The Alfa Romeo Badge Story - George and the Dragon?

The Alfa Romeo logo seems a bit random. What’s an English flag and royal snake spitting venom got to do with stylish Italian motoring? Well, it was borne out of the rebirth of the car company that became known as Alfa Romeo.
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Sources
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_a...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lombardy
www.creativebloq.com/news/lyl...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castell...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viscont...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biscione
www.fcaheritage.com/en-uk/bra...
it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa_Romeo
it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storia_...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa_Ro...
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[@nieno9760]

My father owned a 156 when i was a child and when i looked at the emblem i always thought that it was a dragon spitting flames on the english flag 😂

[@UncleJoeLITE]

Alfa are spitting at something...I'd say it is 'success'? =)

[@rob5944]

I always thought it was it's tongue....

[@gerarduspoppel2831]

. I can not un-see it now 😂

[@woody5109]

Sounds right, everyone hated the English back then…

[@Jonny_The_Organism]

My ex's dad ditched his 156 in a ditch on the Somerset levels...he didn't expect that... he bought a jag xj12 sovereign as a replacement....wiser miser...

[@charger12il]

It's not a child, it's a mechanic...

[@AlbySpace]

You mention an English flag being used on the badge. It’s important to remember that the English flag is actually the Genoa flag given in use by the genoans to England because it was well respected by the seas and had an automatic defense value. It appears that England paid an annual fee to use it and the payment is overdue since 1771

[@simonhodgetts6530]

The Red Cross is the emblem of Milan.

[@UncleJoeLITE]

Ask Aust/NZ to collect it for you from those Pommy b*stards. It's a free service! =)

[@jonlyons1033]

😮

[@DrWhom]

Interesting - could this be related to the fact that the main business of England in those days was _piracy_ ?

[@Rammstein56]

Great story, thanks🏁👍

[@theotherpaulmitchell]

As a journalist, I researched and wrote on this topic extensively. And what research showed was that it is not a child, but a Saracen. The child is a bit of revisionist history due to it being unfashionable now to have a snake in your corporate logo devouring a Muslim. This was documented in print all the way back to the 1910s.

[@gavinsingh140]

Absolutely correct. It's devouring a Moor a Muslim.

[@Bellett64]

I believe it was specifically Azeem Edin Bashir Al Bakir, the Moorish warrior who, upon escaping Ayyubid prison in Jerusalem, owed a life debt to Robin of Locksley for aiding his escape and accompanied Robin upon his return to England in 1194. Not really, I just described Morgan Freeman's character in Robin Hood; Prince of Thieves. Be cool if it was, though.

[@marcob4630]

This is the right explanation! Nowadays it would be politically incorrect to divore a muslim. In the past they were public enemis because of the threatening Turkish Empire.

[@giorgiotommasini6828]

Finally someone with some culture to spare..

[@marcob4630]

to share or to spare ?@@giorgiotommasini6828

[@michaelb6729]

Now do the evolution of the Skoda chicken badge ! 😆 How's this for an idea on a series of videos . . . the evolution of car badges. Cadillac would be interesting.

[@vandalbelis544]

All car makers badge history: 😊 Volkswagen badge history: 💀

[@davidsherrick898]

I love my 1988 Milano! The Alfa Romeo emblem is so cool. My 'Gold' model even has a four leaf clover on it, and it's not a sports model. Thanks for the video!

[@gerhard6105]

Your golden 🍀 means that it is the luxury variant.

[@musicandtech04]

@@gerhard6105Yeah, that’s pretty nice!

[@gerhard6105]

@@musicandtech04 it is so. The green 🍀 is for the sportive variant and the golden 🍀 is for the luxury variant. Like at the Alfa 90.

[@1unsung971]

The coolest car badge! Merry Christmas and thank you for your hard work. Best wishes from New Zealand

[@warrendavidson4427]

I’m an Alfa owner. Some say the serpent represents maintenance costs eating its owner alive…

[@DrWhom]

Just stay in first gear and your Alfa will be fine.

[@sergiocovelli]

I still have a 156 Crosswagon Q4 that goes like a rocket with 255.000 km. All my friends with BMW they have to sell their cars because always broken.

[@AloneRacecar]

You know I’ve always thought that the Alpha Romeo logo had a dragon breathing fire. But now that I know what the TRUTH behind the logo was, it’s actually more creepy than people realize! 😅

[@g6otu]

The snake is birthing the red child. It's a Saracen symbol adopted by Italian nobility from the times of the Crusades.

[@theblackhand6485]

Sounds acceptable.

[@goncalo33]

It's a gorgeous badge. It's a shame they removed its color. It looks like it lacks a soul now.

[@simonhodgetts6530]

I agree - I have an Alfa with the older, more colourful badge. I am contemplating buying a newer model of the same car at some point, and hate the new badging. If I do buy one, I’ll be retrofitting the older enamelled badges - so much more attractive than the current badge.

[@UncleJoeLITE]

It fits their image..."We're even more crap now!"

[@subieasunayuuki]

It's probably to illustrates it entering an ev age soon before it the era even begins

[@theblackhand6485]

Back in the eighties friends which were Alfaholic due to Italian roots were desperately seeking for Alfa badge with 'Milano' on it. They said that it gave their Guilia the bite it needed. And yes they added QV logo's as well because their cars were tuned up to 2000cc with double 40 or 45 Weber DCOE's. What a sound that gave. BELLISSIMA!

[@ctrlaltdude]

The dead lion is from the story of Samson finding honey in the corpse of a dead lion he killed earlier with his bare hands. That's why it's on the label.

[@rickmorgan8856]

Also note that Samson riddled the Philistines about that same lion and the honey, great story in the Bible there.

[@simonhodgetts6530]

One of the great car logos. I’m on my third Alfa, and always love looking at the colourful badge on my steering wheel. It’s such a shame that they ‘modernised’ the badge, and removed the colour from the badge. The new version lacks character. The man being eaten by the serpent is a heraldic symbol representing Milan, and was the coat of arms for the Visconti family, a prominent Milanese family. The heraldic device can be seen in various places within Milan. The Cloverleaf was a good luck charm, painted on one of the race cars by Uno Sivocci in the 1920s.

[@anniem1111]

I wanted an Alfa since I was at University many moons ago. I finally got my Alfabar 🍀 3 weeks ago and I just love her to bits 💚💚💚💚

[@DJ_Pigg]

Thanks for reminding me that I need to get my QV LineMiTo MOTed before the end of January. It's the only brand new car I've ever owned (from 2015) and, yes, it has had a Christmas Tree's worth of fault lights on its dashboard from about 6 months into my ownership! Merry Christmas to you and all your viewers

[@ramadhanisme7]

One of the most artsy car emblem

[@spencerloop284]

Great 4 minute heater! Love all the elements of it and how one race win inspired the 🍀 forever

[@supermario79]

Love Alfa Romeo’s all look and drive fabulous, such a shame there is no more small affordable models 😢

[@moonstonem5742]

Your videos are incredibly well researched and I always end more informed and amazed. Please keep up the great work. Here’s to a continued production of informative videos from you in 2024 🎉!

[@gnuheidix]

Merry Christmas and thanks a lot for your great work. Greetings from Germany :-)

[@stevelanghorn1407]

An old book I have called “Storia di Milano” by Franco Fava quotes 4 different traditional Milanese folk tales that try to explain the Visconti’s adoption of the “Child in the Serpent’s Mouth” coat of arms. They’re all different…And quite long-winded! The serpent is sometimes just a little (but possibly venomous) snake that ends up in one of the Visconti heroes’ helmets, or around his head as he sleeps. In others the serpent is a monstrous dragon living in a cave and consuming the poor folk of Milan, until a hero Visconti sets out to slay him. Or the snake is the emblem carried by a giant enemy Saracen who another Visconti hero kills in battle during The Crusades and then claims as his own.

[@robbievangeenenNL]

Great little video. Do more of these!

[@BOABModels]

The red cross of St Ambrose is also used in the AC Milan badge and has been featured on Inter shirts as well. Whilst it looks like the cross of St George, FC Barcelona do feature the cross of St George as he (Sant Jordi) is the patron saint of Catalonia.

[@rickintexas1584]

Very informative. Thanks. I have always wondered about the various symbols in the ALFA logo.

[@nadeemchaudhry6585]

Another great video and Happy Christmas!!

[@NLBassist]

Nice little vid! I see a series coming up. Merry Xmas!

[@danield8528]

My 🐐 posted on Christmas. Legend.

[@s0m3cunt91]

I have owned 4 Alfa's in my lifetime so far, and they've all been qv clovers.

[@negativeindustrial]

My boss bought an Alfa for his wife a few years back. In it’s first year, It spent so much time in the dealership unsuccessfully attempting to diagnose an overnight battery drain that it nearly cost him his marriage. It’s ironic because it was a gift meant to signify that our newish company was prospering well enough that he could afford to buy his wife something more exotic than she was accustomed to. His Bentley Continental GT has proven to be slightly more reliable but only slightly.

[@monkeyintensity1]

Should have bought a Toyota Camry.....

[@Carlos_Magalhaes]

Should have found a good dealership...

[@yamahaevo]

Should have sold both woman and alfa.

[@deividasnavickas]

That's why there are 3 types of lemons: The car, The owner, The mechanic.

[@Rascofresco11]

The irony in your company flourishing whilst they have something equally draining them

[@MAHERGRITLI]

Great episode well done👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@bumfluffmcregor3730]

I had an Alfa was great never broke once

[@1258-Eckhart]

You can make all the jokes about Alfas rusting in the press release photos that you wish, no other car company has produced so many brilliant cars so consistently as Alfa.

[@computercrack]

*cough* Porsche *cough*

[@jasonyu6649]

​@@computercrack they have only produced one car😂

[@1258-Eckhart]

Ok, so Road Cars (whereby Alfa also had their estimable moments with race cars, but I meant road cars). So the 356 looks like an upturned bathtub with a garaged VW-engine and the 911 is a Beetle rebirth on crack. The 924 was an MGB RV8-style stopgap (and looked like it) and the 928 was a US-inspired abortion. Then they got back to the original 911 concept and made it work under duress. In all that time, Alfa had made millions and total millions of absolute brilliances, hundreds of which ended up in production and also sold. It's like eurovision: ALFA: "Quatrevingtdixneuf Points", Porsche: "Zéro Points". @@computercrack

[@computercrack]

@@jasonyu6649 I guess it's a joke they only produce the 911? Think again

[@The-Real-Blissful-Ignorance]

2:20 - Woo, that's a beautiful car! I'd love to see a modern version, or at least a resto-mod.

[@numbereightyseven]

Agreed

[@numbereightyseven]

Just imagine it in mat black, with 20 inch wheels of some sort.

[@rideepicdriveepic]

The old saying goes: If there's no oil under an Alfa, then there's no oil in it either. It's a joke! Merry xmas and happy holidays!

[@davidsherrick898]

My Milano with 200,000 miles doesn't leak oil! I'm surprised! Merry Christmas!

[@DrWhom]

no dipstick required!

[@guzziwheeler]

You must be confusing something. Alfa Romeo is an italian brand, not a british brand.

[@urbanus3546]

👍👍👍 AS ALWAYS. THANX.

[@jamesengland7461]

Merry Christmas to you and your lovely wife!

[@contracostaexpert]

It's not a child, it's a Klingon Bird of Prey. A Star Trek fan, just ahead of his time

[@jameswoolcock6302]

My first Alfa was a 1971 Giulia 1.6 Super, or as TI as E H Bouts in Wolverhampton would always have it. As in the day there Alfa badges everywhere: from steering wheel, instruments, mats, ever onwards! They all had the laurels.

[@thatcheapguy525]

thanks for this. I had completely the wrong idea about the meaning of 'Alfa Romeo'

[@stephenwarhurst6615]

WOW I always thought it was red fire flames coming out of the dragon's mouth. You learn something new every day of your life

[@anthonyrivera0917]

Please do a video about the Opel Speedster/Vauxhall VX220

[@drdanphd]

I 100% agree I have a friend who had Tatan gold one only 29 made in that colour

[@anthonyrivera0917]

@@drdanphd I wish it was sold here in America as a Pontiac Fiero and in Australia as a Holden. It was even sold in Korea as a Daewoo.

[@sharpfalcon6196]

Big Car briefly talked about it on his Rise and Fall of Vauxhall video.

[@anthonyrivera0917]

@@sharpfalcon6196 but it deserves a full video.

[@MLC...]

Snake definitely not eating a child. Eating a man, a Saracen. And that red cross is a reference to the cross of the Crusades. Milano is a very old city with lots of symbolism and the Crusades was part of that history.

[@markgarnett3521]

What a great idea for a short video. Please can you dig into the reason behind other badges. Especially the American ones we are less familiar with

[@jagboy69]

I wanna see the Austin badge. And I'm a yank. I could care less about ford or chevy.

[@friendlypiranha774]

I grew up on the dead lion being swarmed by bees🤣🤣🤣

[@N0rdman]

That gorgeous clip with the red Alfa Romeo with the clover at @00:03:00 is that from an ad or where can I see the full video?

[@Karam1982]

Mother F### I thought its a dragon with a fire coming from his breathe 😂😂😂😂😂

[@glimpseofgood2464]

new big car video yippee

[@UHF43]

Fun fact, Canale 5 (Berlusconi's first TV network) logo was also inspired in the 'biscionne' but they substituted the eaten child with a flower

[@cmartin_ok]

Vegetarian snake? Whatever next?

[@UHF43]

@@cmartin_ok When I was a kid I thought it was a danish butter cookie.

[@wfomph1435]

thanx

[@hagerty1952]

I see that others have already commented that it's not a child in the dragon's (not snake) mouth. In Luigi Fusi's book "Tutte le Vetture Alfa Romeo dal 1910" (All Alfa Romeo Cars from 1910) he gives the history of the badge, confirming that it is the city emblem of Milano. He further explains that both sides of the badge have their origins in the Crusades, which the local ruling families helped finance. The person in the dragon's mouth is, indeed, a vanquished Saracen and the crown on its head implies a royal charter. The other side is the Crusader's red cross on a white shield. Fusi was with the company from the early teens up to the 1970's, and was Alfa's first company historian. I can't vouch for the actual historical accuracy of what he says, but it it the official company story.

[@MBkompressor]

Mate: Im 47 and Boy! With more videos like this one!!!!!

[@michaelharrison1093]

What is the story behind the golden syrup graphic? I can remember seeing this as a child and I was never able to work out the significance

[@enisra_bowman]

biblical Story in which Samson found a Lion carcass in that Bees build a hive

[@Inappropriately-Appropriate]

Why a snake eating a child? Because they couldn't fit an adult on the badge. Happy New Year, folks.

[@JesusProtects]

It's a mature woman, not a child.

[@HomingFung]

Please do a series of car maker's badge story.

[@1969ES175]

Small note: Anonima means anonymous not limited.

[@paulmorton3259]

The golden syrup emblem of a dead lion surrounded by (not flies) bees is a Sampson reference and riddle from the bible.

[@jeffking4176]

Cool. 🚗🙂

[@michaelbolger745]

The English stole the Genoese traders flag. The original English flag was a blue quadrant of 6 fleur de lille, and 6 leopards passant. The English were allowed to fly the Genoese traders flag for a fee, as their own flag was hated around the world. The English gov. have not paid these Genoese traders for years, and are owe them a fortune

[@theblackhand6485]

Sounds acceptable.

[@DrWhom]

hated because of piracy?

[@dunk8157]

Reminds me of the story about the USA taking the flag from the East India Trading Company.

[@billybunter6659]

I was once looking into Ancient Pictish Stone Art/ Symbols in Scotland and came across exactly the same thing and recognised it straight away as i used to own an Alpha 145, it was exactly the same symbol with the Serpent eating a child or man or woman,maybe it originated from there who knows.

[@Bucketroo]

I always thought the dragon was swallowing a sword.

[@idowhatiwant3451]

The most important question remains unanswered. Why snake eating human?

[@JamesWilson-gw2ij]

Is that a savoy knot or a Staffordshire knot?

[@jyttesteenbruhn3211]

It is not a child..... It is a saracen warrior = a major threat in the Mediterranean in the Middle Ages.

[@uccanis]

Thanks for the video, although a side comment: it’s a bit misleading claiming it to be the ‘English’ flag. Indeed the Italian carmaker had no inspiration from the English. The flag itself originated from the levant region: the Lebanon to be more precise, where Saint George was born and is buried.

[@edsmith4821]

I had a beautiful Red 2005 147 selespeed 2 litre a great car let down by the semi automatic gearbox that would act up when the car got up to temperature

[@RomanJockMCO]

Until I watched this channel I had always assumed it was a dragon spewing fire. I admit that I never really looked close enough to really analyze it. Dark, Alfa, dark.

[@MrThePsychologist]

i used to have german cars when i bought an alfa i am never going back

[@nitroforce87]

I always thought that the serpent was spitting a sword until I got curious

[@CrisSelfa55]

Now Alfa Brera story please

[@horaciokanashiro-hv2zn]

Subj: Why the dragon.. My 2¢: Italian take on " What we do with the baby oh "

[@Niinsa62]

So that is what Alfa stands for! Didn't know that. So it's actually A.L.F.A.

[@buckotte1414]

The meaning is this : "the closer to the cross, the further from the dragon.."..and of course,....visa-versa

[@Rammstein56]

Reading the comments about Alfa Romeo quality, I can only state that I drove 250000 k in a 159 JTDm, 16 valve Diesel and would still have it if ze Germans would not have professionally killed ze Diesel by making taxation in Holland ridiculous ! I now have a MiTo Veloce which is a real gem to have, I have had more technical problems with those so called primium and quality brands than I ever had with an Alfa. Avanti🏁

[@StevenJeNova]

Still one of the best car-logos ever, IMO. But I'm biased.

[@retroracingshirt591]

cuore sportivo

[@dawiddudka777]

❤️

[@SimonWallwork]

On a quiet night, you can hear them rusting....

[@gerhard6105]

Alleen Lastige Flut Auto's Rijden Onder Meest Erbarmelijke Omstandigheden 😊 But serious: i have an Alfa 1.5 IE and a GTV6 2.5i

[@DrWhom]

is this still a thing in Holland?

[@gerhard6105]

@@DrWhom maybe. I am from the 70's so i learned several. Beierse Mest Wagen. Duitse Kinder Wagen. Anyway, have a nice year change. Fijne jaarwisseling.

[@lucashinch]

I imagine nutrient density is why the dragon is consuming the youth. Very similar to why we eat sprouts.

[@Blomoffgaming]

Please put about tata safari in Europe

[@fryfrysk]

Hmm......See some negative remarks about Alfa Romeo or italian quality. My wifes car is an 2006 Alfa 147 distictive 2.0 TS petrol and has now run 280.000 km : no oil added in between maintanances ; no problems for its annual MOT ( APK in NL) . The all -in cost / per km overall is quite low ; around 36 eurocent per km including fuel, maintenance, road tax; insurance, MOT and a calculated depreciation of 5 eurocent included. The car is maintained by a Alfa specilist not being an official Alfa dealer, because these 2 owners/mecanics work with " amore per l'Alfa Romeo". I myself drove in total 4 different types of ( leasing ) Lancia's diesels with total milage of 600.000 km : just regular maintenance ; never any breakdown along the way and just once extra costs of broken down turbo over this 8 y period. Alfa Romeo and Lancia are underrated brands, but after almost an 1 million km experience : surely not in our family !

[@blond339]

i heard that the guy represents the owner and you get bit if you dont maintain it ..

[@CrisSelfa55]

Ferrari 330 GT story please

[@MilosBrajkovic-rc3ik]

With respect, it is not a child, it is a Saracen, and it is not a snake, it is a dragon.

[@luigigenoni5944]

he is not a child; he is a mislim saracen, and it is the simbol of sforza family, this part of symbol, confalone, of milan which is composed by this and the symbol visconti family, whichnis the red cross on white. both are references to the wars the christian kingdoms had to fight to block the muslim saracen and turchish imperialistic espansion. so alfa romeo simply adopted the confalone of the city where it was founded.

[@dunk8157]

Yes this is correct. Its from the Christian/Muslim wars.

[@frankdenardo8684]

Oh, Romeo, Oh Romeo. Wherewith thou Romeo?

[@DrWhom]

For I am the Alfa and the Romeo (BTW it is "wherefore art thou" which here means, _why_ did you have to be Romeo, i.e. why did the man I love have to belong to the other clan?)

[@frankdenardo8684]

@DrWhom It was from William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. There was an article in a car magazine in 1995 about Alfa Romeo pulling the plug in the United States 🇺🇸.

[@give_me_my_nick_back]

Lol I've thought it was just a split tongue...

[@vetar3372]

Did anyone else think it was flames and not a child?

[@DevotedGamer1]

freemansory

[@delusionnnnn]

The dead lion surrounded by bees is a reference to Judges 14:8, where Samson passes by a lion corpse he had killed earlier, but was now full of honeycomb. Ironically, touching the lion at all was a violation of religious law. Clearly, the fact that this was an example of Samson sinning was less important than that the company hoped its customers would somehow associate this story with the desirability of treacle. Incidentally, "The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull" is a standout album by the drone-blues band Earth.

[@riccardosabatini353]

Sad to say... The dragon will be soon replaced by a "baguette", a baguette- monstre eating the Italian automotive engineering ... 😢

[@JMJ_James]

Why? He was hungry!

[@joeambaye8681]

Could the serpent have a moorish history?

[@jamesroseby3823]

It’s not a child. Researching the origin of the Visconti coat of arms will better reveal who it represents.

[@UncleJoeLITE]

Intriguing title...we have crocs, sharks, snakes, octopi & spiders [=)] but no dragons down here. Honestly, my whole life has been spent just waiting for Alfa to make a good, unrusty, reliable Italian car. Needless to say, I have lived a sad, disappointing life...but happy Christmas anyway all. May as well slap the Alfa badge on a Chrysler gem of an EV SUV. Yeah, I've given up on Alfa. :(

[@rob5944]

My mates wife has a Milo green cloverleaf.....£2,500 for rear shock absorbers....truly shocking indeed. Happy new year all.

[@richardsheil5289]

They are 25 quid from autodoc. Somebody ripped them off

[@GTfour01]

You are aware of the fact that Mito's are 100% GM product under the skin, are you not?

[@rob5944]

@@GTfour01 I thought as much, but then it's not even mine so....

[@rob5944]

@@richardsheil5289 sounds too cheap, but still...

[@richardsheil5289]

@@rob5944 possibly, but a long way from 2500.

[@lassebauer]

The serpent might appear to be swallowing a human, but is actually giving birth to it. From a website on the symbolism of the coat of arms: According to the legend, in the 1100s, Ottone Visconti, during the Second Crusade, led an army of Milanese citizens in the siege of Jerusalem, and challenged the cruel Saracen Voluce to a duel. Voluce’s coat of arms was a snake devouring a man. Ottone killed the Saracen, took his weapons and his symbol and brought it to Milan and decided to adopt the warrior’s coat of arm as his own. The symbol of the House of Visconti was born and, when the Visconti family gained control of Milan, the biscione became the symbol of the city. The man eaten by the snake was replaced by a red Saracen and later became a child, with the aim of showing the goodness of the Visconti’s snake.

[@ArgoTheDoggo]

exactely, this is the true history of the symbol

[@nicolek4076]

Italian pronunciation is very regular and impossible to get wrong. Congratulations! You succeeded.

[@joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536]

🌎👍❤