In addition to Ferrari and Lamborghini, there is more to see, and the three museums in the heart of the country's automobile provide a deeper understanding.

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Milan-now soon: when you mention the theme of the Italian Automobile Museum at a cocktail party, which word do you think of?

Ferrari. certainly. Or Maserati. Or maybe Lamborghini. But for the next thousand words or so, put those subconscious reactions aside. Now, let us think outside the box of the automobile museum.

During my most recent visit to northern Italy, I shuttled between Milan and Turin, looking for some cars that were beyond the tourist’s agenda. I found it, in the "Other" museum, one celebrating the history of Alfa Romeo, and the second in Fiat's hometown, the true heart of the Italian automobile industry, for more than a century.

Do you want a red car? Alpha has more than a few amazing shades of rosso. technology? Beginning with Leonardo da Vinci's self-propelled car in 1478. No time to watch a Porsche? OK. You won't find any here.

Here are two destinations that both enthusiasts and non-car enthusiasts can appreciate, as well as a short stop by the iconic Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli.

Museo STORICO Alfa Romeo, Arese. Museo Storico is located in Arese, a suburb of Milan. Through the prism of a more fascinating and enduring brand, it tells a romantic in-depth exploration of Italy's 111-year history. Although the themes of the museum layout—timeline, beauty, and speed—are an accurate and thoughtful assessment of the importance of Alpha to Italy and its industry, but the presence of so many ornate metal panels in a building is enough to inspire people's enthusiasm.

The company "realized early on that museums can be a marketing asset," said Lorenzo Ardizio, the museum's director. Initially it was only open to guests and reporters in 1976, but under the guidance of Sergio Marchionne, Storico was refurbished and reopened in 2015 to launch the Giulia sedan. The year before, Mr. Marchionne planned the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. (Fiat took over Alpha in 1986.) FCA is now part of the Stellattis group. Yes, it becomes complicated.

Regarding Storico, Mr. Ardizio said: “The idea is to attract a wider public and create something for those who may not be particularly interested in cars.” This is a recurring theme in most car museums.

All the common high-tech products of the 21st century display format are here: multimedia panels, exotic lighting, a huge video wall, which can trace some elegy performances of Alpha in motorsports. In 1950, the small 1.5-liter Alfettas won the first Formula One world championship, finishing first, second and third in that Grand Prix season. Alpha’s second driver is Juan Manuel Fangio, who is considered one of the most outstanding racing drivers of all time. The result is a reason to cheer in this avid racing country, whose automobile industry was destroyed by retreating Germans and advancing Allied forces in the mid-1940s.

In 1954, it was the compact Giulietta coupe designed under the influence of Raymond Loewy that reignited Alfa in the showroom. Among the 70 cars or cars on permanent display in the appropriate museum (and a "workshop" closed to the public) and many historic Alfas), the tidy Giulietta is an invaluable display. Mr. Aldizio said that, driven by its success, the company flourished after World War II, producing as many as 1,000 cars a day shortly after only producing 300 cars a year.

Do you know that red convertible over there? Many moviegoers will: This is the 1600 Spider Duetto that Dustin Hoffman drove over the Bay Bridge in the "Graduate". According to our guide at Storico, the encyclopedic Eleonora Ventura, a classic 1966 model designed by Pininfarina’s studio, was "booked" on the deck of a luxury liner departing from Genoa-in fact, the same goes for green and white. New York.

“The ship docked in Cannes during the film festival and received some actors and VIPs, who had the opportunity to drive them on the deck of the New York trip,” she said. This Alfa-a 28-year-old model-then has "widgets" in many movies.

It is worth pointing out that almost all the information displayed next to the car and in the video is in English. Mr. Ardizio estimates that more than 130,000 tourists will pass Storico in 2020.

National Automobile Museum, Turin. For American tourists to Italy, Turin is often an afterthought, which is overshadowed by the numerous itineraries of Rome-Florence-Milan-Venice. But for car connoisseurs, Turin, the first Italian capital city before Rome, has a long history: Lancia, Iveco, Pininfarina, Belton, Giugiaro and Gia, the magical names in the Italian design world. They were all founded here, built around the hometown of Turin's industry. Superstar, Fiat.

Not surprisingly, Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile is one of the largest museums dedicated to automobiles in the world. Approximately 200 models from 1854 have left such a rich legacy that after a few tense hours here, you should get a bachelor's degree in history. The museum was founded in 1933 and was refurbished in 2011. It attracts about 200,000 visitors each year, about half of which are from outside Italy, said our guide Felipe Vergara.

In the museum, science and sports are integrated. One display shows the Formula One championship car driven by Fangio and Michael Schumacher; the other lights up the Bordino steam wagon of 1854 and amazes Turin people because it cruises the narrow streets of the city without horsepower .

Mr. Vergara is also excited about Italia, which is particularly lacking in aerodynamics, a 40-horsepower monster that participated in the infamous 1907 Beijing-Paris car race. The cars on display were beaten and ravaged by the war, which is encouraging. There are detachable fenders for water passing, and an oversized fuel tank for gasoline.

"The idea is, is anyone crazy to travel 16,000 kilometers from Beijing to Paris?" Mr. Vergara asked. "Five teams appeared."

The Gobi Desert and Siberia are just two obstacles facing drivers. Prince Scipione Borghese was a soldier, driving the wheels of Italy. After 61 days, he drove the Italian into Paris; three weeks later, the second-placed car arrived. The news reports are amazing; those who think that cars are just a fashion feel humble.

There are good reasons for the museum to have something to do with Fiat (Fabbrica Italiana di Automobile Torino, not "Fix it again, Tony") and its brilliant but politically divided founder Giovanni Agnelli (Giovanni Agnelli) Wanwi's connection. (He was allied with Mussolini at one time, and was tried for fraud another time.)

In the past 120 years, Fiat went bankrupt more than once-the brand is now almost invisible in the United States-but its cars are everywhere in Turin and this museum. Of particular note is the 1954 red and white Turbina, powered by a gas turbine. In other words, jet engines. This concept has never been mass-produced, but it did cause memorable complaints at the auto show.

Overall, the smart layout of the museum—on several floors in chronological order—provides a visual narrative of the car, from the beginning: Leonardo’s clockwork spring “car” to today’s touchstones Jaguar and Ferrari.

"People said before they came in,'I'm not interested in cars,' before they came here," Mr. Vergara said, "after that, they realized how interesting it became."

Pirelli Foundation Museum, Milan. Who knew that tires can cultivate museums? However, the Fondazione Pirelli in the center of Milan is supported by rubber instead of metal plates and fuel injection.

Pirelli is an Italian institution whose influence lasts for decades (to be 150 years old next year), not just tires, although racing fans are familiar with the brand because Pirelli is the only tire allowed in Formula One cars . The foundation’s exhibitions, including paintings, films, and Pirelli’s ultra-precision advertising poster series, emphasize the company’s work to spread art and culture among its employees. (In 2017, the Italian Camera Orchestra held a concert in the Pirelli factory.)

The notorious Pirelli calendar is also proud of here. The full-color extra-large calendar-known as "Cal"-became a fanatical project in the 1960s and 70s, showing charming women in various undressing states. When relaxed nudes later fell out of favor, the calendar became more artistic than playboy.

If your interest in Pirelli is more academic, there is also a large archive of historical documents and articles. Students and researchers can arrange visits.