria which followed this win got the Alfa Romeo company back on the luxury/sports car track.
Today, Alfa Romeo vehicles are among the best and most reliable cars in the world. A person who buys an Alfa Romeo once falls in love with it forever.
Once an Alfista, always an Alfista!
