Now in their one hundredth year, Alfa Romeo was founded in 1910 as part of Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automonili, an Italian car manufacturer.

In the same the year the company released their first model, the 1910 24 HP (pictured). This model had a 4082 cc engine, was capable of 42 BHP and could reach a top speed of 62mph.

The car was an overnight success and helped to secure the company’s reputation for producing high-end and sophisticated vehicles. A reputation that has gone from strength to strength ever since.

After this initial success, the company went on to outshine their first model with a whole range of stunningly designed vehicles. Some of these included the 15 HP, 12 HP and 20-30 HP.

Then came WW1 and car production was almost non-existent as the company were recruited to manufacture ammunition for the war effort. However, after the war the company reaffirmed itself and went on to outperform previous car sales.

After the war the company finally became known as “Alfa Romeo”, with an official name change that coincided with the launch of the new Torpedo 20-30 HP.

Alfa-Romeo are said to be innovative or even revolutionary and this is perhaps an apt description of the company as many of their designs were later adopted by other car companies. In fact, through the years they have influenced or been imitated by Toyota, Honda and Mazda to name but a few.

Some of the most notable models of this time include the 1960 Giulietta Spider Veloce (pictured), the 1300 Sprint from 1963, the 1963 Giulia TI Super and the 1969 Spider Veloce. Then in the eighties came the 1981 Giulietta Lusso, the 1983 Spider 1.6 and the 1986 Spider Quadrifoglio Verde

More recently, Alfa Romeo has had a lot of success with their newest models, including the Giulietta, the 159 and the Brera (pictured). The innovative yet fun-loving nature of the company can be seen in the design of the Zagto SZ, the GTV and the Spider.

In the near future the new Alfa 159 Progetto 944 (pictured) and the new Kamal C-Crossover are set to be released. The company also has several hybrid and full-electric models in development, which should help to secure the future of this renowned car manufacturer.