FORZA POLAND 2024
Forza Italia is THE event for the enthusiasts of Italian car culture in Poland. This year, with the official partnership of Alfa Romeo, the newest Junior was showcased for the first time in Poland!
Photo by Piotr Krasinski.
Over 420 cars, each with its unique story, graced the Rozalin Palace near Warsaw on a day that saw both sunshine and rain. Among them, 250 were pure Alfisti, showcasing a diverse range of cars from a stunning 1965 Giulia Sprint Speciale to the newest 100th Anniversary limited edition Giulia Quadrifoglio, a sight that surely intrigued all car enthusiasts.
The format of the event, as usual, had a relaxed picnic vibe for both participants and visitors to enjoy. The Rozalin Palace hosted everybody with a delicious Italian culinary experience and tasty drinks.
Photo by Adam Pekala.
The Forza experience kicked off on Saturday with the Summer Party, a casual social event. Set in the outdoors, with a live cooking station, Italian music, and wine tasting, it was a perfect setting for regulars and newcomers to connect, share their passion, and mingle amidst the arrival of the Italian beauties.
Sunday is the main event. The gates open at 8 a.m., and the first participants arrive even before that! The music begins to play, and participants pour into the Rozalin Palace's beautiful surroundings.
Photo by Adam Pekala.
There were a couple of stars of the show this year. Obviously for the Alfisti, the main point of interest was the Junior. The car rolled off the assembly line just the day before was in the full BEV version, the first electric Alfa Romeo. Discussions and opinions were diverse, controversy did not stop, and the Junior did not leave anybody indifferent, but for sure, everybody knew they were part of something special. This was probably(?) one of the earliest public presentations of Junior this year. Forza Poland!
Photo by Piotr Krasinski.
The owners of classic Alfas did not disappoint either. The eye-catching 1965 Giulia Sprint Speciale was a strong candidate for the Best of Show award. Many 105 series cars with Giulia, GTs and Spiders, the mighty SZ, and some mint and becoming rare 145s and 155s. Other brands were represented strongly as well. The oldest car of the event was a Fiat 1100 from 1958. One of the themes of this year's event was the 110th birthday of Maserati, and Maseratisti did not disappoint either! Khamsin, Mistral, Biturbos, 3200, and Quattroportes, to name a few, were present. Some very unusual entries, like the Casalini Sulky, or Fiat 850t dressed up as a Ferrari service bus, just added to the overall charm of the event.
In the afternoon, during a not-so-serious concurs d’elegance, some of the participants presented the stories of their machines and their passions. Here, we could learn about the Abarth OT1000 replica, which has been worked on for the last 15 years, the Panda 4x4, which served in avalanche rescue in the Alps and was brought down and restored, and the Lancia Flavia Pininfarina Coupe, whose owner just drove 3000km this week to cover a couple of events. The stories were mindblowing!
Our “Best of Show”, awarded unanimously by the Jury, was the rare 1968 Iso Rivolta S4. The car is mostly in original condition and one of only 192 ever produced! Well deserved.
Photo by Adam Pekala.
Forza came to an end quickly, but the stories will resonate for many weeks. The Junior went on to be presented in Polish dealerships, and the crew behind the event is already planning the 2025 edition, stay tuned!
Photo gallery courtesy of Jakub Krogulec & Renata Margula.
