ALFA ROMEO CENTAURI
A cornerstone of Alfa Romeo has always been its concept of "necessary beauty," where aesthetics serve not just as a visual signature, but as the form designed to clothe the mechanics of the vehicle. This philosophy drove the creation of the Advanced Design University Stage within Alfa Romeo's Centro Stile in Arese - a department dedicated to nurturing new talent by offering emerging designers a chance to immerse themselves in the real-world challenges of automotive design. Through a rigorous program of three-month stages, ADUS brought together talented students each year from universities and design schools worldwide who were eager to work closely with the Centro Stile, Alfa Romeo’s own design team. This hands-on experience allowed them to bridge the gap between theory and practice, enhancing their skills and understanding of the automotive world.
For the 1999 edition, the theme was “evolved sportiness,” which led to the creation of the Alfa Romeo Centauri - a concept car presented in public at the Bologna Motor Show in December 1999, now preserved at the Alfa Romeo Museum.
This model is a tribute to Alfa Romeo’s storied sports car history, while introducing novel and original ideas that push the envelope of future possibilities. The distinctive symmetry of the body, including the interior lines, exemplifies the model’s innovative design. Notable features include a steering wheel that can be positioned on either side of the car, a lightweight aluminum chassis, and a roll-bar that automatically deploys in the event of a rollover. Propulsion comes for the 3.0L 6 Cylinder V6 Busso engine paired to a Sportronic gearbox with paddle-shifters on the steering wheel. The headlights are retractable polyelliptic units, while the rear lights feature neon accents, emphasizing the model’s futuristic appeal.
With dimensions of 3,68 m in length, 98 cm in height, 1.8 m in width, and a 2.4 m wheelbase, the Alfa Centauri is a compact, essential yet powerful sports car that continues to fascinate Alfisti even today. To explore the vision behind the Alfa Romeo Centauri and its creation, I turned to Daniele Gaglione, whose hands were integral in bringing this concept to life. In his own words, he reflects on the design philosophy and the spirit that shaped the Centauri…
“After completing my studies at the Faculty of Architecture in Genoa, I presented my degree thesis with the Alfa Romeo Centauri. This project was the culmination of an extraordinary collaboration among a team of students, developed and executed in Arese at the Advanced Design University Stage. I was lucky to work together a group of talented young designers: Alessandro d’Ambrosio and Marco Lambri from Italy, José Ignacio Aguirre from Spain, Toru Odagiri from Japan, Andreas Wuppinger from Austria, and Sasha Barber from Ireland. Many of them continue to pursue successful careers in automotive design.
Our year-long internship at Arese was an unforgettable experience. We were introduced right into the heart of Alfa Romeo, working inside the "Spina Centrale" - the central axis of the factory complex, starting from the main gate on Via Giuseppe Luraghi and crossing the entire industrial cathedral designed by architect Ignazio Gardella. In this exclusive space, our group of passionate young designers was mentored by two exceptional figures: Mario Favilla, head of the advanced design school at Alfa Romeo, and Alberto Bertelli, our tutor and the mind behind the Alfa Romeo Proteo.
Our ADUS studio was just a few meters away from the Centro Stile Alfa Romeo, separated only by a wall from the brand’s official designers. Nearby, the production line for the GTV Coupé and Spider ran alongside the Alfa Romeo Racing department, where fierce racing Biscioni like the 155 DTM, 156 Superturismo, and GTV Cup were prepared. Seeing and hearing these cars in motion gave me goosebumps every single day. Everything about that place was pure magic!
The Centauri project, initially called "Pendolino" due to its inspiration from the tilting mechanism of high-speed trains, took shape within the first three months of our internship. Our design brief was clear: create a two-seater Alfa Romeo sports car - an open-top barchetta - that would embody the purest essence of driving pleasure.
Before sketching its form, we first had to define what "driving pleasure" meant in the context of Alfa Romeo. Our goal was to reinterpret this idea from the ground up, unbound by preconceptions. Looking back 27 years later, I realize how young, uninhibited designers - free from corporate constraints - often bring fresh ideas that challenge even the most established traditions. The Centauri was just that: a radical reimagining of driving as pure, unfiltered fun. Like a motorcycle on four wheels, it was meant to be driven with a helmet, emphasizing the raw connection between man and machine. It may not have aligned with Alfa Romeo’s aesthetic codes of the time, but for us it undeniably represented the spirit of the brand.
The project began with four 1:10 scale models, two of which advanced to 1:4 scale. Each idea we put in practice pushed the limits of minimalism and purity, resulting in a design that stripped away excess and left only the essentials. The final 1:1 scale model was built at Zagato’s SZ Design studio, painted in a striking metallic orange. Every detail was custom-made, from the minimalistic headlight units to the streamlined bodywork that emphasized function over ornamentation.
Inside, the Centauri featured a symmetrical dashboard, allowing the steering column to switch from left to right. The drive-by-wire system controlled not only the steering but also the brakes and accelerator, all integrated into the steering wheel. At its heart lay a longitudinally mounted 3.0L 24-valve Busso V6, enclosed under a double-rounded plexiglass cover.
One of the most radical aspects of the design was its dual-frame structure. A primary chassis housed the traditional mechanical components - engine, gearbox, and wheels - while a secondary frame, running longitudinally from the rear porthole to the scudetto, allowed for a tilting movement in corners, mimicking the dynamics of a motorcycle. This feature made the driving experience feel truly immersive, enhancing the sensation of being at one with the machine.
Looking back, the Centauri challenges us to reconsider what is essential in a car. Driving should be about emotion, not status. Today’s automotive industry has strayed far from that purity, with cars overloaded with unnecessary technology and marketed as luxury gadgets rather than instruments of joy. Those who love Alfa Romeo don’t seek to flaunt wealth - they take pride in the passion, history, and experience of driving.
Years later, the Centauri should make us reflect on the true essence of driving pleasure, on what is necessary and what is superfluous, because this concept already anticipated many years ago a weakness of the current automotive industry: product does not represent any longer the thrill of driving a car, but it's considered to be just an expensive gadget!”
Original period phots and sketches courtesy of Daniele Gaglione.
Contemporary photos take at Museo Storico Alfa Romeo by Luca Danilo Orsi.
