I've long had an affinity for Alfa Romeo. It goes back to my school days and watching a history of motor racing during the summer holidays. The series introduced me to Alfa and its unique history. Alfa Romeo - the legend of Nuvolari, the first F1 world champion manufacturer. Yet Alfa made cars for the public roads and was, within reason, available to me, just not now.
Years went by, and I learned to drive. I drove cheap/humdrum, new driver wheels. Then the serpent returned and called my name. An old Alfasud 5N was for sale. At that time, Alfa had a poor reputation for quality, yet rust issues had also tainted other manufacturers. What the heck! Take a look. Drive. Feel the difference. The exhaust note, the kart-like handling. Simply wonderful. There was no return from being bitten by the serpent.
From my early twenties to my early forties, Alfas of various shapes, sizes and ages came and went. Alfasud, Alfasud Sprint, 33, 33 Sportwagon, 75, and 155 all graced my garage. My favourite? Whatever I was driving at the time (special mention for the 75, a 2.5l Busso V6 QV). The sad thing is that these days, my only access to Alfa Romeo is through my 1/43rd collection of models, the books I've acquired over the years, and my monthly Auto Italia magazine read.
However, this year, through Nostalgic, I'll get to drive an old Alfa again. In Italy! Perfect. Expect follow-up posts during the trip.
