Macchinissima: L.A.’s All-Italian Car Show

September 29, 2025 RichardReina Car shows, Events All Italian car show, Macchi, Macchinissima

Several weeks ago, my wife and I planned a quick, four-night visit to the L.A. area to spend time with her brother, who has lived in Southern Cal for the last thirty years. After securing our airline tickets and hotel room, I searched the ‘net to see what else was going on. I stumbled across a car show scheduled for Saturday September 27 in downtown L.A. called Macchinissima. The name is a made-up word that even the locals can’t pronounce, and I discovered that most folks have shortened it to “Macchi.” Works for me. Now in its third year, it is a display of 100% Italian machinery and culture: cars, motorbikes, bicycles, food, drink, and music. I bought my ticket before leaving NJ, and at 9 a.m. Saturday morning, my wife and BIL dropped me off. (And by the way, why does NO ONE believe me when I say that my visit to Los Angeles during Macchinissima was a complete coincidence??)

Rolling Greens was the name of the spot hosting the show

At first, I wondered about my surroundings. I was in an industrial neighborhood with low-rise offices and warehouses, and graffiti plastered on every outside wall. The first show cars I spotted were all 105/115 series Alfa coupes and Spiders from the ‘60s and ‘70s, and I thought that this might be everything. As soon as I made a left turn through an open gate, the rest of the show opened up before me. The outside automotive displays extended as far as I could see, and the two buildings on either side of me were open and filled with more mechanical treasures. Besides the Alfas, within the first ten minutes I spotted Ferraris, Fiats, Lancias, and four Lamborghinis: two Miuras (both orange) and two Espadas. The hip L.A. crowd ranged from Millennials to Boomers of both sexes, absorbing the culture through all five senses. My wife had jokingly asked if she should pick me up in an hour. I realized now that I would be sticking around for most of the day.

The show’s organizers worked hard to make this something other than your typical car show. Vehicles were placed in small groups based on make, or model, or even color. There was no attempt to cram as many cars as possible onto the showfield; in fact, the spaciousness around some cars was refreshing and assisted with my (and others’) photographic efforts. The aforementioned graffiti actually provided a unique background for pictures. Inside one of the buildings, cheekily named the “Redrum,” every car was some shade of red. Instead of monotonous, it worked (helped by the popularity of rosso on Italian cars).

The evening before the show, I took a chance and emailed Elyse Barrett, who is the Managing Editor of the Alfa Romeo Owner’s Club (AROC) national magazine, Alfa Owner. She has published several articles of mine in the past, and we have never met. I was thrilled to hear back from her, informing me that she would be there. We found each other, and she and her husband Jim were very giving of their time with me.

There were almost too many highlights to call all of them out here, but for starters, there was a new Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale supercar; a DeTomaso Vallenuga; a 1935 Fiat Biallia; a Lancia Stratos; and my favorite car of the show, a one-off custom 1974 Alfa Spider with significantly modified sheetmetal, a custom interior, and a three-liter Busso V6 jammed under the hood (more about that car below). Italian cultural highlights included a coffee bar, an adult-drinks bar, pizza, Italian heroes, and gelato. If there was a disappointment, and it would be a minor one, it was the relatively small number of Fiats. There were no 124s of any body style, no 130s, no 850s, and a lone Fiat Dino, a Spider. Not sure if this was by choice or by availability.

At Macchi, pizzas are za’s, sandwiches are sandos, and drinks are bevies. Must be a local thing.

We have many wonderful concours on the East Coast, including Lime Rock, New Hope, and Hershey, all of which have been covered extensively on this blog. However, Macchinissima has no rivals on my home turf. While I wouldn’t make the long trek every year, it might be worth winging my way back every second or third year for the one-day immersion in La Dolce Vita, automotive style.

ALFA ROMEOS

This GTV (above) had a Busso V6 under its hood

Factory reps from Alfa Romeo North America were there with Alfa’s current lineup

(Above) an Alfa Romeo 1900 Zagato coupe

(Above) the 33 Stradale

The 1974 Alfa Spider Custom

I approached this car and could not make sense of what I was seeing. The windshield, door handles, headlights, and instrument panel left no doubt about its Spider origins. Or was I hallucinating? Not a single body panel looked like any Alfa Spider I had ever seen before. The grille was there, but the hood’s center section was raised. The side scallops were obliterated, replaced by smooth sheetmetal that reminded me of a ’50s or ’60s Ferrari Spider. The tail end, with its large round lights, was reminiscent of a Fiat Dino. What was this? Who built it? Was there more than one of these lurking somewhere? Personally, I found the changes to be breathtakingly beautiful, and I am at heart an “all original” kind of guy who eschews customization of almost any kind. All morning long I kept circling back, hoping to run into someone who knew the story. Finally, after lunch, the hood was opened, and yet another surprise: a 3.0L Alfa “Busso” V6 sat there looking like the car was born with it. The owner was present. I gushed. He told me that he is an architect, and he did 100% of the design work. But it was his brother, a “master metal fabricator,” who brought this dream to reality. Wow. If one popped up for sale, I would need to talk to my financial advisor to figure out a way to put in my garage.

LANCIA

FERRARI

(Above) One of the few new cars at the show was this 2025 Ferrari 12Cilindri. These photos do not do justice to the visual impact of this drop-dead gorgeous automobile. Yours for a cool half-million. Oops! Looks like it’s sold out.

FIAT

(Above) 1935 Fiat 508S Balilla

(Above) Fiat Abarth

(Above) Fiat Dino Spider

DE TOMASO VALLELUNGA

LAMBORGHINI

NJ-AROC Visits the Grounds for Sculpture

September 22, 2025September 22, 2025 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Drives, Events AROC NJ Chapter, Grounds for Sculptre

Sunday, September 21, 2025 was a busy day for participating members of AROC’s New Jersey Chapter as we found ourselves at three different locations throughout central NJ from early morning until mid-afternoon. Our optional start began at 8:30 a.m. at Colonial Park in Franklin Township in Somerset County. There, eight of us converged for a simple and quick breakfast of muffins, donuts, and coffee. Promptly at 9:15, the five Alfas (well, one was a Tonale which the Italian factory mislabeled as a Dodge Hornet), ably led by Bill DiPrima in his 164, caravanned to the Grounds for Sculpture.

There, we met up with many more of our fellow Alfisti (and one amico driving a Fiat 500 Abarth) who arrived at the museum separately. The Grounds for Sculpture staff had granted our request for secure private parking, and once we were all parked and locked, we had three hours to wander through the expansive grounds and buildings. (See the Sidebar for more about the Grounds for Sculpture.)

We reconvened at the cars at 1 p.m., and caravanned from there to Rossi’s Bar and Grill, where they were expecting us. Their extensive menu included pizza (“tomato pie”, actually), burgers, sandwiches, and more. The food and service were both wonderful, and our party split up around 3 p.m. for the rides home.

Besides Bill’s 164 and my Bertone coupe, other classic Alfas included two Spiders. Modern machinery in addition to the Italian Hornet and the Abarth included a Guilia sedan and a 4C. I will again comment how wonderful it is to be part of a club where both older and newer models of the same marque are equally welcome (and all kidding aside, we also open our arms to drivers of anything Italian).

A very big grazie goes to our Event Coordinator Bill DiPrima who oversaw today’s arrangements, and to Paul Mitchell who chose and scheduled our luncheon stop.

Enrico and Bill negotiate security details with guard

Bob shoots ducks (well, Bob shoots photos of ducks)

SIDEBAR: The Grounds for Sculpture

This was my third or fourth visit to this funky, offbeat, and diverse display of artwork. I won’t delve into the details which are better found here at this link anyway. But this most recent stop was the first time I spent most of my time outdoors, and with very cooperative weather overhead, there was lots to take in. The sampling of photos below give you some idea of what to expect. If you are ever in the area, or even if you are not, it’s worth the trip.

Local Church Combines Car Show with Annual Picnic

September 19, 2025 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Car shows

Our local Catholic Church held its annual picnic on Sunday, September 14, 2025, and for the first time, a parishioner worked to include an informal car show as part of the festivities. I drove my ’67 Alfa Romeo to the event, which was all of two miles away, and was delighted to find an assortment of vehicles on display (even if it was a little heavy on the Corvettes, with four in attendance).

The weather was perfect, and more than one attendee stopped to admire my car and its originality. My wife and I partook of the BBQ food, and after about three hours, the crowds dispersed, and I was back home in a matter of minutes. Nice cars, nice people, and nice weather converged to create a great afternoon!

AACA NJ Region Luncheon, Sep. 9, 2025

September 13, 2025 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Drives, Events Long Valley Brew Pub, NJ Region AACA

On Tuesday, September 9, 2025, members of the NJ Region of the AACA gathered at the Long Valley (NJ) Brew Pub for lunch and conversation. These mid-week meetings started earlier this year and are chaired by Abe, one of our more active club members. While previous luncheons had started with a brief tour from a common meeting point to the destination, this one omitted the drive, which for me was a disappointment. However, the collection of special-interest automobiles, combined with the group’s camaraderie, made up for that deletion.

As many of you know, I love to drive my Alfa Romeo (15,000 miles and counting during twelve years of ownership), and I did get to enjoy a spirited run up and back on Route 517 between Oldwick and Long Valley. This was a road made for a lightweight sports coupe with a high-revving engine.

With the Alfa in third gear, at 40 to 50 mph the engine was turning between four and five grand. At this speed and in this gear, the motor responded instantly to the slightest touch of the accelerator pedal. Both hands stayed on the wheel with eyes glued forward, and I was “in the zone.” I could have driven back and forth on that winding asphalt all day long.

Where was I? Oh, lunch. We had over a dozen AACA members and significant others, arriving in a variety of mostly American cars of the ‘50s through ‘80s. The only other import besides my Italiana macchina was Doug’s immaculate 1991 Miata, a special-edition model in what Mazda called British Racing Green. Other cars included a ubiquitous ’57 Chevy, a Ford Granada, a downsized but still-large ‘80s Cadillac, a Mustang convertible, and an ‘80s Mercury Cougar.

The restaurant was not crowded, and the service and food were exemplary. I’ve been to this Brew Pub many times before, and have always enjoyed the experience. I know that Abe, the event’s chairperson, has two more luncheons on the calendar for this year. I will do my best to join one or both of them before storing my steed for the winter.

The Lime Rock “Sunday in the Park” Show, 2025 Edition

September 1, 2025September 7, 2025 RichardReina Car shows, Events Lime Rock Historic Festival, Lime Rock Park

We East Coasters caught a real break with the weather, as our climate moved away from the hot and humid conditions of July and August and into cooler and less humid (but still sunny) days to close out the month. This made our annual trip to Lime Rock Park on the Sunday of Labor weekend even more enjoyable. This year, two of my NJ-AROC (NJ Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club) buddies rode along in the persons of Bob C. and Paul M., both of whom took care of all the driving! All I had to do was sit back and relax.

We arrived at the track at exactly 10 a.m., grabbed some coffee, and proceeded to the show cars. As always, there were special classes designated by the show organizers, as well as the popular “Gathering of the Marques,” populated by local clubs as well as individuals who wanted to show off their rides without preregistering for any particular class. This year, classes included the 50^th Anniversary of the BMW 3-Series, One-owner Cars, “Body Doubles” (essentially replicars), Porsche 356s, Spirit of the Roadster, Designs of Giorgetto Giugiaro, Hemi Evolution, and Classic Ferrari V12 Coupes. In other words, something for (almost) everyone.

As we began our stroll, someone tipped us off that the cars in the “Marques” section might start to leave early, so we decided to beeline to the end of the show, where we would reverse our direction and slowly take in the displays. I’m glad we did because vehicles began departing by 11:45 a.m.! This was the only disappointing aspect of the day, but we still got to see what we came for. One highlight was the larger-than-usual turnout of Alfa Romeos, including two modern 4Cs and three Zagato GT Juniors. Mustangs were out in their usual large numbers, but the BMW headcount looked a bit shrunken, especially lacking in 2002s. The Ferrari V12 coupes were my personal highlight, as it included two 330/365 GTCs, my all-time favorite model from this fabled Italian marque.

The award ceremony began at 1:30 p.m. and concluded soon after, and that’s when the real exodus started. Mental note for next year: try to arrive a little earlier and be aware that many show cars depart sooner than might be expected. We three decided to tour the paddocks, as we were in no rush to hit the road, finally getting underway about 3:30 p.m. Except for some unexpected traffic on the NYS Thruway, the drive up and back was a joy. Lime Rock’s Labor Day Sunday show is a permanent event on my calendar.

ONE OWNER CARS

A more careful reading of some of the placards on cars in the class revealed that several of them are “one-family owned,” slightly different than “one owner.”

I normally don’t spend a huge amount of time around 356s, but this color was particularly attractive

The BMW Z1 was never officially imported into the U.S.

The Z1’s most unique feature is its sliding doors

This one-off Alfa features a handmade body of the owner’s design, sitting on a chassis from a 1930s Alfa.

This class disappointed me, not for its cars, but for its paucity, although I suspect that a few cars in this class may have departed before I got to this display.

1981 VW Scirocco (with my friend Alicia)

CLASSIC FERRARI V12 COUPES

The Ferrari 330 GTC (later renamed 365 GTC when its engine was enlarged) has a shape which has charmed me since I first saw a photograph of one in a magazine as a thirteen-year-old. This year I was honored to find two of these on display, one in classic red and the other in Pino Verde (pine green).

THE GATHERING OF THE MARQUES

ALFA ROMEO

OTHER ITALIAN

Yes, this Chrysler TC by Maserati was parked with the Italians. Who am I to argue?

1980 Ferrari 308 GTB, Euro spec with carbs and small bumpers

LORENZO’S 308 GT4

Fellow NJ-AROC member Lorenzo proudly showed his unrestored Ferrari 308 GT4 in the “Barn Find and Unrestored” class. He performed significant mechanical reconditioning to make it roadworthy, and he’s doing his best to preserve the original lacquer paint.