Currently reading: New Alfa Romeo museum opened - picture special

Alfa has reinvented its museum in Arese as part of the brand's own relaunch; Autocar has already paid a visit to the new site

Alfa Romeo has completely redeveloped its museum in Arese, Italy. The move follows the relaunch of Alfa itself as a maker of sporty rear-wheel-drive models starting with the Giulia.

‘La macchina del tempo – Museo storico Alfa Romeo’ (The Time Machine – Alfa Romeo Historical Museum) reopened last week alongside a new brand centre for Alfa, which includes a showroom, test track, customer delivery area and bookshop, all part of the firm using its 105-year history to promote its new cars.

Alfa’s museum closed in 2009 after the Arese plant was decommissioned. Architect Benedetto Camerana was commissioned for a new design in late 2013, and work started on the new museum last summer.

The museum, which, unlike before, is now open to the public without advance warning needed, is now home to 69 of Alfa’s most iconic road and race cars spread out over three floors.

The three floors each get their own theme: 'Timeline', which is a chronological walk-through of some of Alfa’s great road cars; 'Beauty', which features some of its famous models from coachbuilders, design studios, concept cars and movie cars; and 'Speed', which shows off some of Alfa’s legendary racing cars.

The Timeline section houses 19 cars, including Alfa’s first model, the 24HP of 1910, through to the 8C and 6C models of the 1930s and 1940s, the 1900 and Giulietta of the 1950s, 1962’s Giulia, the Alfetta and Alfasud of the 1970s, and the 156 and 8C of more recent times.

Several themed areas feature in the Beauty section, including Alfas reimagined by famous Italian design houses such as Pininfarina, Bertone, Touring Superleggera and Giugiaro. Alfas from the 1930s and 1940s coachbuilt by Touring also feature in this section, including the Pebble Beach Concours-winning 1938 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta.

Multiple versions of the Giulia and Giulietta are given prominence in special exhibits in the Beauty section to recognise their significance in Alfa’s history.

In the Speed section of the museum are famous Alfa racing cars, including F1 world championship-winning cars of the 1950s, Mille Miglia and Targa Florio winners, through to its more modern touring cars. 

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Alfa Romeo and the Giulia name is back, and returned in the shape of a saloon that is determined to disrupt the top order - watch out BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz and Audi

Mark Tisshaw

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Title: Editor

Mark is a journalist with more than a decade of top-level experience in the automotive industry. He first joined Autocar in 2009, having previously worked in local newspapers. He has held several roles at Autocar, including news editor, deputy editor, digital editor and his current position of editor, one he has held since 2017.

From this position he oversees all of Autocar’s content across the print magazine, autocar.co.uk website, social media, video, and podcast channels, as well as our recent launch, Autocar Business. Mark regularly interviews the very top global executives in the automotive industry, telling their stories and holding them to account, meeting them at shows and events around the world.

Mark is a Car of the Year juror, a prestigious annual award that Autocar is one of the main sponsors of. He has made media appearances on the likes of the BBC, and contributed to titles including What Car?Move Electric and Pistonheads, and has written a column for The Sun.

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AHA1 7 July 2015

Roll on the group test

Most of these debates should wiat until the group tests of the XE and Giulia vs the usual German suspects. Obviously many mags, Autocar included, have their editorial integrity compromised by whichever mfrs' PR dept they have got into bed with. We readers will have to read between the lines as usual. However I think Jag and Alfa have a better opportunity now than at any point in the last 20 years. The Germans are vulnerable here in established markets: super boring Audizzz, blingtastic Mercs & cookie cutter Beemers don't have quite the grip on our wallets that they used to.
Beastie_Boy 7 July 2015

Is the Giulia really on par with an A4, 3 series, XE, C Class?

I'd have thought it more of a match for a Passat, Mondeo or Mazda6.
Bristolbluemanc 7 July 2015

Match

As reliable as a Mazda 6 - we'll wait and see!
voyager12 7 July 2015

What! No Alfa 155?

The car that brought so much street cred to the brand because of its dominance in touring car racing, notably in DTM, and that warmed up the public to the 156. Both 155 and 156 are more Alfa IMO than Alfa's rendition of the German sports sedan.