some thoughts on Concours Italiano

[chris.robyn@xxxxxxxx (Chris Robyn)]

My opinion is only my opinion, but as to whether this year's Concours
Italiano was "worth it," the answer is unquestionably "YES!"

Let's see, first there was the absolute wretched-excess of the roughly 50
Lamborghini Diablo SV's (one owner was the 20-something lottery winner with
the $240,000 Diablo in pearlescent pink!!!).  How about Feruccio
Lamborghini's son (and grandson) with his very passionate personal memoir
of what it was like growing up in Sant'Agata(sp) in the '60s and '70s.  How
about Carroll Shelby AND Stirling Moss on the ramp!!!  And this was all
before the Alfa presentation, which, while certainly memorable, was a bit
of a disappointment as there certainly seemed to be no interest on the part
of Alfa to return to this market anytime soon.  True, there was a 156
present, but no GTV and no Spider.  These would be the cars which would
probably have the best chance of re-kindling the Alfa name here.

This year's Concours Italiano came as close to civil disobedience as is
possible at a car event, with participants filling the stands with cross
and serpent T-shirts and hats and chanting "Bring Alfa Back!...Bring Alfa
Back!" at the close of the Alfa presentation.  When one Guilia owner had
driven onto the ramp and said he had owned the car since new, and that he
and his wife had honeymooned and driven cross country in it some 30 years
ago, the audience erupted in applause, but the comment from Di Capua was a
playful "...but you are not the kind of customer we want."  When MC Keith
Martin, after the new 156 was driven onto the stage, proceeded to calculate
the price of the car from lire into dollars (in the mid-$20k range) and
asked the audience, "how many orders can we take today?" nearly every hand
came up, but Di Capua shrugged ruefully and said "It's not enough."

BTW, I saw Di Capua and his entourage get in the 156 and proceed to drive
out of the concours and onto
"public" roads later that afternoon.  The car had Italian plates.  Don't
know if they actually were en route to a nearby transport truck or if they
really did go out to dinner in it?!

I don't think next year's CI can possibly top this one, but we'll see.

Chris Robyn
Berkeley, CA
84 GTV-6
91 168

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