Over the course of Alfa Romeo’s history, they have experienced no shortage of drama. Between fire sales, corporate and government buyouts, world wars and generally dying and being brought back to life multiple times. They have also triumphed many times, especially when it comes to designing unique and amazingly gorgeous cars .
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The fact is, Alfa Romeos unique designs speak their own language, and touch you in a way that very few others can. You won’t find such a vast and varied collection of such exquisite, beautiful automobiles in any other manufacturer.
If you’ve never understood all the old cliches about Alfa Romeos having souls, and how you can’t be a true car enthusiast until you’ve owned one, hopefully the list below will help to start the learning process.
1952 Alfa Romeo Disco Volante
‘Disco Volante’ is Italian for ‘flying saucer’, which is apt. The DV looks like its designer once saw a Jaguar E-type drive past, said ‘I could improve that’ and then did. It is without a doubt the prettiest car I’ve ever seen.
2007 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
Famously not that brilliant to drive. So ridiculously beautiful people bought them anyway. Is it the best-looking car of the 21st century? I’m struggling to think of anything that comes close to it.
1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo
Before it was assigned to the aforementioned supercar in 2007, the 8C badge adorned 8 cylinder Alfas of the 30s. Between 1931-39, the 8C took many shapes, ranging from stripped out Le Mans racers to more luxurious variations like this lengthy old chap you see before you. Pip pip, old boy!
Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale
Nobody is really sure how many Stradales were made. Alfa Romeo said they built 18 cars; experts say only 13 were delivered, and test drivers say just nine vehicles were sold to customers. Whatever the case, the 33 Stradale stands as one of the most beautiful cars Alfa has ever built and a testament to the passion and technical excellence this company was always known for.
1968 Alfa Romeo Carabo
This delightfully mad contraption is a Gandini-designed concept car which Alfa unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in ’68. Gandini would go on to create the iconic Lamborghini Countach 6 years later, and looking at the Carabo with that in mind you can see a resemblance. The main difference being you can’t actually drive the Carabo if you have a head or shoulders thanks to that audaciously raked windscreen.
1923 Alfa Romeo RL Targa Florio
Hey, remember the early twentieth century when driving a racing car was like sitting in a bathtub filled with explosions? Forget about aerodynamics. Or traction. Or brakes. Or surviving. Simpler times! This one’s awfully pretty though – and is there any badge in the world of motoring as cool as the Quadrifoglio?
1962 Alfa Romeo Giulia
To this day, the 105 is easily one of the greatest – and most iconic – Alfa Romeos. At first glance it’s deceptively ‘simple’ and ‘ordinary’ – not as dramatic or curvaceous as many of its siblings. And then you look again and realise, it isn’t plain….. it’s simply ‘perfect’.
In race form it did pretty well also. In just its ‘opening’ race at Monza in 1966, GTAs occupied the first seven places of the grid.
1996 Martini Alfa Corse 155 V6
Oh yes – feast your eyes upon this magnificence. This actual car competed in The International Touring Car series in 1996 piloted by Alessandro Nannini. Look at those Martini stripes. Look at that front diffuser! Racing cars don’t get much cooler. In its best season, the 155 finished 3rd in the championship. Shame they don’t award bonus points for sheer deliciousness.
1972 Alfa Romeo Alfetta Spider-Coupe
This mean-looking bruiser is what happens when you give design house Pininfarina a regular Alfetta and tell them to ‘have at it’. You can see plenty of American muscle car in the styling – no bad thing, since the early 70s were something of a sweet spot for American car design.
1990 Alfa Romeo SE048 SP
It may not have the sexiest name but the SE048 does have one very important thing going for it: REAR WHEEL SPATS. It’s a shame those never caught on, although in fairness there were reasons. Like catastrophic brake overheating issues, for example. Probably a good thing that this F1-engined stunner never made it to the race track – if a bit sad.
What’s your pick for the prettiest Alfa Romeo of all time? Let us know in the comments.
