Alfa Romeo is one of the most storied and romanticised names in motoring, but where does its name come from and what does it mean, if anything?
Alfa Romeo began life in 1910 as ALFA, which stands for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili, or Lombard Automobile Factory Company, if you don’t speak Italian.
The company was taken over, essentially, by businessman Nicola Romeo in 1915. In 1920 the company’s name was changed to Alfa Romeo.
Romeo quit the company in 1928 and the company was nationalised by the Italian government in 1933. Alfa Romeo was put up for sale in 1986 and, despite an offer from Ford, the company was sold to Fiat.
