(Motorsport-Total.com/Motor1) – We all know the brand Alfa Romeo. But where does its name actually come from? Well, part of it is now celebrating a milestone anniversary. In 2026, the birth of Nicola Romeo will be celebrated for the 150th time. The engineer and entrepreneur born in Naples later settled in Milan and significantly shaped the development of the Italian automotive industry there.
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In 1915, he took over Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili (A.L.F.A.), founded on June 24, 1910. In the course of the industrial transition after the First World War, he gave the company at the Portello site a new direction: a clearly defined strategy aimed at the development and production of high-performance “Gran Turismo” vehicles as well as a leading role in international motorsport.
For Nicola Romeo, motorsport fulfilled two central functions: on the one hand, it served to promote production vehicles, and on the other, as a testing ground for technical innovations that were subsequently incorporated into series production. Romeo deliberately focused on collaboration with outstanding engineers and personalities. Particularly influential were Vittorio Jano and Enzo Ferrari. That’s right, THE Ferrari.
The success at the Targa Florio in 1923 marked a first important milestone but was not enough to establish Alfa Romeo permanently at the top of motorsport. Enzo Ferrari then brought Vittorio Jano to Milan on Romeo’s behalf. Jano developed the Grand Prix car P2, whose successes led Alfa Romeo to the top internationally. Building on these successes, Jano later took over technical management and designed the 6C and 8C series in the following years, which are still considered milestones today.
Nicola Romeo was born on April 28, 1876, in Sant’Antimo near Naples into a family with limited financial means. Despite difficult circumstances, he completed studies in civil and electrical engineering in Naples and Liège, Belgium. After professional stations in France and Germany, he worked with British and American companies in the railway sector. In 1906, he founded the company “Ing. Nicola Romeo & C.” in Milan, specializing in the import and use of machinery for infrastructure projects.
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Photo series: 150 years of Nicola Romeo
During the First World War, Romeo expanded his company, took on new partners, and took over A.L.F.A., which was in liquidation at that time. The switch to armaments production proved economically successful. In 1918, he converted the company into a joint-stock company and expanded activities again, including in agriculture and railways. Shortly thereafter, he returned to automobile production.
At the end of 1921, the state took control of Alfa Romeo through banks and initiated a new phase. Romeo initially remained managing director but withdrew in 1928. In 1929, he was appointed senator. He died on August 15, 1938, in Magreglio. His work continues to have an impact today: vehicles from his era exemplify the combination of technical innovation and motorsport ambition.
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