Circles, curves and arches
In case any of you Americans aren’t familiar with the logo in the center of this wheel, it’s that of the famous (well… at least in Europe) brand Alfa Romeo.
A brief history
The Alfa Romeo logo originated when the company was called A.L.F.A.
This acronym, which is now a name, actually stands for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili.
Since Alfa wanted to be associated with the city of Milan, so they used the red cross typically associated with the Crusades in Milano.
The second half of the symbol depicts a man being eaten by a serpent. To be sure, the origin of this image is a little less clear. However, many people believe that it has to do with the Christian Crusaders defeating various other religious sects .
But a great many others say it is the emblem of the House of Visconti. This powerful family ruled Milan during the 14th century. While both ideas are plausible, we may never actually know the real story regarding the origin of this half of the Alfa Romeo Badge.
The Montreal
Designed by Marcello Gandini of Lamborghini Miura fame and presented as Italy’s design contribution for Expo 67, the Alfa Romeo Montreal shares a bond with the more famous raging bull while forming an identity all its own.
On side note: I’ll definitely feature the Lamborghini Miura the first chance I get. As the relatively little known Miura is the most beautiful sports car ever designed. In my mind, bar none.
Anyways, the picture is of a wheel of an Alfa Romeo Montreal. It’s not just that I’m a car-freak, far from that. But I do love good design, and I do love Alfa Romeo and have owned many (9) of them. Unfortunately, a Montreal was not one of them. After all, it is right up there as one of the most beautiful classic sports cars any company has ever built. Just look at those curves and arches…
Finally, for more unadulterated car fun, simply click here.
Oh what a wonderful post for this week. 😀