I visited the museum in Milano last summer, where they have a display of the evolution of the official marque, including a fascinating video; I’ll attempt to share below. None depicted, from 1910 to 2015, used the script in your sign. That said, I agree with others: yours is beautiful, and I’d be happy to have it in my garage!
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You are absolutely correct. I too have never seen one in this format and I’m fairly familiar with Alfa Romeo history and cars and have visited the museum in Arese as well. What strikes me as a bit odd is why anyone would go through the expense to produce this sign in script when it would have been just as easy to use the correct block letters. Surely they knew what the sign should look like. Looking at the details of it’s construction it couldn’t have been cheaper to make compared to just buying an existing official sign. I know an official dealer used this sign so why not use an official sign? The explanation that persists with me is that whoever made this intentionally wanted it this way, in cursive script rather than block, presumably because they like the look better. Then there’s the question that arises with knowing there are at least two of them made (mine and KTR’s). Were both made for the same dealer or did another dealer get the design from the same sign maker?
I found a 123-page branding guidelines document from 2015 to help dealers adhere to corporate branding when locally making literature, exhibition signs, etc. It raises the question if dealer signs fell under those guidelines — meaning that a dealer could have a sign made locally to Alfa Romeo guidelines. This is a question not a statement of fact.
A statement about how Ferrari dealer signs are made by a BaT user who appears to know about these things caught my eye recently.
Author: Autorizzato
Comment:
5. Sign manufacturers. Since the 1990’s, Ferrari has not exclusively used one or two sign manufacturers to produce their brand logos/advertising and that has to also be said for a lot of the marketing materials as well. Neon Modena was the official sign manufacturer for a number of special pieces, especially up until the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. Signs such as the 48” vacuum formed plastic insignia (my personal favourite) and the various square shaped identity signs (service, parts, workshop, parking and pay desk) that were seen at virtually all Ferrari dealers in the 1980’s were all made exclusively by Neon Modena. That can’t be said for more dealer bespoke pieces, especially in the U.S. as I am well aware of a number of dealers who used local and national companies to produce their showroom branding.
Images from 2015 Alfa branding guidelines…