If you ever found yourself in one of those situations where you were in the right place at the right time, than you will understand my weekend.  I write about electric cars these days, and together with a friend, I decided to investigate a little startup called I-DriveGreen that promotes the idea that we can drive green regardless of what we drive.  As we were driving in, I was surprised to see a Maserati GT, and even more surprised to see the glorious Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione right next to it.  Next to the Alfa was a Lamborghini Gallardo, a Corvette C6 Callaway and a Ferrari 430 Scuderia.  I felt it was a cruel thing to show us these beauties when we were to drive boring old modern, soulless sedans.  Little did I know what fate had in store for me!

I had been talking to the co-founder, JP Libert, and some race drivers the night before. We chatted about cars and of course, my love of Alfa Romeos.  Next morning, before our first run, JP was talking about how we should drive our everyday mules with as much care as we would these exotics.  It was becoming very painful to think about treating these floating sofas as anything but special, but I tried.  He then turned to me, with a certain smile and said something like: “Nick, you like Alfas?  Why don’t you take the 8C for a spin.”  It would be hard to describe what went on inside at that moment.  It was something like a slow dual reaction of disbelief and complete exhilaration.  Take the 8C for a spin?  Did I just snooze and started dreaming or is the automobile God smiling at me?

Off we go to the cars.  Trepidation, impatience, exuberance… does it even convey what I felt?  I don’t think so. It was more of an impossible dream come true.  Walking around the car, you cannot help but get a sense how it is unlike anything else on the road.  Its subtle lines are reminiscent of a glorious Alfa Romeo past, a little retro hint here and there, a touch of the beautiful 33 Stradale, it has all the ingredients to satisfy any worthy aficionado.

Opening the door, it becomes clear this hand-made Alfa does its best to keep its curb weight down with ample use of carbon fiber.  Sitting inside was a pleasant experience.  Much like any Alfa Romeos, everything is where it should be, right at hand’s reach.  The tachometer and other instruments are neatly nestled inside the arms of the steering wheels.  Yes, Alfa thought this one out.  Everything is digital, which takes a little time to comprehend.  The interior is mostly red, but not overwhelming.  The hand sewn leather seats are firm yet comfortable.  They hold you well in place and will accommodate most sizes.  If the outside hints at the past, the inside is resolutely modern.

The engine comes to live with an enthralling roar.  The accelerator pedal is hard but gives you a good sense of how much power you are calling forth.  As I start to move the car, I am surprised to feel how heavy it is at very low speeds.  Once the car picks up speed, it is another story.  It reminds me of a clumsy albatross walking on the ground, but how the same bird glides effortlessly when it takes to the air.  We warmed up the engine for a few minutes on the curvy Sonoma back roads.  The car is easy to drive and makes for a perfect daily driver.  It effortlessly swallows bumps and curves as it reveals the condition of the road.  This is one of the things that impressed me: Alfa Romeo did a splendid job at making the suspension firm enough to relay what was going on on the road but at the same time, it was a pleasant ride that was not tiring. But by the time I had the sense of the car, it was time to see what Alfa had placed under the hood.

With a quick and precise sequential gearbox derived from the Ferrari unit, it is easy to take advantage of the car’s full potential.  The paddle shifts are logically located on the steering column, which makes them easy to find in any position.  In all honesty, I never felt much urge to use the 6th as the engine’s thrilling roars makes you want to stay in third, fourth and sometimes fifth.

Under 3,000 rpm, the 8C is a very well behaved GT cruiser.  In many ways, it is the perfect “wine discovery” GT as it effortlessly cruises up and down, left and right on those tight roads.  But pass the 3,000 rpm mark and it is an entirely different story.  The engine roars alive with a symphony of guttural sounds that begs its locked-up power to be delivered to the street.

At higher speed, the steering becomes a little more firm and gives your forearms a bit of a work out.  The car is razor sharp precise.  Throw it into any turns and it will oblige.  It will stay on course.  Pushing the 8C into its last corner would probably give you a trigger happy end but the car does not seem to be vicious in any way.  A correction from the steering wheel or just letting go of the gas will get it back on track.  The car is obviously well designed and refined.  It feels very balanced, and as I try to send it from one corner to another, it responds positively.  I finally got to see how it felt on open straight roads.  It gave me the impression of being polyvalent, equally at ease on narrow, windy roads or open straightaways.

The 8C is the perfect GT car.  If the Maserati GT is beautiful, I would not want to drive it in sporty mode on such narrow roads.  If the Ferrari 430 is an all-out car, it is a little too obvious and flamboyant.  The 8C is the perfect middle ground between those two.  It is equally happy in traffic and will not let you down if you feel the need to raise your adrenaline level.  With only 200 of them made, and just 75 delivered in the U.S., I feel fortunate to have driven it in these circumstances.  The car delivers exactly what an Alfa Romeo should be like, elegant, very sporty, crisp and sharp, and all around well behaved.

Yes, I still have that smile thinking about it, and to think the GTA is coming out soon…

Nick Zart

As I started talking to the two blokes who owned the later Minis, both were, shall we say, keen, to point out that the cars belonged to their wives, and that they were practical, stylish and easy to drive cars. That said, they were both also very vocal about how much fun the cars were, and how fast you could hustle them along. The driver of the supercharged car was upset that on one particular stretch of the drive his car was 3km/h down on the turbo car. Suffice to say that both of them were having twice as much fun as legally allowed on the open road.

That drive day came to mind on the day that I drove the MiTo Sport. I had chosen to take the Alfa on the same roads we had driven the Minis, partly to try to compare the Alfa to one of its admitted rivals, and partly because it’s a fantastic road which I had not known about previously, and which is reasonably close to Lance Dixon Alfa Romeo who had kindly loaned me the car.

The Mito has a tough market segment in the ‘trendy small premium’ (my words) market. The two obvious competitors are the Mini and the Fiat 500, but there are many other hatches in the price bracket that may not have quite the badge cachet, or obvious ‘style’ of these cars, but which are very accomplished and well regarded cars. I’m thinking Focus XR5, Clio 197, Megane 225, WRX - feel free to make your own list. Of course, those are the hatches that I would shop against the MiTo, but it’s fair to say that the targeted MiTo buyer would possibly not consider those cars, although the official press release does say, “Cool young drivers will relish the choice and excitement that this new model – a real driver’s car – brings. Keen pricing, Alfa’s evocative heritage and the MiTo’s good looks mark it out as a genuine contender within this competitive sector”. A real driver’s car eh? We’ll see about that….

Damon Earwaker at Lance Dixon was kind enough to organise the loan of the car for me at very short notice, and was extremely accommodating and helpful, although he did blanch slightly when I told him how long I would be away with the car. To his credit though, he still gave me the key, and took the time to give me the usual salesman rundown on the car’s features. First impressions are important, and first impressions are good with the MiTo. I will admit that I haven’t been a fan of the looks, going by the images I had seen on that there internet thing, but I’m pleased to report that the Sport model looks pretty darn good in the metal. The wheels are really well suited to the car, the big red Brembo brake callipers look big and red, and just quietly, the car looks sensational in white.

Alfa are making a big deal of the fact that this car needs to impart the feeling of a quality car in a small car size, and the car is suitably equipped to help with this impression, but quality is far more than how many gadgets you can fit into the car. For my mind, quality was very good, but could be better. The door gives a very satisfying thud when you close it, and the fit and finish of the interior is generally excellent, with only a couple of niggly points. The graphics on the display screens look just slightly old-fashioned to me. They’re not garish or annoying, they just look slightly cheap. Speaking of cheap, the sliding cover for the USB slot is particularly nasty, and if it feels flimsy now, how’s it going to be in six months? The USB slot is situated directly in front of the handbrake, and I can imagine quite a few USB drives are going to be snapped off in the slot. And I hated the look and feel of the steering wheel; it’s far too bulky for my tastes, the plastic coloured to look like satin finished aluminium (to match the mirrors and light surrounds) is, well, plasticky, and I actually found my hand getting numb after two hours driving the car – but that just be my strange driving position. Other than that the interior is very nice, and it certainly feels like a well made and expensive car. The optional leather seats look fantastic too, and can be specced for around the cost of two decent Alfa 90s ($2500). There are plenty of gadgets, but I didn’t play with many of them. If you’re interested, your friendly dealer can give you a brochure outlining them all; I was more interested in how the MiTo drives….

The seats in the MiTo are very comfortable, and the driving position pretty standard for a hatchback. Unfortunately the footrest is way too close to the seat, so that my left leg was uncomfortably bent, and I can imagine this being quite annoying on a long drive. More serious was that because there is a big distance between the driver and the windscreen, when going through tight corners the rear view mirror or the A pillar hindered the view through the corner, meaning you have to shift your head slightly to ensure you can see what you need to see. There is also a pretty big blind spot over your left shoulder when looking behind, the C pillar is quite large and you have to really trust your mirrors. The carbon fibre-look trim can reflect quite badly in the windscreen in direct sunlight, but that went away with polarised sunglasses on, which I’m sure we all have for driving, don’t we?

Since I had a 30 minute drive through suburbia to get to my chosen drive route anyway, I figured I’d leave the DNA system in Normal. DNA is a three position switch which alters throttle response and the set-up of the steering through three different modes; Dynamic, Normal, and All-Weather. In Dynamic mode the throttle response is quicker, the steering is sharper and the handling more direct, and most tests of the car I’ve read have criticised the system as a gimmick and that Dynamic is the only mode you need.

In Normal mode and in city driving, it’s a very nice car to be in. The ride is pretty good, there is plenty of low and mid range power for getting away from lights and accelerating into gaps, and the steering and gearchange are nice and light, with just enough feel. I have read criticism of the steering, but the only thing I noticed was that at standstill when you move the wheel you can definitely feel an ‘electronic’ resistance to the wheel. I have a Momo Logitech wheel for playing racing games on my PC, and it actually felt very similar to that, and I’ve done a 1.35 lap of Phillip Island with that wheel so it can’t be too bad!

As the roads start to open out a bit I experiment with the DNA system, and sure enough, the car is slightly quicker in Dynamic, and definitely feels more eager and connected to the road. Dynamic mode gives you a few more torques to play with, and they’re welcome, the MiTo feels very strong in the mid range. There is no noticeable turbo lag, and it’s quite surprising how quickly the car can get going in high gears. At 100km/h 5th gear provides strong acceleration, and 4th gear from the same speed moves you along very quickly indeed. It basically feels like a pretty strong 2 litre engine in what is a small car. There is not a lot of point in holding onto the revs through to the red line however, as it gets a bit breathless and thrashy at the top end. Although the redline is at 6500rpm, I was usually changing at about 5500rpm, which is where peak power is anyway.

I found the handling of the MiTo pretty impressive, and was quite pleasantly surprised by the speed it could maintain. The road I was driving was a little greasy, but the car coped extremely well. I was making pretty fast progress, but there was only the occasional hint at the cars limits. Because of the great mid range I was able to take corners a gear higher than I would have normally, but it was still able to give the odd hint of wheelspin powering out of tight corners at 60-70km/h. The electronic diff seems to work very well in these circumstances, even with a little wheelspin it would just maintain its line and power through the corner. And while you can tighten your line slightly with a bit of lift-off coming into a corner, it is only very slight, and you need to be going pretty hard to find these limits. It’s not the most involving drive, but there is just enough there to keep you happy, and on a slippery and unfamiliar road it means you can keep up a decent speed and still have a pretty good margin of safety.

The second half of my ‘handling course’ is downhill, and on the day it was greasy, with leaves and the occasional branch on the road, as well as logging trucks and locals going slowly in either direction. I was genuinely amazed at the speed I could carry in the MiTo. It really does have fantastic grip in these circumstances, meaning you can keep up a good speed through the corners, maintaining momentum for the next straight. Combined with the brakes which are very powerful, the MiTo gives you a lot of confidence in its abilities. So while it may not be as involving as some Alfas of the past, it does give you a slight peek into what is happening underneath you, while maintaining a far higher speed. As an example, I know that if I had been in my 90, or a GTV6, on the same day I would not have been able to keep up with the MiTo. I would have been having fun, arguably more fun, spinning the wheels out of every corner, locking brakes on wet leaves, understeering into the path of trucks etc, but I would have been a long way behind the new car.

And as for comparisons to the Mini? Well I didn’t drive the Mini for as long as I did the Mito, but there a few things of note. The power, and the power delivery of both cars felt remarkably similar, ie very strong mid range, but little to get excited about at the top end, and little point in holding onto too many revs. The Mini was more involving, and had the slight edge in outright cornering speed, and in fun. That said, on a greasy and unfamiliar road the MiTo would be slightly faster, on a dry road the Mini would be quicker if your bravery was up to it. The Mito has a slightly better ride than the Mini, and is generally a more comfortable drive.

So, like the Minis, the MiTo can make for a stylish and practical everyday car, and can be appreciated for its quality and equipment levels. But it can also be slipped into Dynamic mode and be taken out for a pretty satisfying thrash on the weekend. I said to my partner that day that I’d be happy if she had one of these as her everyday car, which I could take for a drive occasionally and still have fun in. “Yes”, she said, “Me too”.

Thanks to Damon Earwaker and Lance Dixon for the loan of the MiTo Sport.

Sheldon McIntosh

I recently had a chance to sample a gasoline-powered 120hp 1.4 T-jet MiTo equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission. When I first drove off in the car I was anything but impressed – it seemed slower than my daily driver 1997 Fiat Brava, 200cc bigger but also heavier. I was expecting it to be much faster and briefly wondered if I mistakenly hadn’t released the hand brake all the way. Once I got the rpms up it picked up a bit but as soon as I hit a roundabout and had to build up speed again I found myself cursing the acceleration.

However, this lack of performance changes thanks to the so called “DNA system” that is already in use on the Fiat-Abarth 500. A little above and left of the gearshift sits a switch that allows the driver to select between three settings: “All Weather”, “Normal” and “Dynamic”. Going from “Normal” to “Dynamic” turns the MiTo into a completely different car – it becomes noticeably faster and more responsive, the steering becomes tighter and the braking becomes more effective; with a simple flip of a switch the car is enjoyable and drives like a proper Alfa. In the aforementioned mode the engine seems to beg you to take the rpms higher and higher as it delivers its full cavalry of 120 horses. Switching modes also makes for tighter steering and more effective braking, making the MiTo a real joy on twisty backcountry roads. Alfa’s active suspension shines on tight corners and the car makes you feel as if you’re in total control of it at any given moment. The ESP (standard on all MiTos) is there to help you out if this feeling turns into an illusion.

It’s not the go-kart that the Mini is but one has to keep in mind it wasn’t designed to be; it was designed with Alfa’s heritage in mind, not Mini’s, and it’s just as enjoyable to drive as its competitor but in a different way, the Mini being a tad more on the sport side and the Alfa being just a little more on the touring side. The downside to this mode is the fuel consumption (around 8 litres/100 kilometres normally) rises. It is worth noting that the MiTo is available with Alfa’s proven JTD common-rail diesel engine for customers concerned with fuel economy.

The “Normal” mode is more for casual around town driving with optimized economy and safety. The steering is looser to aid in parking and tight maneuvers, the suspension is a bit softer to give a more comfortable ride and, as mentioned above, the car is less responsive.

The “All Weather” mode is for driving in adverse weather condition and provides more safety and grip on slippery roads by stepping up the ESP, amongst other features.

It seems Alfa has learned some valuable lessons in ergonomics in the last twenty years and all the controls are logically placed on the dashboard. Keeping true to the car’s overall design theme, the latter looks like a minimized version of the 8C’s dash. I especially appreciate the use of real gauges for the instrument cluster made up of a speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge and temperature gauge all functions that find themselves increasingly replaced by analog units.

The equipment level is average and includes electric windows, ESP and manual air conditioning are standard on all trim levels. The list of options is rather large and can easily add thousands of Euros to the price. Available options include bigger rims (16”s come standard), a sunroof, an automated air conditioning system and some high tech gadgets such as an iPod plug-in and a way to connect your Bluetooth-equipped mobile phone.

An interesting option is the ability to order either a 4-seater or a 5-seater. With the 4-seater the MiTo turns into a 2+2 of sorts, four adults can comfortably fit in the car. The rear seats fold down as a whole in this configuration. In the 5-seater configuration, the rear seats fold down in a 40/60 manner and Alfa claims you can seat five adults back there but you can’t guarantee comfort for the guy who takes the middle seat. Trunk space remains the same in both configurations and is adequate for a car that size, the only problem with it being that the load level is too high and makes loading bulky objects tricky. Rear visibility isn’t fantastic due to the thickness of the C pillars.

Alfa paid attention to the safety of this car and numerous airbags are available, including one designed to protect the driver’s knees in the case of a crash. As a result, the MiTo scored five stars on the Euro NCAP crash test, making it one of the safest cars in its category, and it received a 3.35 out of 4.00 in a new test that determines how well the front seats prevent whiplash.

A downside is that despite the efforts put forth by Alfa, the build quality isn’t up to par yet. For example, the pull-out storage compartment on the left side of the dash was broken and the car only had a few hundred kilometers on it. It does feel much more solid than the Alfas of ten years ago, the effort put into making better-built cars is noticeable.

Starting at 15,000 Euros for a base 78hp 1.4 model without options, the MiTo is a good deal if you can do without a lot of the superfluous options (GPS, leather wrapped gearshift, back up radar, etc). If you want a loaded one, plan on making your wallet considerably lighter.

By Ronan Glon, originally posted on www.ranwhenparked.blogspot.com

North American Debut of Unique Alfa 8C Scheduled for Meadow Brook Concours

A one-of-a-kind 1934 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 (serial no. 2311237) will make its North American Debut at the 30^th Anniversary Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance on August 2, 2009. This exciting performance car is a one-off alloy Boattail Speedster formerly owned by Angela Cherrett− noted authority and author on Alfa 8Cs, and will be presented in unrestored condition.

“We’re thrilled that the owner of this thorough-bred vintage race car has chosen the Meadow Brook Concours as the venue for its North American debut,” said Matthew de Larcinese, Executive Director – Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance. “This addition to the show field is certain to be a crowd pleaser!”

Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 (serial no. 2311237) began life as a factory show car in 1934 before being imported to Britain by London Bentley Dealer Jack Barclay in 1935. The new owner promptly ordered a new two-seat touring body designed and constructed for the race chassis. As was customary at the time, many of these automobiles were supplied to custom coachbuilders such as Pinninfarina, Zagato, Figoni, Castagna and Touring.

It remained in the U.K. where it was raced and then driven until its purchase last year by a noted American collector.

More event info: http://www.meadowbrookconcours.org/

Take a gander at it and right off the bat it’s unmistakably a product of the 1980s. Some say it’s reminiscent of a Jetta: the car is very angular, especially the trunk line which sweeps upwards. This is the kind of car that leaves onlookers with a strong impression either way. It was only available in sedan form though a wagon was prototype that never saw mass production was built. On the outside, the Verde stands out from its 2.5 siblings with specific wheels, fender flares and a subtle spoiler on the trunk.

The driving position resembles something found in a yoga manual- the pedals are offset to the right. The clutch is where the brake normally and so on. On that note, the whole interior is an exercise in Italian ergonomics: the handbrake is U-shaped, the window switches are up above the rearview mirror, there is a tray where the glovebox should be and the actual glovebox is a drawer below the tray, etc. It’s quite odd once you first sit in it but you eventually get used to it and after you spend enough time behind the wheel, some of it may even start to make sense. Some interior differences between the Verde and other models include orange gauges, a 160mph speedometer and comfortable Recaro seats. Instrumentation includes a tach, a temperature gauge, an oil pressure gauge and a fuel gauge.

Fire it up and the exhaust note is your first hint of what’s under the hood. It’s easy to live with everyday: it has ample trunk space and you can fit five adults in the car if you’re willing to sacrifice comfort. It’s unpractical to drive in the snow and tire chains are handy, as are 2nd geaer starts. It’s very respectable performance-wise and road tests of the era suggest the car will do 0-60 in 7.7 seconds with a top speed of 136mph. That’s on par with a 1987 Porsche 944 S (normally aspirated model.) Granted, a Milano will never catch up to a 944 Turbo, but that’s a different story. The Porsche comparison doesn’t stop there- both cars have a transaxle.

This is my first Milano but I had a 1987 Gold (2.5 model) two years ago that I ended up parting out. When I bought the 1987, the owner told me “when you’re about to take a corner, don’t brake, give it some gas.” That’s an exaggeration but the car does handle very well courtesy of a rear-mounted transaxle that provides for near even weight distribution. The rear brakes are mounted inboard (bolted to the transaxle) to reduce unsprung weight. That gives it an edge over competition from the era (BMW E30 and the like) and it’s pure bliss to drive. It’s fun to toss around and the driver is always in control, though it’s forgiving if not. This transaxle setup has some drawbacks: the shift rods are unutterably long and the shifts aren’t as precise as they could be. Since these are now 20+ years old, new bushings in the shifter often do wonders. And, since the engine is in the front but the transmission is in the rear, the driveshaft spins at the same rpm as the engine. It’s kept stable with three driveshaft donuts (guibos in Alfa jargon) but the slightest disruption will offset the balance of it and vibrations will follow.

The steering is hydraulically assisted but it’s not overly assisted. Brakes are powerful enough to stop the car- that is, if your ABS works. The ABS is directly tied to the braking system so if the ABS doesn’t work, you get more than a warning light on the dash: half of your braking power is lost, rendering the car undriveable– guess how I know? Since mostly Verdes came with ABS (some 2.5 Platinums did too), a way to fix a bad ABS that is to convert it to non-ABS using parts from a 2.5 Milano.

Earlier, I wrote that it’s easy to live with every day which will contradict this: I would recommend against using one as a daily driver. Why? Well, for one, fuel economy may be fine now but it won’t be when gas prices go back up– I used to average around 16 miles per gallon in the city. Another setback with V6 Milanos of all types is that they are prima donnas when it comes to maintenance. The timing belt/tensioner/water pump unit needs to be done every 30,000 miles and it’s not a particularly enjoyable task. Servicing the inboard rear brakes isn’t enjoyable either.

Overall, the Milano Verde is a fun car and with such low production figures, I predict it will appreciate in value once it gets out of the typical worth-nothing rut that all cars go through in their lifetime. This may be a bit of a longshot but compare it to the Giulia T.I. of the 1960s- same principle, a sporty version of Alfa’s sedan built in small numbers, look at how much a T.I. is now worth. My advice would be to buy a Milano Verde and keep it as a weekend driver.

When buying one, avoid abused examples as they will most likely be money pits. Be very careful with the timing belt/tensioner unit. If you don’t know when the whole lot was last changed, change it. It’s an interference engine and bent valves are common if the timing belt service isn’t done right or in a timely manner. Other common issues include bad 2nd gear syncro, driveshaft vibration, rust, torn Recaro fabric and electrical gremlins. Milano parts are generally readily available but some Verde-specific parts can be dicey to find, especially ABS parts.

Note: I’ve owned this car for over four years and drove it daily for about two. It has 156,000 on the clock but according to the service records I have for it, the odometer has been replaced twice and I place the actual miles in the 170,000 range.

Originally posted on www.ranwhenparked.blogspot.com

Being the intrepid types, Kathleen and I decided to kill two birds with one stone and spend a little time visiting my exceedingly long-time friend and fellow ex-pat Canuck, Dr. Jon Druhan who resides near Philly, and also attend the Italian Car Show at Head House Square in support of ‘Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer’ on Sunday, 8 June.  We knew that the weather was going to be warm, but nothing could have prepared us for the humidity-laced heat we encountered that weekend!

We left Timonium in our Milano Verde - appropriately named Trogdor the Burninator, and without working A/C at the time - and headed up the back roads towards Philly mid-afternoon on Saturday…windows down and sunroof opened. Stopping first at Russ Baer’s hilltop home, we visited for a while and viewed
his daughter Jenn’s beautiful paintings at her garden party and art sale. Eagerly consuming a couple of refreshingly cold drinks from our gracious hosts, we continued on our way through the pretty and fragrant countryside towards Philadelphia.  What a beautiful drive!  Should you ever have a need to head
North towards the City of Brotherly Love, please consider using Route 1 instead of I-95.  Believe us, you won’t be sorry…and it may not even take any more time.

Arriving just in time for a quick change, Kathleen, Jon and I dined at a nice little Italian Bistro in newly-reborn Havertown, PA.  Lingering for a while over some fine Pinot Noir and a Doppio Espresso, we returned to Jon’s
lovely historic home to spend several hours recounting stories of our mis-spent youth and discussing the talents of various guitar Sensei.  Having first met in the Fifth Grade, Jon recounted to Kathleen how he and I had planned to travel to Los Angeles on our ‘choppers’; where he would be a Brain Surgeon and I, a Clinical
Psychologist.  Our lives and plans changed slightly from those pre-teen dreams, but we are both still very much the same characters we always were.

Rising to a real ’scorcher’ the next morning, we set off towards downtown Philadelphia to participate in the Delaware Valley AROC sponsored Italian Car Show at historic Head House Square.  Now, perhaps it was the heat (what am I saying!? Of course it was the heat!!!), but the turnout was pretty small for this major event.  Nevertheless, some gorgeous cars owned and driven by true Alfisti, Tifosi, Lancisti and whatever you call FIAT lovers made it out to bake their cars and bodies in the noon-day sun.  Additionally, and I have no idea
what you call fans of the Pinin-Farina bodied Cadillac Allantes, but whatever they are called, there were lots of them at the show!

Fortunately, cobblestones don’t melt and are not quite as hot on the shoes as asphalt and - if you stayed in the shade of the Head House Square Farmer’s Market buildings - there was a slight breeze blowing which made being outdoors just tolerable enough for a few minutes in the blast furnace before
ducking into one of the several ale-houses for a quick dose of A/C and a beverage.  Taking
advantage of a cool spot, we had a great brunch at a bar and restaurant called Jon’s, located in the building where Larry Fine - of Three Stooges fame - was born and raised.

Back in the sun-baked square, the small line-up of cars was very impressive! There, we found a rich and diverse array of Italian machinery upon which to feast our eyes.  Some of the rare vehicles included an Alfa Giulietta SZ, an early and unmolested Pantera, a FIAT 850 ‘Bertone’ Coupe, a beautifully maintained FIAT 128 wagon, a very rare, original and un-restored Vignale-bodied Lancia Appia Convertible, a Lamborghini Espada and a bevy of other beautiful Italian ‘macchine’.  The show’s overall winner was an immaculate, blue Lancia
Beta Coupe, which looked as if it was just driven off the showroom floor…hmmmm, seeing as it was a Lancia Beta, maybe it was towed off that showroom floor…but I digress.

The show was cut short because of the heat, and by about 2:45PM, everyone was getting into their cars and headed back to cooler conditions.  Kathleen and I bid my old friend adieu and scurried back to our air-conditioned home via the same twisty and undulating back roads.

Arriving home in time for sunset, we showered, changed and collapsed on the couch under our ceiling fan.  I’m pretty sure I have recovered from my heat-stroke by now, and I had the A/C belt put back on our Verde in short order right after we got home, but I now know that myth about fire and brimstone is real…and it’s in Philly!

- Alex Csank

Beginning with a small group of Alfas and other ‘lesser’ cars gathered at a gas station just to the West of the nation’s capital, our hosts led the way for the long drive out of the city and on towards Lexington.  This particular group of road-trippers included our leaders, David and Susan in their very red, pristine Bertone GTV 2000, Jack and Terry in their newly restored ’69 Berlina, Denny and Trish in Trish’s ’89 Milano Verde and Randy and Josie in their red Series IV Spider.  For a variety of reasons, some of the group used other means of transportation.  Harlan, the Capital Chapter’s President (who apparently changes loyalties as easily as Fangio!) switched into his and Garnet’s patina-plated ’67 Lancia Fulvia Sport Zagato, while Dennis and Beth brought their Porsche Boxster, as their ’71 Spider had decided it didn’t want to play.  Dermott and Lois chose a modern Mercedes sedan because none of their other cars were weather-proof, while Garnet drove her MB convertible solely for the commute, as she had to leave early to return to the city for work on Sunday.  Finally, John and Hillary drove their distinctly Italian Rosso-colored late-model Corvette…John should have known better than to bring a knife to a gunfight!  Making the drive independently from Baltimore, were Bert and Judy in their ’61 Giulietta Spider, and Kathleen and I in her ’82 Spider.  Still later, and sneaking in under cover of darkness in the wee hours on Friday night, Michael appeared in his very clean GTV6.  Eventually settling into our headquarters for the weekend, our group was very well situated in an elegant and historic old Inn called Maple Hall, located conveniently near Interstate 81.

Friday’s first event was a trip to the local Tractor-Supply store, where John Deere fashion is ‘de riguer’.  Following the up-scale shopping trip, folks gathered on the back porch of Maple Hall’s Pond House for a pot-luck wine and cheese welcome party, whetting our appetites for dinner.  After Kathleen completed her comparison test of Alfa Spider bumper heights, we all motored off into historic Lexington past the somber gates of the Virginia Military Institute, where ‘Stonewall’ Jackson taught until the outbreak of the Civil War.  Following our hosts like a platoon of VMI cadets, we stopped for a wonderful dinner at a local Bistro - which was actually called ‘Bistro’ - and some great conversation.

Bright and early the next morning, we all gathered at the Inn for a quick continental breakfast and driver’s meeting, and then set-off on a sunny morning’s jaunt over some spectacular mountain roads.  Playing ‘follow the leader’ in their flawless ’74 GTV, David and Susan led our rag-tag band of merry Alfisti uphill for the first of our mountain look-out stops at the Maury River Overlook.  Coursing quickly several hundred feet below was the clean and clear Maury River.  Some of us regretted that we hadn’t brought our fly-fishing equipment and hip-waders along for the weekend.  Several devilish curves, elevation changes and a few quaint country rest-stops later (there was even a special on night-crawlers!), we attacked another very twisty uphill mountain road, stopping at the summit to take-in the awesome view from the ‘Confederate Breastworks’, located on U.S. 250 atop Shenandoah Mountain where Confederate soldiers constructed a long trench-like fortification to defend the mountain pass.  With the downhill turns having just as much twist as those on the way up, this ride gave our fine Italian machinery and our forearms a chance to exercise doing what they were designed to do.  Settling down slowly into the Shenandoah Valley, we continued our curvy and circuitous route into another historic small-city called Staunton, where we stopped for a delicious lunch at DiScotto’s Restaurant.  Giddy with the excitement of a great morning’s run with Garnet at the wheel, Harlan said: “See?  We were easily able to keep up with your Alfas on those mountain runs with our little 1.3L Lancia…well, when going downhill anyway!”

Located right in the heart of Staunton, DiScottos’ is conveniently located across from a large parking lot, nestled between a classic-car dealership, complete with flamed hot-rod ’40 Ford, Jaguar E-Type Coupe and a fiber-glass TV ‘Batmobile’ shell, a gift-shop, and a great coffee shop which served us some luxurious Lattes.  Just on the other side of the parking lot is a Porsche repair facility, complete with an interesting Indy Race Car from Porsche’s past.  Speaking of the parking lot; our ‘Boy Scout’ – Jack Rugh – who lives by the adage “Be Prepared” searched his trunk full of parts and tools to find Terry’s new fuel filter which he loaned Harlan for a quick parking lot repair.

Getting back underway, our afternoon’s drive was a bit shorter and not quite so challenging, but we really had some great wildlife viewing opportunities!  These included spotting several types of cows, sheep, goats, and even ostriches.  At some point during the afternoon’s maneuvers through a pastoral landscape of dairy and horse farms, the sky began to cloud-over, eventually becoming completely gray.  The Spiders then got a chance to find out how quickly tops can actually go up.  Alas, the afternoon’s rain was but a tease for what was to come on Sunday.  Back at Maple Hall, we ended the afternoon listening to the rain as it drummed its marching tune on the Inn’s tin roof in the lounge and the back porch of the Pond House.  Once again imagining we were stepping back into history, we exchanged tall-tales of our day’s adventures and tried hard to put a dent in the remaining wine and cheese.  Once everyone had showered and changed into evening attire – this was Alfa-style, so that meant that we wore our ‘dressier’ Alfa shirts - we mounted up and followed the trusty red GTV back into historic Lexington to dine on more fine Italian fare at the Tuscany Ristorante.  There, we were served in style…as the chef informed us of his special creations, which included Osso Buco and a delicious Lamb shank stew.  Several hours of great wine, food and terrific conversation with our fellow Alfisti followed.
One of the topics we discussed was the planning of this fabulous weekend and what our chapter should do for an encore next year.  Although we all agreed that the Western Virginia countryside is perfectly-suited for an Alfa Chapter’s Spring-time weekend event, getting there always involves a very long drive.  In fact, for those Alfisti living near Baltimore, the ride to Lexington was over 230 miles!  It was suggested that for next year’s event, the distance traveled to the ‘headquarters’ should be less than about 100 miles.  This should make driving on Saturday and Sunday more enjoyable.  David and Susan graciously offered to investigate the options and present them to the chapter.

Continuing unabated overnight, the rains rinsed the dust from our noble steeds.  On Sunday we awoke to a light drizzle and the departure of some of our members.  Unfortunately, Garnet had work to do back in the city and the ever intrepid Bert and Judy (whose Giulietta hasn’t seen a top in over 31 years!) decided to try and beat the rain home.  Fortunately, Jack and Terry in their watertight Berlina agreed to travel back towards Baltimore with them.  As I understand it, Judy soon found her way into the comfort of the Berlina’s back seat as the clouds began to burst, while Bert continued in his open speedboat…err, I mean Spider as long as he could.  Dropping anchor in Charlestown WV, Bert finally tied-up to a covered dock and left his Giulietta amongst the good company of a ’55 Chevy and some other contemporaries of his ‘Principesa’.  As an aside, Bert and I drove to pick up his Spider the following Tuesday.  After catching two good-sized trout in the floorboards, he fired up the bilge-pump and got his Giulietta back home.

For the rest of us, the rain kept away long enough for some top-down motoring, which included some more great mountain runs, as we squiggled our way via the Blue Ridge Parkway and other rapidly rising, falling, twisting and turning routes - reminding me of a paved snake - towards  the North.  Eventually stopping in a school parking lot near Charlottesville to meet-up with members of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter who were enjoying their annual Spring Wine Tour gave us an opportunity to renew old acquaintances and make a few new ones as well.  MAARC was well-represented and their cars included several Spiders and GTV6s and even a Jeep Grand Wagoneer, which had only slightly better ground clearance than MAARC member Skip Patnode’s ‘off-road’ Duetto.

Departing the Charlottesville area and bidding adieu to our Southern brethren, the skies opened up once again, and just as the rain began to really come down, we arrived at our Brunch stop at a lovely French Bistro called “Pomme” in Gordonsville.  As our final stop for the Giro, it was fitting that it had the feel, flavor and fare of a proper French countryside Bistro.  Because thanks to our hosts, this wonderful weekend wander was highly reminiscent of a road-trip between Northern Italy and France.  I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m already day-dreaming about next year…and this time, Tazio will eat MY dust!

- Alex Csank

Well recently one of our AlfaBB.com site memebers George Kraus did exactly that. George documented and posted many photos of his restoration process. Recently his 1960 Giulietta Spider Veloce won a “First In Class” at the 2008 Forest Grove Concours d’Elegance.

Here is a link to his wonderful thread covering some of the cars transformations.