Paris Spotlight: an early Alfa Romeo RL with racing blood

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Ask the average car enthusiast about Alfa Romeo and dreamy images of models such as the 6C and 8C soon come to mind. The early history of the marque, however, is far less well known. Names like Alexandre Darracq or Giuseppe Merosi often mean little, even though it was precisely in those formative years that the foundations were laid for everything that would later make Alfa Romeo so legendary. A key role in that story is played by the Alfa Romeo RL, the model introduced after the First World War that firmly put the brand on the map.

It all began with the Frenchman Alexandre Darracq, who saw a market for automobiles in Italy. His small and underpowered cars proved unsuccessful. The company was renamed ALFA, Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili, and engineer Giuseppe Merosi was brought in. He designed the first true Alfa: the 24 HP with a 4.0-litre four-cylinder engine. During the war, Nicola Romeo took over the company to focus on military production. After 1918, attention returned to automobiles. Merosi developed the G1, Alfa’s first six-cylinder model, but real success would come with its successor.

In October 1921 the Alfa Romeo RL was unveiled, reaching the market in 1922. Once again a six-cylinder, now with 2.9 litres displacement and overhead valves. The RL was available in several versions, including the sporty Sport variant. For promotion it was actively campaigned in motorsport, with the highlight being a one-two victory in the 1923 Targa Florio. The RL continued to evolve; in 1925 the more powerful Super Sport appeared. Between 1922 and 1927, 2,631 examples were built. Until the arrival of the 6C, the RL remained Alfa Romeo’s sporting standard-bearer.

At the upcoming Salon Retromobile, a particularly early RL with an impressive competition history will be on display at the PreWarCar.com stand. The chassis (no. 7087) was built in 1923 and delivered to Argentina on 3 January 1924. Its lightweight, locally built bodywork is typical for that country, where cars were often imported without coachwork to reduce taxes.

The Alfa Romeo dealership in Buenos Aires had only just been founded by Eduardo Caru Jr. and his father, simply because they wanted to buy an RL themselves. Caru used the car to promote his new business in racing. On 15 April 1924 he sold it to racing driver Ernesto Zanardi, who campaigned the RL in numerous events under Caru’s name. Documents show that Zanardi was paid a monthly fee and even took out a special racing insurance policy.

The RL took part in events such as the 1925 Gran Premio Nacional (third overall), the 1925 Circuit Castellano (with the fastest lap at an average of over 130 km/h), and the 1926 Circuito Audax Córdoba. Later, the car remained active with subsequent owners. In 1942 it passed to the Sala family, who kept it for more than sixty years. After a long period of neglect, the RL was rescued in 1994 and carefully restored.

Remarkably, this car is almost entirely “matching numbers,” to use a popular term: chassis, engine, steering, gearbox and rear axle all still belong together. Only the front axle is of a slightly later type, reflecting the introduction of front brakes in late 1923.

Since 2012, the RL has been in the care of a German collector. After a technical overhaul—while preserving its authentic “oily rag” appearance—and a complete engine rebuild, it returned to numerous events like the Villa d’Este in 2024 where it was invited. Its next stop is Salon Retromobile, where this historic Alfa Romeo can be admired, and potentially purchased, at PreWarCar.com stand Pav 7.3 B011.

Details:

• Event: Salon Rétromobile
• Date: 28 January – 1 February 2026
• Location: Parc des Expositions Porte de Versailles, Paris, France
• Tickets: Click here

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