Thirteen degrees Fahrenheit! That was the temperature in my driveway at 8 a.m. this morning as my wife and I headed to our car, about to drive to Jimmy’s American Grill in Bordentown, NJ. The occasion? The monthly breakfast get-together for the New Jersey Alfa club. We arrived at the restaurant just before 9 a.m. to find most of the crowd mulling about in the parking lot (and why not? The temperature had risen to a tolerable 25 F). We shared our quick “good mornings” and briskly strolled to the entrance. They were ready for all twelve of us, as the waitress efficiently passed around their extensive breakfast menu.
Food, coffee, and service were all great, and the table talk bounced from our Alfas, to holiday plans, to travel stories, and back to (what else) our Italian macchine. A personal highlight for me was meeting Pedro, his wife, and daughter, who arrived in their Alfa Romeo 155, a model never sold in this country. Pedro informed me that he imported the car from Japan, and that all the instrumentation was labeled in Japanese. His sedan is FWD, with a transversely-mounted Twin Spark 2.0L four-cylinder engine. I thought it was sharp. Those of us with “classic” Alfas left our steeds at home, so the only other Alfas in the parking lot were the modern Giulias.
A congratulations of sorts is due to the NJ-AROC. In late 2023, we decided to “try” to hold monthly breakfast gatherings, with the first one in cold mid-January. After that, we also decided to vary the eatery location, so that we might increase the likelihood of additional members joining us. We did just that, and month after month, throughout the year, NJ Chapter members showed up. With this December 14 event, we have successfully held a breakfast meet every month for the year. I hope that we continue this into 2025, and I feel certain that we will. Thanks to all who have made the effort!
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richardscarblog 
You EYE-talian types are a hardy bunch indeed! 12 deg. F is chil-l-l-l-l-y I like the wallpaper at Jimmy’s American.
IMHO, the 155 is not worth the trouble. Looks like a modern Saab or a VW. Italians should be more sexy looking.
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Hi Rick, thanks for your comments! I understand your opinion on the 155, but perhaps this deserves more context. I had not stated the year of that car, which I believe was a 1997, so the styling trends of the day become a factor. Alfa had already introduced “FWD square sedan” styling with the 164 in the early ’90s, which was sold in the U.S. Take a look at those sometime. They still have their fans among the Alfa faithful. The other “big thing” though about the 155 is the engine. It’s a “Twin Spark” which among Alfisti is a big deal. It has 2 plugs per cylinder for extra power. Twin Sparks were used in many Alfa racing applications. Finally, just the sheer rarity of the 155 in this country makes it special, IMHO. Best, Richard
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Richard,
How did you fit all those people in only four cars? Hope you all had a wonderful breakfast and wish you all the best Holiday Season you can imagine! Drive safely!
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Hi Bob, thanks as always for your comments, and haha, good question! I guess I didn’t clarify that given the weather, most of us drove our modern daily drivers. My wife and I arrived in our XC40, and one club member drove what he refers to as his “Alfa Ridgeline”. My own GT coupe is hibernating until springtime. Best, Richard
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