Archivo Storico: A secret library located at the back of the Museum
Under the Museum there is a long passageway leading to the Alfa Romeo Documentation Centre (Archivo Storico).
Under lock and key, there are all kinds of materials, photos and illustrations of the Alfa Romeo (from the Darracq era). On the wall, there is a portrait of Nicola Romeo who is founder of the Alfa Romeo. Mrs. Elvira Ruocco, the manager of the centre, so to speak, the master of information of the Alfa Romeo. We want to see a photo of Enzo Ferrari in Team Alfa Romeo, she entered into the large slide open cabinet room, and a few moments she came back with large files, "Here it is!" she showed us. There were young Enzo with Alfa Romeo logo racing wear on the very precious black-and-white photo. Saying "You are japanese, right?" she went to the full-of-treasures room again. What she showed us is an Owner's Manual of the Giulietta Spider imported by a japanese trading company. It was naturally japanese version. It looked very old one, but we surprised that this kind of thing was kept, and we confirmed that the Alfa romeo has cherished its history.
Catalogues, literatures, photographies, etc…. all kind of materials are available here. I saw the email adress of Mrs. Elvira on her business card, so I asked for “if we want, could you give us some information?” But I was rejected by a guy from the local Alfa Romeo company accompanied with us, “You should send your requests to me or japanese related section”. Is our “Alfista” magazine being kept in that cabinet!?
