The Alfa Romeo 158 is one of the Alfa Romeo entries the open record knows by name, and by little else. That is not nothing: a name in the catalogue is where a car's story starts to be recoverable. The shape is credited to Gioacchino Colombo.
The background
The Alfa Romeo 158/159, also known as the Alfetta (Little Alfa in Italian), is a Grand Prix racing car produced by Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo. It is one of the most successful racing cars ever; the 158 and its derivative, the 159, took 47 wins from 54 Grands Prix entered.
It was originally developed for the pre-World War II voiturette formula (1937) and has a 1.5-litre straight-8 supercharged engine. Following World War II, the car was eligible for the new Formula One introduced in 1947. In the hands of drivers such as Nino Farina, Juan Manuel Fangio and Luigi Fagioli, it dominated the first two seasons of the World Championship of Drivers.
Where it sits
In the Alfa Romeo line-up the Alfa Romeo 158 has a clear place: it replaced the Alfa Romeo Tipo 512; it handed the line to the Alfa Special. Its Alfa Romeo stablemates include the A.L.F.A 12 HP and the A.L.F.A 15 HP.