Later this year Alfa Romeo will celebrate its 114th birthday. And while that figure isn’t exactly a milestone, it does outline just how much history the Milan-native outfit has behind it.

Given this vast timeline, it’s unsurprising to learn that cars make up just a portion of its history. From trucks and tractors to planes and marine engines, Alfa Romeo has tried its hand at most engineering tasks.

This isn’t your bog-standard, pop-up museum either. Located on the outskirts of Milan, the Arese plant was originally built for construction of the Giulia and GT models before becoming Alfa’s ‘official’ museum in 1976.

Spread across six floors and 52,000 sq. ft. Museo Storico Alfa Romeo was renovated and reopened on the 24th of June 2015, 105 years (to the day) after the company was formed. The Arese factory continued producing cars right up until 2002 (with engine production lasting until 2006) but now its sole responsibility is preserving the rich and diverse history of one of Italy’s most-loved carmakers.

Within Museo Storico Alfa Romeo lurks more than 250 cars, with around 70 on display at any given time depending on exhibition. But all of the cars here remain in full working order, a fact which is celebrated by the museum’s curator – Lorenzo Ardizio – who insists each car be started up at least once a year. In Lorenzo’s words, ‘cars are one of the few objects that are not static. They’re important and worth preserving. In fact, cars are classified by the Italian government in the same way as violins.’

Photos Courtesy of www.museoalfaromeo.com