Alfa Romeo · 1922–1927
Alfa Romeo RL
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.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Predecessor: Alfa Romeo G1 · Successor: Alfa Romeo 6C
All Alfa Romeo RL data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →
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 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.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.
Specifications
- name
- Alfa Romeo RL
- Manufacturer
- Alfa Romeo
- Production
- 1922–1927
- Assembly
- Portello, Milan, Italy
- Designer
- Giuseppe Merosi
- Layout
- Front-engine, rear-wheel drive
- Related
- Alfa Romeo RM
- Engine
- 2.9 L I6, 3.0 L I6, 3.2 L I6, 3.6 L I6
- Transmission
- 4-speed manual
- Wheelbase
- 3440 mmFusi, 3140 mm (RL Sport/SS)Fusi, 2880 mm (RL T.F.)Fusi
- Length
- 4630 mm Zagato, 4450 mm Castagna
- Width
- 1770 mm Zagato, 1870 mm Castagna
- Height
- 1650 mm Zagato, 1630 mm Castagna
- Kerb weight
- 1550 kg Zagato, 1600 kg Castagna
- Predecessor
- Alfa Romeo G1
- Successor
- Alfa Romeo 6C 1500
- sp
- uk
Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.
More photos
Sources
- Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2093066CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa_Romeo_RLCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1270718028 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alfa-Romeo-RL.jpgCC BY-SA 2.5 · Photo: Lennart Coopmans · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.