This is a collection of Alfa Romeo factory blueprints, drawn up as production-grade facsimiles for use in manufacturing and for archive purposes. These blueprints were kept by long-time employee Luigi Fusi, and preserved in his personal archive.
Collections like this are incredibly important, as most factory blueprints are thought to have been destroyed shortly after the Fiat takeover in the mid-1980s. Alfa Romeo collectors and enthusiasts are constantly seeking out collections like this to buy and preserve them.
This collection of Alfa Romeo blueprints includes cars, engines, and other individual parts, including some of the company’s most beautiful creations.
The Importance Of Luigi Fusi
Luigi Fusi joined Alfa Romeo in 1920, initially as an archivist in the legendary Italian automaker’s technical department. 25 years later in 1955, he was appointed Head of Control Drawings, a position he retained until his retirement in 1967 after an extraordinary 47 years working at Alfa Romeo.
During Fusi’s time at Alfa Romeo he was instructed, along with his team, to redraw and preserve the original pre-WWII Alfa Romeo blueprints, as many were damaged during the conflict due to Allied bombings or general neglect.
In later years, Fusi would became the curator for the the Alfa Romeo Hall of Fame, and he would write what many consider to be the authority on the company’s vintage and classic models, “Alfa Romeo, Tutte Le Vetture Dal 1910” (Alfa Romeo, All Cars From 1910).
A number of the blueprints in this collection bear Fusi’s name, a testament to the important preservation work he did all those years ago. Many of the drawings were done on technical acetate tracing paper, which was used in the Alfa Romeo workshops in Arese, Milan to duplicate the master engineering blueprints for use elsewhere during production.
This collection of Alfa blueprints spans several decades of the brand’s history, some highlights include a 120 x 100 cm cross-section of the 1914 Grand Prix engine at 1:1 scale, and a 95 x 68 cm drawing of the 1923 G.P.R. engine, also at 1:1 scale.
There are chassis details including a 150 x 86 cm drawing of Alfa chassis T435Vk3, alongside a 130 x 71 cm Type 75 variable pitch propeller design. Other mechanical drawings include a 76 x 70 cm hub and axle assembly drawing, a 74 x 44 cm engine detail drawing, and a 57 x 33 cm general mechanical detail blueprint.
The fine detail in these engine blueprints is incredible, and they would make a great piece of all art once framed behind glass.
There are also later blueprints including a 43 x 29 cm Grand Prix 8C 308 from 1938, and 88 x 63 cm body design drawing for the beautiful 1967 Coupé “33.”
The collection is now being offered for sale in an online auction on Collecting Cars, and you can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more or place a bid.
Images courtesy of Collecting Cars
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