When I bought my ’67 Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr. from my friend Pete in 2013, it was already wearing its HPOF badge from the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA). Pete had prepared the car for judging and was solely responsible for taking the car through the certification process. (We must also remember that he owned the car for 45 years, preserving it in its outstanding condition all that time.) Although I’ve been very involved in AACA activities over the last 2 decades, including showing both the BMW Isetta and the Mazda Miata at Hershey, up until now I had never entered the Alfa in an AACA National Show. It’s been in NJ Regional shows, but National judging is stricter.

The Saratoga Springs National which was held last week seemed to be the ideal place to enter the car for continued HPOF certification. I spent many hours during the spring detailing the car as well as attending to its maintenance needs to ensure a confident and reliable 400+-mile round trip. As you may have read in my most recent post, the car performed flawlessly in getting me there and back. Now, here’s the rest of the story.

HPOF, which stands for Historical Preservation of Original Features, is a judging class which rewards originality. Cars in this class are not restored. In fact, a car which has been restored would be deemed ineligible. Once a vehicle is certified HPOF, it is eligible for the next level of certification which is “HPOF Original”. The difference is in the number of allowable points which can be deducted. Put simply, an “HPOF” car may have X number of non-original components and still be certified, while an “HPOF Original” car will need to have a fewer number of non-original components.

Owners are required to complete a sheet, indicating exactly what on the car is not original. That sheet is then handed to the judging team. For me, I noted that the front fog lights, replacement alternator (generator was factory original), battery relocation from engine compartment to trunk, and added ammeter gauge were the non-original items. The judges only spent a few minutes examining the cars (the steady showers kept them moving quickly from car to car), and at the Saturday banquet, I was honored to be presented with an HPOF Original badge for the Alfa! I admit I got a bit emotional because my mind went back to my friend Pete, who passed away last October. He would have been thrilled to know this, and as I told my fellow hobbyists at the dinner table, Pete gets most of the credit for this achievement.

ABOVE: The HPOF badge on the left was awarded to Pete, probably around 2003. The “AACA Original” badge on the right was given to me last week, and mounts behind the existing HPOF badge.

HPOF cars are always eligible to the shown at subsequent National meets, where they will either continue to be certified at their current level of achievement, or have the certification reduced or removed. For example, if I were to repaint my Alfa and replace its 1300 cc original engine with a larger and more powerful Alfa engine, I would completely lose its HPOF rating. (And of course I have no intention of doing anything of the sort.) The plan, both short-term and long-term, is to keep driving the car, keep up its maintenance, and keep it as original as it is today!

All photographs copyright © 2024 Richard A. Reina. Photos may not be copied or reproduced without express written permission.