Meaning of early model numbers?

[Farace]

I've barely started on Hull & Slater's history of Alfa Romeo and they dive right into describing the models without explaining whether there is any meaning to the model numbers. Is there any meaning behind 15/20hp, 20/30hp, 40/60hp? I don't imagine they're just numbers picked out of the air, and they don't seem to be related to the horsepower, which varied through the models' production.

Oh, and while I'm asking historical questions, I may as well ask another. I see Satta's name in various places as either Orazio Satta or Orazio Satta Puliga. So I presume Satta is his surname; what is Puliga? (If this is mentioned in the book, I haven't gotten nearly that far yet.)

Thanks!

[dretceterini]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Farace I've barely started on Hull & Slater's history of Alfa Romeo and they dive right into describing the models without explaining whether there is any meaning to the model numbers. Is there any meaning behind 15/20hp, 20/30hp, 40/60hp? I don't imagine they're just numbers picked out of the air, and they don't seem to be related to the horsepower, which varied through the models' production. Oh, and while I'm asking historical questions, I may as well ask another. I see Satta's name in various places as either Orazio Satta or Orazio Satta Puliga. So I presume Satta is his surname; what is Puliga? (If this is mentioned in the book, I haven't gotten nearly that far yet.) Thanks!

[Farace]

Thanks, Stu. My Italian is really rusty, and most of what I hear lately has been related to watching stuttering live internet feeds of other Serie A calcio teams beating up on Napoli. But maybe I can glean something from the clip.

While I note a strong similarity between Puliga and Puglia, the difference being just a transposed letter, I don't think there is a correlation. And I understand that Satta was from Torino, almost as far from Puglia as can be. (Interestingly enough, while Googling I found there are people on Facebook with the last names "Satta Puliga." Maybe relations?) I was more or less wondering if there was a different arrangement of surnames and given names than we've become used to as the norm in the English-speaking west.

[PORTO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Farace I've barely started on Hull & Slater's history of Alfa Romeo and they dive right into describing the models without explaining whether there is any meaning to the model numbers. Is there any meaning behind 15/20hp, 20/30hp, 40/60hp? I don't imagine they're just numbers picked out of the air, and they don't seem to be related to the horsepower, which varied through the models' production. Oh, and while I'm asking historical questions, I may as well ask another. I see Satta's name in various places as either Orazio Satta or Orazio Satta Puliga. So I presume Satta is his surname; what is Puliga? (If this is mentioned in the book, I haven't gotten nearly that far yet.) Thanks!