RE: Why an Alfa?

["Brian Shorey" <bshorey@domain.elided>]

> 	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?

why did i buy my first one?

i was a young (18 or 19), impressionable kid who had just had his first car
(datsun b210 hatchback!) totaled by someone that ran a red light.  a friend
mentioned that his fathers boss was selling an alfa (an alfa?  i can't
afford one of those..).

well, one ride in a 1969 berlina with ven fonte at the wheel (very fast,
respected driver back then, very fast, respected driver now), and i was
hooked.  i had no idea that *any* car could do the things he made that car
do, and the fact that the car was the ultimate sleeper made things all the
more interesting.  some years prior to that ride, while sitting in my uncles
early 60's caddy, the car neuron got connected in my brain.  during that
ride the alfa romeo neuron got connected.

why did i remain with the marque (the berlina was demolished in two
accidents long ago)?  two people - paul glynn and fred dimatteo.  paul
helped me through all the problems the uninformed tend to experience with
these cars, and fred showed me the passion and enthusiasm that very few
marques inspire.

i think it was jack hagerty that brought up, a while back, that he was
approaching a milestone in which he had owned his gtv for half of his living
years.  well, i've been into alfas for half of my living years, and in a
couple more will have owned my spider for half of my years as well.  the
cars and the people that love them are a major part of my life, as anybody
who has visited my garage can see.

you might ask a third question, or re-phrase your second question, since
alfa ownership among the truly insane is almost always plural - which ones
did you add to your collection, and why...

bs

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End of alfa-digest V7 #956
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