Re: alfa-digest V9 #623

[George Graves <gmgraves@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

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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