Great Cars: ALFA ROMEO

Long before Dustin Hoffman discovered it in the "Graduate" a nascent, Neapolitan entrepreneur, Nicola Romeo had taken over this fledgling auto company and turned it into a racing and sports car legend. In the 1920’s and early ‘30’s Enzo Ferrari and his drivers dominated European sports car racing as their lightweight but powerful Alfas tore up the tracks. These stylish and fast racecars fetch millions of dollars today from collectors who like to take them out and try to re-create their greatest racing moments. The company also catered to the rich who wanted a little of that racing glamour in the cars they drove to the office. After the War Alfa had to find a way to recapture its glory. Its factories were destroyed but its spirit was still intact.
EP 108

[@Brera011]

I've always admired Alfa Romeo and since the mid seventies dreamed of owning one. It lasted ten more years before I could convince my wife to buy an 33. Only the 1300, but it was rather fast, comfortable and did the job. It was for a short time sucseeded by an 1,5 33. Fine cars, but not rustproof. Had our first daughter in 1998 and needed a bigger car. That was the 155 2.0 TS, also a great car to drive, but a carwash was enough to ruin the catalystict convertor by misfiring of the twinspark engine. Economy declyning we decide to go smaller, now an 146 1.6. Fun car to drive, but not the same feel I've had with previous Alfa's. After my wife died in 2011and I retired in 2014, I was thinking of another car. Something economic, Prius or Honda, and disgussing this with my now, since 2000, 2 daughters, they convinced me to follow my heart (cuore sportiva) and go for an Alfa. Since 2014 I'm the lucky owner of a 2008 GT, 2.0 jts. The best car I've ever owned, like most Alfa's filled with faults, but so much charactre and fun to drive.

[@505197]

Tazio Nuvolari was one of the few drivers of that era that didn't die in a race car. He passed at the age of 60 from the effects of strokes. He raced until his health stopped him, perhaps one of the most talented drivers ever, for me a toss up with Fangio.

[@shankarbalan3813]

One of my all time favourite marques. Was happy to visit the Alfa Romeo Museum in Fiera Milano in 2018...Automobile Heaven indeed...

[@donaldmagnuson799]

I own two Porsche's now. I used to own two Alfa's, I miss the Alfas.

[@aureliobrighton1871]

One tends to miss a wild love affair ... even more a desastrous one;)

[@LogicAndReason2025]

"Combination of performance and beauty..." and high maintenance. (That is good for mechanics)

[@beemail6983]

You should do updated versions of these videos, you'll raise alot of views and patrons

[@carmelosaia1583]

Love Alfa ❤️

[@gregorytimmons4777]

Fortunate to have owned a 1966 Guilia Spider and it surpassed all my expectations. In fact I thought the build quality quite good along with the engineering.

[@davidsherrick2577]

Yeah, I love all my Alfa Romeo's .. 86 gtv6 my favorite, then my 79 Alfetta gt, then the spiders.. 164.. argh! front wheel drive... But you gotta to be a true petrol head to own one... still enjoy my 86 spider veloce!! Maybe slow... But it's going to put a smile on my face.. and people who see it!!

[@johnwakamatsu3391]

I have driven Alfas since 1968 and owned eleven Alfas. The Giulia GTA had a twin spark 1600 cc engine and not 2000 cc but, that is a small mistake. I know that they could have mentioned the T33 race cars but, this was a good video. The connection between Enzo Ferrari and Alfa was mentioned and is a great part of the Alfa Romeo history.

[@alfa-fratelli1541]

Thx for sharing ,yours sincerely Roger

[@juliethurgood3667]

Grazie!

[@aureliobrighton1871]

GTV 6 ♥️

[@MrRobster1234]

The beautiful tulipwood Hispano Suiza is seen at 3:33.

[@branon6565]

I'm a born Ford man, not really a fan of foreign makes, especially Asian produced cars (HATE THEM), but for some odd reason, I'm really liking Alfa-Romeo's and Lancia's....I think they're just gorgeous automobiles, with my favorite Alfa being the fully loaded, last year of production, Alfasud 4 Leaf Clover trim package....

[@carloharryman]

Branon Fontaine who could hate a sporty Subaru?

[@davidsherrick2577]

you sound like my friend.. But when he drives his Ford.. then I let him drive my Alfa.. he realizes the difference.. Alfa has more soul... even driving a 4 cylinder car..

[@beemail6983]

@@davidsherrick2577 never mention the belts, it's an Alfa motto

[@willowen548]

Henry Ford rather famously said, "Whenever I see an Alfa Romeo, I take off my hat." I don't know if he actually did that, but he knew good engineering when he saw it.

[@gregorytimmons4777]

Alfa and Lancia are two makes hard to resist if you are able to get a model you really lust after. I owned one and everything about it was amazing! I thought it a very high quality car. Of course so many brands and models were in 1966.

[@Disques13Swing]

Too bad he didn't mention and show things like the 2600 line to include the 2600 SZ and 1300 Junior Z/1600 Z. The Alfetta sedans of the 70's-80's were super cool and so was the somewhat weird looking 75/Milano. Same for the 156 and 159.

[@rafaelpiedade5716]

Italian favorite cars 🇮🇹

[@robertoorsi5771]

The defeat of Mercedes and Auto Union was because the tyres consumption of german cars were very high. The german cars were much powerfull but heavy. The German Grand Prix remind me the Charlie Chaplin film "The great dictator". But anyway Italy was at that time a very pour country and the industrial production was very low and only in the north.

[@tomashton1781]

those twin cam 1300, 1600, were famous for blowing head gaskets if you buzzed em to 7 grand, plus back in the late sixties hot cams were hard to find

[@parsizaban1]

Only if they were as reliable as Japanese cars.

[@michaelloach9461]

Very stylish but try getting a GTV or similar through an emissions test in the UK. Its a bit of a pain!

[@JHMBB2]

Man, it's annoying how they use that same bee buzzing engine noise for every car over and over and over

[@wildracoon6807]

what about the 33?

[@johnwh1039]

Alfas were the Ferraris of the world prior to WW2. Post WW2 they are just (badly) mass produced cars with a bit of spirit

[@Rog5446]

What about the Le Mans sports racers of the 1970s ?

[@KingRoseArchives]

Some things get left out.

[@michaelcoley7649]

Let’s try again. What about Fariña and 1950?

[@davidpeters6536]

Don't forget the Arna

[@michaelcoley7649]

You forgot 😍

[@tomashton1781]

famous for blowing head gaskets, and yeah I know how to use a torque wrench, 1300 and 1600 cc , you only had two choices of cams back in those days, at least Alfa had a chain, where Fiat used a rubber band.

[@gregorytimmons4777]

Honestly blown head gaskets are such a problem in so many brands now days I don't consider it to be such an acute problem. Besides some old Alfa's just didn't seem to have much of an issue with it. However I would at the very least do whatever was suggested as nesessary.

[@stevemclaughlin7164]

We could never keep one running long enough to evaluate it.

[@petersattler3454]

ALFA SUD ???

[@oscarbrown5891]

drop convey hip possibility missing remind superior sale skin inquiry.

[@barryphillips7327]

Many of the 80,s and 90,s had bad reliability and RUST issues!

[@arx3516]

at the time the whole FIAT group had serious management issues, with its main owner wanting to exit the car business altogether.

[@dinopappous6639]

My 911 had an IMS bearing that blew up My M 5 had a Rod Bearing that blew up at 40000 miles My M 5 also had an SMG clutch that was a DISASTER My M 3 had Sub Frame cracks My 997 GT 3 Caught fire.....Should I keep on going ? FORZA ALFA BABY !!!!

[@gregorytimmons4777]

Every car made of metal will rust to pieces if not galvanised and so many were not.