Deja Blu

[JHertzman@domain.elided]

Ian Evans writes " I noticed the other day on the SO's Milano that at one end 
of the car the badge affixed has a blue cross instead of red.  Same is true 
of the
badge at the rear of the 85 Graduate.  Does this have some significance?"

On 12 Sep 1998 Bill LeClair wrote "Now that the cupholder thread is back how 
about those blue badges on my spider........"

On 1 April 1998 Jack Hagerty had written " Oh, no. Not again!" after 
Christopher Boles, discovering his blue badges, asked "What gives? Is this a 
car that didn't go through the Alfa Romeo assembly process or used to 
designate a special model?"

The pigmentally challenged badges were covered most copiously from mid-July 
1996 through mid-August 1996. Some people (Oh! Ye of Little Faith!) 
maintained with a straight face that it was due to a combination of Milanese 
quality control, fugitive pigments and solar UV, while others attributed it 
to Torinese subversion as part of a master-plan to get all Italian cars 
driven from the wrong end. Still others believe that they were subliminal 
visual clues to a series of unpublicized "Special Edition" Alfas produced 
when the syndicate of vinyl stripe makers were on their frequent work 
stoppages. The whole question is a particularly tricky one for concours 
judges- desirable patina, careless degradation by PO, or badge of special 
desirability? Stay Tuned.

John H.
Rolly, N.C.

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