Established in 1910, the Italian company Alfa Romeo is known for its marquee cars. As a subsidiary of the Stellantis brand, the company is an acronym of “Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobile,” which means the company has been built by anonymous co-founders. The word “Romeo” got attached to the brand when the company was taken over by an Italian businessman and engineer, Nicola Romeo, during the First World War.
The stylish and elegant logo of this brand was created by the designer Romano Cattaneo. It was he who came up with the idea of adding heraldic signs related to the location of the car plant to the logo. The Alfa Romeo logo has undergone several changes during its course of history. The article traces the journey of the Alfa Romeo logo over the years.
The Genesis of the Alfa Romeo Logo (1870–1910)
The initial black-and-white logo of the company comprised a rectangle with an arched top. And below the arched top was a circle in black containing the words “ALFA” in white, where the contours of the letters were designed to fit into the circle. For instance, the legs of the first and last letters “A” were suitably curved to fit alongside the curvature of the circle.
The letters “L” and “F” were positioned to match the curvature of the circle at the top and bottom, respectively. On either side of the circle were placed large flowers with symmetrically adjusted leaves. Below the design was mentioned the expanded form of Alfa, followed by curly hooks, and the name of the city, “MILAO,” where the company is located.
(1910–1915)
The first redesign of the logo by the designer, Romano Cattaneo, had two heraldic symbols. The logo comprised a roundel with a bold and thick red outline, which was further divided vertically into two parts. The left part had a red cross set against a white background. The right part, on the other hand, had a green Biscione snake swallowing a person and was set against a light blue background.
The two omnipotent symbols represented the Christian heritage and the power of the respectable Visconti family of Milano. The roundel had a thick inner frame in dark blue with the wordmarks “ALFA” and “MILANO” etched in light silver. The wordmarks were separated by two Flemish knots shaped like the figure of infinity.
(1912)
This logo iteration was similar to its previous avatar, but with a few subtle changes. The Flemish knots on either side of the roundel were replaced by ropes, and the inner frame within the roundel got a relatively light blue background from the dark blue earlier. The human figure shown to be swallowed by the Biscione serpent was inspired by the crest of the Visconti family and represented power and influence.
(1915-1925)
In 1915, the logo was redesigned to reflect the change in name of the company to Alfa Romeo. In the new logo, the colours were refined, and the wordmarks were stretched and placed along the inner periphery of the roundel. Also, the white letters of the wordmarks got a golden outline. The shapes of the cross and the serpent swallowing a human figure were made more clear, confident, and streamlined. Besides, the blue shades as backgrounds were made more intense and sleeker.
(1925-1933)
In the redesigned logo of 1925, a second outline of the roundel was introduced. The outer periphery saw a silver leaf wreath spread all across, while the inner frame had the wordmarks “ALFA-ROMEO” and “MILANO” placed along the top and bottom curvature of the roundel and set against a blue background. Besides, the background colours featuring the cross and the serpent were lightened and softened.
(1933-1946)
In the logo iteration of 1933, the silver colour of the leaf wreath became more accentuated. Also, the size of the wordmarks and the cross were increased. The texture of the elements constituting the logo appeared rough and uneven. And thanks to the better colour contrast, the logo looked powerful and eye-catching.
(1946-1947)
In 1946, the Alfa Romeo logo design was simplified. For instance, the wreath was removed and replaced with a medium-thick silver roundel. Also, the size of the crown atop the serpent was decreased, and the human figure being swallowed by the serpent was corrected. The Flemish knots separating the two wordmarks were replaced with rope pieces. The size of the serpent was made thinner as well.
(1947-1948)
A totally new colour palette became the signature of the logo iteration that came out in 1947. The inner frame within the roundel disappeared, and the core elements of the logo—the cross, crown, the wriggling human figure, and serpent—were surrounded by the text. In this red and silver colour scheme, the core elements of the logo were set against a red background. Also, the hyphen sign between the Alfa and Romeo wordmarks was missing.
(1948-1950)
In 1948, the designers did away with the immediate previous colour palette and reverted to the ones before. Accordingly, the serpent gained a deep green colour and a thick black outline. The wriggling man in the mouth of the serpent appears in red. The cross too received an outline, which added balance to the overall logo. The white wordmarks were rendered in a sans-serif typeface and set against an electric blue frame.
(1950-1971)
In the logo iteration of 1950, the snake grew bigger and the human figure got geometric contours. The inner circular frame featuring the wordmarks “ALPHA ROMEO” and “MILAO” became bigger.
(1971-1972)
In this logo redesign, the wordmark “MILANO” and the Flemish nodes were removed, and the outline of the core elements (cross, serpent, crown, and human figure) got a golden outline. The roundel forming the logo had a distinctive golden outline as well.
(1972-2000)
This logo redesign lasted for a long time. Here, the blue colour of the inner frame of the roundel became a lot darker and was contrasted against yellow outlines and wordmarks. Moreover, the outline of the cross, the serpent, the human, and the crown turned yellow. The wordmark appeared in a geometric sans-serif typeface, which further added gravitas, professionalism, and style to the overall logo.
(2000-2015)
In the logo iteration of 2000, the colour palette of the logo included some gradient shades to make the logo appear more dynamic. For instance, the background of the cross element became blue and white, while the wordmark around the periphery of the roundel featured colours that transitioned from silver to gold.
(2015-Today)
In the latest logo iteration that came about in 2015, the gold or yellow outlines of the roundel and the core elements have been replaced with silver. Besides, the inner circle housing the core elements is not divided into two parts. Rather, it shows a silver background against which the red cross and the green serpent touch each other. The number of coils of the serpent has been reduced to three from the earlier five, while the crown has all but disappeared. It only shows up in the form of three dots and a short stroke.
The Elements of the Alfa Romeo Logo
Emblem
The circular shape of the logo evokes a modern wheel rim, and incorporated elements that speak of Italian and Milanese heraldry. The cross, symbolising Milan, represents the birthplace of the company and refers to mediaeval knighthood and the Crusades. It also suggests divine blessing for the endeavours of the automaker. The serpent, another key symbol, represents the influential House of Visconti, a prominent 14th-century dynasty.
Font
The typography of the logo evolved from an early thin serif to a bold sans-serif. The typeface remained clean-cut for years until 2015, when sleek and chunky elements were added. The previous iteration used Futura Bold, designed by Paul Renner and distributed by Linotype.
Colour
The colour palette of the Alfa Romeo logo has undergone significant changes over decades. It featured various shades of blue, red, gold, green, and burgundy. Currently, a sophisticated silver has replaced the earlier yellow hue.
The History of Ford
Alfa Romeo is a prestigious Italian automaker that specialises in manufacturing premium and sports cars. It is also a subsidiary of Stellantis. Founded in 1910 by entrepreneurs Nicola Romeo and Ugo Stella, the company has maintained its reputation for luxury and performance for over a century. The racing heritage of Alfa Romeo dates back to 1911, and has since cemented its position as a leading global sports car brand. The headquarters of the company are situated in Milan, which is in the Lombardy region of Italy.
The brand’s origins can be traced to a French firm owned by Alexandre Darracq and financially backed by Italian investors. This particular factory became ALFA’s initial production facility, and was previously owned by SAID (Società Anonima Italiana Darracq).
Initially based in Naples, the company relocated to Milan by purchasing land in the suburb of Portello. In that land, they constructed a new 8,000-square-yard automobile plant. However, Darracq vehicles struggled in the market, and eventually brought the company to the brink of liquidation by late 1909. Seizing the opportunity, Ugo Stella acquired all assets and, with Italian investors, established a new automobile company that would become Alfa Romeo.
Interesting Facts About Alfa Romeo
- The company has had a French connection. It was started in 1906 by a French automaker, Daraccq, in Milan, Italy. However, later, the company was acquired by an Italian, Cavalier Ugo Stella.
- The Italian businessman and engineer, Nicola Romeo, took over the company during the First World War. He did so because the company did not have the funds to produce cars. So, after taking over, Nicola Romeo added his surname to the company to christen it Alfa Romeo.
- Giuseppe Merosi, who was the designer for Fiat and Bianchi, assumed the role of the technical director at Alfa Romeo.
- The car brand has won several racing competitions. For instance, it won 5 World Championships, 11 Mille Miglie, 17 European Championships, 10 Targa Florios, and 4 Le Mans.
- The company was earlier owned by the Italian government in 1933, when Nicola Romeo left the company in 1928. However, it has been owned by Fiat since 1986.
- The founder of Ferrari, Enzo Ferrari, was a part of Alfa Romeo’s racing team for ten years. Even the Alfa Romeo cars featured the prancing logo of Ferrari when they were driven by Enzo Ferrari.
- The Alfa Romeo factory was bombed and destroyed during the Second World War.
- The company used to make trucks for the Italian Army. It also made light commercial vehicles until 1967.
- Alfa Romeo cars have been preferred by Italian Prime Ministers since the 1960s, especially the models 164 and 166.
- Some of the famous personalities owning Alfa Romeo cars were Mussolini, Ralph Lauren, and others.
- Alfa Romeo cars appeared in movies such as The Graduate and Quantum of Solace.
Finally
The Alfa Romeo logo is a powerful symbol that transcends mere branding. It is a reminder of a number of things. These include racing heritage, Milanese pride, and the enduring spirit of innovation. In the future, the logo is expected to follow the trends and evolve accordingly.