In May 1950, a new Alfa Romeo model was shown in Turin, but its public debut was made at Paris in October of that year. The Alfa Romeo 1900 was built from 1950 to 1959 and was the company's first entirely new post-war design. Designed by Orazio Satta, it was an important development for Alfa Romeo as the marque's first car built entirely on a production line and from this time high standard mass production really started at Portello. It was the first production car without a separate chassis and the first Alfa Romeo offered with left-hand drive.

It was fitted with an 1884cc engine and other breaks with tradition were the use of a chain-driven twin overhead camshaft engine with only four cylinders, the suspension of the car and the adoption of left-hand steering, though right-hand steering was made available. The cylinder dimensions were 82.55 x 88mm (1,884cc), and the chain-drivencamshafts operated valves whose clearances were adjusted by the traditional method used on all previous OHC Alfa Romeos. The 1900 Berlina, a 4 door sedan, was the only model in the new series until the introduction of the 1900C coupe in 1951 and the TI sedan in 1952 and was fitted with a 1.9L engine delivering 90 hp and reaching a top speed of 171 km/h.

Iginio Alessio, then general manager of Alfa Romeo, was concerned for the viability of the independent Italian Coachbuilding industry–the avant of the unibody chassis design was threatening to put the carrozzerie out of business. The 1900 chassis was used by many coachbuilders to their designs for one-offs or small series production. The 1900 L model was a rolling chassis destined for external coachbuilders and had the same wheelbase and track dimensions as the standard 1900 berlina. The coachbuilders produced cars with overall lenghts that were in certain cases greater than that of the standard model.

Carrozzeria Stabilimenti Farina was a coachbuilding company founded in 1919 by Giovanni Farina, older brother of Battista 'Pinin' Farina. Stabilimenti Farina made 48 convertibles based on the 1900 L chassis, they were called as Victoria Cabriolet Stabilimenti Farina. All of these cars were built in 1952 with maybe a few in 1953. Stabilimenti Farina closed its doors in 1953.

Chassis AR1900*20075 is one of the few survived. It is believed to be the car used by the Patriarch of Venice, Cardinal Roncalli, later Pope Giovanni XXIII, on the occasion of the Seminario Eucaristico di Belluno (Eucharistic Belluno seminary) in 1956.