The 1938 Alfetta was a technological jewel. The in-line eight-cylinder engine featured twin overhead cams and a single-stage supercharger fed by a triple-choke carburettor and was developed by Gioacchino Colombo, head of the design department.  Colombo’s objectives were simple: make it powerful, responsive, and reliable. The motor used engineering principles far ahead of its time. 

The use of light alloys (elektron for the block and nickel-chromium steel for the crankshaft) enabled engine weight to be reduced to as low as 165kg. The gearbox was mounted in the rear, in a single unit with the differential. The "transaxle" took up less space, while providing optimal weight distribution across two axles: a solution that the brand would later use in its production road car bearing the Alfetta name.

The Second World War brought the fast-paced development of Alfa Romeo cars to a shuddering halt. But the technical solutions envisaged by the project were sophisticated enough to be valid after the war – and, in some cases, even to the present day. 

Not long after the end of the war, those same Alfetta 158s were brought back to Portello and carefully restored and prepared to return to racing. And racing meant winning, even though circuits were being repaired and championships were fragmented. Between 1947 and 1948, Nino Farina came first in the Gran Prix of the Nations in Geneva, Varzi was first in the Valentino Grand Prix in Turin, and Tossi tore the competition to shreds to triumph in the Gran Premio of Milan. The message was loud and clear: Alfa Romeo was still the car to beat. 

The British Grand Prix at Silverstone in 1950 was the first of eight races that constituted the first FIA Formula 1 World Championship. Countries that had been at war with one another only a few years earlier were united in a single sporting event: it was a historic moment. And it turned out to be a historic triumph for Alfa Romeo. 

The first four places on the starting grid were occupied by four Alfetta 158 models. Giuseppe “Nino” Farina achieved pole position, the fastest lap, and the final victory. Second came Luigi Fagioli, and third Reg Parnell. The first F1 podium was dominated by Alfa Romeo.

The following year, the championship was only decided in the last race at the end of a long duel between Alfa Romeo and Ferrari. After 17 years, the phenomenal Alfetta engine was reaching the end of its potential for further development, but during the 1951 season the technicians managed yet again to wring out the last drops of extra power to reach 450bhp. Thanks to this final effort, and to its extraordinarily talented drivers, the 159 triumphed in the GPs of Switzerland, Belgium, France and Spain, with eleven podium finishes and the fastest lap in all seven of the races.

The “3 Fs” and their victories became mythical, taking Alfa Romeo to the silver screen. The two most powerful Italian producers of the time (Dino De Laurentis and Carlo Ponti) chose the biggest stars of the moment (Amedeo Nazzari and the stunning Alida Valli) for the leading roles in “Last Meeting”, a film set on Formula 1 racetracks and in the offices of the Alfa Romeo Racing Team. The writer, Alberto Moravia, collaborated on the script.

The film was released on 24 October 1951, and four days later Juan Manuel Fangio – driving the legendary Alfetta 159 – won the Spanish Grand Prix and Alfa Romeo’s second consecutive world championship. With this historic achievement, Alfa Romeo withdrew from Formula 1 to devote itself to producing equally magnificent and successful road and sports cars.