RE: Why an Alfa?

["Jorge Mazlumian" <jmazl@domain.elided>]

AlfaBill asks the eternal question:
Why do we like Alfas?

<snip>	So my question to all of you Alfa nuts, is twofold, 1) Why did you
buy
it, and 2) why do you keep your Alfa?
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May be it would be easier to list why 'not' to buy an Alfa.  So many
reasons, at least in America where the new ones are 7+ years old...or else
so far away.
So why 'yes'?
When I was a kid I liked the Alfas because of their appearance, they looked
cool (I would translate that today to: they looked sexy.  Oh man! they
looked so good!  But I wasn't old to drive yet.  Only when I was old enough
to buy one I had the chance to drive my first Alfa.  And that was it.  I
knew what I wanted and what I did not want anymore.
When I came to the States 20 odd years ago I thought that Alfas where for
people who looked at Italy as their second home,  had to have an italian
name and perhaps even speak the language.   Then, to my surprise, most of
the alfisti I met where very much 'anglos'.  I didn't understand it.  How
come these people can soak up to what an italian car has to give.  What do
they know about Alfa?  Can they spell it correctly?  Then I started to meet
germans, asians, spanish, you name it, all with the same passion: Alfa the
car.  Nothing less.  So it hadto be something else.  Yes there was that old
Alfa racing tradition, the so called "heritage".  But I don't think it had
much to do with any of that.  It's simply the car, warts and all.  I think
these cars are alive.  They have a soul.  They borrow a little of soul (a
little?) from their owners, and become part of his/her life.
I've seen guys/gals look at their M3's, Vette's, even Ferrari's and
Porsche's, and they just look at their possesions.  Only a vintage car owner
of an immaculate 57 Chevy or an early Mustang might come close.  You look at
your Alfa as your offspring, your best friend.  It's part of you.  You know
its metal and plastic and rubber,  and sometimes you might think it's only
metal, but hey!, you are only human.  Most of the time it's *your* Alfa.
So, why an Alfa you ask?  It certainly is NOT the 4year/100,00 mile waranty.
If you got this far, you can blame AlfaBill, he asked.
Jorge Mazlumian
89 Alfa 75/Milano Q Verdeee

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