Alfa Romeo of Englewood Cliffs

Members of the NJ Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROC) were again invited to be guests at the Alfa Romeo of Englewood Cliffs NJ dealership, on Sunday July 9, 2023. The dealer opened their doors on a day when they are usually closed, provided breakfast food and coffee, and had several of the new Tonale SUVs on display.

Several Tonales were staged in front of the showroom

About 10 Chapter members showed up with their Alfas (and one Fiat Abarth); several other members drove to the event in modern iron. The number of vehicles was down slightly from our previous visit, and all the club vehicles were from the “classic” era. There was a nice assortment of Giulia coupes, Spiders, and one beautifully-modified Berlina sedan. We had a total of three 1300 Juniors: two coupes, including your author’s, and one Spider. Keep in mind the relative rarity of these Juniors, as it is a model which was never officially sold in the States.

Several dealer sales and service people gave us a walkaround of the Tonale, a PHEV with a 1.3L gas engine up front, and two electric motors, one front and one rear. The vehicle to my eye looks like a junior Stelvio, which is not a bad thing given that I consider the Stelvio to be one of the better-looking SUVs on the market today.

NJ-AROC members check out the new Tonale

The sky was grey all morning, and we were all aware of the pending thunderstorms in the forecast, which likely played a role in keeping the overall numbers down. The event was scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. I scooted at 10:45 to try to beat the rain. Aside from driving home in two very brief showers, I did make it back before the skies opened their taps.

I had missed the previous two NJ Chapter gatherings, only because of other commitments, so I was glad to attend this one, and it was good to see some Alfa friends again. On behalf of the NJ Chapter of AROC, I want to thank Alfa Romeo of Englewood Cliffs for their hospitality.

Dealer personnel and Chapter members at the Tonale presentation

Close to what you would have seen in an Alfa showroom in ’66-’67

Breakfast supplied by our gracious hosts

The New Jersey Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROC) sponsored a combination dealer visit/drive event on Sunday October 30, 2022, which saw a significant turnout of older Alfas along with some newer vehicles. The dealership, Alfa Romeo of Englewood Cliffs (NJ), located on Route 9W, graciously opened its doors to us on a Sunday morning, providing coffee and breakfast treats while we owners took advantage of the opportunity to mingle under sunny and unusually warm late October skies.

The size of the group was impressive; aside from six Spiders, there were five Bertone Giulia Coupes, a Milano, a 4C, and modern Giulias and Stelvios. A Fiat 500 Abarth rounded out the Italian entries. As the owner of a GT 1300 Junior, it was most interesting to me that there were four 1300 Juniors present, 3 Coupes and a Spider, incredible given that the model was never officially imported to the U.S.

After our morning soiree, some of us joined our tour leader Scott Klion and followed him in his red Giulia on a scenic ride up the Palisades Parkway and around Storm King Highway in NY, ending with a lunch at the charming Painter’s Tavern in Cornwall-on-Hudson. I’ve always admired how Alfa owners love to drive their cars in a spirited fashion, even if I in my 90-HP Junior struggled to keep up! My wife and I had a long ride back home from the restaurant, but it was good to get out, put some miles on ‘Junior’, and see some of my old Alfa friends again.