As a dyed-in-the-wool Alfista, it's been interesting to see how many NAM-ers own or have owned an Alfa Romeo. How many of you out there suffer from the Serpent and Cross virus? :smile:

Ciao,

 

I have lusted after them in my heart.


But being an MG keeper, I've never let the passion turn into il passione.

 

The Alfa bug got me earlier this year. I ended up with a 71 GTV. Not too shabby, eh?

I can't really say I have a favorite; but honestly if I did have one it would probably be the 65 356 Porsche that I sold. I super-regret selling that one. But honestly, they are still so different it's hard to pick a favorite. The Alfa is so raw and honest where I feel the Mini is a little more forgiving and civilized.

Cheers!

 

My father has owned more than I can count over the years, currently has 2, plus is restoring a Fiat Abarth, a 750, I think. Not sure what Alfas he has, a convertible from the early to mid eighties, a Spider I guess, and some type of Ivory colored sedan, an Alfetta perhaps?

 

I owned two Alfas: one in Italy (my dad's) Alfa 2000 and here in US a cool black "Graduate". Once I left R.I. however, was a pain to find someone who could fixed it so I ended up in selling in it..
and now I am happy with my 3rd Mini a MCSC "Streghina"

MD STREGA2

 

I was trolling through the archives looking for a thread. How did I miss this one?

Well, once an Alfisti always an Alfisti. I had a type 101 (or was it 102) 1965 Giulia Spider Veloce that everyone loved (although one critic said it reminded him of a Karmann Ghia). Similar to the MINI it was considered "cute" by some and "nifty" by others. I recall the journalistic critique of it at introduction was that Pinin Farina made the front too busy and that the Bertone coupe was a much better resolved design.

Lots of body roll so there was no way to go fast enough to lose it in a turn. But one thing it could do really well was tail-out 360s in both directions. Also, it was too easy to beat the synchros from first to second so I had to double clutch up. And it averaged 20 mpg on premium fuel (1600 cc dohc IL4 w/2 Weber 2 bbls) despite being slower than most sedans.

Eventually servicing became problemmatic. I had several cars then and brought my British cars to one mechanic and my Italian cars to another. The Alfa's motor blew up and I had it redone. It blew up again shortly thereafter and I took it to my British mechanic (a wiz with my Mini) instead who discovered that very poor substitutes had been used in the previous rebuild. I had him fix the engine properly and sold the car. I felt sorry for the Italian mechanic who had told me his back troubled him and he had been hoping to retire. How desperate he must have been.

That little Alfa was very much like the MINI because it was smiley-face fun every time I got into it--even to go to the grocery store in a dowpour.

 

I had a '76 Sprint Veloce, a '79 Mille Miglia Edition Veloce, and an '80 Spider. Wow, what cars. Fun to drive if they started. And the smell of burning oil...

 

Here's another one. I currently have an '86 GTV-6 in storage. It's in need of work and time/money have not allowed it so far. Previously we had two Spiders ('76 & '89) and my all time favorite, an '88 Milano 3.0. That engine was the sweetest bit of automotive engineering I've ever experienced. Rev'd like a Singer sewing machine, and always gave a grin.

Alfa ownership was a love/hate relationship. So many piddly things went wrong that it was hard sometimes to like them, but on the right day on the right road nothing could have been better. A spirited drive through the Adirondack Forest with the top down on the '89 Spider is one the wife and I will always remember.

A_Sr.