| 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 |
|
| Transmission | 4-speedmanual[2] |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | |
| 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 |
TheAlfa Romeo RL was produced between 1922 and 1927. It was Alfa's first sport model afterWorld War I, designed in 1921 byGiuseppe 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.
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 likeUgo Sivocci,Antonio Ascari,Giulio Masetti andEnzo Ferrari. Sivocci's car had a green cloverleaf symbol on a white background; when he won the 1923Targa Florio, that symbol was to become the Alfa team's good luck token. Five[6][circular reference] different RLSS were entered in the firstMille Miglia in 1927, but only two completed the race.
A 1925 RLSS version with rare, original bodywork by Thornton Engineering Company inBradford, UK, is on permanent display in the Targa Florio exhibit at theSimeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia, PA, USA. It is one of only 9 RLSS still in existence.[7]
| 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) |
| 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 | |
