Alfantics articles...
Alfantics articles...
We're one year closer to being able
to buy a new Alfa in the U.S....
One year closer to our cars being classics or antiques...
One year further from any new car being sold with a Spica system...
Have a great year ahead, and look forward to fresh
adventures with your local Alfa Club!
A Lovely Holiday Party - New Officers Elected
The 2002 Holiday Party was graciously hosted by Steve and Suzanne Morrison at
their lovely home in McLean, Va., on Dec. 14. Despite horrific traffic delays
for those heading down from Maryland on 495, and an unfortunate fender bender
suffered by the Kesslers in that mess, the party was well-attended and went
until nearly midnight. While our hosts themselves are "between Alfas"
(having fallen under the Honda/Acura spell), there was a decent assortment of
Spiders, Milanos and 164s to spruce up the neighborhood on a cool, crisp night.
As usual, there was a terrific assortment of fine food prepared by club members,
and beverages were sponsored by Precision Import Service. Former president Beth
Bishop contributed a stunning orchid for a door prize. Initial winner Les Smith
declined, citing his lack of a green thumb, but Josie Grant promised the plant
a good home. Beth's generosity was rewarded since she won a Milano service CD.
Following two years under the leadership of Charlie Drake, who was recently
called up to active National Guard duty, the club elected a new group of officers.
Club Vice President Gene Kessler, who served as acting president since Charlie
was called up in November, announced at the beginning of the nominating process
that he would decline to be nominated. John Kay, a longtime leader in the club,
famous for his annual vineyard tours, hosting of many holiday parties, and steady
balancing of the
Chapter's finances as its long-serving Treasurer, was nominated to be President
and elected by acclamation. Sherry Thackeray, who has served for the past
two years as club
Secretary and organizer of the Backroads Rambles, was elected Vice President.
Bob Kleinfeld, an active member who serves as the executive editor of this newsletter,
was elected secretary. For the time being John Kay will continue as treasurer.
Chapter member's Shirt Design Chosen in National Contest
When not motoring about with husband Travers in their shiny silver Duetto, Colleen
Daniel can be found at her design studio. Her work and her passion for Alfas
came together in a winning
design in the national AROC t-shirt contest. Colleen has extensive and diverse
design, marketing and PR experience with publications and firms in Seattle,
Anchorage and D.C. She
can be reached at her business, cddesign@erols.com. Colleen's shirt design can
be purchased from the www.aroc-usa.org website, under "Merchandise,"
for $16.
Driving Backwards: When Good
Alfas Go West
by Brewster Thackeray, Editor
Something's fishy in the trans-continental migration of Alfa Romeos. It has
long been the case that those of us in the ice-pounded, roads salted Northeast
and Mid-Atlantic watched our cars get eaten alive by demon rust. Buying a vintage
sports car meant having it carefully checked, and often finding evidence of
cosmetic or even structural rust. I watched the first great love of my life,
a 1967 Volvo 122S, begin to rust through for the second time while I was in
college in upstate New York. I couldn't bear to kill the restored beauty so
I sold her to a collector who promised to keep her dry. Later I owned a '67
Mercedes 250 SE, a stunning European imported four-speed, but had to sell it
for part after learning its frame was rusted beyond saving. What a loss. Always,
though, I knew that someday I would hunt down my automotive fantasy: The "rust-free
California classic." Oddly, I never have. My first Graduate was a local
car. Sherry and I have since bought other collectible cars in Pennsylvania,
Ohio, Chicago (twice) and New Jersey. Now we're back with another local Grad,
"Aurora." But when it comes to selling cars, that's where we've met
Californians! This summer we helped Chapter Member John McGough sell his lovely
blue 18,000 mile 1987 Veloce. After advertising it nationally, it was sold to
John Cecil, an AROC member in the Sacramento area. John and his wife flew in
and drove the car home, with no problems beyond failed A/C. About the same time
the Cecils were heading West, we bought a white '91 to replace Aurora. Long
story short, we quickly realized we preferred the older car --especially in
that it was paid in full, while the newer car, with low miles and mint paint,
really wasn't right for the streets of D.C. Deciding to test my own advice (printed
in this newsletter this fall) about buying and selling on e-Bay, we listed it
there, and in a complete reversal of logic, it sold for more than our asking
price. Go figure! The buyer, of course, was a Californian. Joleene Bromley,
a lovely lady whose '79 Spider had survived 160,000 miles, flew in with a friend
and made a Thelma and Louise journey back to San Diego. Like the Cecils before
them, they had no significant problems in more than 3,000 miles.
Sherry and I celebrated the sale, and our recommitment to Aurora, by
buying the little red jalopy a radio on e-Bay, out of a 1995 164Q. The fellow
I bought it from told me he purchased his 230 hp sedan in New Jersey and drove
it home to the Sacramento area. So apparently the world is now upside down and
backwards. Rustbelt cars are heading west to enjoy their middle years free of
corrosive horrors. The good news is that if anyone teases you about how unreliable
and eccentric your Alfa is, you can tell them that properly prepared, these
vehicles will go cross-country with no problem. The bad news is if you want
to buy one you'll have to move fast--or hunt for it in California!
Meet the New Chapter President, John Kay
John A. Kay, who was elected President at this year's Holiday Party and Annual
Meeting, has been a Club member for nearly four decades. He and his wife, Kathleen,
natives of Great Britain, had careers in international finance. John worked
on economic coordination and development connected to the Marshall Plan following
World War II, and then with NATO and other groups in Paris, where the Kays lived
from 1949 to 1958. They then moved to Barbados in the West Indies to work on
the Caribbean Commission. The Kays moved to the U.S. in 1966. John worked for
the International Monetary Fund and Kathleen for the World Bank. It was at this
time they first started driving Alfa Romeos. "I had always wanted an Alfa,"
John says. "I especially liked the look of their engines." An opportunity
arose in 1966, when he acquired a 1963 Giulia Sprint. His daughter later took
that car to college in Portland, Ore. John then bought a 1300 Junior with a
1750 engine. He later owned an
automatic Berlina, which he describes as "erratic." More recently
he returned to a model from his past, purchasing and restoring a 1967 1300 Junior.
Last year he sold that car and his Sterling sedan and purchased a burgundy 164L
automatic. John has been treasurer of the National Capital Chapter for about
a decade. Over the years he has attended a number of national conventions, including
ones in California, Aspen, Lime Rock, Conn., and the one our own Chapter hosted
in the '70s. The Kays plan to attend this year's convention in Florida as well.
In addition to balancing the books for the Club, John annually leads a vineyard
tour. The Kays scout vineyards in advance and then take a group of club members
along the scenic routes that connect Virginia's wine producers. In the cooler
months, they have frequently been the hosts of the Club's Annual Holiday Party.
At the January meeting in Baltimore, and onward from there, John welcomes
Club members' suggestions and ideas to plan an exciting year ahead.
Smithsonian Offers High-End Tour for Italian Car Afficianadoes
Italian cars lovers with fat wallets can take a Smithsonian tour custom-made
for this breed.
Smithsonian study tours has created a 10-day trip that includes Turin, Milan,
Arese (home of the Alfa Romeo factory and stunning Museo Storico museum), Maranello
(think prancing horses!) and Bologna from May 17 through 26 next year. Participants
will visit museums and studios, as well as factories and racetracks, while staying
at top hotels sand sampling Italian cuisine each day. Winston Goodfellow, a
writer and photographer who specializes in Italian cars, will lead the tour.
The cost will be $4,545 per person without airfare, based on double occupancy,
or $5,285 per person including round-trip air from Washington, D.C. For more
information call 877.338.8687 or visit www.smithsonianstudytours.org on the
internet.
Alfa Ads -- For Free! -- at
WWW.AlfaClassifieds.com
by Sherry Thackeray, Vice President
If you are looking to buy or sell
an Alfa, or Alfa parts, there is a remarkable website you should know about.
Launched in March 2001, www.alfaclassifieds.com is the only site of its kind,
catering to both buyers and sellers of the marque -- and incredibly, providing
this service for free!
One can go through a very easy process to register and then can place free ads,
which run for several months. Registration isn't even needed to peruse the ads,
many of which have photos or links to web pages with further information.
Unlike AutoTrader.com and some other good hunting sites, this one is really
all about Alfas (and the occasional Fiat). For the most part, it attracts hobbyists
and enthusiasts. The cars appear to thus be of a higher caliber (with correspondingly
high asking prices in many cases). There are Alfas of every type, for every
budget. Last week, for instance, I found there were 40 164s, priced between
$1,500 and $18,000, 38 Milanos with owners asking $300 to $14,500, and 133 Spiders,
priced from $1,000 to $15,500 (for a 14,000 mile 1994 Collector's Edition).
Then there were a few
rarer things: a 1969 Berlina, a 1979 Sprint, a Junior Zagato, 13 Alfettas, 22
Giulias, six Giuliettas, etc. Oh, and if you have $125,000 lying around, a 1950
6C 2500 that won Best in Show at the 1996 AROC national! There are also "for
sale" and "wanted" ads for parts and publications, and links
to several AROC websites.
Hats off to AROC: Website Features Great Alfa-Centric Items!
The National AROC website, at www.aroc-usa.org,
has a fine, updated selection of merchandise. Check out what you can buy, all
while supporting the Club! There are handsome golf shirts for $35, long sleeve
denim shirts for $39 (both with Alfa Logo and Alfa Romeo Owners Club script),
and hats
for $19. Keep your shirt tucked in with a $39 Alfa emblem leather belt. Perhaps
the coolest club items are two t-shirts that won a national competition. Chuck
Dailey's features a Giulietta roadster and various Alfa badges, and is printed
on both sides ($19). Local Chapter member Colleen Daniels' Quadrifoglio design
(see front page) is $16. Also available: patches, pens, keyfobs, can holders,
license plate frames, and technical manuals.
Alfantics is the official publication of the Capital Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROC). Local membership and a subscription to this newsletter is included in the annual AROC membership fee of $45.
Permission is granted to other AROC Chapter Newsletters to reproduce any original material herein, provided full credit is given to the author and the Capital Chapter. Pictures may be available from the editor in digital format.
Articles, letters and photos should be submitted to the editor, Brewster Thackeray; brewthack@aol.com; 100 Battle St. SE, Vienna, VA 22180.
Authors should be aware that acceptance for publication in Alfantics implicitly grants republication rights to other AROC Chapter newsletters. Alfantics reserves the right to edit or reject any submitted items. Classified ads for Alfa-related items are free to members of $5 for non-members. Commercial rates are available from the Treasurer.
The deadline for classified ads and contributions to the newsletter is the 15th of each month prior to publication. Articles may be sent to the editor by e-mail or on a diskette in a common format.
DISCLAIMER: While it is a service of the Capital Chapter of AROC to disseminate technical information, any techniques or modifications published in Alfantics should be weighed against the conventional or generally accepted practice. The mentioned product, service, or procedure in this newsletter does not constitute an endorsement by this Chapter, its Officers, Alfantics, AROC, or Alfa Romeo, Inc. Alfantics, its editor or contributors assume no liability for the accuracy of any technical information appearing herein.
Standard Disclaimer applies here!
Neither the Capital Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owner's Club nor the web provider
nor the webmaster can take responsibility for the information presented in
these pages. Use common sense in any business dealings and mechanical work.
Talk to jack if
you have comments
last updated: Aug 2001