ALFA ROMEO’S NEW DAWN
A rediscovered factory archive looks behind the scenes at the Arese works
The early ’60s was an important transition time for Alfa Romeo. Prior to WW2, the Milanese firm’s annual production had only once topped 1000 cars, the automotive division being just one element of a broader portfolio ranging from commercials to aero engines. With the success of the Giulietta, however, output rapidly expanded and by 1960 had reached 33,606.
Production had been based at Portello for generations, but ambitious plans in the early ’60s for a new range of more affordable cars required a larger factory to satisfy demand. A site was found 10 miles north in Arese, located conveniently near the autostrada. While much of the mechanical assembly initially remained at the old plant, the new facility was designed for mass production and the first floor opened in 1963 with the relocated Giulia Ti line. The first car completed at Arese, however, was a Sprint GT – as presented to the press on 9 September.
Engineers had planned for an annual 150,000 capacity, and the 100,000 mark was passed for the first time in 1969. Alfa management was rightfully proud of the new factory, and thankfully its development was extensively photographed. Only recently has this vivid record come to light, revealing a pre-automated time when Alfas were hand-built and finished by a dedicated workforce. From the intense heat of the foundry, where the aluminium engines were cast, to crash-testing at Balocco, these previously unpublished images offer a fascinating window into life at 1960s Alfa Romeo.
These are not edited press shots, but an authentic view of working life. The equipment at various production stages makes an interesting study, such as the huge Eustacchio presses that stamped out panels or the early IBM computers in the test department. Likewise the people, with muscular men removing still-glowing crankshafts from the moulds or female workers fitting wiring on harness plans. Sales manager Enrico Sala and other management took regular tours around the assembly lines of the new facility.
These remarkable images were discovered by German enthusiast Patrick Dasse in the factory archives. As well as press shots of various 101and 105-series models, Dasse found thousands of negatives of the newly completed Arese plant. With the encouragement of Dr Marco Fazio, manager of the Centro Documentazione, Dasse began planning a series of ambitious books. “I’ve never met anyone with so much dedication and such deep love for Alfa Romeo as Dr Fazio,” says Dasse. “Without him, this project would never have seen the light of day.”