1970s ALFA ROMEO BROCHURE ITALIAN AUTO CO HISTORY B/W PHOTOS DESIGN ROSS ROY NY

Description

Up for auction is a great old 1970s American-published illustrated booklet all about the Italian Alfa Romeo automobile. The very cool 12-page, double-stapled publication has pages of increasing width, allowing for the red, black, and cream car designs at the bottom to be amalgams of Alfa models of various years, starting with the 1910s and ending with the 1970s. The words "Inheritance of Excellence" are printed discreetly, in small red type, at the top of the front cover, with the Alfa Romeo radio-badge symbol (which includes a cross at the left and a crowned serpent at the right) prominently displayed in the middle. Inside the booklet are twenty (20) black-and-white photographs. The back of the booklet mentions its New York designer, and states it was "Printed in U.S.A." appears at the bottom right. Three America Alfa Romeo divisions are also mentioned n the last page (they're in Newark, New Jersey; El Segundo, California; and Toronto, Canada).
The double-stapled oblong booklet, beautifully designed and illustrated -- the design firm responsible is credited at the bottom right of the back cover ("DESIGN: ROSS ROY of NEW YORK") -- measures 9-1/4 inches wide (at its widest, i.e., the last page) 7-1/4 inches high and comprises, as mentioned earlier, twelve (12) pages, of varying widths. Canadian-born Michigander Ross Roy (1898-1983), whose
New York Times
obituary and another biography I found online I've included below, was considered an "iconic ad agency executive," and this booklet was produced by the New York branch of his multi-office agency, which was founded in Detroit.
The handsome red and black illustrations at the bottom of the brochure show these vehicles: 24 HP of 1911, 1930 Spider Touring, 1935 Touring 8C 2900 A, 6 cylinder 2500SS of 1939, 1955 Spider Giulietta, and 1971 1750 Spider Veloce.
The story of Alfa Romeo is told on five pages of text within the booklet, and I'll just list the red-inked headings here:
In the beginning.
Alfa begins its long domination of racing.
The invincible P2.
The modern era.
Producing quality motor cars in quantity.
The Alfa D.O.H.C. engine.
Alfa accelerates.
Here are the captions of the black-and-white photographs within are captioned:
An Alfa 24 HP, off to a 1912 road race and taking no chances on a blowout.
The legendary P2 of 1923, firs supercharged Alfa Romeo Grand Prix car, won the first race in which it was entered with an astonishing average speed of more than 98 mph. On the hood: the lucky Alfa Romeo
quadrifoglio.
Giuseppe Campari at the wheel of a 4060 HP during the 1922 Targa Florio.
Ascari and Campari finishing one-two in the P2 at the 1925 Prix d'Europa in Belgium.
Not all Alfas have been racing designs. Advertisements such as these [two are pictured] offered touring models to connoisseurs during the twenties and thirties.
Tazio Nuvolari winning the 1931 Targa Florio.
One of Touring's elegant designs for Alfa Romeo: the 1939 6C 2500 Sport.
Spider 8C 2300 Corto winning the Mille Miglia of 1932. At the wheel: Nuvolari.
Winning 8C 2900B driven by Clemente Biondetti at Padua during the 1938 Mille Miglia. The record winning time established by this Alfa was not to be equaled until 1953.
A Mille Miglia tour arranged to promote the new Alfa 1750's in 1968 drew a total of seventeen 6C 1500's and 1750's, still running as well as the day they were built.
World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio in the Type 159 Grand Prix car at Nurburgring, 1951.
New West Coast offices and parts/service facilities at El Segundo, California.
Alfa's new 5.3 million square foot plant at Arese, a few miles from the original works at Portello. Arese is now one of 3 points of assembly for Alfas.
1960 2000 Sprint, body by Bertone.
Aerial view of Alfa-Sud, another of the company's new plants, under construction at Pomigliano d'Arco near Naples. Production of this new 584-acre site will be 1,000 automobiles per day.
Alfa's United States headquarters building, under construction at Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
The fuel-injected, double-overhead-camshaft engine powering today's Alfa Romeos, direct descendant of Vittorio Jano's landmark design for the P2. Every Alfa conceived for road or track since 1924 has been built around this most efficient of internal combustion engine designs, long recognized by automobile engineers as the best way to produce maximum power and economy from any size engine. It is standard equipment -- not an extra-cost option -- on every Alfa.
Fuel-injected 1750 Alfa Romeos introduced in 1969: Berlina, Spider Veloce, GT Veloce.
The Alfa Romeo Montreal, originally created especially for Canada's '67 World Exposition to express man's highest achievement in motor cars. Styled by Nuccio Bertone, this "dream car" is now in limited production.
The back cover has this description of Alfa's symbol, followed by the addresses of the three North American locations:
The famous Alfa Romeo radiator badge, distinctive emblem on every Alfa built since 1910. Elements of the design date to Milanese participation in the Crusades. A white insignia bearing a blue serpent was given to the departing crusaders by their Archbishop, Arnolph III. Since Biblical times the serpent had been a traditional sign of good luck.
When the victorious crusaders returned home, a red figure symbolizing the vanquished Saracens was placed in the serpent's mouth. The red cross on a white field records the heroic action of Giovanni da Rho, first to scale the walls of the Holy City and plant the Cross upon them.
Eventually the two flags became joined as the official insignia of Milan. Later they were adopted as a coat-of-arms by the Visconti family, the city's ranking nobility.
In 1910, when the first Alfa appeared, this ancient emblem was chosen as the company's trademark. The encircling laurel commemorates Alfa Romeo's first world championship in 1925.
Alfa Romeo Inc. / 231 Johnson Avenue / Newark, New Jersey 07108
Alfa Romeo Inc. / Western Division / 215 Douglas Street South / El Segundo, California 90245
Alfa Romeo (Canada) Ltd. / 26 Greensboro Drive, Rexdale, / Toronto, Canada
For your information, here's the start of the Alfa Romeo article in Wikipedia:
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A.
is an Italian premium car manufacturer and a subsidiary of Stellantis The company was founded on June 24, 1910, in Milan, Italy. "Alfa" is an acronym of its founding name, "Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili." "Anonima" means "anonymous", which was a legal form of company at the time, as it was founded by anonymous investors. In the initial set-up phase, in order to have a building to produce cars, the company bought the Portello factory building of Darracq in Milan, which was closing up and selling all assets. The brand is known for sport-oriented vehicles and has been involved in car racing since 1911.
The first car produced by the company was the 1910 24 HP, designed by Giuseppe Merosi. A.L.F.A. ventured into motor racing, with drivers Franchini and Ronzoni competing in the 1911 Targa Florio with two 24-hp models. In August 1915, the company came under the direction of Neapolitan entrepreneur Nicola Romeo, who converted the factory to produce military hardware for the Italian and Allied war efforts. In 1920, the name of the company was changed to Alfa Romeo with the Torpedo 20-30 HP the first car to be so badged.
In 1921, the Banca Italiana di Sconto, which backed the Ing. Nicola Romeo & Co, went bankrupt and the government needed to support the industrial companies involved, of which Alfa Romeo was among, through the "Consorzio per Sovvenzioni sui Valori Industriali." In 1925, the railway activities were separated from the Romeo company, and in 1928 Nicola Romeo left. In 1933, the state ownership was reorganized under the banner of the Italian state industrial organization Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale (IRI), which then had effective control. The company struggled to return to profitability after the Second World War, and turned to mass-producing small vehicles rather than hand-building luxury models. In 1954, it developed the Alfa Romeo Twin Cam engine, which would remain in production until 1994. The Istituto per la Ricostruzione (IRI), the state conglomerate that controls Finmeccanica, sold the marque to the Fiat Group in 1986 due to the marque being unprofitable.
Alfa Romeo has competed successfully in Grand Prix motor racing, Formula One, sportscar racing, touring car racing, and rallies. It has competed both as a constructor and an engine supplier, via works entries (usually under the name Alfa Corse or Autodelta), and private entries. The first racing car was made in 1913, three years after the foundation of the company, and Alfa Romeo won the inaugural world championship for Grand Prix cars in 1925. The race victories gave a sporty image to the marque, and Enzo Ferrari founded the Scuderia Ferrari racing team in 1929 as an Alfa Romeo racing team, before becoming independent in 1939. It has had the most wins of any marque in the world.
Here's a brief obituary for Ross Roy, from the August 17, 1983,
New York Times,
headlined "Ross Roy, Detroit Ad Man, 85"
:
Ross Roy, an advertising executive who was a pioneer in selling techniques, died today after a brief illness, company officials said. He was 85 years old.
Mr. Roy was chairman of Ross Roy Inc., which he started in 1926, and pioneered the use of product details to sell cars as a Dodge automobile salesman in the 1920's. He termed the technique ''product knowledge,'' the company statement said.
Mr. Roy carried the technique over to his advertising firm, which was heavily tied to the auto industry and counted the Chrysler Corporation as one of its accounts, the company said.
Ross Roy Inc. is one of the world's 25 largest advertising agencies and was the largest in Detroit, with over 2 million in annual billings, the statement said.
Became Consultant in May
This May, Mr. Ross changed his status from employee to consultant and sold his stock back to the private company. He kept his old office and his title of chairman of the board.
''Ross Roy was truly one of the great people in our industry,'' said the company's president, Glen Fortinberry. ''He was imaginative and boldly innovative with a service philosophy that set a standard of professionalism for all of us to follow.''
Mr. Roy is survived by his wife, Celia; a daughter, Arlene Roy Hendrie, and two sons, Rex and Ross, as well as 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
On the next day, August 18, a longer obituary for Ross appeared, under the headline "Ross Roy of Detroit; Pioneer in Methods of Marketing Autos":
Ross Roy, chairman of the advertising company that bears his name and an innovator in selling techniques, died Tuesday after a brief illness at his home in Grosse Pointe Shores, a suburb of Detroit. He was 85 years old.
Mr. Roy, whose company is Ross Roy Incorporated, was the last survivor of a group of Detroit advertising agency pioneers that included Henry T. Ewald, Theodore F. MacManus and Lou Maxon, whose companies helped the automobile industry become a prominent part of the American economy.
A salesman for Dodge in the mid-1920's, Mr. Roy devised the industry's first product comparison study to enable him to attain a selling edge over his competitors. Until then attempts to attract buyers were based largely on product pricing.
The technique, called ''product knowledge,'' began as a simple device for comparing the merits of various automobile lines, but has become the cornerstone of advertising techniques in selling automobiles, one of the most competitive industries. Founded Agency in 1926
Mr. Roy founded his agency in 1926 and over the years applied his product comparison technique to a variety of industries and clients. The agency is among the world's 25 largest advertising companies with over 2 million in annual billings.
Mr. Roy was active in Detroit business and civic affairs. He was a past president of the Mental Health Association of Michigan, a past president of the Greater Detroit Chamber of Commerce, a past vice president of the Detroit Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America and a vice president of the United Foundation of Metropolitan Detroit. He also was a noted fund-raiser for a variety of civic, educational and political projects.
He is survived by his wife, Celia; a daughter, Arlene Roy Hendrie, and two sons, Rex and Ross.
There will be a memorial service tomorrow at the Grosse Pointe Memorial Church.
And here's yet another biography I found online for Roy, from the
Detroit Free Press:
Automotive Advertising Pioneer.
Ross Roy was born in Kingston, Ontario, in 1898 and was the last surviving pioneer in Detroit automotive advertising that included Henry T. Ewald, Theodore F. MacManus and Lou Maxon, whose companies helped the automobile industry become a prominent part of the American economy.
Roy started his career as a young Dodge Brothers salesman in Janesville, Wisconsin in the 1920s. Convinced there were better ways to sell cars than the primitive methods used in the early days of the automotive industry, he kept a book on comparative car facts and developed it into a sales tool for Dodge Brothers dealers. The new technique worked so well that Dodge asked Roy to teach other dealers how to use them, and the ad agency was born in 1926.
In 1927, Roy moved to Detroit to be closer to the automaker. When Chrysler purchased Dodge Brothers in 1928 from widows Mrs. Anna Thomson Dodge and Mrs. Matilda R. Dodge, Roy was hired by the corporation, which remained a key client at the time of his death in 1983.
During World War II, the agency used its expertise to design instruction manuals for tanks and other weapons. After the war, the agency expanded to 40 clients. By 1983, Ross Roy Inc. was one of the top 25 advertising agencies in the United States, with 500 employees and branches in Detroit, New York, Windsor and Toronto.
Three months prior to his passing, Ross Roy stepped down as chairman and sold most of his stock in the firm. In 1982 the agency grossed .3-million dollars and billed its clients 2-million dollars.
Roy was known as a quiet man who remained active throughout his life, playing tennis with his wife every day.
A lifelong Republican and an active fundraiser for the party, he was a past president of the Greater Detroit Chamber of Commerce and in 1977 received its Summit Award for special civic contributions. In 1995 Ross Roy Inc. was sold to the Omnicom Group Inc.
The overall condition of this double-stapled oblong booklet is very good. There's some minor smudging, spotting, chipping, creasing, possible age-toning, etc., of the matte (not glossy) paper. The booklet is clean and unmarked by human hands throughout, with no annotations, marginalia, underlining, or scribbles within, nor any major damage or flaws in the way of missing or clipped pages, large tears, water or liquid damage, tape repairs, etc. The publication has neither a musty nor smoky odor.
Note that this item was sourced recently at a central Connecticut estate sale. The person who lived in the house was a huge collector of model cars, automobile books and literature, and other transportation-related items. I’ll be listing quite a few publications, flyers, brochures, et al., that I picked up – I was attracted mostly by their graphics, especially items on European vehicles – and I hope they’ll be of interest to others (as I don’t need to start collecting automobile at this point in my life!).
This great old 1970s Alfa Romeo booklet, made for the American market, is being sold AS IS, AS DESCRIBED ABOVE AND PICTURED WITHIN. I am setting what I feel is a reasonable starting price for the auction, and there is NO RESERVE. I am also including a Buy It Now price, which will of course disappear once a bid is made.
Shipping and
handling for the publication: to U.S. addresses (via Media Mail) and to Canada and to Europe, Japan, Australia, South America, and elsewhere in the world (the latter two via First Class International Mail, aka Air Mail, which is now the CHEAPEST method possible abroad).
I recently discovered that some countries, such as Australia and South Korea, are actually a bit more expensive to post packages to than Europe, but at this point in time I'll keep all the non-domestic and non-Canadian prices the same and swallow the difference myself -- unless it turns out to be or more, which I doubt, and in which case I'll ask the buyer for additional money for shipping -- since so few outside the States buy my items, though of course I'm always so pleased when they do!
Also, sometimes postal clerks consider small rigid mailers first class envelopes, in which case they can be sent via regular first class, like a card or letter. If this happens, I will of course send you a partial refund for the shipping and handling.
If you want the publication sent more quickly to you (e.g., via Priority or Express Mail), you must request this asap after winning or purchasing it (or beforehand, if possible), and I will adjust the amount accordingly.
I will do my best to send the item out to you no more than 2-3 business days following receipt of payment (that is, when eBay informs me that your payment has been posted to or otherwise cleared in my account).
If you are the winner or buyer of this publication, PAYMENT IS EXPECTED WITHIN TWO WEEKS (14 DAYS) FROM THE PURCHASE DATE. If you cannot pay within this time frame, please contact me asap so we can work something out. I'm very flexible and understanding, but I would appreciate communication from you one way or another.
PLEASE NOTE THAT RETURNS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED NOR REFUNDS MADE FOR THIS CAR BOOKLET, SO PLEASE READ MY DESCRIPTION CAREFULLY, LOOK CLOSELY AT THE PHOTOGRAPHS I’VE UPLOADED, AND ASK ME ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT THE CONTENTS OR CONDITION OF THE PUBLICATION. THANKS FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING!
Thanks for looking, and please don't hesitate to email me if you have any questions about this 1970s Alfa Romeo brochure.
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