I have no desire to ever own a fancy car. In fact, my favorite car is a 1995 Honda Civic hatchback. I want my cars to be super-reliable, inexpensive to maintain, and run forever. However, I love seeing unusual and/or expensive cars on the road. The day I saw a Lotus in London was a highlight of my trip.
I was getting pizza in Redmond, Oregon, when I saw an insignia on an unusual car that I didn’t recognize. The symbol was distinct, so it was easy to google. I couldn’t get a picture of it since the car was driving away, but I knew it had a red cross.
A quick search later, and I learned it was an Alfa Romeo. I’d heard of this brand but had never seen one in the wild. The car itself was not remarkable, but the symbol and name have quite a reputation. Here are a few facts about an Italian car you’re not likely to see in America.
- Alfa Romeo is an Italian car famous for racing
- Alfa stands for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili
- The company was founded in 1910 in Milan, Italy
- Fiat now owns Alfa Romeo, and all manufacturing is done in Italy
- From 1995 to 2006, no Alfa Romeo’s were imported to the United States
- A new Alfa Romeo Stelvio costs about $45,000 (about the same as an Audi)
- These cars have been in many movies, most famously, The Graduate with Dustin Hoffman
- Villians have driven these cars in two James Bond films, Octopussy and Quantum of Solace
- Audrey Hepburn drove an Alfa Romeo in the movie Roman Holiday
- The symbols on the logo are a red cross and a serpent eating a man. Both represent the city of Milan where the company started
