Last month, between my trip to Hershey in early October and jetting off to Italy in mid October, there was an Alfa Romeo Club breakfast that fell through the cracks! However, better late than never, so here is the post about the NJ-AROC monthly breakfast from Sunday, October 12, 2025.
We met at one of our regular haunts, the Spinning Wheel Diner on Route 22 in Lebanon, NJ. I didn’t even get a table shot, which always helps me obtain an accurate head count, but from the photos I have, it looks like we had seven Alfisti plus one guest, my friend Doug from the NJ-AACA. He had been expressing interest in Alfa Spiders to me, so I invited him to join us for the morning, which he gladly did.
After breakfast, we did our usual hanging around in the parking lot. Jeff’s Spider was the only one there, so with Doug, that’s the car that got our attention. I sat in it and marveled at the seats, much more supportive with their more aggressive side bolsters than in an earlier car like mine. This group of Jersey guys are always great to spend time with, which makes me doubly glad that as a club, we have been able to keep to our monthly breakfast meets.
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.
Enjoying breakfast at Colonial Park
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 guardBob 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.
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!
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.
A pair of greens
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.
Ford GranadaMercury CougarAlfa RomeoFord MustangBig Caddy1957 Chevy
Although the New Jersey and Delaware Valley (PA) AROC Chapters are geographically adjacent, it’s rare that cars and owners from both chapters converge at the same event. One recent exception has been the New Hope Auto Show, an eastern Pennsylvania mainstay for collector car buffs since 1957. It is a two-day show, with American brands displayed on Saturday, and imports on Sunday. This year, the Sunday show fell on August 10, and among the BMWs, Benzes, Morgans, MGs, VWs, and Volvos were seventeen Alfa Romeos, one of the largest classes that day. New Hope, with few exceptions, strictly limits show cars to those twenty-five years and older, but Alfa is one of the exceptions. We requested, and were granted, allowance to include cars up to model year 2025. As a result, there were two 4Cs, a Stelvio, and a Tonale scattered among the classic Alfa coupes, Spiders, and Berlinas.
A team of four judges, led by NJ Chapter president Enrico Ciabattoni and including Mike Gomolinski, Paul Mitchell, and Richard Reina, took on the unenviable task of deciding which six cars (three in the Closed Class and three in the Open Class) were worthy of ribbons. After spending three hours in the blazing summer sun inspecting paint, upholstery, glass, wheels, and all the greasy bits, the team made its decisions:
Open Class:
1st Place: Greg Shpungin, 2016 4C Spider
2nd Place: Steve Buchanan, 1985 Spider
3rd Place: Tim O’Riordan, 1967 Duetto
Closed Class:
1st Place: Maurice Arcangeli, 1989 Milano
2nd Place: Bill Conway, 1982 GTV-6
3rd Place: John Coyle, 1974 GTV
Somewhat new this year was the drive-by conducted for all 1st place winners. Greg in his yellow 4C and Maurice in his black Milano made for a most attractive combination as they motored up to receive their ribbons.
Winning an award at the New Hope Auto Show is considered a great honor. All judging is held to a very high standard, and the show’s reputation is highly regarded among those in the hobby. Congratulations to the winners!
Special thanks to fellow NJ-AROC club member Bob Cooley for his kind permission to use many of his photos from the New Hope Car Show.
I’ve known about the Thursday cruise nights for a while, but did not get a chance to attend until this week, so there we were, my trusty Alfa companion and myself, on August 7, 2025. I arrived promptly at 5 p.m., the official starting time, to find very few parking spots remaining. I parked next to my friend John’s beautiful teal blue “retro-Bird,” and as cars continued to file in, they were directed to park on the grass behind the paved lot. More than one attendee was overheard to say that this was possibly the biggest crowd of the season at the Spinning Wheel, no doubt helped by the tremendous weather, with temps in the low 80s and low humidity.
Glancing around, I quickly surmised that my Italian mistress was the only furrin car there. In actuality, most of the cars were either ‘50s and ‘60s muscle cars, or street rods of one kind or another. I felt out of my element until a few other imports showed up. John and I walked the lot together, taking in the variety of vehicles on display, which included not one but two 1940 Fords, an assortment of Thunderbirds, a Triumph, an MG, a Miata, and Corvettes of various vintages. I’m sorry, but if you’re driving a C8 Corvette (and there were several) to a “collector car cruise night,” you’re just showing off. I get the appeal, but a C8 parked next to a C2 makes it blatantly obvious which I’d rather have in my garage.
My wife arrived to join me for dinner in the diner (and for which I had a 10% off coupon as a show participant), and after the meal, I was ready to head home. At about 7:30 p.m., I hopped into my car, started it up, and saw that the representative from Cars & Coffee of Central Jersey, who was hosting the event, ran up to my open window to present me with a trophy! I’m not sure what I won or how my car was selected, but it was a nice gesture nevertheless. The diner is only a thirty-minute ride to my house, so I was back by eight, which made for an easy night. All in all, it was a fun way to spend a Thursday evening.
1957 ChevyShelby MustangC2 Corvette1st gen Miata1963 Ford Galaxie’57 Chevy Nomad on L, ’55 Chevy wagon on RMy ’67 Alfa Romeo1st gen Mustang (which also won a trophy)1970 Olds CutlassMaserati coupe, the only other Italian thereMGBC2 CorvettePontiac GTODodge panel truck1964 Triumph TR41965 Mercury Comet1964 PlymouthIt’s nice to be recognized
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.
An E-Type roadster enters the park
This was the 62nd 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.
’50s era cars were in abundance
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.)
A small portion of the Camaro 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.
1976 Dodge Aspen1983 Buick Riviera1985 Chrysler Town and Country station wagon1985 Ford Thunderbird Fila1983 Dodge 600 convertible1984 Mercury Capri1986 Olds 4421977 Chrysler New Yorker four-door hardtop1966 Ford Thunderbird1965 Chevy Corvair1966 Mercury Cyclone GT convertible1969 Pontiac Grand Prix
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.
1964 Ford Fairlane Sports Coupe
1961 Chevy Corvair Lakewood station wagon
1964 Chevy Malibu1967 Buick Riviera1969 Lincoln Continental Mark III1966 Ford ThunderbirdCamaros, first and last generation1959 Pontiac Catalina four-door hardtop1960 Chrysler New Yorker four-door sedan1954 Nash Ambassador1957 Plymouth Belvedere1954 Chrysler Imperial two-door hardtop (owned by our NJ Region AACA President!)
A Mustang in the “Future Classics” class1960 Ford Thunderbird1939 Graham “shark nose”1940 Graham Hollywood (no, it’s not a Cord)1940 LaSalle sedan1940 LaSalle convertible1931 Ford Model A1939 Chevrolet1960 Cadillac Eldorado convertibleMy 1967 Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr.Triumph TR6 with small-block Chevy V81985 Nissan 300ZX1966 Porsche 9121959 MGA1988 Porsche 930 Turbo1970 Porsche 914-61976 Fiat 124 Spider1990 Nissan Pao JDM1966 Austin Healey BJ81959 Triumph TR3A1961 Triumph TR3A1975 VW Westfalia Bus1967 Volvo 210 Duett station wagon1968 Volvo 122S station wagon1970 Lotus ElanA pair of first-gen Mazda Miatas
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:
1969 Porsche 9121984 VW Rabbit convertible1983 BMW 320i1976 BMW 2002
1969 Jaguar XKE roadsterBright shiny paint and brighter shinier chrome
The New Jersey Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (NJ-AROC) has consistently been scheduling monthly breakfast meets for the last several years. One factor in our success in doing so has been selecting a variety of eateries across the Garden State. On Sunday, July 20, we tried a new place: the All Seasons Diner in Eatontown, NJ. I left my house at 7:45 a.m. for the one-hour ride, and had a delightful early morning drive with relatively little traffic (at least by Jersey standards). Once there, I was joined by nine fellow Alfisti, and after a brief parking lot chat, we made our way inside.
Thanks to our V.P. Vic, who arranged the reservation, the diner personnel were ready for us. Coffee was poured, breakfast foods were served, and we chatted about our favorite subject: our cars. We lingered for as long as possible, and our waitress, who ably kept our coffee cups full, was in no rush to chase us out, despite the growing crowd in the lobby. She expertly took the obligatory table shot, and out we went, continuing the verbal back-and-forth near our cars. By 11 a.m., the group departed into the warm and humid July day. We had several Chapter members joining us at breakfast for the first time, which was delightful, and I hope that we are able to continue that trend.
The Readington Brewery and Hop Farm opened in 2019, and is located on Route 202 South in Readington Township, NJ. As the crow flies, it’s about a mile and a half from my house, and I’ve driven past it dozens of times, but until this past Saturday, I had never set foot on its property. They grow their own hops on their twenty-five-acre farm, and brew 100% of the beer they sell. One reason I’ve not stopped by is that they do not serve food. I was told that it is easier to obtain a liquor license in this area if you operate a brewery and not a restaurant. However, they do allow you to bring in your own food or use a service, such as Uber Eats, to have food delivered. There is picnic-table sitting available both inside and outside.
The occasion for my visit on Saturday, July 19, was an event called “Hops and Rods.” Originally scheduled for June, this was the rain date after bad weather forced a postponement. I registered online and the website informed me that they would collect my $10 entrance fee upon my arrival, further requesting that show cars arrive between 10:00 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. It took me five minutes to drive there, and I was the eleventh car to show up. As soon as I pulled into the parking lot, I said to myself, “this is not the crowd for me.” Every other car in the lot was either an American muscle car or a bona fide street rod. I parked my Alfa across from a 1967 Chevelle, and was greatly relieved to note that as cars continued to arrive, the vehicle types were more varied.
I grabbed my camera and walked among the cars and trucks, taking pictures, and began to chat with several of the owners. Everyone I met was very down-to-earth, and as I pointed to my Alfa, they expressed positive comments about it. One man was proud to show me his all-original 1976 Corvette with 23,000 miles. He had a binder with every piece of documentation going back to the original purchase order. He found the story about my all-original car equally delightful. A man with a highly customized four-door Lincoln Continental had a small crowd around his car as he explained many of the mods he built into it. (Turns out that he works in a body shop and performs all his own body and paint work.) Another gentlemen, obviously British as determined by his accent, brought two cars, a Jaguar XJS convertible and a 1977 MG Midget. He and I delighted in swapping stories about our present cars and “the ones that got away.”
The brewery website promised “food trucks,” but it wasn’t until about 12:30 when one (and only one) arrived. A line quickly formed, but the truck operator slid open the serving window glass to announce, “it will be twenty to thirty minutes before things are heated up so that I can serve food!” Oh well, back to my car to wait. I finally got a sandwich closer to 1:30.
While not every parking spot set aside for show cars was taken, there were a respectable number of vehicles. The public turned out in large numbers, though, and a live band played classic rock all afternoon. At 3 p.m., there was an awards ceremony, and a highly modified 1929 Ford Tudor took Best of Show. (It was unclear to me how that was determined, but I saw brewery employees walking around with clipboards.) The trophy, a monstrous thing, would not have fit in the Alfa, so I’m glad I didn’t win. At this point, with showers threatening, I made my way home.
A friend who was there told me that the Readington Brewery puts on other car shows during the year, including an all-import show. I’ll be checking their calendar and will make a point to try to get to that one.
1969 Lincoln Continental, final year for this body style. Note the factory parking position of the wipers!1967 Ford Galaxie XLPlymouth Barracuda1st generation AMC AMXFord Model A1988 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe1967 Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior1967 Chevy ChevelleChevy Camaro1962 Chevy Bel Air bubble top coupeC5 Corvette1989 Jaguar XJS1977 MG Midget
Please don’t let me hear anyone from the NJ Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (NJ-AROC) complain that “the club doesn’t do a lot”; and yes, I still occasionally see such a comment crop up on some social media sites. For the second week in a row, after seeing each other at the Somerville, NJ, cruise night, our club conducted another highly successful gathering of Alfisti, this time in the form of an al fresco breakfast in Colonial Park in Somerset, NJ, billed as “Breakfast and Bocce.”
The turnout was great, and I was especially pleased to see many spouses join us. My wife accompanied me, and made some new friends among the ladies. Similar to last year, breakfast goodies included bagels, croissants, donuts, fresh fruit, and hot and cold beverages, courtesy of the club’s bank account. By my count, eleven Alfas were on hand, along with a delightful Lancia Fulvia Zagato (and a Porsche Cayman driven by a dedicated Alfista, so I’ll count it). Probably half the cars were Spiders, all with their tops down, as we caught a bit of a break with this crazy Jersey weekend weather.
Four Spiders sandwiched between a Lancia and a GT 1300 Junior
As we also did last year, we set up near the park’s bocce courts, but my wife and I departed just as the games were beginning. A huge thanks to Bill D., our Event Coordinator, who pulled all the details together to make our 2025 “Breakfast & Bocce” another ringing success.
Our club members enjoying the breakfast and each other’s company:
The Lancia Fulvia Zagato:
Lorenzo, the car’s owner, gave several of us a detailed walk-around which included some history of this car. As a Series I, it features an all-aluminum body, which we were told were manufactured in very limited numbers. The car was originally a medium blue, and someone prior to his ownership changed the color to yellow. Lorenzo delighted in pointing out numerous features which were lost on the Series II cars, including a separate door below the rear bumper for spare tire storage. He has started to strip some of the yellow paint, leaving the blue exposed and undamaged, as he would like to eventually return it to its original shade.
richardscarblog 