Happy 100th, Alfa

Alfa Romeo turns 100 this week. With a company history not short of high and low points, the Italian carmaker has managed what many have not -- it has maintained its relevance in a world that has changed in ways that would have been inconceivable 100 years ago.

We might not have the flying cars some imagined, glass bubble-tops may not have eventuated and we don't drive the freeways without touching the steering wheel, but we are at least offered ever-safer, ever more refined cars that provide ever higher levels of driver enjoyment and passenger comfort.

As part of this evolution that has seen principles put into place 100 years ago undergo unbelievable improvements in refinement, efficiency and environmental sensitivity, Alfa Romeo's place in the hierarchy of carmakers might have changed -- it is not subject to the aspirational yearnings some models enjoyed in the past - but the company hasn't become a mass-market brand either. And although Australia might not be the company's biggest customer, this country does have a remarkable ace up its sleeve: We are the caretakers of the only existing example of the first car to wear the Alfa Romeo badge -- the G1 two-seater imported new to Australia in 1921 and now owned by Alfa Romeo importer, Neville Crichton.

The company was officially established in Milan on June 24 1910 as A L F A (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili -- "Lombard Automobile Factory, Public Company") and became Alfa Romeo when ALFA, suffering from the consequences of WWI, was acquired by engineer and entrepreneur Nicola Romeo in December 1915. The first car to wear the A L F A badge was the 24 HP: "a model that stood out from the very beginning for its mechanics, performance and driving pleasure".

The G1 that followed was a big car with a big engine, aimed at the likes of Rolls-Royce with its 6.3-litre inline six-cylinder producing 52kW and giving a maximum speed of 138km/h. The G1 was also used as a race car, winning events such as the Coppa de Garda and setting the stage for its successor, the Alfa Romeo RL that won many races, including the 1923 Targa Florio.

Alfa's history in auto racing is studded with famous victories and famous names: the Mille Miglia (a still-standing record of 11 wins), the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Targa Florio were the scenes of many victories in the hands of drivers including Antonio Ascari, Enzo Ferrari and Tazio Nuvolari, The company's operations were severely impacted by WWII, but Alfa Romeo picked up its racing participation quickly with drivers including Nino Farina and Juan Manuel Fangio securing the brand as one not to be messed with on the racetrack.

With a strong business in building engines for industry, aircraft and boats, Alfa Romeo was also developing its car lineup, including standout vehicles such as the 1900 Disco Volante -- a weird-shaped sportscar able to reach 225km/h. Names more familiar today included the Giulietta Sprint introduced in 1954 and the Spider and Berlina models in 1955.

Into the 1960s and Alfa Romeo cars were regarded as a cut above many competitors with twin-camshaft engines, five-seed gearboxes and, in some models, De Dion rear axles with rear-mounted transmissions.

With the acquisition by Italian carmaker Fiat in 1986, the Alfa model range diversified again, setting the stage for the company as we know it today.

As part of Fiat, detractors argue that Alfa Romeos today are not the distinctly original creations they once were. In some ways that is true, but it is also true that without the Fiat takeover, Alfa Romeo may not have even made it into the third millennium.

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