Alfa Romeo Logo PNG
The Alfa Romeo logo embodies the power and leadership of the dragon on the road. Brand cars are designed for confident individuals who aspire to drive the finest premium vehicles. The sign highlights the models’ uniqueness and extravagance.
Alfa Romeo is a renowned Italian brand of premium cars that he designs and assembles himself. It is a subsidiary of Stellantis. It was founded by businessmen Nicola Romeo and Ugo Stella in the summer of 1910. The carmaker’s primary task is manufacturing luxury and sports cars, which it has done for over 111 years. Today, it is considered one of the leading sports car brands globally, as evidenced by its racing participation since 1911. The headquarters is located in Milan, in the Lombardy (Italy) region.
The legendary car brand’s career began with a French firm owned by Alexandre Darracq and sponsored by Italian businessmen. Her plant became ALFA’s first production site. The building was owned by SAID (Società Anonima Italiana Darracq).
Initially, the company was based in Naples, but management later decided that Milan would be the best location and purchased land in its suburb, Portello. There, a new 8,000-square-yard plant was built from scratch. However, Darracq cars sold with difficulty, and by the end of 1909, the company was on the verge of complete liquidation. Ugo Stella bought all the assets and opened another automobile company with Italian investors.
Meaning and History
The new structure was given a short name, which concealed a long phrase, as the four modest letters “A,” “L,” “F,” and “A” are nothing more than an abbreviation. They stand for “Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili”. That is, the company explicitly states that anonymous co-founders founded it. So, the factory in Milan was saved from ruin. The second part of the name came five years later when Nicola Romeo bought the company. Initially, management decided to produce other cars better suited to Italian conditions. Engineer Giuseppe Merosi designed them. After that, the company switched to racing cars.
In parallel, she created new symbols. The case was entrusted to Giuseppe Merosi again. And he asked Romano Cattaneo, a young draftsman from the technical department, for a favor. The artist shared his ideas about including heraldic signs associated with the plant’s location in the logo. The management liked the idea very much. On the car plaques, a fragment of a red cross and a huge snake appeared, absorbing a child. The first sign personified Milan; the second symbolized the influential House of Visconti, which ruled the city from the 14th century. Throughout the trademark’s entire existence, eleven emblems have changed, and the twelfth is currently in use.
What is Alfa Romeo?
Alfa Romeo is an Italian company known for its premium cars. It is part of the Stellantis N.V. Corporation and was previously owned by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. The history of the iconic automaker dates back to 1910, when it was founded as ALFA. Each letter in the abbreviation stood for one word: “A” – “Anonima”, “L” – “Lombarda”, “F” – “Fabbrica”, “A” – “Automobili”.
1870 – 1910
The Alfa Romeo logo is rectangular with a curved top. Under the arc is a circle with the word “Alfa,” all the letters are adapted to the round format. The legs of side “A” are curved to fit perfectly into the ring. The letters “L” and “F” have been adjusted similarly. Large flowers on twisting stems with symmetrically arranged leaves are positioned to the right and left of the black disk, bearing the brand’s name. Below is the full name of the Italian automotive company, “Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili.” Under the line with curly hooks on the sides, the city where it is located is indicated. The emblem is black and white.
1910 – 1915
The debut logo contains all the iconic values associated with the automobile manufacturing enterprise’s area. A round badge serves as the basis for a seal, where legendary symbols are typically placed. Along the edge is a wide strip bearing the company name “Alfa” and the city name “Milano.” On both sides, they are separated by two Flemish knots. They are shaped like a figure eight, representing infinity.
A thin strip runs vertically through the central part, forming two identical fields. On the left side is a red cross on a white background. It is associated with Milan and is a significant Christian symbol, as well as a tribute to the Milanese knights. On the right side is a huge Biscione snake swallowing a person. It reflects power and omnipotence, being the heraldic sign of the Visconti family, the most respected in the city.
1915 – 1925
The designers corrected the emblem in relation to the rebranding: the company received the name Alfa Romeo after the purchase. This word is located on the wide rim. The font of the text has also changed. The signs became large, wide, and white. The color was also worked out: there is much gold in the logo (on the nodes, crown, all lines, and letters). The dark blue background is replaced with a light blue one.
1925 – 1933
The logo now has a silver wreath around the edge. The snake and the man sticking out of its mouth have also been corrected. The Flemish knots are larger, and the background is darker.
1933 – 1946
The developers have enhanced the shadows to make the drawing look bright and distinct. In addition, they enlarged the wreath’s leaves. The texture of the elements has also changed: it has become visually rough and uneven. Small black strokes and jagged lines create this impression. It was the most textured version of all.
1946 – 1947
The logo of this period has been simplified:
- The wreath has disappeared from it.
- The crown has been reduced.
- The person protruding from the mouth has been corrected.
- The Flemish knots have been replaced with short pieces of rope.
The designers made the snake thin, added a coil opposite the cross’s horizontal crossbar, and silvered the edge of the circle.
1947 – 1948
The logo’s design underwent a radical change: in this version, it features a red-and-yellow color scheme. The inner circle’s borders have disappeared, so the cross, Biscione serpent, crown, and wriggling figure are surrounded by text. Moreover, this is the first time a company name is written without a hyphen. The sign’s background is scarlet, all elements are yellow, and the edging is black. The Flemish knots have turned into two undulating strokes.
1948 – 1950
Designers returned color to the emblem. Every detail is now painted. The right side is blue, featuring a green serpent, a golden crown, and a red figure. The left side is white with a large red cross. An inner circle also appears, surrounded by a thin black line. A strip of triple stitches runs along the edge. This ornament continues the previous logo.
1950 – 1971
The changes affected the shape of figures and elements. Now, they are strictly geometric. The cross is detached from the frame, and the serpent is enlarged. The logo’s border resembles an ancient Greek pattern of small strokes and circles. The “R” is now downsized, and the letters in the word “Milano” are merged, making it appear narrower.
1971 – 1972
First, the designers returned the silver curly border. Second, they made Biscione smaller and more compact, so its body turns were evenly distributed. The serpent transformed from green to black, and its crown enlarged and shifted to one side. The red cross is extended to the edge of the inner circle. The phrase “Alfa Romeo” is written together and stretched. Another important innovation is that the city’s name was removed along with the Flemish nodes, which no longer appeared in any variant.
1972 – 2000
The emblem underwent a minor redesign that lasted for a considerable period. The developers aligned the man’s figure protruding from the snake’s mouth and made it symmetrical. In addition, the authors added a red stripe to the golden color in the crown, separated the words “Alfa” and “Romeo,” outlined all elements in yellow, and painted the letters the same color.
2000 – 2015
The logo of this period is distinguished by grace. The authors reduced the width and brightness of the edging stripes. They also added a gradient to the white background, transitioning from pure white (top) to a heavenly shade (bottom). The inscriptions are colored similarly, with white letters on the left and black letters on the right.
2015 – today
The changes made are related to the restructuring of the automotive industry. There are plans to merge PSA and FCA, which include the Alfa Romeo brand. In 2021, other brands will join the Stellantis group, making it much larger. In this regard, the company has redesigned the logo. It depicts the same elements from the beginning: a giant serpent swallowing a person, a crown, a red cross, circular lines, and the name of an automobile manufacturer.
The logo emerged metallic and voluminous, featuring a chrome texture. The dividing line has disappeared in the inner circle, so the cross is in contact with the snake. Biscione has several turns removed; now it has only three body turns instead of five. The man received the outlines of an angel-like statue. The crown has shrunk to one short stroke with three dots. The font is reduced in size and has serifs. Instead of gold, silver is now a priority: it is with it that all elements are circled, including the inner and outer circles.
Font and Colors
The logo’s shape is reminiscent of a modern wheel rim in print. It initially had heraldry associated with Italy in general and Milan in particular. The cross is the symbol of the city where the company is located. It is a flag fragment that evokes the era of knights, the First Crusades, and the Middle Ages. He also testifies to the blessing of God for the work that the automobile company is engaged in. The second important symbol is the serpent, representing the House of Visconti, the most influential dynasty since the 14th century.
The company opted for a thin serif typeface in early versions, which gradually evolved into a wide, massive sans-serif typeface. It remained smooth and chopped over the years until, in 2015, it evolved into sleek, chunky overhangs. The previous version is Futura Bold, created by designer Paul Renner and released by Linotype.
The range of colors is diverse and has undergone tremendous evolution over many decades. It consisted of all shades of blue, red, gold, green, and burgundy. Now, a noble silver color has been used in place of yellow.
