TUNNEL VISION
Tunnels. I was always fascinated with them, since I was very little. I guess every child is. On one side is the world you are in. On the other side, the unknown. Connecting them is this stretch of road, cocooning you and directing you towards the light at the other end. Tunnels are vessels for the imagination, veins that carry your curiosity forward, railways leading to the possible.
Tunnels release us from the predictable, from the grip of the routine. There is a sense of adventure and an inescapable whiff of danger. Your heart beats faster. It needs to, your senses all awaken and all your cells demand just a little bit more energy. Shift into a lower gear and put the twin cam through its paces.
Behind the heart of the scudetto, we feel the mechanical emotion of the Alfa, the spinning cobbs, the rasp of the exhaust. The Cuore Sportivo pulsates with its distinctive charisma as we take every twist and turn in this maze of vaulted brickwork. What was once an industrial marvel has now lost some of its luster, but none of its character. Murals remind us the times we are in, as we become one with the setting, accomplishing our role in the ecosystem by shining light on the lonely walls.
Faced with such a reduction from the rest of the world, the mind adapts to the tunnel. You begin to notice details that you would easily overlook out there, in the wide infinite spaces that lye just beyond the passage’s confines. It’s time to step back and contemplate. Serenity sets in. We are truly in a beautiful place. Tony’s 1750 GT Veloce wears its age with pride. It’s almost as if the designers thought of these cars ageing and chose the best materials to ensure patina will embellish them even further.
As the light calls us back, we promptly answer. Breaking the cover of the shadow, we taste sunshine once again. The invisible barrier has an irresistible charm. That brief moment when we breach it seems suspended in time. Suddenly, the darkness recedes and our eyes open wide to adapt to the welcoming light. Headlights fill with sunlight. An instant ago, everything was framed by the black and just now it is all flooded in white.
Life is back to normal. A spring energy buzzes. Here are the new roads, the new turns we get to take, the bumps we drive around. Our new playground. The frenzy is palpable in the first moves we make in this new reality. It may not be perfect, but that’s just life’s way of inviting us to fill in the gaps ourselves. Whatever the scenery, one thing is always true. There is always joy at the end of the tunnel.
Alfa makes going through any crisis just that much easier. Seeing the shapes, admiring the moves and, most of all, feeling the warmth of the Alfisti community opens the taps to an infinite supply of butterflies, ready to perform their duty and tickle our soft spots. There will always be tunnels. If we lose our playfulness we may be scared of them. But while it is always a good idea to treat danger with the utmost respect, we must never forget our true nature.
It’s people like Tony Serpini that embody the essential spirit of the brand. Serpini, serpent in Italian. Maybe it’s destiny that he fell under the spell of the Biscione. His warmth and optimism is contagious. Speaking with him, you believe all your dreams are just a stone throw away. And then, why not?! The impossibly beautiful lines of the Alfa are, after all, real. That is the solid proof that anything can become reality. Following this Italian heart pulsate passionately through British arteries, you just about notice your spirit singing to a different tune. Talent really makes things look easy.
It takes a while to realise that the heart shaped scudetto is not just a shield, it’s a gateway. It opens up the best in us. Experiencing an Alfa coats us in a thick layer of goodwill. This way, we smile at tunnels. We are ready for whatever lies ahead. And, in fact, we can’t wait for it.
