[johnnym]

Dear all,
I am researching my 2600SZ and would like to find out more details of the Alfa trade stands at the Frankfurt (Sep 65), Paris (Oct 65), London (Oct 65) and Turin (Nov 65) shows.

If anyone has any information regarding which cars Alfa showed, or photographs of the stands, that would be fantastic.

Many thanks,

John

 

[tubut]

John and I have been having e-mail exchanges about 2600 SZ prototypes offline. I agree that it would be an excellent idea to document not just the car shows he mentioned but ALL car shows where Alfa Romeo appeared (no matter whether or not they involve 2600 SZs).

For example, a car show I could not yet positively identify is shown below. These are screen shots from Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski's 1967 movie "Le Départ" which I found via the Internet Movie Car Database. There is a scene at a car show, which I presume to be Bruxelles in 1965 or 1966. One of the things shown is the moving display of the Austin 1300 that splits in half.

Hopefully, somebody can positively identify when and where this scene was filmed.

 

[tubut]

More screenshots:

 

[Zagato_Olaf]

Texts in French and Dutch

Hello Ruedi,

Above the entrance of the building it says ´Entree Ingang´ which are the French and Dutch word for entrance. As Belgium has French and Dutch as the official language, this would be the Brussel motor show. I see a Duetto Spider so that would mean it is 1966 or later.

Ciao, Olaf

 

[evan.wilson]

The frontispiece in my 1983 book, ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA 750 & 101 SERIES GIULIETTAS & GIULIAS; 1954-65, was a stunning overhead image of a Giulietta Sprint Speciale at the 1961 Paris Auto Show, used courtesy of London Art Technical. I reüse the same image in the same position in the revised and updated fourth edition of the book, EVAN WILSON'S GIULIETTA BOOK, available now at Evan Wilson's Giulietta Book by EVAN WILSON'S in History and Evan Wilson's Giulietta Book | Facebook

 

[tubut]

Hello Ruedi,

Above the entrance of the building it says ´Entree Ingang´ which are the French and Dutch word for entrance. As Belgium has French and Dutch as the official language, this would be the Brussel motor show. I see a Duetto Spider so that would mean it is 1966 or later.

Ciao, Olaf

Thanks, Olaf. This is the reason I posted the picture with the exterior shot. However, there is a chance that the outside location was in a different place than the inside shots (it's quite amazing how many movie and TV scenes playing in New York city are actually shot in Vancouver and Toronto). So, I hope somebody can confirm that the inside shots are in a specific hall or venue.

 

[AlfaRonny]

The second picture shows King Boudewijn & Queen Fabiola.(of Belgium)
I think that in the third picture they are also visible.
The fourth picture is definitely the "Heizel"'s inside.

 

[AlfaRonny]

The outside is still the same:

 

[tubut]

The second picture shows King Boudewijn & Queen Fabiola.(of Belgium)
I think that in the third picture they are also visible.
The fourth picture is definitely the "Heizel"'s inside.

Thanks for your input, Ronny.

The pillars on the outside indeed seem to be those of the Palais du Heysel in Brussels. While I found another picture of the split Austin 1100 here (with a French description), I couldn't find any other shots from the inside yet that would allow to confirm the inside shots also came from there or identify what year it was.

As for King Boudewijn & Queen Fabiola, I doubt they were in the movie. The scene at the Alfa booth is that the guy sitting in the Duetto (1st picture) is dead. Paramedics arrive (i.e. two female nurses in white overcoats) with a stretcher and check him out (2nd image), then haul the dead body away (3rd picture). The scene appears to have been filmed during the car show with regular visitors present (rather than being staged with hundreds of paid extras like Ben Hur) which means the film crew and the actors didn't just have to act with each other but also react to the people around them.

 

[AlfaRonny]

I didn't notice the (dead) guy was still sitting in the car.
I just saw the guy standing behind the car and immediately noticed the ressemblance with Boudewijn. (and Fabiola)
Since the scene is from a movie, I also doubt it's them.
I'll see if I can't find more info on 'Le départ'.

 

[AlfaRonny]

The departure (1967)
A fast-paced comedy about a young Belgian car nut and hairdresser's apprentice, his girlfriend, and their legal and illegal attempts to get a Porsche under him for his nearing debut race.
On a french site I found Marc was a hairdresser in Brussels.
Paul Frere seems to have made an appearance in the movie

 

[tubut]

FYI, I made two excerpts of the movie that deal with the car show available as AVI files for download:
The file Skolimowski - Le Départ - Excerpt1.avi is about 74 MB in size and shows the scene at the Alfa booth.
The file Skolimowski - Le Départ - Excerpt2.avi is about 30 MB in size and shows the scenes with the Austin 1100 and the exterior of the building.

 

[AlfaRonny]

Ruedi, I was in Brussels today (was many years ago I went there),
and the entrance is still the same:

I wanted to see the "Grand Prix de Bruxelles" revival.
Was fun to see the cars driving around the "Atomium !!

Ronny

 

[tubut]

Thanks for the pictures (and confirmation), Ronny!

It looks like the event was well worth attending.

 

[AlfaRonny]

Yes Ruedi, it was great to see those old cars driving around.
It wasn't really a circuit, but well worth watching.
On the following link are already some Bugatti pictures.
Bugattis en course: photos d'époque et illustrations uniquement - Histoires du sport automobile FORUM Histoires du sport automobile - FORUM Sport Auto
When I've posted the other one's, I'll give you a sign.
Ronny