Who Founded Alfa Romeo?

Alexandre Darracq (1855-1931) founded Società Anonima Italiana Darracq (SAID) in 1906, which eventually became ALFA. He initially attempted to sell his French cars in Italy, but the models were entirely unsuited for Italian roads. The financial failure of this venture led to the company being bought out by Italian investors and rebranded as ALFA.

Darracq was born on November 10, 1855 and died in 1931. By 1904 his company was building more than ten percent of all cars made in France, and he sold a large part of the business to British investors. His commitment to a rotary-valve engine proved a commercial failure and he retired in 1912. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).

Ugo Stella (1866-1938) was the Managing Director who effectively saved the company from Darracq's initial failure. He partnered with Italian investors to buy out the factory in Milan and formally renamed the company A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili) in 1910, shifting the focus to high-performance, Italian-designed vehicles. Ugo Stella was born in 1866.

Nicola Romeo (1876-1938) acquired ALFA in 1915 to convert its massive factories into wartime production facilities for the Italian military (manufacturing aircraft engines and munitions). Following World War I, he resumed car production and officially appended his surname to the brand, creating 'Alfa Romeo' in 1920, and cementing its legacy in Grand Prix racing. Nicola Romeo was born in 1876.