Saturday morning, August 2, 2025, dawned cool and bright. What a change it was compared to the steamy hot and humid weather we had no choice but to tolerate all week. The Alfa fired up without hesitation, and at exactly 6:45 a.m., I was out the driveway, on my way to Das Awkscht Fescht in Macungie, PA. Traffic was light, and I was in my parking spot in Class #7, Sports Cars, by 8 a.m. Having skipped breakfast at home, my first order of duty was to head to the refreshment building in search of a morning meal. A fried egg sandwich and hot coffee set me back all of $5.50. Food in tow, I walked back to my car, set up my folding chair, and settled in to watch the parade of cars entering Macungie Memorial Park.

This was the 62^nd annual “Fescht,” an event we more commonly refer to simply as “Macungie” for obvious reasons. I’ve been here many times before, going as far back as the 1980s, long before I owned anything resembling a show-worthy vehicle. A particularly fond memory is bringing my BMW Isetta here, trailered of course, where it was well-received by the spectators. But today, it was the Alfa’s turn to shine, and it did with aplomb, surrounded as it was by British, German, and Japanese sporting machinery. As far as I was able to observe, it was the only Alfa Romeo, and one of the very few Italian cars at the event.

At many car shows, the majority of vehicles on display are the thoroughbreds: the sporty convertibles, muscle cars, luxury barges, and high-end machinery of their time. At Macungie, of course, there were plenty of Mustangs, Corvettes, Thunderbirds, Rivieras, Imperials, and the like. What struck me this year was the preponderance of four-door cars, cars that were more likely to be spotted in the driveways and parking lots of post-World-War-Two America. It was more exciting, frankly, to stumble upon a 1960 Chrysler New Yorker sedan, something I rarely see at a show, than it was a Chevy Camaro. (And no offense to you Camaro lovers out there, but it was the featured car of the weekend, with Camaros of every generation on display.)

I did my best to photograph the cars that struck me as most interesting, but I also wanted to stay near my car to chat it up with passers-by. I ran into many friends, old and new, and the freshly-detailed Alfa earned its share of compliments. By 4 p.m. it was time to head home, and my fifty-eight-year-old Italian steed got me there without complaint, for a total round-trip drive of one hundred and twenty-four miles. It was one of the best Macungie shows in recent memory.

 

This ’64 Fairlane Sports Coupe stood out for me for its rarity and its equipment, including hi-po 289, manual transmission, bucket seats, and center console. I spoke with the long-term owner, who is elderly and doesn’t drive it anymore. She depends on her son to get the car back and forth for car shows. It’s mostly original, but has significant rust in the rear quarters.

I met my good friend Mike L. at a car show a few years back, and we typically run into each other, either at Macungie and/or at New Hope. He was here this year with his sidekick Barry, and they brought out the German contingent for the Saturday show. Mike specializes in collecting nice, unrestored, original condition cars, as these four were:

 

 

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