Alfa Romeo, 1969 Trophy by Emilio Greco, Named Example Gérard Larrousse. Original Period Piece with 18 Kt Gold Plaque
A rare original Alfa Romeo trophy from 1969, the work of sculptor Emilio Greco, in a named example awarded to Gérard Larrousse. A plaster sculpture signed by the artist at lower right, mounted on a walnut wood base with a hallmarked 18 Kt gold plaque, it is a piece of great interest to collectors of automobilia, applied art and Alfa Romeo history.
Details:
- Subject: Profile of a running woman, her hair blowing in the wind and her hand outstretched to cut the air; a four-leaf clover (quadrifoglio) at upper right
- Object Type: Alfa Romeo trophy, named example
- Artist: Emilio Greco (signed "GRECO" at lower right)
- Manufacturer: Bertoni Milano, for Alfa Romeo ("Bertoni Milano" medal on the back)
- Material: Plaster sculpture; walnut wood base/frame
- Plaque: 18 Kt gold, with 251 MI hallmark (Bertoni), engraved "Alfa Romeo Milano – Gérard Larrousse – 1969"
- Period/Year: 1969
- Condition: Excellent overall condition. There is a crack on the back of the wooden frame, which does not affect the condition of the trophy.
- Use: Collectible and display object
The Collection: the Alfa Romeo Trophies (1963-1987)
From 1963 to 1987, every year Alfa Romeo rewarded the drivers who had raced its cars with a sculpture commissioned from a leading Italian artist, a different one each year. Not anonymous cups or medals, but genuine works of art, conceived by chairman Giuseppe Luraghi together with the poet and art critic Leonardo Sinisgalli and presented at a ceremony in Milan. The artists involved include Lucio Fontana, Bruno Munari, Giò Pomodoro and Arnaldo Pomodoro, alongside Emilio Greco, creator of the 1969 trophy. The casting and finishing of the trophies were entrusted to Bertoni Milano, the historic Milanese maker of cups, medals and plaques and official supplier to Alfa Romeo.
Rarity of this Example
Up to 1971 Alfa Romeo produced as many trophies as there were drivers awarded, plus about twenty unnamed pieces for journalists and sponsors. According to the scholar Stefano d'Amico, author of "Auto è Arte. I Trofei Alfa Romeo" (2025), only a few dozen examples bear the name of the awarded driver. The one offered here is one of these named examples, awarded to Gérard Larrousse and fitted with a hallmarked 18 Kt gold plaque. An example of the 1969 Greco trophy is kept at the Museo Fratelli Cozzi in Legnano.
The Artist: Emilio Greco
Emilio Greco (Catania, 1913 – Rome, 1995) is one of the greatest Italian sculptors of the twentieth century. A professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, he created the monument to Pope John XXIII in the Vatican, the Pinocchio monument in Collodi and the doors of Orvieto Cathedral; his works are held at the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, at the Tate in London and at the Pushkin Museum in Moscow. In 1961 Picasso called him "the greatest draughtsman we have in Europe". His female figures, light and full of movement, recall ancient Greek sculpture and Rodin: in this trophy, speed is exalted by the harmony of form, symbolised by a female profile "on the wings of the wind".
The Driver: Gérard Larrousse
Gérard Larrousse (Lyon, 1940) is among the most successful French drivers of the 1960s and 1970s, a six-time French circuit champion. After his driving career he ran Renault Sport and in 1987 founded his own Formula 1 team, Larrousse.
A trophy of rare historical, artistic and collectible interest: the perfect complement to any collection of Alfa Romeo automobilia, vintage trophies and art connected to the world of motoring.
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