1925 Alfa Romeo RL Super Sport 3.0

Vehicle Overview

Three years after the introduction of the RL model, Alfa Romeo unveiled the Super Sport version that was produced in 392 units until 1927, when the lineup was withdrawn from the assembly line.

After WWI, many automakers dropped the towels and left the market, but not Alfa Romeo. The Italian automaker survived and resumed production with the RL model, a car that was built in several shapes and sizes. Among them, the Super Sport version came to prove the brand’s commitment to motorsports and continued to thrill its fans and challenge its competitors on race tracks. Among them, the Mille Miglia race held in Italy was the most famous, and the Super Sport’s evolution there wrote a golden page in the marque’s heritage.

Developed to dominate races, the Super Sport version relied on the same chassis as the rest of the range. It featured a front with a V-shaped radiator mounted inside a thick metallic rim that surrounded it. The automaker installed the big, round headlights on a metallic H-structure bolted on the car’s frame. Lower, the semi-elliptic leaf springs were visible and supported the front beam axle.

From its side, the RL Super Sport boasted a wire wheel set, leaving the drum brakes visible. The four-door vehicle featured elegant front arched fenders that continued on the sides with steps and the spare wheel. Since it was difficult and expensive to create rounded glass areas in those times, Alfa Romeo installed a V-shaped windshield with a vertical center slat that divided it. Finally, at the back, the RL Super Sport housed the retractable canvas roof behind the cabin and a vertical panel to end the car.

With a cabin designed for four adults and luxurious leather upholstery, the RL Super Sport became a hit among customers. The floor-mounted gear stick and the neat layout of the dashboard, filled with a speedometer and a tachometer, among a few other dials, were unique to this brand. A four-spoke steering wheel helped the driver keep the car under control even at higher speeds.

But the most important part of the RL Super Sport was under its skin. The sturdy chassis developed for the RL lineup in 1921 featured semi-elliptic springs for both axles. While many other vehicles on the road still featured only brakes for the front ones, Alfa Romeo considered installing drums in all corners, drastically improving the stopping power. It did this because the engine was more powerful than in the regular RL version. While the regular version produced just 56 PS (55 hp), the Super Sport could provide more than 80 PS. Power went to the rear wheels via a floor-mounted four-speed manual gearbox. It also featured a reversing gear.