​History of the car

The Alfa Romeo RL was produced between 1922-1927. It was Alfa's first sport model after World War I. The car was designed in 1921 by Giuseppe Merosi. It had a straight-6 engine with overhead valves. Three different versions were made: Normale, Turismo and Sport. RL total production was 2640. The RLTF (Targa Florio) was the race version of RL - it weighed half of normal versions, the engine had seven main bearings instead of four and double carburetors. In 1923 Alfa's race team had drivers like Ugo Sivocci, Antonio Ascari, Giulio Masetti and Enzo Ferrari. Sivocci's car had green cloverleaf symbol on white background and when he won Targa Florio 1923, that symbol was to become the Alfa team's good luck token.

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In 1927, 2 different RLSS were entered in the first Mille Miglia, but both dropped out after briefly leading the race. A 1925 RLSS version with rare, original bodywork by Thornton Engineering Company in Bradford, UK, is on permanent display in the Brooklandsexhibit at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia, PA, USA. It is one of only 9 RLSS still in existence.

 

 

This is the 7th winner at the first Mille Miglia (1927) driven by Arturo Mercanti & Carlo Sozzi Alfa Romeo RL Super Sport MM.

 

The Alfa Romeo RL was a very important model for the italian brand.Their racing and sports versions known as RLSS were very succesful and the best drivers at the time were part of the Alfa Romeo team. Probably thanks to its racing success, the tourism versions of the very same model started to be very trendy among the high societyduring the 20’s.Royalties,aristocratics and politicians like Aga Khan, Prince of Siam and many more.

RL total production was 2640.

Variants:
RL Normale, 2916 cc 56 bhp (1922–1925)
RL Turismo, 2996 cc 61 bhp (1925–1927)
RL Sport, 2996 cc 71 bhp (1922–1927)
RL Super Sport, 2996 cc 71 bhp (1922–1927)
RL Super Sport Castagna, 84 bhp
RL Super Sport Zagato, 89 bhp
RL Targa Florio, 3154 cc 95 bhp (1923)
RL Targa Florio, 2994 cc 90 bhp (1924)
RL Targa Florio, 3620 cc 125 bhp (1924)