Alfa Romeo’s of the past were far and wide at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, brought in purposefully to mark the special occasion of the naissance of two new beautiful models, the 159 and Brera. Establishing such a variety of mouth watering treasures would seem like a mammoth task, although in this case the majority were sourced in-house, from the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo. The size of the collection at the factory museum itself pays tribute to the level of importance attached to the company heritage, with the cars on show for visitors, as well as for designers to soak up inspiration.

This gathering of legendary Alfa Romeo’s signified exactly what the name means, with the individual soul of each and every car a crucial part of the marques’ history. Alfa started out on the 24th June 1910, in Milan, when a group of entrepreneurs and businessmen took over the Portello based Darracq automobile company, subsequently naming it Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili. The first car to be produced was the 1910 Alfa 24 hp, with a blue example displaying its lifetime patina on exhibitition at Goodwood. It was this very model that laid down the basis for the Alfa Romeo brand, with performance and driving satisfaction at the top of the list.

No less than two 1924 Alfa Romeo P2 racers were on display, one from the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo, the other from the Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile, in Turin. The P2 formula one racer was the first car to be designed by Jano Vittorio, when he joined the company in 1923, and was to spearhead a whole host of new competition models. The 1930’s were a particularly successful period in Alfa Romeo’s timeline, represented at the Festival of Speed by models such as the 1931 8C 2300 Monza, and the awesome 1938 8C 2900B ‘Le Mans Coupé’. The latter is admired by many as one of the most striking models of all time, its streamlined bodywork expressing speed even when stationary. Additional outstanding models included 1931 and 1933 variants of the 8C 2300 Le Mans, and a 1938 6C 2300 Touring.
 

A 1951 Alfa Romeo 159 ‘Alfetta’ was also put on show, a renowned racer baring the name of the newest Alfa Romeo saloon, a car that is already leading the competition in the many write-ups it has received recently in the press. From the same era, a voluptuous 1952 Alfa Romeo 1900 Disco Volante Coupé, and its convertible cousin, stopped dreamy enthusiasts in their path, its blood red paint gleaming away in the bright sunlight. 

With so many beautiful cars in a nearby museum, it is easy to see where Alfa Romeo designers go to for inspiration, if needed. The 1954 Alfa Romeo 2000 Sportiva is just such a car, with many design cues clearly having been transferred to the recent Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. Its bodywork is finished in silver paint, a perfectly fitting choice with the sculptural bodywork having no need for additional sparkle.

Both a 1964 Giulia TZ1 and 1965 Giulia TZ2 were present, the former  displayed by well known collector Gregor Fisken. The high performance spectrum of classics was covered by a 1967 Tipo 33/2, and 1971 Tipo 33/3 Le Mans, whilst Ian Donaldson completed the line-up with his 1975 Tipo 33 TT 12. Meanwhile, soaking up the rich history of this famous marque in the 'Cathedral Paddock', was none other than Alfa Romeo's new CEO Karl-Heinz Kalbfell.

by Paddy Granger