The History of Alfa Romeo
 (by Elvira Ruocco)


 Article 10

When Alfa could have purchased Ferrari

Dr. Enrico Sala, who was the Alfa Romeo Sales Manager (he left Alfa in 1979) and is Eng. Giuseppe Luraghi’s son-in-law, told me an episode, from his real experience, that perhaps not many people know or remember.

On November 28, 1967, Gianni Agnelli met Luraghi in Milan and asked him whether he agreed on purchasing the Ferrari, which was in difficulties in that period, together with Fiat. The negotiations which Dr. Sala personally lived went on for more than one year, during which Enzo Ferrari met Luraghi twice in Milan and once in Maranello.

During those meetings, Ferrari urged Luraghi in order that were Alfa to take over the Ferrari because for him it was how “to re-enter his mother’s womb” and then added that “he was not really fond” of Fiat.

Luraghi declined in each occasions this invitation by explaining that the offer for purchasing the Ferrari together with Fiat came from Agnelli and he was not absolutely intending to betray the trust of L’Avvocato*.

The Luraghi’s loyalty was betrayed indeed by Agnelli, who a fine day got on a private helicopter, landed in Maranello and purchased on his own the Ferrari by acquainting Luraghi with his decision to purchase alone, when anything could not be changed. Luraghi on his turn, informed the IRI via a letter with the contents which follows:

«The Agnelli’s statement was so peremptory that I did not think it proper to insist on complying with the pact proposed to me by him at first, that is the pact to provide for a joint purchase».

In the Fifties, under the chairmanship of Luraghi, several international agreements were entered into: cars of the French Renault were assembled, thousands of diesel engines which were fitted into mid-size Renault cars were built in Pomigliano, cars and heavy vehicles were produced in Brasil in the Fabrica Nacional de Motores.

Again with Renault and Fiat, a plant was established in Foggia where diesel engines were produced for the three brands. In Spain, the Fadisa company had produced for twenty years, under license from Alfa, the Romeo vehicle. In 1956, it entered into a contract with the Hoffmann company for the import into the United States of a thousand of Giulietta Spider.

When in 1987 it was Fiat to purchase Alfa, beating Ford, it did not take over a weak district as L’Avvocato stated, but a brand that had and still has got an inestimable value in the world.

(*) Gianni Agnelli was nicknamed “L'Avvocato” (the lawyer) because he had a degree in law.

Elvira Ruocco

Copyright Information and Credits
All the multimedia materials and the texts present in this page cannot be reproduced in any way without the explicit permit of authors and/or owners of the contents. In particular, this applies with reference to texts and pictures of Ms. Elvira Ruocco and of the Alfa Romeo Historic Archive who explicitly authorized the AlfaSport Club for publication.

Translation by Fabio Grandi


Previous Article Menu   Next Article


info@alfasport.net | Privacy | copyright club alfa sport 2019 |