A.L.F.A 24 HP
Encyclopedia
The A.L.F.A 24 HP came on the market in 1910. This was the first automobile created by A.L.F.A (later Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...

). Giuseppe Merosi
Giuseppe Merosi
Giuseppe Merosi was a famous Italian automobile engineer.Born in Piacenza, Merosi trained as a building surveyor, before he discovered his gift for the automotive engineering. He gained first experiences at Bianchi and the running department of Fiats...

 was the man behind engineering. The car was used for the first time in car racing in the 1911 Targa Florio
Targa Florio
The Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973...

. This was first commercial success for the company and the timeline of the HP series tells that the car was continuously developed onwards. The 24HP had a 4082 cc straight-4 sidevalve engine, which produced 42 bhp with 2200 rpm and gave top speed of over 100 kilometre per hour. Until 1913 approximately 200 A.L.F.A 24 HPs were built.

The engine designation consisting of a number as well as "HP" came from the then usual designation of tax schedule
Tax horsepower
The tax horsepower or taxable horsepower was an early system by which taxation rates for automobiles were reckoned in some European countries, such as Britain, Belgium, Germany, France, and Italy; some US states like Illinois charged license plate purchase and renewal fees for passenger...

s. The 24HP became the starting point of a whole series of vehicles, which were built until 1921 and included:
  • 12HP , 2413 cc straight-4 and 22 bhp, (1910–1911)
  • 15HP , 2413 cc straight-4 and 25 bhp, (1912–1913)
  • 40-60 HP
    A.L.F.A 40/60 HP
    The A.L.F.A 40/60 HP was a race and road car made by Italian car manufacturer A.L.F.A . This model was made between 1913 and 1922 and was designed by Giuseppe Merosi, just like all other Alfas at that time. The 40/60 HP has a 6082 cc straight-4 engine with overhead valves, which produced and its...

     , 6082 cc straight-4 and 70 bhp, (1913–1914)
  • 15-20 HP , 2413 cc straight-4 and 28 bhp, (1914–1915)
  • 20-30 HP , 4082 cc straight-4 and 49 bhp, (1914–1920)
  • 20-30 ES Sport , 4250 cc straight-4 and 67 bhp, (1921)


The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK