Alfa Romeo 8C

The Simeone Museum in Philadelphia, PA, is renowned for its collection of historic race cars. The late Dr. Fred Simeone, inspired by his father’s car collection of pre-war classics, started his own collection as a young man, focusing on unrestored racing vehicles. Decades ago, such “worn out” machinery could be acquired for very little money. Dr. Fred’s desire to keep the cars original also led him to insist that all his cars be drivable. To that end, the museum hosts a monthly “Demo Day,” when a select few cars are taken outside and put through their paces.

The Gullwing takes center stage during the slide presentation

Saturday, July 11, 2026 was such a day, the theme of which was “Car Detective: Defining the Simeone Museum from Alfa to Vauxhall.” As the museum’s website states, “Through research, intuition, and patience, Dr. Simeone gave voice to cars whose stories might otherwise have been lost. This is their story.” The chosen cars included a 1921 Vauxhall, 1926 Bugatti Type 35, 1933 Squire Roadster, 1937 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900A, and 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing. Members from both the NJ and Delaware Valley Chapters of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROC) turned out primarily to see (and hear) the Alfa 8C.

The presenter highlighted specs that would be impressive even for some modern cars

The event began with a slide show highlighting the technical features of each car, followed by an explanation of Dr. Fred’s approach to car collecting. During the slide presentation, the five cars were parked nearby, and it was a rare and wonderful opportunity indeed to get so close to this gorgeous piece of Italian machinery. You can read the details of Dr. Fred’s search and acquisition here: https://simeonemuseum.org/collection/1937-alfa-romeo-8c-2900a-mille-miglia-spider/, but suffice to say that this one was so rough that there was no choice but to perform a complete restoration. In what must have been a once-in-a-lifetime thrill for him, the restored Alfa Romeo 8C was driven by him and a co-driver in the 1991 Mille Miglia in Italy.

I’ve been to several previous Demo Days, and I recall crowds which made it almost impossible to see the action. Fortunately, the head count on this day was a little light, and I had mostly good sight lines. I’m not a videographer, but I still managed to capture some of the excitement as the cars circled the track. Three video clips are included below along with the photos.

The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum (https://simeonemuseum.org/) is located in south Philadelphia, not far from the Philadelphia airport. It’s about an hour’s drive from central New Jersey. If you have not been there, it’s highly recommended. If you can be there for a Demo Day (and here is their 2026 calendar: https://simeonemuseum.org/2026-events/), all the better.