Every year, there’s a fun, laid-back show for owners of Italian cars in the area surrounding Alameda, CA, just south of Oakland, to park their cars on the field and enjoy each other’s company. Each year brings the usual gaggle of Fiat and Alfa spiders, along with various Alfa sedans and some more unusual cars, like an Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Cabriolet, two DeTomaso Mangustas, and even a Fiat 131 sedan. The one thing that’s always surprising is the number of nicer Alfas parked outside the show field. You often overhear people saying they didn’t have the time to wash the car, or that it really needs some paint, but c’mon, people, this is not Pebble Beach! And if someone has a problem with you driving in in your spider that you haven’t washed since March, they can go to a car show that costs $250 instead of $5. Our first example of people who agree with this perspective is below – a red Fiat X1/9 that looks well-used, well-loved, and ready to keep going.
Rusty But Trusty 