Alfa Romeo does not build many cars like the A.L.F.A 15 HP with 2.4 L I4, built from 1911 to 1913 as the assembly line was turning motoring into an industry.
Where it came from
The A.L.F.A 15 HP is a medium size car produced by A.L.F.A., a company that later became Alfa Romeo, from 1911 to 1913. The model was derived from the A.L.F.A. 12 HP and had a four-cylinder engine with 2,413 cc of displacement. Compared to the predecessor, the displacement was unchanged, but power output was increased. The 15-HP engine had a compression ratio of 4.2:1 and developed a maximum output of 24 hp (18 kW) at 2,400 rpm. Bore and stroke were, respectively, 80 and 120 mm (3.1 and 4.7 in).
It was a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive car. The 15 HP had a three-speed gearbox, and was equipped with a parking brake. The track was 1,300 mm (51.2 in). The 15 HP was available in two types of body: torpedo and saloon. The car had a top speed of 95 km/h (59 mph). It was designed by Giuseppe Merosi and was priced at 9,500 lire.
Under the skin
Under the skin sits 2.4 L I4. Kerb weight is 920 kg. The gearbox is a 3-speed manual. The layout matters: a front engine drives the rear wheels, the classic proportion — long bonnet, cabin set back — that most people picture when they picture a sports saloon or a grand tourer. The wheelbase is 2920 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
In context
Where it sits in Alfa Romeo's history is not in doubt: the A.L.F.A 12 HP came before it; the A.L.F.A 15-20 HP followed it; it was built at Portello, Milan, Italy. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Ford Model T, the Panhard Tracteur Panhard-Châtillon, the Fiat S74. Nearby in the Alfa Romeo catalogue sit the A.L.F.A 12 HP and the A.L.F.A 15-20 HP.
The money
MotorJury scores cars on the United States complaint and recall record, and the A.L.F.A 15 HP has none: too old, too rare, or never sold there. Its value today is a collector's question, decided by provenance and condition rather than by a class average.