Saying that the Moto Guzzi’s v-twin engine and the Fiat 500 are two Italian motoring icons recognized worldwide is perhaps stating the obvious. But what if I told you that, in the early 1960s, a weird crossover between the two nearly happened? — Buckle up, as you’re about to learn about the secret story of the Moto Guzzi engine designed for the Fiat 500. Boom and Bust Our story begins sometime in the late 1950s. Italy was going through a period of explosive economic growth, during which more and more people each year could afford to…

Despite having been designed on a shoestring budget, the Alfa 75 ended up being much more than the sum of its parts, and it’s now gaining favor in the collectors’ car market as the last “classic” Alfa Romeo. Here’s its story. — It would be an understatement to say that the people in charge at Alfa Romeo in the early 1980s had the cards stacked against them. Crippled by an unsustainable debt burden, Alfa desperately needed new models to lure buyers into its showrooms but lacked the resources to fund them.

2022 marks the 60th anniversary of the presentation of the original Alfa Romeo Giulia saloon, one of the Milanese marque’s most significant commercial successes in the period and perhaps its most popular model among collectors nowadays. — And here’s its story. Work on the Giulia started in the late 1950s, a period of rapid economic expansion in Italy during which Alfa’s Giulietta had become a coveted symbol of newfound economic prosperity for thousands of small and medium entrepreneurs.

In the hearts and minds of many, the classic Bertone coupés from the 1960s represent Alfa Romeo at its best, and it’s easy to see why. Here’s their story… — A winning formula Things are rarely straightforward in the Italian automobile industry, but the swift and smooth development process of the Giulia GT is an exception to that rule. Alfa Romeo’s new coupé, whose production began in 1963 in the newly-inaugurated Arese factory, was built upon the solid foundation of the Giulia Ti…

Manufactured in over 150.000 units between 1972 and 1989, the Fiat X1/9 is fondly remembered for its unique style and excellent handling. But what if I told you that the Fiat X1/9 could, at one point, have become a rally champion? — Buckle up, as this is the untold story of the stillborn Fiat X1/9 Abarth, the mid-engined rally monster that never was. Heart transplant Our story begins in 1974 at the Abarth works of Corso Marche in Turin, where one of the earliest X1/9 produced, one of the press cars used during the…

Automobile historians like me constantly celebrate the weird and wonderful of the automobile world, the cars that broke new ground in terms of style or technology. The little Fiat 850, however, definitely wasn’t such a thing… — It’s fair to say that, had Fiat’s engineering supremo had his way, the Fiat 850 wouldn’t have happened. The rewards of conformity Dante Giacosa had been championing front-wheel drive at Fiat for some time already, and the launch of Alec Issigonis’s Mini in 1959 clearly showed it was the way of the future.

If there’s an Alfa 75 to rule them all, it’s the Turbo Evoluzione IMSA race car, and its story is intertwined with the race it was specifically designed to win… — Launched in 1985 in coincidence with the Marque’s 75th anniversary, the Alfa 75’s combination of sporting look, lusty engines, and handling prowess made it a commercial success in Italy, where its status as arguably the last “classic” Alfa Romeo has ensured the preservation of many examples to this day.

The Lancia Stratos is a motorsport legend, a coveted and precious collectors’ item, and five decades on keeps inspiring many automobile designers. — Not bad for a car that, in the period, Lancia didn’t really want to make and that customers didn’t want to buy. Buckle up, as this is the story of the legendary Lancia Stratos… Showing Off Our story begins in late 1969 when Lancia, crushed by an unsustainable debt burden, was rescued…

The Spider has perhaps been Alfa’s finest ambassador in the world’s markets, thanks to its various appearances in cinema and television and its unrivaled panache. If you’ve ever wondered about their story, you’re in the right place… — Cars don’t get more Italian than a classic Alfa Romeo Spider. Produced between 1966 and 1993, the Spider had the longest lifespan of any Alfa Romeo model, yet, with just over 120.000 units sold, it very likely didn’t do much for the Company’s bottom line.