28/04/2026
150 years ago today, in the village of Sant'Antimo in the Province of Naples, the founder of one of the oldest and most important automotive brands in history was born: Nicola Romeo.
Nicola Romeo founded first a mining machinery company in Milan before taking over A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili) in 1915, an automaker then facing a severe financial crisis. During the Great War, Romeo skillfully converted production into war material, ammunition, and aircraft engines, ensuring the survival and industrial expansion of the Portello plant.
It was only in 1920, with the resumption of civilian manufacturing, that his surname was paired with the original acronym, creating the official Alfa Romeo brand with the Torpedo 20-30 HP. Under his visionary leadership, the "Biscione" began to dominate international competitions by hiring world-class designers like Vittorio Jano. Despite Nicola’s departure in 1928, his name remained inextricably linked to an identity built on technical excellence and sportiness. Today, his legacy lives on in the myth of a brand that still perfectly blends entrepreneurial audacity and Italian mechanical passion.
