Saturday at Lime Rock’s Historic Festival 44

September 8, 2026 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Car shows, Drives, Events Historic Festival 44, Lime Rock Park

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post covering the Sunday Concours show, we arrived in town late on Friday and headed to the track bright and early on Saturday morning. A while back, I had purchased my Saturday tickets: a general admission ticket to watch the racing, and an optional “Car Corral” ticket, providing specially designated Alfa Romeo parking and the chance to drive “parade laps” around Lime Rock’s 1.6 mile track. As an AROC member, I was given a generous 30% discount off the tickets’ face value.

Three of us left our Air B&B by 7:15 a.m., and followed each other to the entrance, where we were through the gates in a matter of minutes. The area known as The Skidpad was set aside for Car Corral parking, and we parked perpendicular to the circle’s edge, facing outward. With folding chairs and bottled water in our hands, we walked to the grassy hill overlooking the S turns just beyond the straightaway. This is one of the more popular spots to take in the action.

Racing started at 9 a.m. sharp and except for an hour lunch break, continued until 5 p.m. Alfa Romeo race cars populated many of the heats. In some cases the Alfas were competing with similar-sized cars (MGs, Datsuns, Fiats, Triumphs, etc.), but there were also races which consisted solely of Alfa Romeos. Historic Trans-Am cars also raced, and it was fun to watch the pony cars of my teenage years on the track. Mustangs, Camaros, Javelins, Cougars, and Challengers did their best to outperform each other. When they were new, the adage “race on Sunday, sell on Monday” was thought to motivate car sales for stock versions of the winning models.

There was a driver’s meeting at 11:30 for the parade laps. Cars were broken into groups based on make and model. All the Alfas went out at the same time, led by an Aston Martin DBX pace car. We were strictly told not to do any passing, and a little to my surprise, everyone behaved. We did three laps, and I, who has never driven on a race track before, managed to keep the shiny side up!

After the parade lap, it was back to race-watching. Around 4:30 p.m. we decided to head to our cars for the ride home, and after brilliant sunshine all day, that’s when a black cloud stalled over the track. A heavy rain shower quickly soaked us, and on top of that, my car windows were open. I got to my car only to see that the windows were up! A young woman came over, practically crying. “I’m so sorry I touched your car, but I saw the windows down and I didn’t want the inside to get wet so I rolled them up. I’m so sorry!” I profusely thanked her and said that I greatly appreciated her concern. Once inside the car, I waited five minutes and of course the rain stopped.

The photos below are broken out by event type.

CAR CORRAL

Some Porsches got mixed in with our Alfas

RACING

PARADE LAPS

Thanks to Paul Mitchell, who snapped these shots from the passenger seat while I drove!

Alfa Romeo Cars and Owners in Abundance at Lime Rock’s Historic Festival 44!

September 7, 2026 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Car shows, Events, Uncategorized Historic Festival 44, Lime Rock Park, Revs Institute, Sunday in the Park

“Overwhelmed” was the word that came to my mind all weekend as I participated in the 44th annual Labor Day Historic Festival at Lime Rock Park in Salisbury, CT. This year, the featured marque was Alfa Romeo, and the turnout of cars and Alfisti (their enthusiastic owners) was indeed overwhelming.

Some brief background: as a member of the New Jersey chapter of AROC (the Alfa Romeo Owners Club), I was one of many fellow AROC members invited to participate in several Zoom calls with Lime Rock officials. They requested our assistance in promoting this event to our chapter members, and we obliged, to the point where several Concours classes and weekend events were sold out, disappointing a number of AROC members.

Thanks to the resourcefulness of fellow NJ chapter members Denise and Tony Patullo, ten of us shared an Air B&B for three nights. With the minor exception of a steep gravel driveway, this worked out very well for all of us. The house had four bedrooms, a well-equipped kitchen, and was a five-minute drive from Lime Rock Park’s front gate. We arrived late on Friday afternoon, but did not attend any events that day. Saturday was one of the race days, and the weather mostly cooperated, allowing us time to relax and watch the cars, including many Alfas, fly around the track. During the lunch break, several of us drove parade laps around the 1.6 mile track. The “Sunday in the Park” car show included six Alfa-specific Concours classes, special collector displays, and the Gathering of the Marques. By my count, there were 45 Alfas in the Concours classes, 40 racing Alfas, 25 special display Alfas, and close to 100 in the Gathering of the Marques, totaling 210 Alfa Romeo vehicles! The weekend was so overwhelming (there’s that word again) that I will break things out into separate blog entries, starting with Sunday’s Concours.

The six Alfa Romeo classes were Class 2, Spiders (convertibles); Class 7, Modified; Class 8, Fuoriserie (customs or limited production); Class 9, Berline (sedans); Class 10, Sport and Competition; and Class 11, Berlinette (coupes). My 1967 GT 1300 Junior was in Class 11, as was the 1967 Giulia Sprint GT belonging to Vic and Gail Cerami, who were sharing the Air B&B with us. All the display cars were gorgeous, and each had a unique history behind it. Judging started early, and a team of two were at my car before 9 a.m. After inquiring about the history of my car, they performed a brief mechanical evaluation, asking me to start the engine and demonstrate the exterior lighting.

I was relieved that the judging was completed early, as that freed me to wander the track and see the rest of the field. About two hours later, fellow NJ AROC member Bob Cooley saw me and said, “there’s a ribbon on your windshield!” I hurried back to find both a red ribbon and a small box on the driver’s seat. The red ribbon meant that I was one of two cars awarded the “Star of the Rock” trophy, roughly equivalent to Honorable Mention. The box contained a small plexiglass trophy. (A blue ribbon indicates “Best in Class” which I believe went to a Giulietta Sprint.) Frankly I was shocked, because as I told the judges, my car usually does not do well against restored cars; my car is unrestored and the paint shows it, so I was especially pleased that they recognized it nevertheless. Vic and Gail Cerami’s car, parked next to mine, won a more prestigious award: Best Restored Car. It was fun to have two award winners within the NJ-AROC, and we celebrated with drinks and food at a local Mexican restaurant.

I’ve been attending the Sunday in the Park show long enough to know that the various classes are extensive and varied. I did my best to cover much of the Concours field, but one downside to having my own car in the show is that it limited the amount of time I had to take in everything else. I think that next year, I’ll return to being “just” a spectator.

ALFA ROMEO COUPES (BERLINETTE)

Three 1967 Giulia coupes in a row: My green Junior flanked by white and red Giulia Sprints

ALFA ROMEO SEDANS

OTHER ALFA ROMEO CONCOURS CARS

The Alfa Romeo T33 Stradale is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, Alfa ever produced.

OTHER CONCOURS VEHICLES

There was a special display of Abarth vehicles

This Buick Riviera is the only American car I photographed all weekend

Ferrari 330 GTC, my all-time favorite Ferrari

A SAMPLING OF CARS FROM THE REVS INSTITUTE

Alfa Romeo Dominates the 2026 New Hope Auto Show

August 10, 2026August 10, 2026 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Car shows, Events, Uncategorized New Hope Auto Show

The New Hope Auto Show, which began in 1957, lays claim to being the second oldest collector car show in the country, after Pebble Beach, CA. Given its modest location, in a high school parking lot in the quaint and charming town of New Hope, it has much to live up to. One aspect of the show that the organizers brag about is its judging system. First, vehicles gain entry to the event (Saturday for domestic product, and Sunday for imports) only by application. Cars are then placed in classes based on make and model. Volunteer judges attend a judging meeting to review the rules: all cars are evaluated based on a 100-point scale, divided among exterior, interior, engine compartment, and chassis. Judges are looking at originality and condition, and they must decide on a first, second, and third place winner. Ties are not allowed. The judges are experienced men and women who have judged for the AACA and/or have judged at New Hope for years. The New Hope show organizers expect that the winning cars will be representative of the hobby’s finest.

This year’s show was held on August 8 and 9. My ’67 Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr. was in attendance for the sixth time. There was an excellent turnout from both the Delaware Valley and New Jersey Chapters of the Alfa Romeo Owner’s Club (AROC), and it was announced during the morning’s judges’ meeting that Alfa Romeo, with twenty-eight registered cars, was the largest class on the show field! The challenge for our chief judge, NJ Chapter President Enrico Ciabattoni, was completing the task in a timely fashion. He again had a team of four for judging, including your author, fellow NJ Chapter member Paul Mitchell, and DelVal Chapter member John Palumbo. As we have done in the past, we divided the field in two: open cars and closed cars. There were eighteen convertibles and ten coupes and sedans. Paul and I tackled the convertibles (Spiders in Alfa-speak), while Enrico and John took on the closed cars. (I should note that even though Paul, John, and I had cars on the show field, we voluntarily labeled our cars “do not judge” to avoid any appearance of impropriety.)

Just a portion of the Alfa Romeo show field

The judging went smoothly for us, and we were slowed down a little only by judging rules that require owners to be present and that require tops to be raised for inspection. In reality, Paul and I had fewer than eighteen cars, because at least four owners had marked their cars “do not judge.” After filling out our evaluation sheets, we sat down to tally the totals, and we were happy to see that we had no ties. (During the judges’ meeting, it was mentioned that during Saturday’s show, a tie score in one class was decided solely based on the cleanliness of the driver’s floor mat.)

First place, open cars: 1963 Giulia Spider, owned by Bill Beccone

Second place, open cars: 1991 Spider, owned by Bob Cooley

Third place, open cars: 1987 Spider Quadrifoglio, owned by Jeff Brown

Among the open cars, the 1963 Giulia Spider, looking like it had recently emerged from a restoration shop, was our clear first place winner. Second place went to a nicely preserved ’91 Spider, and third place to an almost-as-nice ’87 Spider. Among the tin tops, first place went to a beautiful black 1991 164 sedan, second place to a lovely blue ’72 Giulia Junior, and third place to a brilliant black 1989 Milano sedan. Interestingly, among the six winners, three were from the NJ Chapter and three from the DelVal Chapter.

First place, closed cars: 1991 164 sedan, owned by Bill DiPrima

Second place, closed cars: 1972 GT Junior, owned by Quinn deMenna

Third place, closed cars: 1989 Milano Verde sedan, owned by Maurice Arcangeli

I’ll say it again: Alfa Romeo owners are among the friendliest, most down-to-earth hobby people I know. The entire day was spent hanging with old friends and making new ones. Even though participants were competing with each other, there was no animosity displayed. The variety of cars was impressive, helped by the fact that for Alfa Romeo, unlike most other classes, all years are accepted up to 2026. We had a nice selection of Euro-spec cars, including my Junior, Quinn deMenna’s Junior, and a 916-series Spider. Overall, every car was in nice condition. I saw no corrosion on any car during my chassis inspections, which speaks to the care that these cars get. The entire day felt like a party, which is how it should be. Being part of this club is supposed to be fun, and it was!

ALFA ROMEO OPEN CARS

Classic Spiders (1966-1994)

916-Series Spider

CLOSED CARS

Classic Giulia coupes

Alfetta/GTV-6 Coupe

Modern Giulia sedans

The three NJ winners: Bill DiPrima, Bob Cooley, and Jeff Brown

A Mid-Week Breakfast “Sandwich”

August 4, 2026 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Drives, Events

My good friend Mike and I know each other from working together at Onyx, the company that operated the CARiD website. We each had our ups and downs at work, but that is water under the bridge. We have remained friends since first meeting in 2011, and as part of that friendship, we meet once a month for breakfast, almost without exception. Our go-to place for a number of years now has been Orlando’s on Route 31 in Hopewell, NJ. I can’t recommend it enough.

We had breakfast there today. Last night, during a quick phone call, we agreed to drive our classics to the restaurant, me in my Alfa, and Mike in his ’66 Corvette roadster. Unusually for a weekday morning, Orlando’s parking lot was filled almost to capacity, and we had to park our rides way off to one side, sandwiching them close together because there was little room to put them anywhere else.

Breakfast was incredible as always: we each had two eggs, home fries, whole wheat toast, and unlimited coffee, and the check with tax but before the tip came to $12. That’s not each, that’s for both of us. Like I said, I can’t recommend it enough. Another great thing about Orlando’s: they never rush us out. Even after our plates are cleared away, our waitress lets us sit there all morning, continuing to refresh our cups.

Finally, it was time to leave, and as we approached our cars, we were struck by how great they looked aside each other, so similar yet so different. Mike’s is a ’66 with a V8, 4-speed, and a drop-top, which he fully restored himself. Mine is one year newer, with a four-banger, 5-speed, and a rear seat. Both are carbureted and are equipped with four-wheel disc brakes. But each car in its own way spoke to the true sports car enthusiast of that decade.

We both were happy to give our cars some exercise. It was a great day all around.

The Alfa Gets Four New Koni Shock Absorbers

July 28, 2026 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Events, Repair sessions Crutchfield, Koni shocks

When I rebuilt the front suspension of my Alfa Romeo over the winter of 2014-2015, the rebuild included replacement of the front shocks. The removed shocks appeared original to the car, which would have made them forty-eight years old! I also went “cheap,” purchasing a lower-priced pair from Classic Alfa, my usual supplier, instead of brand-name ones like Koni or Bilstein.

Jump to the spring of 2026, and not only are the replaced front shocks eleven years old, I haven’t touched the rear shocks. I decided it was time to replace all four with the ones most recommended on the Alfa Romeo bulletin board (the AlfaBB), which were the Koni “red” shocks. (The “yellow” shocks are stiffer, and the online consensus was that they were more appropriate for those who track or race their cars, which I don’t.)

I ordered the shocks and as is typical for Classic Alfa, they arrived in a matter of days. (Their shipping costs from the UK have always been reasonable, but now I’m also paying tariffs and “administrative fees” to DHL.) The front shock replacement was easy, as it’s a straightforward removal of nuts and washers at both top and bottom. The Alfa front suspension is upper and lower control arms, so there is no need to compress the springs.

It’s similar in the rear, except access is a little trickier. According to my service books, replacement of the rear shocks is made easier if the rear seat is removed. The implication in that statement is that it’s not required to do so. I saw that the issue is that the shocks’ top mounts are so far forward in the trunk that they are almost impossible to reach from outside the trunk. So, with some trepidation, I removed the rear seat bottom and backrest, concerned that it might be difficult, or that I might find deteriorated material. My concerns were for naught: not only did the seat cushions come out rather easily, but I was pleasantly surprised to take note of the fine condition of the undersides of the cushions.

For the seat bottom, it was simply lift and remove.

For the seat back, there were bolts hidden under the upholstery at the bottom, and clips at top.

The undersides of both seats showed no signs of deterioration at all.

With the seat out, I still couldn’t see the shock mounts, so I removed the package shelf, which took a little more effort. Pete, the previous owner, had installed an aftermarket 6×9 speaker in the shelf, and that needed to be removed first. As soon as I touched the speaker’s paper cone, it disintegrated, so a new speaker was ordered from Crutchfield. But removing the shelf turned out to be unnecessary. It was the trunk’s rubber matting, which covers both the trunk floor and the forward wall, that was blocking my access. Once I folded the mat out of the way, the shock mounts were exposed, and it was revealed to me that I could have done the job with the parcel shelf in place. Oh well, this just gave me an excuse to install a new speaker.

Here you can see the trunk mat up against the forward wall. Note how light the paint coverage is.

This Jensen speaker was probably from the early 1970s.

The shock’s top nut has been removed, but the black cap, held in place by three small bolts, also needed to be removed to extract the shock.

The rear shocks were 59 years old, and I was shocked that they had any resistance at all. The new Koni shocks went in without a hitch. Koni’s shocks are adjustable, and the installation instructions state that they leave the factory set to the softest setting. The consensus on the Alfa Bulletin Board is that most Giulia owners prefer to leave them at that setting, which is what I did. With all four Konis in place, I took the car for a drive. Ride comfort, which was always good, did not change at all. Road handling felt just slightly more “buttoned down,” meaning, the car’s steering responses and road grip were ever so slightly improved. Mainly, I was happy that the ride did not become harsh. The Koni red shocks were reasonably priced, easy to install, and provided a small but noticeable improvement in overall drivability. I would recommend them to anyone looking for shocks for their classic sports car.

This closeup shows some markings: “POST” is short for “POSTERIOR,” meaning “rear”. “ALTO” is “top”.

Side by side are the old front shock and the new Koni red shock.

NJ Alfa Romeo Club Sunday Breakfast, July 19, 2026

July 19, 2026 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Drives, Events NJ-AROC

After wet and windy weather walloped the metro NY/NJ area on Saturday July 18, Sunday morning the 19th dawned with the promise of a drier day, making it ideal for members of the NJ Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club to enjoy their monthly breakfast meet. This month’s host was again the Americana Diner in Shrewsbury, NJ, and a dozen of us made the trek.

The diner’s parking lot was enlivened by our cars

While the number of Alfas in the parking lot was small, the selection of models was spectacular: two 4C convertibles, two Duettos, and one Giulia coupe. The lineup was impressive enough to draw the attention of other diner guests, who looked on with envy at our beautiful Italian performance machines.

As always, the food, coffee, and service at the Americana were exemplary. We pressed our waiter into also acting as our group photographer, and the poor young lad took so much time with my SLR camera that the boss came up behind him, causing me to worry that he would be scolded (or worse)! But common sense prevailed, the requisite photo was captured, and the young man kept his job.

As is our style, departure from the building did not equate to departure from the parking lot. The group managed to dally for at least another thirty minutes (there’s always something automotive-related to discuss among us). I hit the road at 11:30, leaving at least a half-dozen of my fellow Alfisti to continue to squander their Sunday. My trip home took an hour, and I’m happy to report that not only is the car running very well, but during today’s drive, the odometer reached 70,000 miles. In March of 2013, when I took possession of the car, there were 54,000 miles on the clock, so 16,000 miles in thirteen years counts for a goodly amount of driving! Every mile has been a blast.

Flemington, NJ, Cruise Night, June 13, 2026

June 22, 2026 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Car shows, Events Flemington NJ Cruise Night

The Flemington, NJ, cruise night was previously held on Main St. in downtown Flemington on alternating Saturdays. I last attended this event in 2023, and a few things have changed since then. First, the show has been relocated to Stangl Road, a supposedly quieter street for local traffic (more about that below). The second change is that it’s now held only once a month. What has not changed is the selection of a different “featured class or brand” for each cruise night. On Saturday, June 13, import vehicles were featured, and I made a late-day decision to hop into the Alfa Romeo and drive over (it’s only fifteen minutes away).

The cruise night was advertised as running from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and I planned my arrival to coincide with the start time. I was taken aback with how crowded the show was at 5 p.m. As I slowly motored down Stangl Road, I was directed to the “featured cars lot,” where I managed to secure the final available parking spot. Backing in between a Triumph TR-6 and a tricked-out Hyundai Veloster, I correctly surmised that the evening’s “import cars” would include a wide variety of automobiles.

Sharing space with the other “furrin” cars

No sooner had I exited my Alfa when two fellow NJ-AACA members, John P. and Jerry P. (no relation) sauntered over. John had his beautiful ’57 Chevy Bel Air parked down the street, and Jerry placed his ’64 Pontiac Bonneville next to John’s Chevy. The three of us proceeded to amble along Stangl Road together, admiring the machinery, when we ran into Dave, another NJ-AACA member (who didn’t have a car there). It was a nice mini reunion, with lots to talk about, surrounded as we were by classic cars.

Stangl Road is lined with restaurants and retail stores, which brings its own share of traffic, but you would not refer to it as a primary thoroughfare, the way you would Main St., the cruise nights’ previous location. During my visit, Stangl Road was so crowded with pedestrians that many of us (wrongly) presumed that the road was closed to through traffic. It was not. Most drivers had the courtesy to keep their speeds low, but several wise guys wanted to show off their muscle cars. The worst offender of the night was the driver of a FedEx truck, which was attempting to speed through the area until traffic slowed him down. At that point, Jerry, a Navy veteran, leaned into the truck and gave the driver an earful, scolding him for his carelessness while there were children in the road.

I eventually made my way back to my Alfa, where several spectators engaged me in conversation about my car. The cruise night is run by Fred Beans, a large multi-franchise series of dealers throughout NJ and PA, and around 7:30, they announced that if your windshield placard was missing from your car, that meant you won a trophy. Mine was missing, and a short while later, I was presented with my trophy! What was confusing, though, is that about one-quarter of the import cars won trophies, and no explanation was forthcoming regarding how or why certain cars were chosen. Oh well, it was an honor to win. Once that part of the evening was concluded, I headed home. The Flemington Cruise Night offers a very large number of vehicles, covering the spectrum of collectability: old, new, and everything in between. It was crowded, noisy (there were TWO live rock bands playing all evening), and I’ve concluded that I prefer Somerville’s cruise night. Still, I might pay Flemington another visit (without the Alfa) later this summer.

The local Jaguar Club arrived and parked together. Below is a sample of what they had on display.

NJ Alfa Club Alfresco Breakfast, June 14, 2026

June 16, 2026 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Drives, Events

Regular readers of my blog know that the NJ Alfa Romeo club holds a breakfast meeting once a month, rotating among several diners throughout central Jersey. We have been very consistent at maintaining this tradition for the past few years. Once a year, we break from that routine and treat ourselves to an alfresco breakfast in Colonial Park in Somerset, NJ, typically in June, and we again joined forces there on Sunday, June 14. Our event coordinator, Bill DiPrima, always does an excellent job by arriving with bagels, muffins, cookies, and most importantly, hot coffee. The perfect spring weather encouraged over a dozen club members to arrive in their Milanese machinery, old and new. My ’67 Alfa, which was so recalcitrant last month, got me there and back without missing a beat.

An accidental array of superlative Italian machinery

As seems to be typical for us, we spent as much time in conversation as we did in culinary consumption (I personally enjoyed smoked salmon on a multi-grain bagel with my java). Although there were bocce ball courts adjacent to us, we did not play this year, which speaks to the extent to which we were enjoying each other’s company. And as if the breakfast food couldn’t be topped, it was when V.P. Vic surprised his wife with a birthday cake. (Her birthday wish was that we talk about something other than car repair.)

Birthday girl Gail is in the middle, with hubby Vic and sister Dawn

Next month, it’s back to a diner, which I always enjoy, but there is something special about taking in the combination of breakfast foods, great friends and our Alfa Romeos in the spring air.

Bill is still setting up while others have already dug in

Above: we had classics from the ’60s and the ’90s

Above: the newer cars fit in just fine with the classics

Lorenzo’s car may not be an Alfa, but his Lancia Fulvia Zagato is welcomed just the same

The Somerville, NJ, cruise night, June 5, 2026

June 8, 2026 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Cruise nights, Events

Attending events with my ’67 Alfa Romeo has been a hit-or-miss affair lately. As I covered in an earlier post, I was unable to drive my car to the Carlisle Import Show (although I attended in a modern car). My NJ Alfa Romeo club gathered at the Somerville NJ cruise night the week before last, but I was out of town at a concert, so I missed that as well. We’ve had a spate of good weather recently, and I was itching to take the car somewhere, so last Friday I made a late-day decision to head off to Somerville, which is only six miles from my home.

The Somerville cruise night is held every Friday from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and the special interest and collector cars always manage to fill up almost all of the parking spaces along Main St. The local businesses love the crowds, and the evening takes on a party atmosphere, with teens, families, locals, and out-of-towners joining the fun. I snagged a good parking spot in front of an Italian restaurant, jokingly telling one of the waiters that I parked my Italian car there to bring them more business! Several passers-by stopped to admire and chat about my car, which is always nice. I was out of there by 7:30 and home by 8 p.m., and it was a great way to spend the evening.

The photos below tell the rest of the story. I’ve always enjoyed the variety of vehicles at this cruise night, and last Friday was no exception.

4 p.m. and happy to have gotten a good parking spot in the shade.

A beautifully restored pre-war Plymouth.

Something I rarely see at shows: a Model T Ford.

The ’49-’51 shoebox Fords were revolutionary

Late ’60s – early ’70s Mercedes Benz. Note the German license plate.

This photo could have been taken in the 1960s

Main St. was packed with pedestrians all evening long

NJ Alfa Club Breakfast Meet, Oct. 12, 2025

November 17, 2025 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Drives, Events NJ-AROC, Spinning Wheel Diner

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.