Alfa Romeo RL

Alfa Romeo RL
Alfa Romeo RLSS (1925) with Lucas body from Barcelona[1]
Overview
ManufacturerAlfa Romeo
Production1922–1927
AssemblyPortello, Milan, Italy
DesignerGiuseppe Merosi
Body and chassis
LayoutFront-engine, rear-wheel drive
RelatedAlfa Romeo RM
Powertrain
Engine
  • 2.9 L I6
  • 3.0 L I6
  • 3.2 L I6
  • 3.6 L I6
Transmission4-speed manual[2]
Dimensions
Wheelbase
  • 3,440 mm (135.4 in)[3]
  • 3,140 mm (123.6 in) (RL Sport/SS)[4]
  • 2,880 mm (113.4 in) (RL T.F.)[5]
Length4,630 mm (182.3 in) Zagato
4,450 mm (175.2 in) Castagna
Width1,770 mm (69.7 in) Zagato
1,870 mm (73.6 in) Castagna
Height1,650 mm (65.0 in) Zagato
1,630 mm (64.2 in) Castagna
Kerb weight1,550 kg (3,417 lb) Zagato
1,600 kg (3,527 lb) Castagna
Chronology
PredecessorAlfa Romeo G1
SuccessorAlfa Romeo 6C 1500

The Alfa Romeo RL was produced between 1922 and 1927. It was Alfa's first sport model after World War I, 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) 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. Sivocci's car had a green cloverleaf symbol on a white background; when he won the 1923 Targa Florio, that symbol was to become the Alfa team's good luck token. Five[6][circular reference] different RLSS were entered in the first Mille Miglia in 1927, but only two completed the race.

A 1925 RLSS version with rare, original bodywork by Thornton Engineering Company in Bradford, UK, is on permanent display in the Targa Florio exhibit at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia, PA, USA. It is one of only 9 RLSS still in existence.[7]

Models [8]
Model Engine displacement Max power Years produced
RL Normale 2916 cc 56 PS (41 kW; 55 hp) (1922–1925)
RL Turismo 2996 cc 61 PS (45 kW; 60 hp) (1925–1927)
RL Sport 2996 cc 71 PS (52 kW; 70 hp) (1922–1927)
RL Super Sport 2996 cc 71 PS (52 kW; 70 hp) (1922–1927)
RL Super Sport Castagna 84 PS (62 kW; 83 hp)
RL Super Sport Zagato 89 PS (65 kW; 88 hp)
RL Targa Florio 3154 cc 95 PS (70 kW; 94 hp) (1923)
RL Targa Florio 2994 cc 90 PS (66 kW; 89 hp) (1924)
RL Targa Florio 3620 cc 125 PS (92 kW; 123 hp) (1924)
  • Alfa Romeo RL Targa Florio 1923
    Alfa Romeo RL Targa Florio 1923
  • Alfa Romeo RL Targa Florio 1924
    Alfa Romeo RL Targa Florio 1924
  • Short video clip of 1924 RL Targa Florio
  • Alfa Romeo RL Super Sport with Castagna brushed aluminium body, ex Sir Sultan Mohammed Shah Aga Khan 3 car.
    Alfa Romeo RL Super Sport with Castagna brushed aluminium body, ex Sir Sultan Mohammed Shah Aga Khan 3 car.
  • Alfa Romeo RL Normale Limousine de Ville s/n 7946
    Alfa Romeo RL Normale Limousine de Ville s/n 7946

Production numbers

Alfa Romeo RL, production by model[9]
Year 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 Total
Series I, II III, IV V VI VII I–VII
RL Normale 3 610 443 259 1,315
RL Turismo 195 126 66 387
RL Sport 3 215 176 143 537
RL Super Sport 304 12 76 392
Total 6 825 619 901 138 142 2,631

References

Notes

  1. ^ "Alfa Romeo en Auto Retro: Alfa Romeo RL SuperSport (1925)". bitacora.kcslot.com. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
  2. ^ "Search results for "Alfa"". carfolio.com. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
  3. ^ Fusi (1978), p. 57, 65.
  4. ^ Fusi (1978), p. 67.
  5. ^ Fusi (1978), p. 76, 77.
  6. ^ fr:Mille Miglia 1927
  7. ^ Simeone, Frederick. "1925 Alfa Romeo RLSS". Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  8. ^ Borgeson (1990).
  9. ^ Fusi (1978), p. 850.

Bibliography

  • Borgeson, Griffith (1990). The Alfa Romeo Tradition. City: Haynes (Foulis) Publishing Group Ltd. Somerset, UK. ISBN 0-85429-875-4.
  • Fusi, Luigi (1978). Alfa Romeo—Tutte le vetture dal 1910—All cars from 1910 (3rd ed.). Milan: Emmeti Grafica editrice.