8C-2300 Touring the Rockies 2005

[Alfonse22]

34 8C-2300's all here this weekend in the Hole.

[Alfonse22]

More 8C-2300's

[twoliterlover]

The long blue coupe is an 8c2900 from Seattle. Not all are 8c2300's

[Alfonse22]

Still more of these fine cars...

I have lots more better pics, but file size is too large. Any suggestions for reducing so I can post??

[GTVdrifter]

Wow, thanks for posting these pictures. Do you have any more shots of the #98 car? I would love to report to its mechanic how the trip is going.
-Tom

[turbolarespider]

stunning...

I wish I could be with them.

Eric

[Alfonse22]

Twoliterlover --

I stand corrected. Indeed, all cars are 8C's, but not 2300's. I misheard the guy I was talking to in all the excitement (mostly mine!). I need to learn more about these beautiful cars!

Tom --

I can't post all the better photos I have because the file sizes are too large, even though I used the smallest image size my camera would allow. I will send you a private email with all the #98 photos.

[dretceterini]

Thanks for the photos. It would have been nice if the organizers of this tour had posted something about it here, so more people could actually show up and see the cars. I'm in Salt Lake, but it's still a 350 mile trip each way to Jackson Hole, and difficult to go that far at last minutes notice.

[JoeCab]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dretceterini It would have been nice if the organizers of this tour had posted something about it here, so more people could actually show up and see the cars.

[dretceterini]

I understand, but that is one part of Alfadom "politics" I dislike. Some Alfa owners; especially some that own pre-war cars, have a very elitist attitude.

[Alfonse22]

Stu and Joe --

You are both correct. Although all the owners I encountered were indeed cordial, the elitist air was definitley about them. Identifying myself as a fellow Alfisiti did little to make them more forthcoming. THEY are Alfisti of a dfferent level it seems.

My friend Tom, however, who is much more knowledgable about the older cars, was able to engage a few of these guys with great ease. I think some of them must have collections as I spotted at least three what seemed to be full time mechanics brought along for the occasion.

They picked one of the (supposedly) best, but certainly most expensive, resorts in the area; it is up high and out of the way of the rest of the valley, so more secluded and away from unknowledgable locals.

By the way, as I said earlier, I have a toal of 113 digital photos of these cars. Most are far better than I could download to the site due to file size. Even though I shot in the smallest format, most were bigger than 150 bytes. Does anyone have a recommended way to reduce the file so I can post more of the photos? Thanks.

[JoeCab]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dretceterini Some Alfa owners; especially some that own pre-war cars, have a very elitist attitude.

[dretceterini]

I don't see how allowing the general Alfa public to see the cars causes a problem. I can understand why there is no pre-war register of Alfas that exists, and why the owners wouldn't want their names and addresses known, but I feel keeping special cars from the public, and having events like this for the "select few" is elitist.

[twoliterlover]

A great number of those 8c cars were at Pebble Beach. Some drove from Seattle in caravan. Many, but not all of them were down on the lawn. Simon Moore who wrote both the books on the 8c cars was there from England, so I suspect he is on the tour also (although I never saw his car so it is probably still in England). He and many other long time owners have shared a wild scheme of driving their wonderful eight cylinder Alfa cars flat out across Montana before there was any set speed limit. They may still be heading there. I even got caught up in that dream and when Simon bought out my share in the 8c2900A I started fantasizing about crashing the party in my (actually Tom's now) Montreal because it is an 8 cylinder too. But these owners each have a million or more invested in these cars, and don't have any monetary restrictions so as to make them relate to the problems of us just ordinary Alfisti. I remember seeing a cartoon in Road and Tract once about how it was like right after WWII when everybody who had even a VW would wave at any other foreign car; then when once one purchased a "real" sports car only sports cars would deserve a wave; then through progression to more esteemed marques only a fellow Ferrari; and finally the cartoon showed how some people felt it was terribly lonely having nobody to wave to. The humor was seeing how each level was caught up in its own feeling of self importance in having that car. Ordinary Alfa owners, for the most part, are in love with their cars and not themselves. Without disparaging any owner of a wonderful 8c car (many of whom are as pleasant and joyful about others appreciating their cars as you or I would be), I must comment that what was absolutely the best thing this year about Festivo Italiano (where I did not see a single 8c, by the way) was that every one there clearly was madly in love with every other Alfa car and every other Alfisti. Nobody disparaged anybody else's Alfa. Such an incredibly joyful place. I wore myself out running around in giddy glee. Don't begrudge the elitists such enjoyment as they still might have. It may seem terribly lonely and even a bit tragic in some sense, but some of the guys (and most of them are truly older) have owned lots of other Alfas and can still tell great stories about when they were young and had to hold their old Giulietta together with hose clamps and stuff from the good old Yankee parts houses. It's just that those cars cost so dang much now, and are so hard to get parts for. Some actually do bring mechanics who follow and work on the cars if they so much as leak in some different way. I say different way, because all Alfas suffer from terminal leak (and, I might add, terminal rust). And that is perhaps why we love them. They have a kind of personality. What special joy is there when your car starts if it always starts every time?

[Alfonse22]

Got my photo problem solved, so will be loading more pics today (thanks, Ruedi!!).

twoliterlover -- Great post. Absolutely, these people deserve whatever air of exclusivity their love of these Alfas and their money have brought them. And it certainly doesn't mean they've detached themselves from other Alfisti. It certainly helps to be one yourself and know a little about the cars; I went back up there today and made a few new friends and got nice walk-around of a couple of cars from their owners.

I also have to say this: Alfa people are the best car people in the world. Aside from driving my cars, the best time I had recently was at Potlatch. My first Alfa convention, there just was not enough time to see all the cars, talk to all the people. I learned so much, left feeling somewhat deprived at what I didn't get to learn about all the models that were there. EVERYONE was so open, enthusiastic and willing to share help, opinions, etc., ("what model do you have? did you bring it? lemme see!") it made the whole event the utter joy it was. I learned so much about the Super I needed to know; even got to meet Les Hurlock, who built the car and contunued to admonish me about modifying anything. Young, old, rich, poor, didn't matter. The bond among us is strong and genuine.

BTW - I overheard a conversation describing one of the 8C's as one of three left in the world and valued at $12million. According to the SCM price guide, that would have to be a 2900 short chassis, one of 17 built and carrying the highest Alfa value in the guide at $10million. Anyone know more about this particular car?

I believe they are leaving here tomorrow. Any more info I get I will post. "Running around with giddy glee", indeed! I feel very fortunate to be here for this. What fun!