If you have any interest in cars other than transport from A to B, then the name Alfa Romeo requires no introduction writes Neil Ward.

In the 1940s and 50s Alfa was at the top of its game and attracted legendary drivers like Tazio Nuvolari, and Juan Manuel Fangio to their race teams.

• Click on the gallery to your right for more pictures

With the beginning of the first ever Formula 1 World Championship race at Silverstone on May 13 1950 four Alfa Romeo 158s lined up ahead of everyone else.

They finished first, second and third, their nearest opponents two laps behind!

The first time I really noticed an Alfa was as a young boy as the next door neighbour had fire red 3.0 litre GTV which sounded fantastic. Then, later on, friends of mine had Juniors, GTVs and Alfasud Cloverleafs.

What marked these cars out were their style, their performance, the engineering innovation, like twin cams, aluminium engine blocks, and, oh yes, their lack of reliability.

Nothing major ever went wrong just minor faults but irritating enough that it put me off having one.

An Alfa was a car that you bought with your heart rather than with your head.

Alfa Romeo has gone through a renaissance in recent years and unlike other car manufacturers that have improved reliability and taken styling cues from other manufacturers to increase mass appeal, they have refused to lose that quintessential Italian styling that even in the small car of the range the Mito that I was testing is apparent before you even get in.

The traditional shaped Alfa grill along with the famous logo is still there, but it nestles comfortably between modern reflector headlights and low air intakes that imbue it with a unique look, which no other car in its class can match for style.

At the back the theme continues with stylish LED lights and a hatchback that opens to reveal a useful size boot which was unexpected in a car of this size.

The three-door bodywork looks good from any angle you care to take and this is one car that does not get lost in a car park despite its diminutive size.

The style and quality theme continues on the inside with comfortable sporty seats that support you in all the right places. The rear seats also are comfortable but I am not sure you would be taking two adults on a very long journey as space and headroom is limited.

The dashboard layout is clear and informative with the brushed aluminium dials very easy to read on the move. Combined with the sport steering wheel it is very easy to forget that you are in a small car.

The engine starts easily and whilst not awe-inspiring is able to push the Mito along with ease. Then I noticed something; the digital readout in the dash has an arrow that points up or down indicating which way you should change gear.

I did think it a little pointless, however, when I was not looking to change up it did indicate this was possible and did so. The torque of the engine was surprising given its size.

Remember what I said about Alfa’s in my youth; well there was a fault or so I thought. The fuel gauge, which refused to move irrespective of the distance travelled.

It was only after I discovered the DNA button lurking in front of the gear change, which enables the car to be switched between normal, all weather and Dynamic (aka Sport mode) that the fuel gauge finally moved.

I don’t know what the specific fuel consumption was but this is a seriously frugal car in Normal mode.

I say this with caution, because that little DNA lever can be very addictive. In Dynamic mode the whole attitude changes and the little car beats with the heart of a much larger prancing horse, taking off like a scalded cat (sorry to mix my metaphors, but necessary in this instance).

The handling tightens up and genuinely this becomes a really enjoyable sports car and one that will surprise you time and time again.

It does hurt the fuel consumption, but in the words of the Geordie lass herself Cheryl Cole: “I’m worth it”, and I found myself reaching for the DNA lever once out on the open road.

If you live in a city, I implore you, find an open road for your test drive otherwise you will miss out on the sheer joy that this car can deliver.

Is this car worthy of the Alfa Romeo badge proudly adorning the grill of this car? Absolutely. Alfa has managed to pull off a great piece of engineering in a small package that with not break your wallet and leaves you smiling.

This is an Italian car that you can buy with both your head and your heart and will introduce a generation to the rite of passage in motoring terms – owning an Alfa Romeo.

Prices for the test car, a 1.3 JTDm2 95 bhp start at £13,960.