Owning a classic car in the winter can be a real challenge. Poor weather conditions mean many vehicles spend the colder months in hibernation, wrapped up against the elements. Here’s how owning an Alfa makes it so much easier to get out and enjoy a crisp winter day.
The downright fanaticism of Alfisti worldwide means you are never too far from others who share the same love of the machine. Of course, Alfa Romeo would balk at the thought of their cars being labelled “machines”. The current slogan epitomises their commitment to producing vehicles with personality: “Without heart we would be mere machines.”
Being an Alfa owner isn’t easy at times. They drink petrol like it’s going out of fashion, the wiring resembles several miles of spaghetti-like mystery and they break down with unerring reliability. But Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson is one of many who understand their allure. He consistently maintains: “You’re not a real petrolhead until you’ve owned an Alfa.”
The Alfa Romeo world of high design, screaming engines and hopeless impracticality attracts a following like no other marque. It is for this reason that an Alfa is the easiest car to own in the winter.
Within a week of thinking it was time to get my 1750 GTV on the road again, I found myself on a two-hour journey to meet a group of Alfa enthusiasts. Through the wonders of social media we had arranged to meet for a pub lunch at The Hunters Inn, Exmoor national park.
I started the journey from Wells, Somerset in convoy with a 2.0 JTS Alfa 156. Despite a 31-year age gap, the cars both originated from the Giugaro design house. Owner Ben Radford said: “I wouldn’t have anything else, the styling is fantastic and the tan leather seats are really classy.” Giorgetto Giugiaro spent years under the tutelage of the great Bertone before forming his own brand. Other notable Giugiaro designs include the Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta, the Lotus Esprit and the Iso grifo.
Despite only owning one, Mr Radford is an Alfa convert for life. He is already dreaming of a 3.2 V6 Brera Prodrive, and believes the badge has a special quality: “You wouldn’t get this kind of meeting with another car make, you get people who are equally as nuts about more recent models, not just classics.”
Although it wasn’t strictly the most direct route, we decided to set off through the majestic Cheddar Gorge. Bertone trumpets sit in place of an airbox on the GTV, and they made nearly as much noise as the exhaust note that bounced around the sheer cliffs surrounding us.
Having passed Bridgewater we followed the mesmerising A39 through Exmoor, skirting along the coast. One of the more scenic stretches of the road is pictured below, (on a much sunnier day) showing just how close it runs to the coastline.
All rights: Greatest Driving Roads http://www.greatestdrivingroads.com/great_roads/A39.html
This map shows the route of the journey, which encompassed two of the top ten driving roads in Britain.
The small group of knowledgeable Alfisti we met with encapsulated a great diversity in both the owners and the Alfa models. The heritage of the brand is what matters to many, and Alfa recognise this. A history of every car they have ever produced is religiously maintained by Centro Documentazione. The record is managed by Marco Fazio, who is known worldwide as the custodian of everything Alfa. If you want to know the exact date your vehicle was produced and the colour it came in, contact Marco.
Our line up consisted of the 1750 alongside a 156, 156 facelift, 166, 147 and a GTV.
Bob Dove, owner of the 2.5 litre V6 166, has a long history of working with Alfas. He is one of the most respected members of the Alfa Romeo community in the UK, with an engineering knowledge based on 40 years in the motorsport industry.
He knows the vast majority of foibles Alfa Romeo have managed to develop, but warns against complacency in the face of vehicles that seem to sit and plot the next ingenious way of being problematic. He said: “When it drops below seven degrees you have to leave the lights of the 166 on; they turn themselves off. If you turn them off they come on and you find your car with a flat battery in the morning.”
Mr Dove admits his involvement with Alfa Romeo impacted on other areas of his life during his early racing days: “My wife and I have been married ten years and we’ve come to the conclusion that the Alfa Romeo method of birth control is the most effective!” He now focuses on the field of historic motorsport and writes for the Alfa Romeo Owners Club Magazine.
It’s not easy to explain the strength of feeling that surrounds Alfa Romeo. They place an emphasis on speed and design over reliability; you can picture Alfa Romeo management sourcing the cheapest, thinnest metal possible so they could spend more on the engine. The company has been on the verge of bankruptcy on numerous occasions due to their over-enthusiasm with motor racing. An Alfa is the best car to own in winter because it is the only car that makes you want to brave the elements for no reason and go for a drive. They manage to consistently produce flawed perfection that is simply impossible to stay away from.
South Wales Classic Car 