A New Hope “Star Car”: the 1997 Alfa Romeo 916 Spider

August 13, 2026 RichardReina Car shows, Events Alfa Romeo 916 Spider

Among the twenty-eight Alfa Romeos on the ground at the 2026 New Hope, PA, auto show this year was a 1997 916-series Spider. Its unique design stood out among all the other Alfas as it is a model that was never officially imported into North America. Before we get to the story about this particular vehicle, here’s a little background on this model.

The Type 916 (internal name) was conceived as both a 2+2 coupe and a 2-seat convertible. The coupe would reestablish a sports car in the Alfa Romeo lineup after the discontinuation of the Alfetta/GTV-6 in 1987, and the convertible would be the replacement for the long-lived Spider, the first version of which was introduced as the Duetto in 1966 and lived through four generations, ending in 1994. Indeed, in keeping with naming traditions, the coupe was called the GTV while the drop-top continued the name of Spider. Both cars were front wheel drive, with four-cylinder Twin Spark and V6 “Busso” engines available. The first model year for the 916 was 1995, with production ending in 2004.

A few 916 models have been privately imported into the States, thanks to the U.S. Government’s twenty-five year rule, which allows importation of cars that reach that age. There are a number of them in Canada as well, which has a less stringent fifteen-year rule for cars that do not meet Canadian safety and emissions standards. The Spider at New Hope displayed a sign stating that a previous owner had privately imported this left-hand-drive one from Switzerland.

Since fellow AROC NJ chapter member Paul and I were judging all the Spiders, this one was also our responsibility. The Spiders were in three rows. We finished row one, and turned our attention to row two, starting with this car. The car’s owners, Dave and Linda, were there to greet us, and before we could point out that the car’s hood needed to be open for judging, they let us know of a little, tiny, insignificant issue … they were not able to get the hood open, and had been trying for several minutes, to the point where Dave said his fingers were starting to burn from handling the car’s very hot hood.

We chatted a bit about this conundrum, with Linda informing us that they had only owned this car for a few months and were still learning its peculiarities. Paul and I presented our options to Linda and Dave: we could either not judge their car at all, or we could judge it without assessing the engine compartment, which would lower their point total considerably. Eventually, they wandered away to let us judges do our thing. I actually sent them over to look at my ’67 across the way from their car, at which point Paul and I went to work.

Paul fishes for the secondary release while Richard keeps tension on the release cable. Photo courtesy of Bob Cooley.

I opened the driver’s door and found the hood release, centered under the steering column, while Paul remained at the front of the car. Paul suggested that he completely close the hood again (it was on its first release point), and I agreed. With the hood closed, I pulled the release lever to verify that the hood was popping up. While I continued to pull on the cable, Paul ran his hand along the underside of the hood. Finally, he found the secondary release, on the passenger side, not far from the right headlight. We had the hood open! Once Linda and Dave saw that, they came running back to thank us. Paul joked that our “Sunday repair rates” were quite high, and after a few chuckles, they were sincerely appreciative. Paul and I then finished the judging, including the engine compartment. While their car did not place, we deemed it a very nice car nevertheless.

Linda and Dave admire their first -ever glance at their Spider’s engine 😉

Linda, Dave, Richard, and Paul congratulate each other on a job well done. Photo courtesy of Bob Millinghausen.

Their Spider, in a very attractive dark grey over tan leather, features a five-speed manual transmission. The instrumentation is thorough, and the well-bolstered seats appear to provide plenty of legroom. The soft top, when retracted, is hidden under a body panel, making for a sleek look when topless. I found the overall package quite attractive, and it’s a shame that Alfa Romeo was out of the U.S. market during this car’s production run, as I think it would have sold well here. Linda and Dave are members of the Delaware Valley chapter of AROC, and I hope to run into them and their delightful 916 Spider again!

Alfa Romeo Dominates the 2026 New Hope Auto Show

August 10, 2026August 10, 2026 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Car shows, Events, Uncategorized New Hope Auto Show

The New Hope Auto Show, which began in 1957, lays claim to being the second oldest collector car show in the country, after Pebble Beach, CA. Given its modest location, in a high school parking lot in the quaint and charming town of New Hope, it has much to live up to. One aspect of the show that the organizers brag about is its judging system. First, vehicles gain entry to the event (Saturday for domestic product, and Sunday for imports) only by application. Cars are then placed in classes based on make and model. Volunteer judges attend a judging meeting to review the rules: all cars are evaluated based on a 100-point scale, divided among exterior, interior, engine compartment, and chassis. Judges are looking at originality and condition, and they must decide on a first, second, and third place winner. Ties are not allowed. The judges are experienced men and women who have judged for the AACA and/or have judged at New Hope for years. The New Hope show organizers expect that the winning cars will be representative of the hobby’s finest.

This year’s show was held on August 8 and 9. My ’67 Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr. was in attendance for the sixth time. There was an excellent turnout from both the Delaware Valley and New Jersey Chapters of the Alfa Romeo Owner’s Club (AROC), and it was announced during the morning’s judges’ meeting that Alfa Romeo, with twenty-eight registered cars, was the largest class on the show field! The challenge for our chief judge, NJ Chapter President Enrico Ciabattoni, was completing the task in a timely fashion. He again had a team of four for judging, including your author, fellow NJ Chapter member Paul Mitchell, and DelVal Chapter member John Palumbo. As we have done in the past, we divided the field in two: open cars and closed cars. There were eighteen convertibles and ten coupes and sedans. Paul and I tackled the convertibles (Spiders in Alfa-speak), while Enrico and John took on the closed cars. (I should note that even though Paul, John, and I had cars on the show field, we voluntarily labeled our cars “do not judge” to avoid any appearance of impropriety.)

Just a portion of the Alfa Romeo show field

The judging went smoothly for us, and we were slowed down a little only by judging rules that require owners to be present and that require tops to be raised for inspection. In reality, Paul and I had fewer than eighteen cars, because at least four owners had marked their cars “do not judge.” After filling out our evaluation sheets, we sat down to tally the totals, and we were happy to see that we had no ties. (During the judges’ meeting, it was mentioned that during Saturday’s show, a tie score in one class was decided solely based on the cleanliness of the driver’s floor mat.)

First place, open cars: 1963 Giulia Spider, owned by Bill Beccone

Second place, open cars: 1991 Spider, owned by Bob Cooley

Third place, open cars: 1987 Spider Quadrifoglio, owned by Jeff Brown

Among the open cars, the 1963 Giulia Spider, looking like it had recently emerged from a restoration shop, was our clear first place winner. Second place went to a nicely preserved ’91 Spider, and third place to an almost-as-nice ’87 Spider. Among the tin tops, first place went to a beautiful black 1991 164 sedan, second place to a lovely blue ’72 Giulia Junior, and third place to a brilliant black 1989 Milano sedan. Interestingly, among the six winners, three were from the NJ Chapter and three from the DelVal Chapter.

First place, closed cars: 1991 164 sedan, owned by Bill DiPrima

Second place, closed cars: 1972 GT Junior, owned by Quinn deMenna

Third place, closed cars: 1989 Milano Verde sedan, owned by Maurice Arcangeli

I’ll say it again: Alfa Romeo owners are among the friendliest, most down-to-earth hobby people I know. The entire day was spent hanging with old friends and making new ones. Even though participants were competing with each other, there was no animosity displayed. The variety of cars was impressive, helped by the fact that for Alfa Romeo, unlike most other classes, all years are accepted up to 2026. We had a nice selection of Euro-spec cars, including my Junior, Quinn deMenna’s Junior, and a 916-series Spider. Overall, every car was in nice condition. I saw no corrosion on any car during my chassis inspections, which speaks to the care that these cars get. The entire day felt like a party, which is how it should be. Being part of this club is supposed to be fun, and it was!

ALFA ROMEO OPEN CARS

Classic Spiders (1966-1994)

916-Series Spider

CLOSED CARS

Classic Giulia coupes

Alfetta/GTV-6 Coupe

Modern Giulia sedans

The three NJ winners: Bill DiPrima, Bob Cooley, and Jeff Brown

A Mid-Week Breakfast “Sandwich”

August 4, 2026 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Drives, Events

My good friend Mike and I know each other from working together at Onyx, the company that operated the CARiD website. We each had our ups and downs at work, but that is water under the bridge. We have remained friends since first meeting in 2011, and as part of that friendship, we meet once a month for breakfast, almost without exception. Our go-to place for a number of years now has been Orlando’s on Route 31 in Hopewell, NJ. I can’t recommend it enough.

We had breakfast there today. Last night, during a quick phone call, we agreed to drive our classics to the restaurant, me in my Alfa, and Mike in his ’66 Corvette roadster. Unusually for a weekday morning, Orlando’s parking lot was filled almost to capacity, and we had to park our rides way off to one side, sandwiching them close together because there was little room to put them anywhere else.

Breakfast was incredible as always: we each had two eggs, home fries, whole wheat toast, and unlimited coffee, and the check with tax but before the tip came to $12. That’s not each, that’s for both of us. Like I said, I can’t recommend it enough. Another great thing about Orlando’s: they never rush us out. Even after our plates are cleared away, our waitress lets us sit there all morning, continuing to refresh our cups.

Finally, it was time to leave, and as we approached our cars, we were struck by how great they looked aside each other, so similar yet so different. Mike’s is a ’66 with a V8, 4-speed, and a drop-top, which he fully restored himself. Mine is one year newer, with a four-banger, 5-speed, and a rear seat. Both are carbureted and are equipped with four-wheel disc brakes. But each car in its own way spoke to the true sports car enthusiast of that decade.

We both were happy to give our cars some exercise. It was a great day all around.

I was on my way to the Post Office…

July 30, 2026 RichardReina Cars on the street C1 Corvette

… in the sleepy little town of Three Bridges, NJ, just a few miles from my house, when this popped into my peripheral vision. While it’s impossible to be certain, the overall impression is that, A, the car has been sitting there for a while, and, B, the wind has loosened the tarp which heretofore had been completely covering the car. The hidden fossils are still out there waiting to be discovered!

I’m no Corvette C1 expert, but the quad lights make it no older than a ’58, and the red-painted cove makes it no newer than a ’61. Any Corvette experts out there care to chime in?

The Alfa Gets Four New Koni Shock Absorbers

July 28, 2026 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Events, Repair sessions Crutchfield, Koni shocks

When I rebuilt the front suspension of my Alfa Romeo over the winter of 2014-2015, the rebuild included replacement of the front shocks. The removed shocks appeared original to the car, which would have made them forty-eight years old! I also went “cheap,” purchasing a lower-priced pair from Classic Alfa, my usual supplier, instead of brand-name ones like Koni or Bilstein.

Jump to the spring of 2026, and not only are the replaced front shocks eleven years old, I haven’t touched the rear shocks. I decided it was time to replace all four with the ones most recommended on the Alfa Romeo bulletin board (the AlfaBB), which were the Koni “red” shocks. (The “yellow” shocks are stiffer, and the online consensus was that they were more appropriate for those who track or race their cars, which I don’t.)

I ordered the shocks and as is typical for Classic Alfa, they arrived in a matter of days. (Their shipping costs from the UK have always been reasonable, but now I’m also paying tariffs and “administrative fees” to DHL.) The front shock replacement was easy, as it’s a straightforward removal of nuts and washers at both top and bottom. The Alfa front suspension is upper and lower control arms, so there is no need to compress the springs.

It’s similar in the rear, except access is a little trickier. According to my service books, replacement of the rear shocks is made easier if the rear seat is removed. The implication in that statement is that it’s not required to do so. I saw that the issue is that the shocks’ top mounts are so far forward in the trunk that they are almost impossible to reach from outside the trunk. So, with some trepidation, I removed the rear seat bottom and backrest, concerned that it might be difficult, or that I might find deteriorated material. My concerns were for naught: not only did the seat cushions come out rather easily, but I was pleasantly surprised to take note of the fine condition of the undersides of the cushions.

For the seat bottom, it was simply lift and remove.

For the seat back, there were bolts hidden under the upholstery at the bottom, and clips at top.

The undersides of both seats showed no signs of deterioration at all.

With the seat out, I still couldn’t see the shock mounts, so I removed the package shelf, which took a little more effort. Pete, the previous owner, had installed an aftermarket 6×9 speaker in the shelf, and that needed to be removed first. As soon as I touched the speaker’s paper cone, it disintegrated, so a new speaker was ordered from Crutchfield. But removing the shelf turned out to be unnecessary. It was the trunk’s rubber matting, which covers both the trunk floor and the forward wall, that was blocking my access. Once I folded the mat out of the way, the shock mounts were exposed, and it was revealed to me that I could have done the job with the parcel shelf in place. Oh well, this just gave me an excuse to install a new speaker.

Here you can see the trunk mat up against the forward wall. Note how light the paint coverage is.

This Jensen speaker was probably from the early 1970s.

The shock’s top nut has been removed, but the black cap, held in place by three small bolts, also needed to be removed to extract the shock.

The rear shocks were 59 years old, and I was shocked that they had any resistance at all. The new Koni shocks went in without a hitch. Koni’s shocks are adjustable, and the installation instructions state that they leave the factory set to the softest setting. The consensus on the Alfa Bulletin Board is that most Giulia owners prefer to leave them at that setting, which is what I did. With all four Konis in place, I took the car for a drive. Ride comfort, which was always good, did not change at all. Road handling felt just slightly more “buttoned down,” meaning, the car’s steering responses and road grip were ever so slightly improved. Mainly, I was happy that the ride did not become harsh. The Koni red shocks were reasonably priced, easy to install, and provided a small but noticeable improvement in overall drivability. I would recommend them to anyone looking for shocks for their classic sports car.

This closeup shows some markings: “POST” is short for “POSTERIOR,” meaning “rear”. “ALTO” is “top”.

Side by side are the old front shock and the new Koni red shock.

NJ Alfa Romeo Club Sunday Breakfast, July 19, 2026

July 19, 2026 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Drives, Events NJ-AROC

After wet and windy weather walloped the metro NY/NJ area on Saturday July 18, Sunday morning the 19th dawned with the promise of a drier day, making it ideal for members of the NJ Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club to enjoy their monthly breakfast meet. This month’s host was again the Americana Diner in Shrewsbury, NJ, and a dozen of us made the trek.

The diner’s parking lot was enlivened by our cars

While the number of Alfas in the parking lot was small, the selection of models was spectacular: two 4C convertibles, two Duettos, and one Giulia coupe. The lineup was impressive enough to draw the attention of other diner guests, who looked on with envy at our beautiful Italian performance machines.

As always, the food, coffee, and service at the Americana were exemplary. We pressed our waiter into also acting as our group photographer, and the poor young lad took so much time with my SLR camera that the boss came up behind him, causing me to worry that he would be scolded (or worse)! But common sense prevailed, the requisite photo was captured, and the young man kept his job.

As is our style, departure from the building did not equate to departure from the parking lot. The group managed to dally for at least another thirty minutes (there’s always something automotive-related to discuss among us). I hit the road at 11:30, leaving at least a half-dozen of my fellow Alfisti to continue to squander their Sunday. My trip home took an hour, and I’m happy to report that not only is the car running very well, but during today’s drive, the odometer reached 70,000 miles. In March of 2013, when I took possession of the car, there were 54,000 miles on the clock, so 16,000 miles in thirteen years counts for a goodly amount of driving! Every mile has been a blast.

The Simeone Museum’s Demo Day, Featuring an Alfa Romeo 8C 2900A

July 11, 2026 RichardReina Events, museums Alfa Romeo 8C, Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum

The Simeone Museum in Philadelphia, PA, is renowned for its collection of historic race cars. The late Dr. Fred Simeone, inspired by his father’s car collection of pre-war classics, started his own collection as a young man, focusing on unrestored racing vehicles. Decades ago, such “worn out” machinery could be acquired for very little money. Dr. Fred’s desire to keep the cars original also led him to insist that all his cars be drivable. To that end, the museum hosts a monthly “Demo Day,” when a select few cars are taken outside and put through their paces.

The Gullwing takes center stage during the slide presentation

Saturday, July 11, 2026 was such a day, the theme of which was “Car Detective: Defining the Simeone Museum from Alfa to Vauxhall.” As the museum’s website states, “Through research, intuition, and patience, Dr. Simeone gave voice to cars whose stories might otherwise have been lost. This is their story.” The chosen cars included a 1921 Vauxhall, 1926 Bugatti Type 35, 1933 Squire Roadster, 1937 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900A, and 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing. Members from both the NJ and Delaware Valley Chapters of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROC) turned out primarily to see (and hear) the Alfa 8C.

The presenter highlighted specs that would be impressive even for some modern cars

The event began with a slide show highlighting the technical features of each car, followed by an explanation of Dr. Fred’s approach to car collecting. During the slide presentation, the five cars were parked nearby, and it was a rare and wonderful opportunity indeed to get so close to this gorgeous piece of Italian machinery. You can read the details of Dr. Fred’s search and acquisition here: https://simeonemuseum.org/collection/1937-alfa-romeo-8c-2900a-mille-miglia-spider/, but suffice to say that this one was so rough that there was no choice but to perform a complete restoration. In what must have been a once-in-a-lifetime thrill for him, the restored Alfa Romeo 8C was driven by him and a co-driver in the 1991 Mille Miglia in Italy.

I’ve been to several previous Demo Days, and I recall crowds which made it almost impossible to see the action. Fortunately, the head count on this day was a little light, and I had mostly good sight lines. I’m not a videographer, but I still managed to capture some of the excitement as the cars circled the track. Three video clips are included below along with the photos.

The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum (https://simeonemuseum.org/) is located in south Philadelphia, not far from the Philadelphia airport. It’s about an hour’s drive from central New Jersey. If you have not been there, it’s highly recommended. If you can be there for a Demo Day (and here is their 2026 calendar: https://simeonemuseum.org/2026-events/), all the better.

THE 1937 ALFA ROMEO 8C 2900A

THE 1926 BUGATTI TYPE 35

THE 1933 SQUIRE ROADSTER

THE 1955 MERCEDES-BENZ 300SL GULLWING COUPE

Replacing the Mazda3’s roof-mounted antenna

July 9, 2026 RichardReina Events, Repair sessions antenna replacement, Mazda3

While there are several decent car wash businesses near me, I have tended to favor a particular one that is a few minutes farther away than the others. They have had no issues with my manual transmission-equipped Mazda, and their drying technique always includes the use of compressed air to blow away water from the rear-view mirrors and tires. My experience has been that they do a more thorough job overall. I normally don’t stand at the windows to watch their machinery go through its paces, but I few weeks ago I did, and that’s when I saw it. The big overhead roller brush rolled right over my stubby roof-mounted antenna and ate part of the antenna’s rubber sheathing.

This was not their fault. The antenna easily unscrews with finger pressure only, and the business posts signs about potential damage to such items. I should have removed it. As I drove home that day, I was relieved to discover that the car’s radio reception was not affected. That was fine until I was waxing the car last week, using my new Griot’s Garage orbital buffer, and as I glided the machine past the antenna, I succeeded in snapping the spring-wrapped ceramic core. Now I had no radio reception, and it was time to source a replacement.

Google directed me to Amazon, where I had a plethora of choices, most of them from the aftermarket. Several companies offered a stubby version, but the reviews mentioned a loss of reception, an unworthy trade-off. I had to scroll down quite a bit to discover the Mazda factory antenna, which at $35 was twice the price of the elcheapo knockoffs, but I prized functionality over frugality.

Amazon delivered the part within a day, and thankfully, it was the correct item. (I had the Mazda part number, and checked that against several Mazda dealer websites.) The remove-and-replace took a minute, and everything is hunky-dory (yes, it’s in Merriam-Webster’s). I’m considering sticking a Post-It on the dash: “REMOVE ANTENNA AT CAR WASH!”

Although purchased from Amazon, this is a genuine Mazda part

Flemington, NJ, Cruise Night, June 13, 2026

June 22, 2026 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Car shows, Events Flemington NJ Cruise Night

The Flemington, NJ, cruise night was previously held on Main St. in downtown Flemington on alternating Saturdays. I last attended this event in 2023, and a few things have changed since then. First, the show has been relocated to Stangl Road, a supposedly quieter street for local traffic (more about that below). The second change is that it’s now held only once a month. What has not changed is the selection of a different “featured class or brand” for each cruise night. On Saturday, June 13, import vehicles were featured, and I made a late-day decision to hop into the Alfa Romeo and drive over (it’s only fifteen minutes away).

The cruise night was advertised as running from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and I planned my arrival to coincide with the start time. I was taken aback with how crowded the show was at 5 p.m. As I slowly motored down Stangl Road, I was directed to the “featured cars lot,” where I managed to secure the final available parking spot. Backing in between a Triumph TR-6 and a tricked-out Hyundai Veloster, I correctly surmised that the evening’s “import cars” would include a wide variety of automobiles.

Sharing space with the other “furrin” cars

No sooner had I exited my Alfa when two fellow NJ-AACA members, John P. and Jerry P. (no relation) sauntered over. John had his beautiful ’57 Chevy Bel Air parked down the street, and Jerry placed his ’64 Pontiac Bonneville next to John’s Chevy. The three of us proceeded to amble along Stangl Road together, admiring the machinery, when we ran into Dave, another NJ-AACA member (who didn’t have a car there). It was a nice mini reunion, with lots to talk about, surrounded as we were by classic cars.

Stangl Road is lined with restaurants and retail stores, which brings its own share of traffic, but you would not refer to it as a primary thoroughfare, the way you would Main St., the cruise nights’ previous location. During my visit, Stangl Road was so crowded with pedestrians that many of us (wrongly) presumed that the road was closed to through traffic. It was not. Most drivers had the courtesy to keep their speeds low, but several wise guys wanted to show off their muscle cars. The worst offender of the night was the driver of a FedEx truck, which was attempting to speed through the area until traffic slowed him down. At that point, Jerry, a Navy veteran, leaned into the truck and gave the driver an earful, scolding him for his carelessness while there were children in the road.

I eventually made my way back to my Alfa, where several spectators engaged me in conversation about my car. The cruise night is run by Fred Beans, a large multi-franchise series of dealers throughout NJ and PA, and around 7:30, they announced that if your windshield placard was missing from your car, that meant you won a trophy. Mine was missing, and a short while later, I was presented with my trophy! What was confusing, though, is that about one-quarter of the import cars won trophies, and no explanation was forthcoming regarding how or why certain cars were chosen. Oh well, it was an honor to win. Once that part of the evening was concluded, I headed home. The Flemington Cruise Night offers a very large number of vehicles, covering the spectrum of collectability: old, new, and everything in between. It was crowded, noisy (there were TWO live rock bands playing all evening), and I’ve concluded that I prefer Somerville’s cruise night. Still, I might pay Flemington another visit (without the Alfa) later this summer.

The local Jaguar Club arrived and parked together. Below is a sample of what they had on display.

NJ Alfa Club Alfresco Breakfast, June 14, 2026

June 16, 2026 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Drives, Events

Regular readers of my blog know that the NJ Alfa Romeo club holds a breakfast meeting once a month, rotating among several diners throughout central Jersey. We have been very consistent at maintaining this tradition for the past few years. Once a year, we break from that routine and treat ourselves to an alfresco breakfast in Colonial Park in Somerset, NJ, typically in June, and we again joined forces there on Sunday, June 14. Our event coordinator, Bill DiPrima, always does an excellent job by arriving with bagels, muffins, cookies, and most importantly, hot coffee. The perfect spring weather encouraged over a dozen club members to arrive in their Milanese machinery, old and new. My ’67 Alfa, which was so recalcitrant last month, got me there and back without missing a beat.

An accidental array of superlative Italian machinery

As seems to be typical for us, we spent as much time in conversation as we did in culinary consumption (I personally enjoyed smoked salmon on a multi-grain bagel with my java). Although there were bocce ball courts adjacent to us, we did not play this year, which speaks to the extent to which we were enjoying each other’s company. And as if the breakfast food couldn’t be topped, it was when V.P. Vic surprised his wife with a birthday cake. (Her birthday wish was that we talk about something other than car repair.)

Birthday girl Gail is in the middle, with hubby Vic and sister Dawn

Next month, it’s back to a diner, which I always enjoy, but there is something special about taking in the combination of breakfast foods, great friends and our Alfa Romeos in the spring air.