Il Quadrifoglio 1970
18 May, 2021
"The need for an easy and pleasant means of contact and continuous information has become apparent, allowing us to be close to all our customers and to update them directly.
Giuseppe Luraghi about the magazine "Il Quadrifoglio".
The year of the first commercial flight of Concorde, Apollo 13, the war in Cambodia, the farewell to Jimi Hendrix first and then to Janis Joplin.
1970 was the year that marked the change of an era, but for Alfa Romeo it was also the year of the presentation at the Geneva Motor Show and the start of production of the Montreal, 'man's highest aspiration in terms of cars' and the star of the 1967 Montreal Expo.
This is how we begin our journey through the four issues of the 1970 Quadrifoglio stored in our Cozzi.Lab!
"Once upon a time Alfa was an exclusively male car (...). The woman has changed, indeed (...). And the Alfa car now drives itself. In fact, she buys it herself'.
AN ALPHA FOR YOU TOO
The car market is opening up more and more to women, and Alfa Romeo doesn't want to be outdone. In the 1950s, we read in the January issue of the Quadrifoglio, there were just over ten thousand women's licences in Italy: by 1970, there were already over two million.
"Once upon a time Alfa was an exclusively male car (...). The woman has changed, indeed (...). And the Alfa car now drives itself. In fact, she buys it herself'.
The most popular cars for women? The Giulia, without a doubt, but also the GT Junior and the 1750.
The article, signed by Valeria Vicari, is accompanied by Brunetta's illustrations and a final box from the Standing Committee for Women Drivers - Operation Safe Driving. It was an event to 'urge the active participation of the female public in the normal maintenance of the vehicle, an operation that unfortunately is not always carried out in the correct way and at the right time'.
MONTREAL, NEWSÀ WORLDWIDE
1970 was the year of the Montreal.
What seemed like a proposal at the Canadian Expo is now a reality in Geneva: the shape, designed by Carrozzeria Bertone, is very contemporary, while the engine, based on that of the 33, is a race car.
Special features? A truncated tail and doors that close like large glass wings over a body with wide aerodynamic convexities, a flat bonnet and powerful eight-cylinder engine, headlights with a very distinctive grille.
Oh, and it is also the favourite of our editor, Elisabetta Cozzi. But this is a secret shared only among us Quadrifoglio readers!
WHEN THE ALPHA IS A DIVA
Movies in Hollywood and elsewhere are a great testimony to what Alfa Romeo cars have represented to society in years gone by.
The Quadrifoglio knew this well and in its March 1970 issue presents a round-up of cars made (even more) famous by famous actors who drove them and loved them in iconic films.
This is the case in the films 'Io, Emmanuelle' (I, Emmanuelle) by Cesare Canevari and starring Erika Blanc, in which a 1750 Berlina and a 1600 Spider appear; or in 'Banditi a Milano' (Bandits in Milan) by Carlo Lizzani, in which the number of Alfas is endless: a 2600 Sprint, a Giulia, a Giulietta, a Giulietta Sprint and even a Romeo Autotutto. No wonder: we are still in Milan, in the city of Portello!
Honourable mention to the national Vittorio Gassman, with Pamela Tiffin and, of course, an Alfa Romeo car in the film 'L'Arcangelo'.
there is also vittorio nazionale among the myths of italian and international cinema listed by the magazine in 1970: here he is aboard an alfa romeo in the film "l'arcangelo".
THE TROPHY OF THE YEAR
In keeping with tradition, in 1970 Alfa Romeo drivers were awarded a trophy designed by a famous artist at the Museum of Science and Technology.
The trophy designed by Emilio Greco for the occasion depicts "a female profile carved into space on the wings of the wind", representing "Speed enhanced by elegant and dynamic harmony".
Born in Catania, Emilio Greco is known for works such as the monument to Pinocchio in Collodi, the doors of Orvieto Cathedral and the monument to Camillo Olivetti in Ivrea.
This trophy can also be admired today in our Cozzi.Lab!
the 1970 trophy is the work of the artist emiglio greco and depicts the profile of a woman caressed by the wind
THE CROSS AND THE BISON
Between history and legend, the last issue of Il Quadrifoglio in 1970 dedicated an article to the Alfa Romeo symbol and its evolution.
Just as when you visit our museum and linger over the coats of arms hanging on our walls, leafing through the pages of the magazine you see the history of Milan passing through one of the brands that has most celebrated it and made it famous.
Thered cross on a white background has been the emblem of the municipality since the second half of the 11th century, while the Visconti bisque, which can still be admired today in Milan's Sforza Castle, may date back as a symbol even to the Lombards.
And the four-leaf clover? A symbol of good luck, it was first applied to Alfa Romeo racing cars in 1923.
