Alfa Romeo RL Super Sport
The Alfa Romeo RL series, introduced in 1922, represented a pivotal moment in the young company's history. Designed by Giuseppe Merosi, who had been chief engineer at Alfa Romeo (then A.L.F.A.) since before the First World War, the RL was the firm's first six-cylinder production car and its first model genuinely conceived as a sporting automobile rather than a utility vehicle.
The RL Super Sport (RLSS) was the most potent variant, featuring a tuned version of the 3.0-liter inline-six engine that produced approximately 83 horsepower — a remarkable figure for a three-liter engine in the early 1920s. The engine used overhead valves, aluminum pistons, and a carefully designed intake and exhaust system that gave it a power advantage over most contemporary competitors.
Built on a shortened wheelbase for improved handling, the RLSS was lighter and more nimble than the standard RL Normale and RL Turismo variants. The four-speed manual gearbox provided adequate ratios for both road and competition use, and the drum brakes — while primitive by modern standards — were effective for the speeds involved.
The RL Super Sport quickly established Alfa Romeo as a force in motorsport. In 1923, Ugo Sivocci drove an RLSS to victory in the Targa Florio, marking Alfa Romeo's first major international racing triumph. It was on this car that the Quadrifoglio Verde (four-leaf clover) emblem was first applied — Sivocci's personal good-luck symbol that became Alfa Romeo's enduring performance badge.
Coachwork was typically fitted by Italian carrozzerie such as Castagna, Touring, and others, each body unique or produced in small series. This means no two surviving RL Super Sports are exactly alike, adding to both their historical interest and their collectibility.
Only 392 Super Sport models were built over the production run, making survivors exceedingly rare. Those that remain are prized by collectors and regularly appear at the most prestigious concours events and vintage racing meetings worldwide. The RL Super Sport established the template that Alfa Romeo would follow for decades: a powerful engine, lightweight construction, and uncompromising sporting character.
Extremely rare and valuable — any purchase requires expert authentication. Verify chassis numbers through the Registro Storico Alfa Romeo. Provenance and documented history are essential. Coachwork authenticity is a major consideration, as many bodies were replaced or modified over the decades. Mechanical parts are virtually unobtainable except through specialist restoration houses. A pre-purchase inspection by a recognized Alfa Romeo vintage expert is mandatory.
Total RL production across all variants (Normale, Turismo, Sport, Super Sport) was approximately 2,631 units. The Super Sport accounted for 392 of these. Each car received bespoke coachwork from various Italian body builders, making every example unique. Production ceased in 1927 as the RL was replaced by the Vittorio Jano-designed 6C series.