Alfa Romeo’s Quadrifoglio performance brand is turning 100 this year – June 25 to be exact – and the automaker has a number of celebrations planned, not least because this year also marks the 60th anniversary of Alfa Romeo’s Autodelta racing division.
To kick things off, Alfa Romeo on Thursday unveiled an updated design for its Quadrifoglio logo, framed in gold and finished in a more vibrant shade of green.
This famous emblem first appeared in 1923 on the Targa Florio RL driven by Ugo Sivocci. Since then, the symbol has been applied to all of the sportier machines in Alfa Romeo’s stable.
That original RL race car proudly wears the badge, which other cars have propelled Alfa Romeo to the podium in many races.
2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio
The Quadrifoglio adorned the Alfa Romeo cars that won the first two Formula 1 races in the sport’s inaugural 1950 season. It’s been applied to DTM winners, and it’s been affixed to cars designed to bring sporty driving to the streets, with the latest iterations being the Giulia Quadrifoglio and Stelvio Quadrifoglio. Both cars are powered by a twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V-6 making 500 horsepower, and both carry on the proud tradition with the Quadrifoglio.
The automotive industry has used many cool symbols and badges over the years. However, only a few can claim to have achieved iconic status, and the Quadrifoglio is one of them. Its use on Ugo Sivocci’s RL bonnet has come a long way, but it’s good to see it continually being applied and appreciated by Alfa Romeo and its fans.
As for Autodelta, it dates back to March 5, 1963, when brothers Carlo Chiti and Chizzola founded Auto-Delta with the intention of building the Giulia TZ in partnership with Alfa Romeo. Alfa Romeo eventually took over the company in 1965, establishing it as the official racing division, changing the name to Autodelta in the process.