Amore della Strada

On the evening of November 18, 2016, the AACA Museum in Hershey PA officially opened its “Amore della Strada” Italian machinery exhibit with a reception at the museum. The public was invited to attend, and turnout was large, making for crowded aisles. The doors opened at 6pm, and your $20 admission included antipasti, beer, and wine. Those who owned cars on display were admitted “gratuito”.

Italian cars come in colors other that red! — **Italian cars come in colors other than red!**

There were approximately 20 Italian cars, and perhaps a dozen or so Italian motorcycles. The museum is arranged in such a way that there was no practical way for the curators to place all the special exhibits together. Therefore, they were arranged in smaller groups of 2, 3, 4, or more, and placards with each vehicle provided sufficient history regarding the make and model. Owners who were loaning their wares for the five-month duration of the show were dutifully acknowledged. (Last week’s blog entry covered this author’s drive to deliver his ’67 Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior to the exhibit.)

Fiats and Alfa Romeos seemed to comprise the bulk of the vehicle displays, and some might agree with me that it was a refreshing change of pace for an “Italian Car Show” to NOT be dominated by late-model supercars from the Big 3 of Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maserati. (Of these three makes, I counted only two Ferraris.)

**Ferrari 308GTB shares floor space with modified Fiat 124 Spider**

Among the Fiats, we saw three 124 Spiders, two X1/9s, and an 850 Spider. The X1/9s were a study in contrasts, as the bright green one was a first year example wearing the original bumper-less design, while the white one from 1987 wore no Fiat badges at all, as it was manufactured and sold by Bertone, and badged as such, since Fiat left the U.S. market after 1982. The only Italian prewar car on the floor was a delightful 1937 Fiat Topolino (Little Mouse).

**Adorable 1937 Fiat Topolino (owned by AACA Museum)**

1974 Fiat X1/9 - note lack of battering ram bumpers — **1974 Fiat X1/9 – note lack of battering ram bumpers**

**1987 Bertone X1/9, one of the last of the breed**

Nose of '87 X1/9 wears this in place of Fiat badge — **Nose of ’87 X1/9 wears this in place of Fiat badge**

The four Alfa Romeos included two Giulia coupes, one early step-nose and one 2^nd generation design, a rare Montreal Coupe (with a factory V8), and the last Alfa sold in the U.S. market (until Sergio’s recent resurgence), the large front-wheel-drive 164 sedan.

**Owners Ed and Shayna Geller with their stunning Alfa Montreal**

**Alfa GTV in red, Alfa 164 in black. Snake eats man; it’s part of the Alfa legend.**

The show included vehicles that required an explanation how they passed the entrance exam, as two of them had big American V8 engines, and one had a British 4-cylinder lump. The DeTomaso Longchamp and Italia Omega are vehicles belonging to a class long known as ‘hybrids’ (decades before that term was used to describe a gas/electric vehicle).

Most car aficionados have heard of the DeTomaso Pantera, sold here by Lincoln-Mercury dealers in the early 1970s. The Longchamp is the squared-off, four-seat sister to the Pantera. The one on display featured a Ford 351 Cleveland engine mated to a 3-speed automatic. I’ve seen many a photo of Longchamps, and this was the first one I’ve ever seen in the metal.

The car labeled as a 1967 Italia Omega is more familiarly known to me as an Intermeccanica Italia. Based on my reading of the car’s placard, the history of this car company is convoluted at best. (Indeed, none of the several import-based compilation books in my library make any mention at all of this company.) The vehicle in the museum was an attractive convertible, using a front-mounted Ford 302 V8 paired with a 4-speed manual transmission.

The 1961 Triumph Italia on display is one of 329 built. While the design is certainly in the Italian mold, the sheetmetal hides what is essentially the drivetrain and chassis of a stock Triumph TR-3. One of the outstanding features of the Italia is that it is the handiwork of a young Giovanni Michelotti, who would later pen the restyle of the TR-4 into the TR-6.

**1961 Triumph Italia, with TR-3 mechanicals**

Scan through the photos below for shots of other vehicles which were on display. (And as always, click on any of the photos to enlarge them.)

Among the motorcycles, which are not my primary interest, I could not help but be drawn to the 1958 Iso Moto, built by the same company that originally designed the Iso Isetta. Like the Longchamp, it was a first for me to actually see one of these in person.

The “Amore della Strada” exhibit runs through April 22, 2017. There’s plenty to see at the Museum besides the Italian stuff. If you’ve never made the trip, this is a good excuse to do so. If you have, the Italian cars are a nice addition to what you may have seen before.

**1957 Vespa 400, designed in Italy but built in France**

**1971 O.T.A.S. 820 Grand Prix, built on Fiat 850 chassis**

This 1954 Fiat 1100 wears custom sheetmetal reminiscent of the Alfa BAT cars — **This 1954 Fiat 1100 wears custom bodywork reminiscent of the Alfa B.A.T. cars**

**Unlike the cars, the bikes fit into one room**

Yes, it's an ISO; same parent company as the Isetta and the Griffo — **Yes, it’s an ISO; same parent company as the Isetta and the Griffo**

The AACA (Antique Automobile Club of America) Museum in Hershey PA frequently presents special exhibits on a rotating basis, as a supplement to the vehicles on permanent display. One such exhibit, entitled “Amore Della Strada: Italian Cars” (translated as “Love of the Road”), is running from November 19, 2016, through April 22, 2017.

Earlier this year, the AACA invited its members to submit applications for their Italian cars to be considered. I completed said application, and was thrilled and humbled to learn that the ’67 Alfa Romeo which normally resides in my garage was accepted to be part of the show. (Of the approximately 20 Italian cars to be displayed, all but one are privately owned.)

On the crisp clear Friday morning of November 11, 2016, I started up the Alfa for its two-hour drive to Hershey (this car is no trailer queen). After putting 260 miles on it on last Sunday, this 120-mile ride would be simple. Aside from dicing it up with the tractor-trailers on Route 78 through Allentown PA, the trip was uneventful.

**The Alfa arrives at the AACA Museum. The Hershey Kissmobile was also visiting.**

Arriving at the museum a little past 10 a.m., I drove around to the load-in entrance at the rear. Glenn from the museum staff met me there, and we went through some of the small peculiarities that make Italian cars so lovable. Glenn seemed especially astounded to learn that the ONLY way to open the trunk is by opening the passenger door and pulling the cable release in the door jamb, something he needed to know in order to access the trunk-mounted battery.

In the basement. You can just make out a Fiat 124 in front of my car. — **In the basement. You can see a Fiat 124 in front of my car.**

My buddy Larry, who is a saint-among-saints as a friend, met me out there in his Silverado. We toured the museum (it was his first time visiting), and got a sneak preview of the upcoming show, as most of the Italian cars were already on display. After a local lunch at Red Robin, we were back on the road by 3-ish.

**Sneak preview: DeTomaso Longchamp, Fiats 124, 850, and X1/9**

My wife and I will be headed out there again this coming Friday for the exhibit’s opening reception – blog story to follow. And now that I have an empty garage slot for the next five months, we’ll see if I can slip something else in there. (Honey, I know you’re reading this….)

**Hamburger with arugula, spicy black beans; does it get any better?**

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All automotive, all the time

The AACA Museum Hosts “Amore della Strada” Opening Reception

The Alfa is Loaned to the AACA Museum