REAL ALFA 2022

Jun 13

Written By Daniela

When you’re hearing the idiom „Real Alfa“ on media or in conversations, it often regards our beloved brand’s recent product launch, with the complementary question „Is the new Alfa Romeo Tonale a real Alfa?“ It’s a highly discussed matter, I have to admit, and still also a kind of unsolved riddle to most, but we tried to find the answer here.

Today instead, I would like to tell you about a glorious history. The history of more than a century, from a time when cars where brought to us from the former factory in Portello, where nobody would ever have dared to raise the question „Is it a Real Alfa?“. And to honour all models from different epochs, the Registro Italian Alfa Romeo organizes every two years the Real Alfa Concourse and on the premises of Museo Storico Alfa Romeo. And just like for the first edition in 2019, I visited the show again last week to admire the Alfa rarities brought to this special occasion.

Even before entering the small track area at the back of the Museo Storico one already can hear the sound of old petrol engines, rattling and growling noises, but more like music to an alfista’s ears. While approaching, I’m expecting a well mixed amount of vehicles showing Alfa’s history as we all know so well. And here we are, on the left side from the entrance the pre-war „Class A“ cars are lined up. All extraordinary well preserved 6C, which are the Alfas that definitively established the brand both in road production and in major international racing.

Then right in front of me followed by the class B, the 6C Alfa Romeo build between 1934 - ‘50, perhaps firmly set in the collective imagination as the mafia cars of the old Hollywood movies. Class C to the right is presented by the gorgeous Alfa Romeo 1900 sedans, including two race car versions looking fierce in between the elegant lineup. The Class D is distributed evenly in the first curve of the track, a beautiful and colourful selection of Giulietta Sprint and Sprint Veloce built from 1955 - 60.

Heading further down the long straight I can’t stop myself from admiring the elegance of Class E, five examples of Alfa Romeo 2000 and 2600 Spider. Still totally in love with this display, but I’m undoubtedly drawn to some of the most iconic classic Alfas you currently still can get your hands on, some Giulia GTs from 1964 to 1975, representing Class F at Real Alfa 2022. And the icing on the cake: an original 1964 Giulia Sprint GTA in their midst - I’m head over heels excited about this one. Next comes a group of charming little hatchbacks from 1975 to 1983, the Alfasuds representing the class G, followed by the class H, the stars of this year - the Alfetta Berlinas - this year 50 years young.

Looking further into the next curve of the track, I can’t help but just see red. Class I shows a group of red ES-30 SZ and RZ literally glowing in the Italian sun. The occasions where one can see so many of them in one place are surely very rare, so I will treasure that memory of such a sight for sure. Last but not least, the Class J with the Instant Classics starting from the year 2000, revealing a 147 GTA, two 8C, a Spider 3.2 and two 4C to close the lap on the track. Which brings me back to the pre-war cars and a newly arrived Tonale, marking the passage towards Sala Giulia, where the award ceremony will start later.

Ten classes amounting of five to eight cars, each of them unique in its own way, representing the glorious over a century old history of Alfa Romeo. But only the very best could be awarded at the end and the jury took the inspection of each car very seriously, examining the cars inside out. You could see the tension in the owners’ faces, as they took turns in presenting their beloved Alfas to the jury. But to me (and all the other spectators for sure) it is always just a great experience seeing this spectacle outside of the Museo Storico, with up to 90 years old cars still running and speeding down the small track when they were summoned to receive their awards, yet creating a bit of a chaos because no one could understand the instructors commands anymore over the engine sounds, as to whom and where to drive next… But the Italians know how to communicate without words, very clearly!

In the end the highly original 1964 Giulia Sprint GTA won the overall 2022 Real Alfa award as „Best of Show“ and the yellow 2016 Alfa Romeo 4C Carbon Edition won the public award „Instant Classic“.

See you in 2024!

Complete list of winners:

Class 6C 1500 – 6C 1750 – 6C 1900:

1929 Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 Normale of Sergio Muzi;

Class 6C 2300 – 6C 2500:

1939 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Sport of Corrado Lopresto;

1900 Sedan class:

1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 of Antonio Perfetti;

Giulietta Sprint class – Giulietta Sprint Veloce:

1960 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint of Simone Montanari;

2000 and 2600 Spider class:

1964 Alfa Romeo 2600 Spider of Emanuele Morteo;