Alfa Romeo RL

Alfa Romeo RL
Alfa Romeo RLSS (1925) with Lucas body from Barcelona[1]
Overview
Manufacturer	Alfa Romeo
Production	1922–1927
Assembly	Portello, Milan, Italy
Designer	Giuseppe Merosi
Body and chassis
Layout	Front-engine, rear-wheel drive
Related	Alfa Romeo RM
Powertrain
Engine	2.9 L I6 3.0 L I6 3.2 L I6 3.6 L I6
Transmission	4-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]
Length	4,630 mm (182.3 in) Zagato 4,450 mm (175.2 in) Castagna
Width	1,770 mm (69.7 in) Zagato 1,870 mm (73.6 in) Castagna
Height	1,650 mm (65.0 in) Zagato 1,630 mm (64.2 in) Castagna
Kerb weight	1,550 kg (3,417 lb) Zagato 1,600 kg (3,527 lb) Castagna
Chronology
Predecessor	Alfa Romeo G1
Successor	Alfa Romeo 6C 1500

The Alfa Romeo RL was produced between 1922-1927. It was Alfa's first sport model after World War I. The car was designed in 1921 by Giuseppe Merosi. It had a straight-6 engine with overhead valves. Three different versions were made: Normale, Turismo and Sport. RL total production was 2640. The RLTF (Targa Florio) was the race version of RL - it weighed half of normal versions, the engine had seven main bearings instead of four and double carburetors. In 1923 Alfa's race team had drivers like Ugo Sivocci, Antonio Ascari, Giulio Masetti and Enzo Ferrari. Sivocci's car had green cloverleaf symbol on white background and when he won Targa Florio 1923, that symbol was to become the Alfa team's good luck token.

In 1927, 2 different RLSS were entered in the first Mille Miglia, but both dropped out after briefly leading the race. A 1925 RLSS version with rare, original bodywork by Thornton Engineering Company in Bradford, UK, is on permanent display in the Brooklands exhibit at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia, PA, USA. It is one of only 9 RLSS still in existence.^[6]

Variants:

• RL Normale, 2916 cc 56 bhp (1922–1925)
• RL Turismo, 2996 cc 61 bhp (1925–1927)
• RL Sport, 2996 cc 71 bhp (1922–1927)
• RL Super Sport, 2996 cc 71 bhp (1922–1927)
• RL Super Sport Castagna, 84 bhp
• RL Super Sport Zagato, 89 bhp
• RL Targa Florio, 3154 cc 95 bhp (1923)
• RL Targa Florio, 2994 cc 90 bhp (1924)
• RL Targa Florio, 3620 cc 125 bhp (1924)

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  Alfa Romeo RL Targa Florio 1923

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  Alfa Romeo RL Targa Florio 1924

• Play media

  Short video clip of 1924 RL Targa Florio

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  Alfa Romeo RL Super Sport with Castagna brushed aluminium body

Production numbers

Alfa Romeo 6C 1750, production by model^[7]

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. Simeone, Frederick. "1925 Alfa Romeo RLSS". Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
7. 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.