My third and final blog post about this year’s Historic Festival 44 at Lime Rock Park focuses on the “Gathering of the Marques.” The GOTM, as it’s known, has been a Lime Rock tradition for years. (I entered my Miata in it in 2014.) Since Alfa Romeo was the featured marque this year, there was a great push to get as many of the Milanese macchine to participate, and the Lime Rock staff should be more than pleased with the turnout. AROC members from NY, NJ, PA, and the New England states supported this event. By my count, there were close to 100 Alfas in the GOTM, including cars which should have been in the Concours but were shut out.
In all my years at Lime Rock, I cannot recall seeing vehicles of the same marque parked three deep along the track. And since Alfa Romeos of all years were welcome, there were plenty of Giulias and Stelvios, including Quadrifoglio versions of each. I chatted with a few owners, all of whom were enjoying the day and happy to talk about their cars. The photos below should give you a good flavor for the sheer number of Alfas in attendance.
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
Vic and RobVic, Bob, and PaulSome 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!
“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 FerrariLancia Rally 037Lancia Stratos
The third and final “star car” of the 2026 New Hope Auto Show is this 1971 Volvo 142E. I first spotted the car from the rear as I circled the show and headed back to the Alfa Romeo class. A man, presumably the owner, was standing at the Volvo’s open trunk. I approached him and asked, “is this a ’71 142E?” When he replied in the affirmative, my next question was, “would you like to sell it to me?” He quickly countered with a “no,” but my question began a conversation about his ownership. He told me that he bought the car, perhaps ten years ago, after finding it advertised for sale on Long Island. He turned and handed me a copy of the VSA (Volvo Sports America) club magazine, for which he is the President. His name is Tony D’Agostino, and we had a pleasant chat about this car and Volvos in general.
Tony with his E.
Most people who desire a Volvo sports car gravitate to the 1800, produced as a two-door coupe and three-door hatchback from 1961 through 1973. They are attractive cars, and certainly look the part of “the sporty Swede.” However, the driver’s fit is tight, the steering can feel heavy, and outward visibility is limited. None of these deter the Volvo faithful from collecting them. I speak from some experience as I’ve driven plenty of them through the years. I’ve also driven the 1971 142E, which was a very special car. At that time, in addition to the 1800, Volvo produced the 140 series in three body styles: two-door sedan, four-door sedan, and station wagon. The 140 was Volvo’s bread and butter car, with a four-cylinder carbureted engine, a choice of manual or automatic, cloth seats, and a limited option list. For those who wanted more, the 164 four-door sedan included a six-cylinder engine, along with leather upholstery and metallic paint. By 1971, the 164 and 1800 had switched to fuel injection, while all the 140s stayed with carburetors. Well, almost all. The limited-edition 142E was the first 140 to offer Bosch D-Jetronic fuel injection, along with leather seats and metallic paint. The high-compression engine produced 130 HP, impressive for its time. Compared to the other 140s, the “E” was quicker, and also roomier than the 1800. I consider it to be one of the lost gems among old-school Volvos.
The 142E model rarely comes up for sale. I’ve been casually following the market, and most that do appear are in dire need of some restoration. While Tony didn’t reveal what he paid for the car, I vaguely remember an ad for one on Long Island several years back, with an asking price in the $20,000 range. Sounds expensive for a 140, but compared to what some 1800s fetch, for the right car, that price might be considered fair. The rarity alone. along with its outstanding condition, made Tony’s 1971 142E an easy pick for a star car at this show.
As it drove onto the show field, still fifty yards from me, it was difficult to pinpoint its make and model. Resplendent in silver-blue metallic, it could have been a Maserati, or a Lancia, or an unusual Fiat. Whichever, it was unmistakably Italian. Greg, the owner of the Alfa Romeo Spider next to my Junior, said, “look at that Ferrari.” And although he was incorrect, it was high praise indeed. As it drew closer, I thought I knew it, but they are so rarely seen, I still wasn’t sure. I could barely make out the Bertone badge on the front fender, which was a big clue. My guess turned out to be correct, and only confirmed when I was mere inches from the car. I was standing in front of an Iso Rivolta at the 2026 New Hope Auto Show.
I will always have a soft spot for the brand, because in a way, I owned one. Well, I owned a model originally designed by Iso but manufactured by BMW, and that was my Isetta (Isetta is Italian for “little Iso”). That story is too long to get into here, but suffice to say that the financially fruitful sale of the Isetta’s manufacturing rights to BMW provided the Iso firm with the funds to create what company chairman Renzo Rivolta wanted next: a high-performance 2+2 touring car, with Italian style and American power. The Rivolta was the first in a series of such vehicles, featuring styling courtesy of Giorgetto Giugiaro at Bertone, and motivated by a Chevrolet 327 V8 under the hood. A total of 964 units were produced between 1962 and 1970. List price was $8,595, undercutting the Ferrari 250 GT ($12,600) by several thousand dollars.
I spent more than a few minutes with the owner, John Gailey, who told me that he oversaw the car’s complete nut-and-bolt restoration. When he obtained the car, it was painted in grey primer with a red vinyl roof (?!), and the interior was a wreck. He stated that the biggest advantage to this purchase was that the car was essentially complete. Restoration work was handled by Prueitt Restoration in Glen Rock, PA. According to the placard alongside the car, the job took over four years, with the body and interior colors selected as a tribute to John’s father, who owned a Rivolta in these colors when John was young.
While I didn’t look at every car at the New Hope show this past Sunday, of the ones I did see, this Rivolta was near or at the top of all the vehicles on display. It had it all: style and performance combined with an outstanding restoration. John also indicated that he owns an Alfa Romeo Sprint Speciale, so I hope to run into him again at future events.
Among the twenty-eight Alfa Romeos on the ground at the 2026 New Hope, PA, auto show this year was a 1997 916-series Spider. Its unique design stood out among all the other Alfas as it is a model that was never officially imported into North America. Before we get to the story about this particular vehicle, here’s a little background on this model.
The Type 916 (internal name) was conceived as both a 2+2 coupe and a 2-seat convertible. The coupe would reestablish a sports car in the Alfa Romeo lineup after the discontinuation of the Alfetta/GTV-6 in 1987, and the convertible would be the replacement for the long-lived Spider, the first version of which was introduced as the Duetto in 1966 and lived through four generations, ending in 1994. Indeed, in keeping with naming traditions, the coupe was called the GTV while the drop-top continued the name of Spider. Both cars were front wheel drive, with four-cylinder Twin Spark and V6 “Busso” engines available. The first model year for the 916 was 1995, with production ending in 2004.
A few 916 models have been privately imported into the States, thanks to the U.S. Government’s twenty-five year rule, which allows importation of cars that reach that age. There are a number of them in Canada as well, which has a less stringent fifteen-year rule for cars that do not meet Canadian safety and emissions standards. The Spider at New Hope displayed a sign stating that a previous owner had privately imported this left-hand-drive one from Switzerland.
Since fellow AROC NJ chapter member Paul and I were judging all the Spiders, this one was also our responsibility. The Spiders were in three rows. We finished row one, and turned our attention to row two, starting with this car. The car’s owners, Dave and Linda, were there to greet us, and before we could point out that the car’s hood needed to be open for judging, they let us know of a little, tiny, insignificant issue … they were not able to get the hood open, and had been trying for several minutes, to the point where Dave said his fingers were starting to burn from handling the car’s very hot hood.
We chatted a bit about this conundrum, with Linda informing us that they had only owned this car for a few months and were still learning its peculiarities. Paul and I presented our options to Linda and Dave: we could either not judge their car at all, or we could judge it without assessing the engine compartment, which would lower their point total considerably. Eventually, they wandered away to let us judges do our thing. I actually sent them over to look at my ’67 across the way from their car, at which point Paul and I went to work.
Paul fishes for the secondary release while Richard keeps tension on the release cable. Photo courtesy of Bob Cooley.
I opened the driver’s door and found the hood release, centered under the steering column, while Paul remained at the front of the car. Paul suggested that he completely close the hood again (it was on its first release point), and I agreed. With the hood closed, I pulled the release lever to verify that the hood was popping up. While I continued to pull on the cable, Paul ran his hand along the underside of the hood. Finally, he found the secondary release, on the passenger side, not far from the right headlight. We had the hood open! Once Linda and Dave saw that, they came running back to thank us. Paul joked that our “Sunday repair rates” were quite high, and after a few chuckles, they were sincerely appreciative. Paul and I then finished the judging, including the engine compartment. While their car did not place, we deemed it a very nice car nevertheless.
Linda and Dave admire their first -ever glance at their Spider’s engine 😉
Linda, Dave, Richard, and Paul congratulate each other on a job well done. Photo courtesy of Bob Millinghausen.
Their Spider, in a very attractive dark grey over tan leather, features a five-speed manual transmission. The instrumentation is thorough, and the well-bolstered seats appear to provide plenty of legroom. The soft top, when retracted, is hidden under a body panel, making for a sleek look when topless. I found the overall package quite attractive, and it’s a shame that Alfa Romeo was out of the U.S. market during this car’s production run, as I think it would have sold well here. Linda and Dave are members of the Delaware Valley chapter of AROC, and I hope to run into them and their delightful 916 Spider again!
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 BecconeSecond place, open cars: 1991 Spider, owned by Bob CooleyThird 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 DiPrimaSecond place, closed cars: 1972 GT Junior, owned by Quinn deMennaThird 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
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.
Corvettes old and new
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.
Carlisle Events held its annual Import & Performance Nationals show this year on Friday and Saturday, May 15 and 16. The weather cooperated, with Friday starting out quite cool (45 degrees F) and breezy, but warming up by mid-afternoon. Saturday was as perfect a spring weather day as we could have hoped for.
Although not as large a show as Spring or Fall Carlisle, much of the Fairgrounds was taken over with cars, a flea market, and a car corral. A Facebook post claimed that over 2,200 vehicles were in attendance, a record for this event. As I have observed from previous visits to this show, it’s the car clubs which help drive much of the participation, as you will see below when we cover some of the specific makes.
A small contingent of members of the NJ Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROC) caravanned to Carlisle, departing early Friday morning and spending one overnight locally so that we could enjoy both days. This worked well for us, as Friday’s turnout was light, but Saturday brought out the crowds. I saw cars continue to stream into the Fairgrounds well past noon.
I last attended this Import show in 2008, when I trailered my Isetta there.(I was also there in 1990.) It has certainly grown in the ensuing years. My seat-of-the-pants guess is that the brand with the largest turnout of cars was Volvo. Other brands with large showings included BMW, Saab, and happily, Alfa Romeo. One of the biggest surprises was the number of Opel GTs there. Asian brands taken as a whole were well-represented, including Nissan, Toyota, Mazda, Honda, Acura, and Hyundai. My biggest disappointment was the poor showing from British marques: a scattering of MGs and Triumphs, a handful of Rolls Royces, one Morgan, and one Jaguar E-Type! Maybe there was a competing British car show nearby.
Another overall observation was the age of the cars. Many of the vehicles were newer and/or modified. There is nothing wrong with that; in fact, it was obvious that owners of newer cars are joining their makes’ clubs and participating in events, which is great for the hobby. Personally, I prefer seeing the older machines.
The photos below are segmented by make, with further commentary included.
VOLVO
There were a lot of Volvos, and a wide variety of models and generations as well. I saw a few each of 544s, 122s, 140s, and 240s. Many of the half-dozen or so P1800/1800E sports cars were modified. The numbers grew once we entered the decade of the ‘90s and beyond, with 850s, 900s, S/V/C 70s, and the P2 cars (S60, S80, V70, XC70). Even the newest generation of Volvos happily joined their older relatives. These Volvo owners are a loyal bunch, much of it driven by membership in the Volvo Club of America (VCOA).
P1800122 wagon142P1800740 modified into a pickupP1800142
BMW
The oldest BMWs that I saw were the 2002 models (sadly, no Isettas). The majority of the Bavarian Motor Works models were perhaps no more that ten years old. The BMW Car Club of America (BMWCCA) is very active and likely had a hand in bringing these German cars out.
’80s era 6-series coupeZ3 “clown shoe”2002
ASIAN
There was no one outstanding Asian make at the show, although the Datsun 240Z stood out for its iconic styling and its place in history as a hugely successfully model for Nissan. I was surprised, but perhaps should not have been, to see quite a few Hyundai vehicles at the show.
This model launched when I was a teen, just before obtaining my driver’s license, and with its “baby Corvette” looks and attractive sticker price, I thought it might be my first car (but alas, that did not happen). Fast forward to 2026, and I was shocked to see what looked like two dozen of these lined up at Carlisle. Frankly, I would have guessed that there weren’t two dozen Opel GTs still running in the entire country! Yet here they were, and it looked like they were drawing more than their fair share of crowds all weekend. Several nice Manta coupes were there as well.
Opel GTOpel MantaOpel Manta
MERCEDES-BENZ
While there were not a lot of Benzes here, the few that were on display were interesting examples of the marque.
Mercedes Benz A-class from the late 1990sUnique color on this Mercedes Benz 230SL (Hi Mike and Barry!)
BRITISH
I don’t know if this was an aberration, or if the owners don’t think that the Carlisle Import show is for them, but the turnout was light indeed.
Triumph SpitfireTriumph SpitfireMorganJaguar Mark II race carSmall grouping of Triumphs and MGsCan you spot the photographer?The only Jaguar E-Type at the showMinis old and new
FRENCH
It’s always a special treat to see these quirky French cars, whose owners are as passionate as anyone else.
Citroen-Maserati SMCitroen 2CV
ALFA ROMEO
My primary reason for attending was the promise that the total number of Alfa Romeos on display would top last year’s figure of fifty, and indeed, that occurred, as it was announced that over sixty Alfas were on the field. From viewing videos of previous shows, I was prepared for the reality that, similar to some other makes, the “modern” Alfas (Giulia, Stelvio, Tonale, and 4C) would dominate, and they did. Still, we had a good turnout of classic Spiders, and some other infrequently seen models. As has become tradition, the local dealer, Faulkner Alfa Romeo, hosted a free lunch on Saturday for all Alfisti.
The caravan from the hotel to the fairgroundsAlfa Romeo SZAlfa Romeo Spider in brilliant blackAlfa Romeo GT 1300 JuniorAlfa Romeo 4CStelvio Quadrifoglio in goldStelvio Qualrifoglio in green1973 Alfa Romeo Berlina1973 Alfa Romeo GTVGiulias old and newAlfa Romeo Spiders in a rowAlfa Romeo GTV with Busso V6 transplantAlfa Romeo 155, a model not sold in the U.S.Three very different Alfa rear ends
Tony and Denise with their ’67 DuettoBob with his ’91 SpiderAl with his GiuliaQuattro Alfisti e amici
OTHER ITALIAN
Fiats dominated here, which was no surprise. There were a few Lancias, a deTomaso, but no Ferraris, Maseratis, or Lamborghinis.
Lancia Beta SpiderLancia ThemaFiat 128Fiat X1/9Fiat X1/9DeTomaso DeauvilleFiat 124 Sport Coupe
The New Jersey Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America (NJ-AACA), which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, has held its annual car show on the first Sunday in May for almost as long. The show’s location for an incredible fifty-three-year stretch was at the Automatic Switch Company in Florham Park, but when that business was shut down about ten years ago, other venues were sought. The club has had some difficulty finding a new “permanent” home for the show, but this year, we were able to use the grounds of a Vo-Tech school in Denville. Most everyone agreed that this location was possibly the best of the half-dozen we’ve tried since losing Automatic Switch. Let’s hope it sticks.
Show cars started arriving at 8 a.m.
Another variable, and one completely out of our control, has been the weather. The annual Spring Meet has always been a rain-or-shine affair, but two of the last three years have been virtual washouts. This year, we had the desired sunshine, but it was accompanied by temperatures in the 40s and 50s, with wind gusts up to 30 MPH. Most of us were dressed for the occasion, and the show went on. I’m happy to report that I would estimate that we had close to 100 vehicles in the show, a very healthy number. (Also know that there were at least three other car shows being held at the same time within a thirty-minute ride from our show, so car owners had choices.)
The 1960s Class filled up quickly
The show’s variety was impressive. For those who think that the collection of, and interest in, pre-war cars is dead should attend an AACA show. There were many four-door sedans, a body style often considered “uncollectible,” and the sports car crowd would not have been disappointed in the number of domestic and import vehicles in that class. Unlike a National AACA show, the NJ Region opens its shows to both “Modern Classics,” cars 2002 and newer, and modified cars. This is done in order to encourage enthusiasts who would otherwise be shut out by AACA’s requirement that show cars be twenty-five years of age or older, and in stock condition.
I was on the judging team, paired up with another AACA member and assigned to judge the sports car class, which we enjoyed immensely. The MGA coupe took 1st place in that category, with 2nd place going to the Saab Sonnet. The awards ceremony started promptly at 2 p.m. and was finished in twenty minutes. With that, the 2026 edition of the NJ Region’s Spring Meet was a wrap.
PRE-WAR AND IMMEDIATE POST-WAR
Model A Ford
1937 Buick
Painted sign looked original
1941 Chevy pickup
Model A fire truck
1947 Chrysler
FOUR-DOOR SEDANS
1953 Cadillac
1954 Chevy
1955 Chevy
1959 Cadillac
Chevy Nova
1976 Cadillac
FULL SIZE CARS OF THE ’50s, ’60s, & ’70s
1956 Chrysler
1957 Chevy
1957 Dodge two-door wagon
1966 Chevy
1965 Cadillac
1967 AMC Marlin
1973 Cadillac
Caddy convertible
1976 Buick
Lincoln Continental
MUSTANGS
Jay with his ’66
1967
1968
1995
OTHER PONY CARS
’70S era Firebird
’80s era Camaro
’90s era Camaro
SPORTS CARS
MGA coupe which won 1st in its class
Lotus Elite
’57 Ford Thunderbird
Chrome bumper C3 Corvette
Rubber bumper C3 Corvette
Hillman Minx
MODIFIED CARS
This year, in honor of the Region’s 75th anniversary, the show included an award for the “best 75-year-old car,” meaning, from the year 1951. But there was only one vehicle from that year at the show, and it was this heavily-modified Ford truck. So it got the award.
The newest AACA-eligible car was this 2001 Mercedes-Benz CLK convertible, owned by my friend Bob. He won an award in this class.
Just some of the AACA members who worked the show from start to finish
