1961 Alfa Romeo Romeo 2 Minibus
Front-wheel drive was unusual for commercial vehicles in the 1950s, but Alfa Romeo chose this layout for its Autotutto (“all-purpose”) series.
Introduced at the 1954 Turin Motor Show, this versatile vehicle was offered in panel van and minibus configurations, marking Alfa Romeo’s first left-hand-drive commercial model after years of producing right-hand-drive vehicles.
The design prioritized practicality. Its front-drive layout and fully independent suspension (with transverse torsion bars at the rear) created a large, flat, and low load area. The chassis could be easily adapted for extended bodywork, resulting in numerous specialized variants beyond the original two.
Power came from a detuned version of the 1.3-liter twin-cam inline-four from the Giulietta, producing around 35 horsepower. A twin-cylinder supercharged two-stroke diesel was also available as an alternative.
The Romeo 2 and later Romeo 3 updates followed before the Autotutto line was replaced in 1967 by the F12/A12 and F11/A11 series. Beginning with the Romeo 2, Spanish manufacturer FADISA produced licensed versions using Perkins diesel engines.
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