Alfantics articles...
Alfantics March 2004 Stories
Giuliett-A-nniversary Will Be Focus of
Regional Italian Car Tour, April 25
Kevin Sims of the Lamborghini Club, the director of
the past several successful Italian
Car Tours, continues to develop this annual event, and has announced
its latest iteration will be Sunday, April 25. When he learned that
2004 is the 50th anniversary of Alfa Romeo's landmark Giulietta models,
Kevin warmly welcomed a suggestion that this year's event feature
Giuliettas and their close descendents, Giulias. All Alfas, of course,
are heartily encouraged to join in the Giuliett-A-nniversary
celebration tour.
In recent years, 20 to 25 Alfa Romeos have taken
part each spring, easily surpassing in numbers the representatives of
other marques. We'll have great variety, with cars from the 1950s
through a mix of Spiders, Alfettas, GTVs, GTV6s, Milanos, 164s, and
with luck, a rarity like Jack Rugh's Montreal or the Davidsons' Sprint
Speciale. It's a treat to mingle with the owners of stunning Ferraris,
Lamborghinis, Maseratis, and other Italian makes, and to share the
roads with them on the tour. While there are other Giulietta/Giulia
events planned this year, including the main one at the AROC Annual
Convention in New Hampshire, two on the California Coast, and a racing
event at VIR on May 1-2 (see below left), the Giuliett-A-nniversary at
the Italian Car Tour will be the only one in the immediate Washington
area, so we hope that a good sampling of these vintage cars from our
chapter will take part.
Cost will be around $40 per person, including a
catered lunch. A website is being posted at: www.allitaliancartour.com,
where there will be a 15% savings for those who register online before
March 31. Kevin will pass us further details as they become available,
hopefully in person at our March meeting. Look for updates and starting
point info in the April newsletter, or contact Kevin, 703/830-4285 or
LamboEast@aol.com, to get the latest and to register.
VIR Giulietta Weekend
The weekend of May 1 - 2, 2004, the Vintage Sports
Car Club of America and the Mid Atlantic Alfa Romeo Club will have a
vintage race/drivers school on the South Course of scenic Virginia
International Raceway in Danville, Va., (www.virclub.com) celebrating
the birth and life of the Giulietta.
All Giuliettas are invited to attend.
For competition cars, the organizers can honor all VMC licenses. If you
have a VSCCA car, you will run in a VSCCA group, all other competition
cars will run in the "selected later cars" group. No slicks, I'm
afraid. If you have a street Sprint or Berlina (sorry, no Spiders
without a roll bar), you can participate in the driver's education
portion of the weekend.
Most of all, this event offers a great weekend destination for those
who would like to come and watch with your street cars. There will be
at least two dozen street and race Giuliettas there, and a couple
Sprint Zagatos as well.
For a modest fee, lunch time "touring" laps will be offered for all
Giuliettas both Saturday and Sunday. There will be a nice dinner at the
track early Saturday evening as well.
For more info, please e-mail Peter Krause, pkrause@virclub.com
March Alfa Club
Meeting in McLean
The Alfa Romeo Owners Club's Capital Chapter meets
at Pulcinella's in McLean on Monday, March 1. Please note that we will
not be in our usual downstairs "cave" but rather in the "former smoking
section" upstairs. Just tell the host you're an Alfa person; they'll
know where to send you! As always, the meeting's at 8:00 p.m., but
folks tend to arrive earlier to chat and order food. Directions on the
back cover.
Groundhog Day Meeting Minutes
By Bob Kleinfeld, Secretary
Braving the cut and thrust of the dreaded
Beltway and I-95 corridor into the wilds of Dundalk, Md., your intrepid
reporter made it to Squires Restaurant for the February chapter meeting
with time to spare. Since none of the other officers were able attend
(John is still on the mend and Sherry had a rescheduled bowling league
event), I gave my Alexander Haig speech ("I'm in charge here") to the
small but enthusiastic group present and the meeting got underway at 8
o'clock.
One of the more noteworthy events in the near future
is the upcoming Italian Car Tour on April 25. In previous years Alfas
from the D.C. chapter have dominated, with 20 to 25 typically making
the tour. This year we expect to again have a great showing of vintage
and newer Alfas. Other participants in previous years have included
about ten Ferraris, several Lamborghinis, a Lancia, a Maserati, a
couple of Fiats, and even Ducati motorcycles. Because 2004
represents the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the Giulietta,
Brewster Thackeray suggested to organizer Kevin Sims that he include a
special focus on these cars, and Kevin heartily agreed. So owners and
lovers of this model are encouraged to take part in the
Guiliett-A-nniversary.
The roughly $40 entry fee includes a catered lunch.
To be included on the event mailing list, and to be eligible for
early-registration discounts, please contact Kevin at LamboEast@aol.com.
Although the date is now past, we were reminded to have our
reservations in for the Spring Backroads Ramble by February 15 because
the inn fills early (a room or two may still be left, or contact the
Thackerays for alternate lodging). Those who have stayed there will
regale you with glowing comments on just what a wonderful place it is.
The event takes place from May 21 to 23.
The Mid-Atlantic chapter is sponsoring a track day
at Virginia International Raceway's South Course, featuring Giuliettas
and Giulias. Their small-scale 50th anniversary celebration takes place
over the weekend of May 1 and 2. They especially want Giuliettas and
Giulias for the event. Organizer Peter Krause expects at least two
dozen street and race-prepared Giuliettas and a couple of Sprint
Zagatos. He's also offering lunch time "touring laps" for all
Giuliettas and Giulias on both days, reason enough to make the drive
there in yours. For more information, contact Peter at
pkrause@virclub.com.
A number of comments were forthcoming on the "new"
Alfa Owner. Several attendees praised the writing and content by Ed
McDonough, while many others felt that the number of really obvious
typos was egregious. The consensus seems to be that it looks better and
actually contains new material, definitely pluses compared to the
recent past. Treasurer Gene Kessler suggested that the change in how
our chapter is listed in the Owner required input from either John Kay
or Sherry Thackeray, and he agreed to send a note to Sherry about
advising the publisher on how to make the changes.
Gene also advised that the annual swap meet at Jerry Stahlman's in
York, Pa. would indeed take place again this year on Father's Day.
Although chapter membership is down to a bit (at just over 200) from
the "glory days" of yore, our finances are solid. (National membership
is about 4,000.) But we would benefit from a membership drive, to which
end
Gene plans to place posters and membership
application forms advertising the club in all advertisers' shops. Gene
also suggested that we approach non-affiliated members in our area to
have them affiliate with our chapter so that we can benefit from the
sharing of a portion of their dues to National. Shayna Geller can
provide those names to us.
Among the suggestions made were including copies of
Alfantics at the advertisers' shops along with the posters and
application forms, and printing business cards to leave on parked
Alfas' windshields. Gene reminded us that National cannot be successful
unless the chapters are too, and that we need to be proactive and not
reactive.
On another subject, Gene announced that he would
like to run for another term as Director. With so many of the present
directors representing the Florida chapters, we need representation
from other areas of the country for balance.
Our treasury has $1,674, which will be reduced by
the cost of the February newsletter once Gene repays Brewster.
Advertising produces about $800 in revenue every six months and Gene
will soon be invoicing the advertisers to realize this. Gene noted that
a "chapter member" has been paying for the newsletter for some time and
suggested that this should change.
Finally, Gene told us some details of the 2004
convention, sponsored this year by Alfa Owners of New England (AONE)
and taking place in Manchester, NH. The web site is up and running (you
can access it from the AROC site) and looks quite attractive. Frank
Smith observed that the site even includes a complete rundown on the
track and how to drive it.
Registration opens on March 1.
With that, the meeting adjourned.
European Touring,
Half a Century Ago
by John Kay, President
You might find this amusing (though non-Alfa). The
car concerned was a UK Daimler 6-cylinder in-line Century, circa 1952.
We took it to Trinidad, where it promptly came apart, including the
battery falling out from under the back seat.
The preliminary part, which is non-driving, goes as
follows: On the Avenue Georges V in Paris, Bugatti had a large
showroom. But by 1952 there was no Bugatti Co. The Daimler Co. bought
the showroom and decided to have a grand opening. Because the Paris
agent for Daimler was the same as for Jowett, I was invited as the
proud possessor of a Jowett Javelin (flat four, modern body, very
fast). The opening was at the time of the Paris
Motor Show. The Daimler Chief Salesman, I was told, was so terrified of
Lady Docker, wife of the Daimler president, that he had not been seen
for three days.
In any event, I returned from the Daimler party thoroughly impressed
because Daimler had mounted a Cooper "saloon" body on a very large
chassis, decorated the inside with gold lame cloth with gold stars,
placed similar gold stars all over the outside of the car, and dressed
Lady Docker, a real "smasher," in the same material.
Two days later the London press comes out with a
story that Lord Docker is apprehended because he and Lady Docker
(formerly married to the Chairman of Rolls Royce) had taken their yacht
to the Mediterranean, where they had impounded the crew's wages and
salaries and used them for gambling
at Monte Carlo. Big to-do, and Lady Docker's gold lame not even
mentioned!
Nevertheless, the six-cylinder in-line 2.5 liter
with convertible body and Wilson self-change gearbox was a very
desirable car. Having taken a day of vacation to translate for some
U.N. staff who were being persecuted for resisting a U.S. Director
General, we took the train from Paris for the Pyrenees at 8:00 p.m. in
the Daimler Century. By 4 a.m. (no motorways back then) we were in
Bordeaux. There was a ring road. We drove round. No hotels. Back to the
railway station and a sort of hotel nearby. Rather odd looks as we
enter. But a good sleep, except that when we leave, it becomes clear
the place was a brothel.
On to Pau, a delightful town and home of Henri IV,
the Protestant monarch who is supposed to have said "Paris is worth a
mass" (Paris vaut bien une messe in French). Thereafter to a town high
up in the Pyrenees called Sort where it was so hot that everyone in the
restaurant was drinking wine with soda water. The after-lunch road led
to a bridge marked "Cross at your own risk." However, the next river
crossing was 50 miles away, and so we crossed. The gasoline situation
was similar. The gasoline came out of an up-ended 40-gallon drum with
hand pump and "bring your own filter." Luckily we had several chamois
leathers. Soon we were high up on the side of a mountain, on a dirt
road behind a timber truck. Hotter and hotter read the engine
thermometer, until BOIL! Switch off. Run down the hillside. Luckily we
had a canvas bucket. Some water went into the engine, some over the top
(lucky us, no cracks).
In due course we came to the immensely ancient town
of Seo de Urgal, still after 700 years the seat of a bishopric,
although about the size of Poolesville. Luckily, too, it contained an
inn affiliated with the UK AA. We and the car were covered with red
dust from the lumber truck. So we asked for hot water. "Not till 6:00
p.m." "Ah, but AA says..." etc. Our British tags and AA badges won the
day. The owner piled their logs in the furnace and the bath was soon
ready!
The rest of the trip through Andorra back to France
was quite ordinary.
In Memoriam
Steven Schwartz of Bethesda, a longtime Chapter
member, passed away in December at age 51. Steven owned a prized 1962
Giulietta Spider that he drove in the 1999 Italian Car Tour among other
events. He was a veterinarian by trade.
Friends of Steven's may contact the editor for
information on sending condolences to the family. We would welcome any
memories of him from friends that may be shared in the newsletter as
well.
May 21-23 Backroads Ramble to Appomattox
By Sherry and Brewster Thackeray
We headed down to Appomattox, Virginia to spend
Valentine's Day scouting roads for the Backroads Ramble and connecting
with our hosts at Spring Grove Farm B&B. Hey, it's a tough and
dirty job, but someone's got to do it!
The inn is in top shape, as always, and innkeepers
Joe and Emily Sayers look forward to their third visit from the Alfa
club May 21-23. Most weekends of their spring and summer seasons are
filled with weddings, so we provide something a bit different!
The inn is almost sold out, with 10 of 12 rooms
spoken for. We have seven Alfas, one Miata, one Saab and one Ferrari on
the tour so far. The inn could not guarantee the two remaining rooms
beyond Feb. 22, but if you remain interested in staying there, please
contact us right away and we'll try to assist (TwoThacks@aol.com;
703/807-0798). For inn details, visit www.springgrovefarm.com.
A few people expressed interest but were not able to
commit three months in advance due to possible scheduling conflicts. We
will be glad to work with anyone in such a situation to try to find you
a room nearby if you decide to join in later. Dinner on Saturday night,
and likely breakfast both days, could be expanded to serve those
staying nearby, or the ambitious who might choose to head down Saturday
or Sunday just for a day trip (Appomattox is about three hours south of
the Washington beltway).
This year the trip will be a double-overnight trip.
Participants are encouraged to come on down after work Friday, though a
couple will join in Saturday morning. The extended trip will allow for
much more relaxation, socializing, and exploration of the historic and
beautiful Appomattox area.
During our Valentine's Day scouting expedition, we
visited Red Hill, the restored home of Patrick Henry, and Thomas
Jefferson's getaway cottage.
Both are interesting historic sites, reflecting the
importance of this region in the birth of the nation. Red Hill has
offered us a customized tour if we choose to visit there.
We attempted to visit a couple of vineyards as well,
since these are often scenic and interesting diversions. Good thing we
checked on Rose Bower Winery--it ain't there any more! Stonewall
Vineyard, however, is very close to Spring Grove, and Horton, on the
way home from Appomattox, is our favorite for their wide selection and
low prices.
AROC Annual Convention Plans:
Off to New Hampshire!
Get your motor running; Head out on the
highway; Drive up to New Hampshire; Manchester way. July 27 to August
1, 2004, Alfa owners from around the nation will gather in Manchester,
N.H. for this year's National Convention. This is not just any
convention -- it will also be the "Giulietta Giubelee," celebrating the
50th anniversary of the 1954 introduction of the model that would
revolutionize the Alfa marque.
This year's event is hosted by the Alfa Owners of
New England. Manchester is about 480 miles, or eight hours, from
Washington, D.C. That means this will be one of the closest conventions
for our chapter. Since 2005 will be in Washington State, this year is
especially not to be missed.
It will also be a marked contrast, in distance and
temperatures, to last year's national convention, which was in Fort
Lauderdale, Fla. over July 4 weekend. A number of our chapter members
made that hike; those who did recall sweating profusely.
The organizers are luring us North with promises of:
* Track time on the road course of the famous New Hampshire.
International Speedway in Loudon, N.H.
* Zig-zagging around a challenging autocross circuit.
* Zipping around the countryside on a tricky Time-Speed-Distance rally.
* Drag racing at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H.
* Ogling lots of great cars, old and new(-ish), at our Alfa-only
concorso.
* Taking an Alfa tour through the beautiful White Mountains of New
Hampshire.
* Participating in the AROC Directors meeting to help set our Club's
direction in the coming years .
* Dining on some fine New England offerings at the Banquet and Luncheon
affairs, plus many other venues.
* Enjoying some family fun, including a Pinewood Derby for the kids and
shopping and sight-seeing junkets for those who don't wear Nomex.
* And hangin' out, kickin' tires, tellin' tales, and otherwise gettin'
down 'n' dirty with a bunch of like-minded Alfa cuckoos.
With this convention so much closer than 2003's, one
could realistically plan a trip around driving up on Wednesday or
Thursday, enjoying the events, and even staying through Sunday's
concours and luncheon, making it home before midnight.
Full information about the Convention and schedules
are posted at: www.giubilee.com. Registration should be available by
March, and will be printed in this newsletter this spring.
Assuming that a good crew will head up from our
chapter, there is potential for convoys North and South!
Upcoming Events
Il Calendario
MARCH MEETING
Monday, March 1
Pulcinella's, McLean, VA
Meeting is 8:00 p.m. but many arrive earlier!
Directions: Pulcinella's, 6582 Old Dominion Blvd., McLean, VA;
703/893-7777
>From the Capital Beltway (495) take exit 44 (formerly Exit 13) to
Georgetown
Pike East. At the light at the top of the hill, take a left and cross
over
the Beltway. Make an immediate right onto Rte. 696b, Balls Hill Rd. At
the
next light take a left onto Rte. 738, Old Dominion Blvd. Pulcinella's
will
be on your left, shortly after going through the next traffic light.
APRIL MEETING
Monday, April 5
Vicino's, Silver Spring, MD
ITALIAN CAR TOUR
Featuring the Giuliett-A-nniversary
Sunday, April 25, 2004
Starting line TBD... VA. Come out to drive some great roads with
Ferraris,
Fiats, Lamborghinis, Maseratis, Lancias... Details Page 1.
GIULIETTAS AT VIR
May 1-2, Danville, VA
See details, Page 1.
SPRING BACKROADS RAMBLE
Friday-Sunday, May 21-23, 2004
Appomattox , VA
For details, see Page 5, and www.springgrovefarm.com. Reservations:
Sherry
or Brewster Thackeray, 703/807-0798; TwoThacks@aol.com.
ANNUAL CONVENTION OF AROC
July 27 to August 1
Manchester, NH
See details on page 6, and at www.giubilee.com
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Enjoy your McAlfa.
CAPITAL CHAPTER
AROC OFFICERS
President: John Kay
7309 Delfield Street
Chevy Chase, MD 20815
301/652-6287
john.a.kay@verizon.net
Vice President: Sherry Thackeray
2117 North Dinwiddie St.
Arlington, VA 22207
703/807-0798
sherrylmcc@aol.com
Secretary: Bob Kleinfeld
1682 Cedar Hollow Way
Reston, VA 20194-1727
AlfaBob@comcast.net
703/437-0899
Treasurer: Eugene Kessler
13212 Cabinwood Drive
Silver Spring, MD 20904
eugenek@concentric.net
301/989-0792
Librarian: Jack Chesley
1707 Crestwood Drive
Alexandria, VA 22302
703/931-5090
jack@jchesley.com
Social Coordinator:
Denny Broud, DennisBroud@aol.com
Technical Assistance:
Les Smith, 540/347-1305
Newsletter Editor:Brewster Thackeray
2117 North Dinwiddie St.
Arlington, VA 22207
703/807-0798
brewthack@aol.com
Executive Editor: Bob Kleinfeld
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
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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.
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if you have comments
last updated: Jan 2003