The 90th anniversary of the ‘Quadrifoglio Verde’ (Cloverleaf), the legendary symbol that has identified Alfa Romeo’s sportiest models, is being celebrated this year. That refers not only to the cars which have taken to the world’s race circuits, but also to certain special production versions.
The origin of this symbol has been lost in legend, but it is interesting to note its correspondence with the flag that distinguished the aeroplanes of the “10th Caproni Bomber Squadron” in the Great War. Today the Quadrifoglio is part of the Italian Air Force’s coat of arms and at the same time remains the symbol of Alfa Romeo’s philosophy, based on the constant pursuit of excellence applied to competitions and then completely transferred to its production vehicles.
The first Alfa Romeo car to be adorned with the quadrifoglio verde was Ugo Sivocci’s ‘RL’. In it he won the 14th edition of the Targa Florio in 1923. Since then, all of Alfa’s racing cars have been distinguished by this emblem and lucky charm, known throughout the world, the same which characterised certain standard production Alfa Romeos from the 1960s onwards.
The ‘Quadrifoglio Verde’ is present today on the Giulietta and MiTo, the latest models which have already assumed a place in the tradition of the best Alfa Romeos, drawing on the heritage of dynamic performance, without compromising on efficiency, respect for the environment and convenience in everyday use. A sports tradition that lives on in the brand-new Alfa Romeo MiTo SBK Limited Edition 1.4 170 BHP QV, a concentrate of technology and design derived from the ‘Quadrifoglio Verde’ version and produced in a limited run of 200 examples.
