The Somerville, NJ, Cruise Night, July 11, 2025

July 14, 2025 RichardReina Cruise nights, Events Somerville NJ Cruise Night

When I first spotted the signs taped to every parking meter which read, “SOMERVILLE CRUISE NIGHT, 35 YEARS,” I was shocked. Was it really thirty-five years ago when the town of Somerville, NJ began hosting Friday night cruise nights? That brings us back to 1990, eleven years before I moved back into the area and first became aware of the event. As I’ve posted about before, at first, the local businesses were aghast at the idea of their quiet little town overrun by hot-rodders. However, when they saw revenue jump, and further realized that these undesirables in fact consisted of well-mannered individuals and families, they embraced the concept, with many restaurants and stores extending their open-for-business hours in order to accommodate the thickening crowds.

Aside from visits with my local Alfa Romeo club, it had been a while since I brought the Alfa to this cruise night. This past Friday, July 11, turned out to be a beautiful evening: warm, not too humid, sunny, and with no threat of rain. Although the official hours are from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m., I knew from experience that car owners arrive much earlier. Indeed, I hit Main St. just a few minutes before 4 p.m. and it appeared that over half of the available parking spots were already occupied by show cars. Nevertheless, I managed to quickly find a spot without doubling back, and once parked, I was free to grab my camera and stroll.

It would almost fit in the back of that Suburban

Compared to an AACA event, where 100% of the vehicles are showroom stock, and compared to an Alfa event, where all the cars are from a single marque, the Somerville cruise night offered true variety. Let’s start with the modified cars. Are the typical modded cars of the ‘30s, ’40s, and ‘50s gone? Not the case here. It was fun to see these old-school rods, reminiscent of what I saw as a boy, still out and about. The next surprise was the number of pre-war vehicles. There are many who think that these cars are no longer collectible and have disappeared, yet, owners brought them to Somerville. And finally, there were the imports. A small number of interesting European and Asian collectibles were in attendance. Overall, to call this cruise night “eclectic” would be quite accurate.

My friends Larry and Art drove down from Bergen County to meet me. We grabbed a bite at a new brewery on Main St., then took in the show. They both observed that it was nice to see a different selection of cars than what they would normally come across at a cruise night in their area, and they thoroughly enjoyed themselves, as did I. They split around 7:30 p.m. and I hung out by my car for another hour, chatting it up with a few passers-by who stopped to admire the only Alfa Romeo on display on this particular evening. All in all, it was a great night, and given Somerville’s proximity (six miles from my house), I need to make the effort to attend a little more frequently.

PRE-WAR

CLASSIC HOT RODS

MUSTANGS

IMPORTS

Datsun 280Z. From this angle, its resemblance to a Jag E-Type is strong

This Triumph TR-4 was sharp inside and out

I was completely smitten with this Fiat 500 “Abarth” (probably a recreation). It was parked in front of an Italian restaurant that also offered curbside gelato.

AND THE REST

’70 Plymouth Road Runner. I spoke with the owner, who has owned the car since the late ’80s. He did the entire restoration himself.

’57 Thunderbird. I liked the look with the wide whites, steelies, and no caps, giving it a “hey, it’s just a driver” appearance

And another C1 Corvette. The late sun really warmed up the white paint

1970 Chevy wagon (aka “long roof”), appropriately parked in front of a travel agency

Another ’57 Thunderbird, stunning in the unusual gray

NJ Alfa Club at the Somerville Cruise Night, May 30, 2025

June 4, 2025 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Cruise nights, Events Alfonso's Somerville NJ, NJ-AROC, Somerville NJ Cruise Night

The month of May was cruel to us in the collector car hobby, as cool, wet weather caused postponements and cancellations of various events. In some cases, events proceeded regardless, with disappointing results. A few months back, the NJ Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (NJ-AROC) reached out to the folks who put on the Somerville, NJ Friday night cruise nights. The organizers will reserve parking in one section for car clubs, and our Alfa club did this last year. Because the date is chosen in advance, it becomes a “rain or shine” event, and the weather forecast for May 30, our assigned date, was iffy. I actually didn’t make the decision to attend until several hours prior to the 5 p.m. start time.

Several club members were already there when I arrived a few minutes past five, and we immediately noticed that there were no “Reserved for Alfa Club” signs in place, as there were last year. As parking spots opened up, we placed a folding chair to hold the spot for the next Alfa to arrive. That was working well until a Somerville cop stopped and told us “you can’t hold parking spots!” I was about to exchange a few friendly words with the officer when a Cruise Night representative approached the black-and-white Ford Explorer and explained that he was late in posting the Reserved Parking signs, which seemed to smooth things over for the patrol officer.

Despite the threatening weather (which held off for the entire evening), we had a nice turnout of about a dozen Alfas, dominated by Spiders, and also cars from the modern Giulia, Stelvio, and Tonale lineup. The camaraderie in our group is strong, and we enjoyed the evening chatting among ourselves as well as the passers-by who took note of our Italian macchine. (One woman walked up to my Junior and asked me, “is that a Volvo?”) Bill ordered pizza from Alfonso’s, generously paid for by the Chapter, and by 7:30 p.m., with darkening skies overhead, several of us (including me) headed home. It was wonderful to hang with fellow Alfisti, and we already have a date in August to return to Somerville.

Our club enjoyed the pizza (with Girl Scout cookies for dessert)

The NJ Alfa Club Returns to the Somerville Cruise Night

August 24, 2024 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Cruise nights, Events Somerville NJ Cruise Night

For the second time this year, the NJ Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROC) gathered at the Somerville NJ Friday night Cruise-In. A total of eight Alfas (a nice mix of old and new) showed up and parked in the area which can be reserved for clubs. (A big thanks to Bill D. for making these arrangements for us!) As was the case during our previous visit to Somerville in May, the weather was near-perfect, with none of the high heat and humidity which we’ve been forced to endure for much of the summer.

A new club feature, first seen at the recent New Hope show, made a repeat appearance: Paul’s flagpole, hoisted high above his Giulia and flying the Alfa Romeo flag. It certainly helped draw attention to our display, in case there was any doubt about the brand of vehicles in the lineup. We also treated ourselves again to an al fresco dinner courtesy of the local Italian restaurant, including pizza, calamari, and spicy wings.

With Labor Day approaching, the collector car hobby will scramble to fit in as many activities as possible during the next two months, before the driving season ends for our older cars. AROC’s NJ Chapter will continue to host monthly breakfasts, so I’m hoping to get my Alfa out to one or two of those before it goes into hibernation for the winter.

ADDENDA

Last Saturday we were on our way to the Jersey shore and stopped for a break at a Wawa somewhere along Route 539. In pulled this 1960 Chevy bubble top right behind our Volvo XC40. The contrast between the two cars, 64 years apart, is incredible. And I can’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, the Impala’s trunk holds more than the Volvo’s (with the 2nd row seats up).

The Alfa Club at the Somerville Cruise Night

June 2, 2024 RichardReina Cruise nights, Events AROC NJ Chapter, Somerville NJ Cruise Night

The Friday night cruise night in my local town of Somerville NJ has been a neighborhood staple for decades. I posted blog stories about it as far back as 2004, when I put my Isetta on display there. I was also there, without a car to display, in 2015 and in 2022. In August of 2016, the NJ Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROC) appeared en masse, and we’ve now repeated that effort in 2024.

This past Friday, May 31, nine vehicles belonging to NJ-AROC members lined up on Main St. in front of the Somerville Courthouse, where parking spots were reserved for us. It was a night of gorgeous weather, which brought out the gearheads, both as attendees and as spectators. Our club was ably represented by a nice mix of classic (pre-1995) Alfas and modern (2017-present) Giulia and Tonale models.

For me, the Alfisti at the cruise night were a pleasant mix of old friends and new faces. It was a delight to meet some new club members, two of whom drove in their Giulia Quadrifoglios. (A friend recently asked how is it that the Alfa club seems to so easily accept owners of both older and newer machines. I responded that there is no sense of competition or superiority among the brand’s fans, all of whom embrace the full history of the cars from Milano.)

It was so much fun to hang with my fellow club members that I didn’t even get a chance to walk the rest of the show, which consumes about 5 or 6 blocks of Main St. The evening was topped off by the arrival of several pizzas from a well-regarded local restaurant, paid for by the club.

If I had to pick a favorite from Friday’s event, it would be the Junior Z, a rare limited production car which shares most of its mechanicals with Alfas produced around the same time (1970). The one at the show was equipped with the same 1300 engine as in my Junior. The greatest difference, of course, is the sleek and compact Zagato body. According to my copy of The Illustrated Alfa Romeo Buyer’s Guide, only 1,108 Junior Zs with the 1300 engine were built. (In 1972 the engine was upgraded to the 1600 version, but only 402 of those were churned out.) It was a thrill to see it up close and personal!

The Alfa Club plans to return to the Somerville Cruise Night in late August.

A third-series Spider (S3) from the late ’80s

We can’t stop talking Alfas. Note the parking sign.

The modern Giulias share their grille design with all Alfas

The Ferrari-derived V6 as used in the Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio models

THE JUNIOR Z:

Somerville, NJ Cruise Night, July 15, 2022

July 17, 2022 RichardReina Cruise nights, Events Alfonso's Somerville NJ, Somerville NJ Cruise Night

This past Friday, July 15, 2022, I attended the Somerville, NJ Cruise Night, held on Main St. It’s been a few years since I’ve attended. In fact, I’m fairly certain that the Cruise Nights were completely cancelled during 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid shutdown. If my own blog is to be believed, I’ve not been in attendance since 2016!

It was good to be back. Both sides of Main St. were lined with a nice variety of special-interest cars. The sidewalks weren’t too crowded, and the warm summer New Jersey air, to my great relief, lacked the usual humidity. I strolled up and down the blocks several times, after which my wife drove into town so that we could share a pizza at the well-regarded Alfonso’s. By the time we were done, it was getting dark and having seen what I was there to see, we headed home.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the town of Somerville was at first against the entire Cruise Night idea. But once they saw the crowds and the business these crowds brought to the local establishments, everyone was on board. Perhaps later this summer I’ll swing back and bring one of my own cars to park on Main St.

There were plenty of Corvettes in attendance: I spotted C2, C3, C5, C6, and C7 generations parked along the street. In addition, at least 3 different C8 Vettes were seen cruising up and down the main drag.

Custom hot rods still show up in significant numbers in Somerville

’52-’54 Fords were at one time very popular with rodders

Triumph TR-6 sports cars seem to have survived in large numbers compared to some other ’70s sports cars

When did you last see one of the Franco-American Renaults? This poor Encore needed a jump.

One of the last of the full-size Olds convertibles

DeTomaso Pantera. Drivetrain axle yokes are the size of my skull; they need to be to put that power down.

VW Beetle does duty as pizza delivery vehicle

I thought this pre-war (’39? ’40?) Plymouth was snazzy

The local Alfa dealer had this gold Stelvio on display

A mildly customized ’55 Chevy, not a Bel Air!

A 1968 King Midget. Had a long talk with the owner (Clifford) and we compared notes about what it’s like to own a small quirky car like a King Midget or Isetta.

Alfonso’s is one of the best Italian restaurants in the area. We walked in and were told (this at 7 p.m.) that the wait for an inside table would be 25 minutes, and for an outside table, 40 minutes. Instead, we sat at the bar to eat pizza and drank beer.

The Isetta Saga, Chapter 26: A Return to Form in 2004

August 9, 2020 RichardReina BMW Isetta, Car shows, Cruise nights, Events Greenwich Concours, Somerville NJ Cruise Night

After two consecutive years of successfully showing the Isetta at several shows, two of which involved a lengthy drive to Connecticut, I was ready to take some time off from the circuit. A glance through my photo archives reveals little participation in automotive events of any kind for the years 2002 and 2003. In the autumn of ’03, I purchased the 1968 Mustang California Special, which made me feel like I was cheating on the Isetta. Now I had to divide my attention between two cars, and the Mustang beckoned, not only because it was newer, but also because a trailer was not required. The medium-term plan was to drive the Mustang in an upcoming New England 1000 rally, a task that the Isetta was sadly not up to.

Before I knew it, it was 2004, and three years had passed since showing the little red car at Greenwich in 2001. Concours rules said “a vehicle displayed at Greenwich is eligible for showing every three years”, so I applied and was accepted.

This time, my BMW was correctly placed in the same display circle as the other BMWs. But that was about the only happy element of the event. It was a day of miserable weather, with a steady cool rain which kept spectators away. My wife and I were dressed for the occasion, and worked to make the best of it.

**My wife Margaretanne was a trooper for tolerating the weather**

Parked directly next to my car was a BMW 600 (often incorrectly referred to as an “Isetta 600” –its officially name is “BMW 600 Limousine”). From the front, most people mistake it for an Isetta. It does share its front-hinged door and pivoting steering column with its little brother. Built on a slightly longer wheelbase, the 600 included a 2^nd row of seats, one side door for access to that row, and most importantly, a two-cylinder boxer engine displacing about 600 cc.

**The differences between the 600 (L) and 300 (R) are obvious here**

The 600 is an interesting vehicle in BMW’s history. With the runaway success of the Isetta on a global scale (ultimately, 160,000 units produced, which made it BMW’s largest-volume model to date), company management wanted that success to be a springboard to a larger model, presumably to attract a bigger audience. Unlike the Isetta which was designed by the Italian firm Iso, the BMW 600 was designed in-house. Complaints that the Isetta was too small, underpowered, and lacked passenger room were all addressed in this larger model. Alas, the public did not respond in kind. Produced from 1957 to 1959, only 35,000 units were sold. The silver lining is that the 600 begat the “normal looking” BMW 700, which begat the Neue Klasse cars, and the rest, as several million people before me have said, is history.

**The BMW 600, which some feel is less cute than the 300**

Back to the car at the show: the young woman who piloted the 600 there was not the owner. She claimed that the car was owned by her boss, and he asked her to bring it to the show. Yet she seemed to be well-versed in its history. She had no issue with the idea that she would be driving her boss’s 600 back in the rain!

**She was more than happy to display her boss’s 600**

Awards were announced, and what’s this? No award for the Isetta this year? Hey Bruce, what gives? I was getting used to the accolades. Oh well, I told myself, I’m not here for the trophy, I’m here for the experience.

A few months later, I decided to bring the Isetta to the Somerville (NJ) Cruise Night, held every Friday between Memorial Day and Labor Day (and weather permitting, extended for as long as cars show up). This time, my stepson accompanied me, and assisted with trailer duties and photography. Like many cruise nights, there is no pre-registration, and parking on the street is on a first-come, first-served basis. We parked the trailer several blocks away, and got to drive the Isetta on some local streets through town. Luckily, as soon as I turned onto Main St., the show’s location, a parking spot appeared.

**Stepson John takes first known photo from inside my moving Isetta**

**Just another red car out for a cruise**

**Managing to avoid Dodge Durango while turning onto Main St.**

**Blowby from tractor-trailer threatened to flip Isetta**

It’s one thing to look at the Isetta and say “that thing is small”. It’s another thing to park it adjacent to other vehicles and see how truly tiny it is.

**Isetta’s length matches hood of Torino behind it**

As has been the trend, I spent much of the evening answering what seemed to be the same half-dozen questions:

Is this thing street-legal? (Sure, I drove it here)
How much horsepower does it have? (Thirteen, but a healthy 12-year-old boy on a bicycle can outdrag me)
What the top speed? (50 mph, downhill with a tailwind)
What kind of gas mileage does it get? (60 miles per gallon, so the 3-gallon tank gives me a cruising range of 180 miles)
How many people can you fit in there? (Two, but they really have to like each other)

**The Isetta was proving to be a consistent attraction**

The repetition was encouraging me to shoot back the same zany answers every time. By 9 p.m., it was time to get the Isetta back on the trailer. At least home was only eight miles away.

Later that year, while attending Hershey, I saw a beautiful yellow Isetta at the show. This was the germination of an idea: perhaps I could look into entering my Isetta at a future AACA event….

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Somerville NJ Cruise Night