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Re: alfa-digest V9 #623



How right you are. I was in Italy this past April/May for several weeks, and had the good fortune to be loaned a new Alfa Romeo 147 GTA by the nice folks at the Alfa Division of Fiat. I picked the car up in Rome and immediately drove north on the A1 to Maranello where I had an appointment for a Ferrari factory tour that afternoon. My business at Ferrari allowed me to drive the Electric Blue GTA directly into the gate and to park in front of the visitor's entrance. When I came out, after the tour, there was a small crowd around the Alfa. the next day, I parked across the street from the main Ferrari entrance to eat lunch at the Ristorante Cavallino. Again, when I came out, there were a bunch of young men in suits standing around the car giving it the once-over. As I headed south toward Bologna on the SS9, I stopped in the little town of Castelfranco Emelia to ask directions to the famous Righini Automobile Collection. Being Mayday, and a national holiday, all the males (seemingly) in town were congregated on the main drag, which, just like in small towns all over America, was also the highway. As soon as we stopped, the car was mobbed. They literally wouldn't let us go until we had shown them the engine, and answered all the questions about the car that our halting Italian would allow. Little did I realize that this incident had the set the tone for the entire trip. A few days later, we were at the visitor's center at Mount Etna in Sicily. While we were eating an excellent pasta lunch there, I looked out of the window and there was a huge throng of people around the car. I finished eating, and went out, a crowd was still there. So, I answered questions, showed the engine, let guys sit in it, one couple who was very interested turned out to be British tourists! Everywhere we went it was the same. In Syracuse, in Palermo, back in Rome. Stop the car, cause a crowd to form. On my drive around the famous Targa Florio circuit, people would stand up and follow us with their eyes as we roared through tiny villages. Our last day with the Alfa, we decided to drive out south of Rome to find the "Via Appia Antica" or the ancient Appian Way. We were at a "semiphore" (stoplight) when a police car pulled up beside us and the Carabiniere in the passenger seat started to motion for me to roll down my window. "What have I done?" was my first thought, as visions of languishing in an Italian prison danced trippingly through my head. When my window was down, the two cops started yelling: "Bellissimo! Bella automobili! Congratulatore, congratulatore!" and with that, the Carabiniere rolled up his window and they turned left and were gone. It struck me at that moment, that one could drive a new Ferrari Enzo all across the the USA, and nobody would look at it twice, and most wouldn't notice it at all. Yet in Italy, a production car based on a fairly common model (you see 147's everywhere in Italy) causes mob scenes anyplace one takes it. They KNOW what it is, because they have a passion for cars that few other peoples in the world do, just as you say.

George Graves
'86 GTV-6 3.0S




On Monday, July 7, 2003, at 07:44 AM, alfa-digest wrote:


Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2003 07:25:44 +0100
From: "Martin Dickson" <Martin.Dickson@domain.elided>
Subject: RE: Our Usual Anti-American Tirades

Hang on...!

I'm British and... Well - I was going to construct an argument but decided
that there wasn't one...!

One of the earlier replies to this stream proposed that the different cars and
driving styles evolved from the needs of that particular environment. You
could even drill down a bit and state that different regions (states) have
different automotive requirements and styles. What passes as acceptable
driving in London would earn you a set of bagpipes up the a*** in the quiet,
secluded lanes of Scotland. All true, but with one caveat... passion. I've
driven through Europe on overnighters to get down as far as Northern Italy,
and you KNOW when you've crossed the Italian border. Italians have a passion
for cars that just isn't evident any where else in the world. If you drive
through areas such as Modena or Marenello you are often passed by exotica
driving on the limit, cheered by the old and young alike as they thunder
through small towns and villages. This includes the police, who beam with
satisfaction at the sight of cars being REALLY driven, and not just used on
the commute, or ferrying kids to school. There isn't a division of sex either,
as women in Italy attack the roads with as much brio as the men (and can do
the forearm thing with just as little provocation!)

But that's why we love Alfas... built for people who love cars BY people who
love cars.

BTW in the UK there's a fair amount of ECU chipping going on in the later
Alfas. The chipped 156 JTD (2.4) makes more torque than a Ferrari 360, for
about $500 a chip. I've chipped my 156 TS and although no real horsepower
gain (up to about 164 from stock 155 bhp) much cleaner fuelling and less of a
pronounced power step at 2800 rpm - a problem with all early Twin Spark
engines apparently. The "soft" red line is also now 7500rpm, up 500 rpm. All
in all $350 well spent.

Has anyone tried the Carbon Dynamic intake system on a late Alfa (supposed to
liberate 18-20 hp) ?

I'm working in Malaysia for a few months and have only seen 1 Alfa since I've
been here (sniff), a 146. Lots of Protons though !

Martin Dickson

156 2.0 TS lusso (99)
GTV 2.0 V6 Turbo (LHD 99)
AlfaSud Cloverleaf (83) (now gone....)
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