My wife and I just got back from a whirlwind 25-hour up-and-back trip to Greenwich CT for the 2023 Greenwich Concours. My Alfa was on the lawn again this year, and given that this is an invitation-only event, it was a high honor indeed. Alfa Romeo was a featured marque on Sunday, divided into pre-war and post-war classes. My ’67 was in the post-war class, of course, and although we didn’t win anything, it was an exciting and event-filled day. This first post about the show will focus only on the Alfa Romeos. There is much else to cover, and I will put up additional stories about the rest of the show during the week.
THE POST-WAR CLASS
There were 8 vehicles; in model year order, they were a ’56 1900, a ’59 Giulietta Spider, a ’63 Giulia Spider, a ’67 4R Zagato, my ’67 GT 1300 Jr., a ’71 Montreal, a ’78 Series 2 Spider, and a ’93 RZ Zagato. Right off the bat, note the strong representation from THREE iconic Italian design houses: Pininfarina, Bertone, and Zagato.
THE MONTREAL
This car is so-named because Alfa Romeo exhibited a concept car at the 1967 Montreal Expo. That design study went into production and was therefore named after the city where it was first displayed. It remains Alfa’s only road-going V8-powered automobile.
THE 4R ZAGATO
I’ve read about this car but never saw one in the metal before today. The woman representing the car (she’s wearing the scarf in the first photo) told me that only 92 were ever produced, only 3 are in the U.S., and the other two are on the west coast. That kinda explains why I haven’t seen one before this. The chassis and all mechanicals are 1967 Alfa. The factory commissioned Zagato to build a “pre-war style body” on top of the Guilia chassis. Viola!
RZ ZAGATO
Another Zagato oddball (is that redundant? đ ). I know very little about these except that the Italians nick-named it “The Monster”, which in Italian is “Il Mostro”. Ergo the license plate.
THE EARLY SPIDERS
I think that the ’63 Giulia is the blue car and the ’59 Giulietta is the red car, but I’m not certain. Someone will correct me if I got that backwards.
MY GT 1300 JUNIOR
Spending the week prior to the show detailing it did it wonders. We drove it 192 miles round-trip, mostly at 65-70 mph, and it performed flawlessly. Interestingly, it was the only Giulia coupe in the show.
’78 SERIES 2 SPIDER NIKI LAUDA EDITION
I have no recollection of being aware of this special model before. Phil, the owner of the car, parked next to me so we spent a bit of time chatting. He said that in 1978, when Lauda left Ferrari and joined the Alfa racing team, Alfa created this special model. Included were the headlight covers, body-painted rear spoiler, pin striping, and fender badges. Phil said that the Turbina wheels would be correct for this model, not the 5-star ones on it now. Here, Phil clowns with a leather racing helmet on his head.
MEA CULPA
Each car in our class was judged, and the winning car was the 1900. Unbelievably, of the 8 Alfa Romeos in the class, it is the one car I did not photograph. although you can get slight glimpses of it in the background of some of the photos above. My excuse is that as class winner, the car spent a good part of the day on display elsewhere on the show field. That’s the best I can do.
THE PRE-WAR CLASS
For whatever reason, the 3 Alfa Romeos in the pre-war class were arranged in a different area of the showfield, nowhere near us. I managed to get only one photo of the group of cars. When I went back to take additional photos, I couldn’t get near them as the area was roped off in preparation for the awards ceremony.
Future posts will cover many of the remaining show cars; there were about 140 vehicles on the showfield, and a nice variety it was. I also met some amazing people and I have stories to tell about those encounters.
The 2021 New Hope (PA) Auto Show was held during the weekend of August 14-15. This is one of the longest-running car shows in the Northeast, and this yearâs arrangement split participants into two groups: the domestic cars on Saturday, and the import vehicles on Sunday. My Alfa was registered for the Sunday event, and, expecting a significant turnout of Alfas buoyed by support from both the NJ and Delaware Valley Club Chapters, I was not disappointed.
The weather cooperated; Sunday was one of the nicer days weâve had during whatâs been a hot and humid season. Registrants were asked to arrive by 8am; I was five minutes early and gained a coveted shady spot at the start of the row dedicated to Alfa Romeos. Within a few minutes, another dozen or so Alfas arrived; I later counted over 20 of the cars from Milano.
Of course, other marques were also amply represented: Porsches and BMWs from Germany; Jaguars and MGs from the UK; other Italian cars including Fiat, Lancia, and Ferrari; and Asian brands including Honda, Mazda, and Datsun/Nissan. It is worth mentioning that the Rolls Royce/Bentley Club had what was likely the largest turnout of vehicles of any particular make.
One change for 2021 was the lack of formal judging; the stated reason was that Covid concerns prevented the show organizers from gathering judges to perform their needed tasks. Instead, spectators were encouraged to vote for their favorites, and ribbons were presented around 2pm, after which the show cars were released from their spots.
This was the first time my Alfa had ventured out-of-state since I drove it to a NY diner during a Sunday breakfast run in April of 2019. While New Hope is barely 30 minutes from me, it still was a great feeling to venture that far from home in confidence after the significant brake and carburetor overhauls.
Scanning and posting my photos from the 1969 New York Auto Show resulted in my flipping through other photographs of mine from the â60s and â70s. To my surprise, I rediscovered photos that I had frankly forgotten about: pictures from the 1977 New York Auto Show (or so I thought). One reason that these pictures hadnât resonated with me was their poor quality. Taken with a Kodak 110 Instamatic camera, the flash was barely powerful enough to illuminate the subjects. Thankfully, digital photo-editing software goes a long way toward making them halfway presentable. These photos also verify what was seen in my 1969 event pictures: the claustrophobic nature of the Coliseumâs exhibit halls.
As I did some Googling about the show, I came across a 2nd surprise: these pictures were in fact NOT taken at the âofficialâ NY show, but at an event held a few months later called âAuto Expoâ. Still held in the Coliseum, Auto Expo was all imported cars. Iâm not sure if thatâs because the funny furrinâ ones didnât get enough exposure at the main event, or if promoters/dealers wanted to give the imports a chance to shine on their own.
One website I stumbled across lists the details of every NY Auto Show from 1900 to 2020, by date, sponsor, official title, and location. Presuming that this data is accurate, I note that I was incorrect in my earlier post when I stated that the NY Show has been held âcontinuouslyâ since 1900; the show was on hiatus during the war years 1941-1947. The new Coliseum first hosted in 1956, and that show carried the title of New Yorkâs â1st International Automobile Showâ. The next year was the â2ndâ and so on. This title structure remained until the GNYADA (Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association) assumed sponsorship in 1972.
In 1977, the GNYADA show ran from January 29 through February 6. But two men, Robert Topaz and Raymond Geddes, sponsored the first all-import Auto Expo, held that year from April 3 to April 10. Iâm certain thatâs the show I attended, as I was in college in â77, way out in eastern Long Island, and would not have traveled into Manhattan in January. But I would have been home on Staten Island for Easter break, when Auto Expo was held, and it would have been a breeze to take public transport up to the Coliseum.
Auto Expo lasted all of three years; perhaps Gotham City couldnât generate enough traffic to viably support two new car shows spaced just a few months apart. After 1979, the only NY auto show was hosted by the GNYADA, and that continues to this day.
This NY Times article points out some attractions my camera missed, and also helpfully advises that âfree parking (is) nonexistent within three blocks before 6 P.M on weekdaysâ. I only took five photographs, and they are arranged below in alphabetical order by manufacturer. Iâve compiled some basic engine and price data sourced from The Standard Catalog of Imported Cars 1946-1990, published by Krause Publications. Some of these prices shock me, even today. For comparison, five months after attending this show, I bought my first new car, a 1977 VW Rabbit, for $3,599. And to think I could have had a Le Car.
1977 Alfa Romeo 2000 Spider Veloce
Alfa Romeo introduced a new 2-seat convertible, the Duetto, to the world in 1966. Although the little roadster got semi-frequent styling and engine upgrades, the same basic shell was still on offer 11 years later as the 2000 Spider Veloce. Letâs break that down: 2000 as in engine size (2.0L); Spider as in Italian for âconvertibleâ; and Veloce as in âfastâ (a relative term). The 1977 version of the fabled Alfa twin-cam four-cylinder put out 110 HP; entry into the topless Alfa club started at $8,795 in â77.
In 1977, could Alfa have imagined that this Spider would last another 17 years?
1977 Aston Martin V-8
An Aston Martin showroom in 1977 presented two choices: the 4-door Lagonda, and the 2-door V-8. The car pictured, the V-8, was also available in Vantage (high-performance) and Volante (drop-top) versions. The base non-Vantage V-8, with 4 dual-choke Webers, pushed out 350 horsepower and started at $33,950. Can you put a price on exclusivity? The company built a total of 262 V-8 models in 1977.
The great DB4, DB5, and DB6 behind them, this was brutish British performance
1977 BMW 630CSi
BMW introduced its new 6-series coupes to the world halfway through the 1976 model year, but didnât bring this 630CSi stateside until 1977. BMW didnât have a large presence in the U.S. yet: showrooms held this car, the 2-door 320i, and the 4-door 530i, and that was it. (But the front plate already proclaims âThe Ultimate Driving Machineâ.) The 630CSiâs 3L inline-six churned out 176 HP, and its starting price of $23,600 was $9,000 higher than the 1976 3.0Si coupe it replaced!
BMW’s version of long-legged luxury and performance
1977 Porsche Turbo Carrera Coupe
For a photo that only captures one hind quarter, the details are telling: the wide flared rear fenders and whale-tail spoiler are dead giveaways that this is the Porsche 911 Turbo, officially known as the Turbo Carrera Coupe. Introduced to the U.S. market the year before, Porsche brought it back in â77 with almost no changes for its sophomore year. The 3-liter engine produced 234 HP in Federal trim, with a list price of $28,000. (By comparison, a 1977 Porsche 911S Coupe started at $13,845, a 50% discount.)
The Turbo looks mighty menacing, even in ’70’s brown.
1977 Renault Le Car
Like the Porsche Turbo Carrera, Renaultâs two-door microcar was in its 2nd model year in the states. Thatâs about where the similarities end. Starting price was $3,345 for the 58-horsepower 2-door. A fact of which I was unaware: when introduced here in 1976, the vehicle was called the âR-5â; the name change to âLe Carâ happened in in â77. The Le Car hung around in the U.S. market through the 1983 model year, by which time its base price had risen to $4,795 (thatâs a lot of French bread).
In case you missed the car’s name, it’s on the front AND the side.
Let’s get this bit of disappointing news out of the way: while this Alfista was in attendance, his ’67 Alfa GT Junior was not. Four days before the scheduled departure, the car’s right front brake caliper locked up, and although repair parts were obtained, there wasn’t enough time to effect a safe and sufficient repair. So the green stepnose stayed home. Every cloud, though, has its silver lining, and in this case, I drove a modern car with fully functioning climate control in the 99 degree weather. (The brake failure and its ongoing repairs will be the subject of future blog posts.)
I can assure you that the rest of this post will be short on words and long on photos. On Friday evening there was an AROC club dinner at the Pittsburgh Golf Club, with dozens of striking Alfa Romeos looking resplendent on the lawn in the setting sunlight. Saturday was the all-makes show, with literally thousands of domestic, Italian, German, Swedish, and Japanese vehicles on display. Saturday night was the AROC banquet dinner. And on Sunday, club members were treated to a reserved spot along the track to watch some spirited vintage racing. (We also saw race cars driven in anger on Saturday.)
The volume of photos means that I’ve divided this blog post into Parts 1 and 2: Part 1 features photos of Alfas from various vantages during the weekend, plus an assortment of racing car pictures. Part 2 will follow and will include photos of cars other than Alfas.
As always, click on the photos to enjoy full-screen resolutions of them.
ALFAS IN THE HOTEL PARKING LOT
ALFAS AT THE FRIDAY EVE PITTSBURGH GOLF CLUB DISPLAY
Saturday was an almost-perfect weather day in NJ, sunny, warm, with low humidity. The sun was perhaps a bit too warm, as I pulled my â67 GT 1300 Junior out of its stall so that we could work on the Spider in the cool shade of the garage.
The flag indicates that the middle bay is reserved for Alfas only
Enzo had the correct oil with him, 75W-90 GL-5 gear oil, so we decided to start with the gearbox. Jacking up the front of the car under the front spring perches, sturdy jack stands were placed under the jacking points just behind each front wheel. For some reason only known to Alfa engineers, the transmission case drain and fill plugs are on the same side as the exhaust (the driverâs side), so I found it easier to slide under the car from the passenger side and avoid contact with the still-hot exhaust pipes.
Enzo read the printout he had with him from his electronic service manual: âRemove the drain plug; allow the oil to drain out until you see just a drip. Reinstall the drain plug. Remove the fill plug, and add the appropriate oil until it reaches the top of the fill plug; reinstall the fill plugâ. It sounded too easy.
Front is raised, drain pan is empty and ready
On my â67, I knew that the fill and/or drain plugs required Allen wrenches, as I had done this job on my own car a few years back. I also knew that I had a rather good assortment of metric Allen sockets. I grabbed my drain bucket and positioned it under the tranny. At this point, I related a lesson I had learned a long time ago, and possibly had witnessed during my own repair travels.
This is my ’67, showing the rear axle fill plug, requiring an Allen wrench
While the instructions were clear enough, I said, they should not be taken so literally. What if the car owner removed the drain plug, drained all the oil, reinstalled it, and then found out that s/he could not remove the fill plug? ROOKIE MISTAKE!
An experienced mechanic would always remove the fill plug first, just to ensure that it could be unscrewed and reinstalled. Having done that, the repair person would have the assurance that fresh oil could be added after the old oil had been drained. So that is what we planned to do.
Peering at the side of the case, flashlight in hand, I saw that the drain (lower) plug required a regular socket, perhaps 19mm or 22mm. But the fill (upper plug) would need an Allen (hex) wrench. I asked Enzo to hand me an assortment of metric Allen sockets from my toolbox.
None of them fit. Most were too small; one was too large. (This too-large one was 14mm, and Iâm certain that I purchased it specifically for my car.) So much for my presumption that my â67 and his â91 would use the same size tools. I slid out from under the car, and opened a drawer which consisted mainly of Allen keys, in both SAE and metric sizes. I grabbed a bunch, got back under the car, and tried them one by one. None fit. Thatâs it, I said. We are finished before we even begin.
My hex key drawer
All metric, none correct
With that, Enzo opened his carâs trunk and rummaged through the tool kit that came with the Alfa. He pulled out a hex wrench. âTry this oneâ he said. I did. It worked. Voila! His Craftsman 12mm Allen wrench he just happened to have with him was the âkeyâ.
“There’s an Allen wrench in here somewhere”
This wrench was about 5 inches long, and working on my back, I didnât have a lot of leverage to crank counter-clockwise on this thing. âGet me a breaker barâ I shouted. âThere are some black iron pipes in the same drawer as my hammersâ. Enzo gave me a pipe about a foot long. STILL could not budge the upper plug. Iâm not the strongest guy to have turned wrenches, which is why I keep an assortment of breaker bars on hand. But this fill plug was F.T.
Enzo works the breaker bar for a better fit
Enzo said âI have an idea â you hold the wrench and the breaker bar, and Iâm going to extend my foot under the carâ. Before I could ask him exactly what he had in mind, Enzo pushed hard with his leg against the pipe, and we both heard that satisfying âcrackâ sound when something thatâs uber-tight breaks free. We did it. With the upper plug out, the lower plug was quickly removed with a 22mm socket and Âœâ drive wrench, and the old, possibly original, gearbox oil was flowing out and into my catch can.
I had forgotten to mention to Enzo the need for fresh copper washers, but I just happened to have a few new ones on hand. I think that every drain plug on every â60s/â70s Alfa uses the same size copper washer! The magnetic drain plug had a bit of sludge on it, but it didnât look like anything to worry about to me. I cleaned off the sludge, and gave the threads a quick gentle scrub with a brass brush.
The drain plug was reinstalled, and Enzo snaked a rubber hose from the engine compartment, down toward the transmission. I held the hose in place at the fill plug, while Enzo poured in about 2 quarts of the gear oil. Once it started flowing out of the top hole, indicating a full tranny, I reinstalled the fill plug. This transmission drain-and-fill, with the jacking, prying, and filling, took us over an hour and a half.
Pan, hose, and rag, after the job
The rear axle, by comparison, was relatively easy. Besides, we were now experts. The jack stands were removed from the front. The floor jack was placed directly under the differential drain plug, and both sides of the car were lifted at the same time. With the jack stands in place at the rear, I noted that we needed the same two tools: a 12mm Allen for the upper fill plug, and a 22mm socket for the lower drain plug. We again needed Enzoâs muscular right leg (probably built up from years of playing soccer) to loosen both the fill plug AND the drain plug, but with that. the rear axle oil was flowing.
This magnetic drain plug had the same amount of sludge, and it too was cleaned and fitted with a fresh copper washer. With the drain plug back in, we were ready to add new gear oil.
To route the fill hose, Enzo pulled the spare tire from its well, and unbolted a drain cap, which then provided excellent access to the fill hole. About 1.5 quarts of oil were added. We buttoned up, cleaned up, and started it up. A short test drive confirmed no untoward noises, and with that Enzo was safely on his way. Letâs hope there isnât too much more to do between now and our mid-July departure for Pittsburgh.
SIDEBAR: THE ALLEN MANUFACTURING COMPANY
Most technicians are familiar with a tool thatâs commonly called a âhex keyâ or âAllen keyâ or âAllen wrenchâ: itâs a six-sided hexagonal shape thatâs inserted INTO a screw head or bolt head, as opposed to the more-common socket or wrench, also 6- (or 12-) sided thatâs placed OVER the outside of a bolt head. The hex/Allen design offers the advantage of a smaller head that can fit in tighter places, and can even be designed to thread down and into a threaded hole or shaft.
A vinyl pouch from the Allen Manufacturing Co. Note use of the word “key”.
âHexâ of course means âsixâ. But why is this tool also called an âAllen wrench/keyâ? You can thank Mr. William G. Allen, who, in 1909-1910, patented the design, and began manufacturing both the screws and the tools via the Allen Manufacturing Company of Hartford, CT.
My father worked around production machinery for much of his professional life, and set screws which required Allen wrenches were very common. My fatherâs extensive collection of Allen wrenches in both SAE and metric sizes are now in my possession, and even include some plastic carrying cases bearing the companyâs name.
The New Jersey Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROC), under the able leadership of Chapter President Enrico Ciabattoni, held its first event of 2019 by organizing a luncheon on Saturday April 13. Our hosts were the fine folks at Driving Impressions, a Dover N.J.-based business which sells racing accessories in the front, and has ample garage space out back.
Nice SWAG in Driving Impressions’ retail store
We had a small but enthusiastic turnout of about a dozen, consisting of a mix of AROC-NJ members with some local friends. The lunch (Italian food, whaddya expect?) was grand, but we were really there to get together to talk about our #1 passion, cars. There was lots to talk about, starting with the cars on either side of the lunch table. The service bays were occupied by Italian cars OTHER than Alfas, and there were interesting non-Italian toys too.
Love Italian food? Check. Love Italian CARS? Two checks.
One corner of the garage is rented to a tech who specializes in Porsches. A 928 with its drivetrain removed was high up in the air, and next to it, on the ground, was a 356 coupe which appeared to be in original condition. It actually gave off the vibe of one of those barn-find 356s Iâve seen at auctions that hammer for 300 large.
A 928 in for service. Not for the faint of heart or the light of wallet.
This Porsche 356 coupe appeared to have never been restored
Interior of the 356
Quarter window decals
show a well-traveled car
Three Italian cars competed for my attention: a current-generation Fiat 500, with turbo and other goodies under the hood, claimed to be the fastest 500 on earth (based on a magazine article I was shown, so it must be true); a Fiat 600, with its cheeky water-cooled four-banger out back, appeared to be in the throes of major reconstruction; and a Lancia Delta Integrale, all â80s squared-off inside and out, lounged in the corner, looking like it was daring the turbo 500 to a duel.
Fiat 500 racecar
A Fiat 600 in for a refresh
Lancia Delta Integrale
Lancia engine
Lancia interior
A quick peek outside revealed the 3 classic Alfas which dared make todayâs drive. It stayed warm and dry, so it was an ideal day to cruise in our classics. Alas, no modern Giulias or Stelvios made the trip.
Alfa Romeo Spider
Alfa Romeo Nuova Super 1600
Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr
With the AROC National in Pittsburgh fast approaching in July, there was some discussion among the Alfisti about who was attending, who was driving there, and who might want to caravan. Your author has volunteered to lead the caravan; now I just need someone to agree to join it.
It was reported the other day that in New Jersey, there has been rain on at least one, if not both days of the weekend for the past ten weeks. The corollary to that is that the weather forecasters have been batting about .210 (if they were ball players, they would have been sent back to the minors by now).
So it should not have come as a surprise to awaken on Sunday June 10 to showers, even if 24 hours prior they had not been predicted. It was two months ago that the NJ Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Ownerâs Club (AROC) selected this date for its spring driving tour through Hunterdon County. But Alfa drivers love to cruise so much that a little moisture wasnât going to deter us. We met as planned at the Readington Diner on Route 22 in Whitehouse at 10am, and after a brief driverâs meeting, ten people in six Alfas were off.
1967 Alfa Giulia sedan
1967 Alfa (Giulia) GT Jr.
Alfa 164 (V6, FWD)
The half-dozen vehicles were neatly divided into two groups of three: in the âolderâ group were two â67 Giulias, a sedan and a coupe, along with a 164 four-door sedan. Alfa Romeoâs current model lineup was thoroughly represented by the 2nd group of three: a Giulia sedan, a Stelvio SUV, and a 4C Spider. The factory couldnât have planned that better if it tried.
Alfa Giulia sedan
Alfa Stelvio SUV
Alfa 4C Spider
From the diner, we drove about 4 miles on Route 22 before turning south. From that point on, 100% of the driving was on two-lane secondary roads. We wound our way around Round Valley Reservoir, and meandered through the towns of Stanton, Barley Sheaf, Cherryville, Quakertown, and Pittstown before descending into Frenchtown, on the NJ/PA border. The rain at this point was nothing more than a nuisance, and made me long for intermittent wipers on my â67.
Back on the road, we turned left and began to head east, passing through Sergeantsville, Ringoes (named after John Ringo), Unionville, and Reaville. We briefly entered Somerset County, driving through Cloverhill and Montgomery, before circling round, winding through Wertzville, and finally turning south toward our destination, the town of Hopewell in Mercer County. We covered just over 70 miles in slightly under 2.5 hours, including our break.
Lunch was at Antimoâs Italian Kitchen, and it was charming. Our wait staff catered to our every need, and the food was delizioso. Perhaps best of all, new friendships were formed, as several of todayâs participants were on their maiden voyage with the Alfa club.
Both of these cars are Alfa Romeo Giulia sedans! Can you tell them apart?
The roads were lightly traveled; the scenery was verdant and historic; the overcast skies kept the temperatures reasonable; and no one broke down. What else but to conclude that our NJ AROC Hunterdon County tour was a roaring success?
On Saturday, November 11, 2017, the New Jersey chapter of the Alfa Romeo Ownerâs Club (AROC) held its Fall Foliage Driving Tour, starting at Fullerton Alfa Romeo in Bridgewater, and ending at Duke Farms in Hillsborough.
The day dawned sunny but quite cold, with sunrise temps below freezing. The wind, which had been a factor the previous day, was all but nonexistent, which made the cold more tolerable. The thermometer moderated as the day progressed, and it turned out to be a beautiful day for a driving tour.
Enjoying some breakfast pre-drive
A Stelvio on the showroom floor
The dealer did a great job hosting us in the a.m., with plenty of coffee, bagels, and other breakfast treats available. Early arrivals were there before 9:30, and during the subsequent hour, 17 cars and close to 30 attendees streamed in. While there, we enjoyed alternating our gazes between the new Giulia sedans & Stelvio SUVs, and the classic Alfas parked outside.
A 1967 GT 1300 Jr, and a…
1967 Giulia 1300 Ti sedan
After a brief driverâs meeting, we were off and running. Our first leg had us heading north/northwest, through Oldwick and Long Valley. After an hour on the road, we arrived at our planned rest stop in Chester NJ. The intent was to give participants a chance to wander the streets of this quaint town, filled with antique shops, bakeries, and the like. But true to the Italian spirit, almost everyone stayed in the parking lot, hovered around our Milanese metal, and swapped stories (mostly lies about horsepower).
The view out our rear window
By 12:30, the second leg of the drive began, and we were on the road again, now headed back south. We briefly doubled back on Lamington Road (Route 523), then turned south/southeast, through Whitehouse Station and Readington. We arrived at Duke Farms exactly at 1:30, which was a good thing, as our catered luncheon was scheduled to start at that time. By complete coincidence, the second leg was also an hourâs length. Both drives were blessed with relatively light traffic, colorful autumnal leaves, lots of sunshine, and no breakdowns.
We love to drive, we love to talk, we love to eat!
Our chapter president, Enrico, declared the event a success, and there was widespread agreement among the chapter members. Based on todayâs turnout, we are all counting on AROCâs NJ Chapter to hold more such events in 2018.
We somehow managed to keep 17 cars (mostly) in a row
Arriving at the Chester rest stop, two new Giulias
A GTV-6 coupe
A ’67 GT 1300 Jr.
A Giulia 1300 Ti sedan
A ’66 Duetto
A police escort protected us from on-the-road citations
The 505-hp engine of the Giulia Quadrifoglio
Alfa 164
GTA-look
Another 164
Chatting in Chester (sorry)
Follow the leader
A rare shot of the driver driving (courtesy of my wife)
Duke Farms
Arriving at Duke Farms, we found plenty of parking
The cafe service was outstanding, with plenty of food and drink for all
Alfa men gather to argue the firing order of the Busso V6
(Special thanks to my wife Margaretanne for accompanying me, and taking all the on-the-road photos.)
The original name of the company we know today as “Alfa Romeo” was A.L.F.A., which is an acronym. In Italian, it stands for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili, which translates as “Anonymous Lombardy (Region) Manufacturer (of) Automobiles”.
During World War I, an industrialist named Nicola Romeo took over control of A.L.F.A., which was then in liquidation. He immodestly changed the name of the company to Alfa Romeo, with “Alfa” no longer an acronym. A recession during the 1920’s forced Romeo out of the company, but the name change stayed.
None of this stops people from continuing to spell the car name as “Alpha” (as if the car were Greek!).
You know itâs late in the collector car driving season when the 8 a.m. arrivals at your starting point are still in the shadows, waiting for the morningâs yellow rays to rise above the concrete and steel horizon.
Minutes before departing, the sun finally made its way over to us
And so our final Sunday morning breakfast drive for 2017 began, but we knew the dayâs weather would be in our favor. Those of us in the Northeast are coming off what may be the best week of weather weâve had all year: sunny, dry, daytime temps in the mid-to-high 70s, with the thermometer dropping into the 40s and 50s at night. And all this in late October to boot.
Even though we saw each other last month, there’s still lots to yap about
The route to Cold Spring is an easy one, and includes Seven Lakes Drive in Harriman State Park. Itâs a shame that we didnât give ourselves a chance to stop and admire the view. At such an early hour, the water, smooth as glass, acted like a mirror for the fall foliage. The scene would have made a lovely backdrop for our myriad group of sporting machines.
We arrived at our destination in under an hour, and the attentive staff at the Silver Spoon had a table for 14 waiting for us (calling ahead and being patient when they say âwe donât take reservationsâ can still provide your desired result).
The Silver Spoon staff hustled to serve 14 or 15 hungry drivers, and the sometimes erratic service was not entirely the fault of our intrepid waiter. Plates remained unclaimed as diners endeavored to remember what they ordered! Even with the delay, the food was excellent, washed down with coffee by the gallon.
While waiting for the food, we …. looked at cell phone photos
As is customary, as the meal ended, the crowd lingered in front of the restaurant, with no one in any great rush to depart. The warm October sunshine will do that to you. It sounds far away to say âsee you on our first drive in 2018â, but it will be here soon enough. Weâre also hoping to organize an off-season trip to a museum as we did last winter. For this scribe, itâs now time to put the babies away for the year. Iâm pretty sure I still have some Sta-Bil in the garage.
Don’t let the jackets fool you – by late morning, it was 70 degrees
1967 Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr.
1972 Chevrolet Nova
Porsche 911 #1
Porsche 911 #2
Porsche 911 #3
BMW Z3 roadster
1967 Buick Skylark convertible (earlier posts identifying this as a ’66 are incorrect! Thanks Ralph)
The New Jersey Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America held its annual car show as it always does, on the first Sunday in May, which this year was the 7th.
Last year, the show was moved to the Mennen Arena in Morristown NJ, so 2017 was only the clubâs second time here, after being held in Florham Park for the last 5 or 6 decades.
While nowhere near the washout of 2016, this year still required participants and spectators alike to deal with cloudy and somewhat cool temperatures for this time of year. At least the promised rain held off until about an hour before the show was done. In spite of the threats, turnout was decent, with some unofficial estimates putting the vehicle count at close to 200 cars. Spectators turned out in decent numbers too.
I was proud to have my Alfa Romeo, fresh from the AACA museum, on display, and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was one of three Alfas at the show, joined by a rare Euro-spec Nuova Giulia sedan, and a one-owner Milano. The Italian car feast was rounded out by a Lancia Fulvia coupe.
’67 Alfa GT 1300 Junior
’78 Alfa Nuova Giulia
’87 Alfa Milano
Lanica Fulvia Coupe
British cars included an Austin-Healey, a stunning MGB-GT, and two Lotuses (Loti?), an Elan and a Europa (yes, all Lotus model names begin with the letter E).
Austin-Healey
MGB-GT
Lotus Elan
Lotus Europa
AACA rules allow cars to be shown once they reach 25 years of age. So on a rolling basis, each new calendar year means that there is a new âclassâ of eligible cars. For 2017, 1992 and older cars can be shown, so it was a pleasure to see this beautiful â92 Mercedes Benz 500SL on the showfield.
1992 Mercedes Benz 500SL
Of course, American makes dominate the display, including the so-called orphan manufacturers (those whose marques no longer exist). Below are some examples of these, including Pierce Arrow, LaSalle, Crosley, DeSoto, and Pontiac (still strikes this writer as odd to see Pontiacâs name with the others).
1935 LaSalle
1939 Pontiac
1933 Pierce Arrow
DeSoto Hemi V8
Crosley inline-4
One does not need to be a member of AACA to enter a car into the show. One of the draws for members and non-members alike is the chance to win something, as this show is one of the few in the area which is judged (to AACA standards). The NJ Region recently switched from trophies (aka dust-collectors) to tool and duffle bags, to make for more practical prizes. Itâs the generosity of the sponsors who help make it possible to have awards.
richardscarblog 