The Alfa Romeo RL was produced between 1922 and 1927. It was Alfa's first sport model after

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, designed in 1921 by Giuseppe Merosi. It had a straight-6 engine with overhead valves, and came in three different versions: Normale, Turismo and Sport. A total of 2,640 RLs were made.

Models

The RLTF (

Targa Florio The Targa Florio was a public road Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near the island's capital of Palermo, Sicily, Palermo. Founded in 1906 Targa Florio, 1906, it was the oldest sports car ra ...

) was the race version of the RL. It weighed half as much as the standard production models, despite the engine having seven main bearings instead of four and double carburetors. It was used among the 1923 Alfa race team, which had drivers like Ugo Sivocci, Antonio Ascari, Giulio Masetti and

Enzo Ferrari Enzo Anselmo Giuseppe Maria Ferrari (; ; 18 February 1898 – 14 August 1988) was an Italian racing driver and entrepreneur, the founder of Scuderia Ferrari in Grand Prix motor racing, and subsequently of the Ferrari automobile marque. Under h ...

. Sivocci's car had a green cloverleaf symbol on a white background; when he won the 1923

, that symbol was to become the Alfa team's good luck token. Five :fr:Mille Miglia 1927 different RLSS were entered in the first

Mille Miglia The Mille Miglia (, ''Thousand Miles'') was an open-road, motorsport Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance race established in 1927 by the young Counts :it:Franco Mazzotti, Francesco Mazzotti and Aymo Maggi. It took place in Italy 24 times f ...

in 1927, but only two completed the race. A 1925 RLSS version with rare, original bodywork by Thornton Engineering Company in

Bradford Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the Local Government Act 1972, 1974 reform, the city status in the United Kingdo ...

, UK, is on permanent display in the Targa Florio exhibit at the

Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum is an automotive museum located at 6825 Norwitch Drive in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The museum's collection consists of approximately 75 racing sports cars and has been assembled over more ...

in Philadelphia, PA, USA. It is one of only 9 RLSS still in existence. File:Alfa Romeo RL Targa Florio.jpg, Alfa Romeo RL Targa Florio 1923 File:Alfa Romeo RL Targa Florio fl.jpg, Alfa Romeo RL Targa Florio 1924 File:Alfa Romeo RL TF 1924 at Gaisbergrennen 2010.ogv, Short video clip of 1924 RL Targa Florio File:Alfa-Romeo-RL.jpg, Alfa Romeo RL Super Sport with Castagna brushed aluminium body, ex Sir Sultan Mohammed Shah Aga Khan 3 car. File:Paris - Bonhams 2015 - Alfa Romeo RL Limousine de Ville - 1924 - 001.jpg, Alfa Romeo RL Normale Limousine de Ville s/n 7946

Production numbers

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * {{Alfa Romeo Pre War Timeline RL Sports cars Cars introduced in 1922 Articles containing video clips Cars discontinued in 1927