Stichting Club Alfa Romeo Bezitters

How did I get them? Well, on Sunday about 2:30 I had seen every car and every item there was to see on the lawn and had even overdosed a bit. I wanted to get back to Monterey Historics and had walked back up the hill to where I had to catch the shuttle bus to leave. There I met a fellow who asked me if I had been to the Alfa tent if I was such an Alfa freak. I said I had not even seen the tent although I had seen a sign supposedly directing people to what was called a combined Alfa, Maserati, Ferrari exhibit, and asked him where it was. The sign had been close to where one picked up tickets and brochures just at the edge of the clubhouse. Instead of looking for a tent off to the side somewhere I had hurried from there down onto the greens to see the cars. They were almost intoxicating, and I just plain forgot to bother about looking for any exhibit. I fear that happened to lots of people, and maybe
caused some friction between the Alfa Romeo executives and the concours
bunch. Even though the fellow told me it was a good five minute walk up
that road past the "Spa" I retraced my steps all the way back determined to see it. I had come for that one purpose especially -- to see what kind of Alfa was proposed as the one to be sold in US. I had already seen the prototype out on the putting green above the club house and realized that was not the one intended. Quite a hike later I got to the exhibit -- three tents sitting side by side. The Alfa tent was closed with chains on the door and locked. By talking to the right people at the Maserati tent I was able to feel a bit safe about slipping under the side at the back of the Alfa tent where no one would notice me entereing. After I had carefully examined the machine all alone and realized I had no one to take a picture of me there, or I of it. Then I heard a noise like someone else scratching on the back side. I wondered if it might be a security guard and so I lifted the side for him, ready to explain my presence. But it was a fellow from New Mexico who was with a friend from South California (LA area). They were just getting there because they had burned off the serpentine belt on the LA guy's 164 S on the way up. The idler pulley had siezed. So I held the side up and helped them in. Among the three of us then we examined everything carefully. But I had no camera, and they did. They took photos of each other and of the car and of me. They emailed these to me yesterday. The thing that really bothered me about the Alfa tent being closed was that the Maserati tent was open right next door, and the Ferrari tent was sporadically open and closed. What especially bothered me even more was that the Alfa tent had been closed since Saturday noon. As far as I know we three guys were the only ones who ever got into the tent to see the exhibit on Sunday. However, I met later, at San Jose airport while waiting for the flight to Seattle, an airline pilot from Horizon Air who had been at Pebble Beach since Thursday who had been invited to see that specific exhibit on Friday. That guy even had a beatutiful brochure (I couldn't find any in the tent anywhere) about the car. Don't know why that guy was invited. As far as I could tell he is not associated with marque even to point of owning one of the cars. But Alfa has never been sane in its business or promotion efforts anyway. Maybe he looked like he had lots of money because I suspect getting one of these will take lots. Hope the Alfa People did not get mad and change their "?Minds?" about coming back into selling cars in US because of some picque about where the exhibit got placed. I do believe the Brea coupe was basis for the car -- but a spider. You should look at the official alfa web about that car. I am not sure if it is rear wheel drive, etc. It was definitely interesting, and incorporates many things from the prototype on the putting green which is front engine and rear wheel drive. I gained the impression it was six speed, but I did not dare go sit in it and try it out. I felt like a trespasser and was quite careful. I went back to the guy who had "looked the other way" and thanked him for letting me "find my car keys" as he suggested I needed to do as the reason for being in to see the car. Actually I had told him of my passion and my quest, and he had suggested that as the reason for having to get into the tent. We both felt good about it. The other two guys in there with me came out at the same time with me. I don't think they had any more photos. We tried just to feast on it ourselves and speculate on the price and desireability. We each have a photo of us separately with it and a good shot from front. I am not providing any photos of them. We were not trying to call too much attention to ourselves, and still are trying to stay under the radar. Jay.