Occasionally, during my career as an airline pilot there are those opportunities which make the back of the clock flying, noisy hotels and bad weather seem worth the effort. A nice pasta washed down by a vintage Chianti in an out of the way Milanese restaurant. A proper Guinness drafted into a pint glass in exactly 120 seconds in a Dublin pub, or the chance to attend one of the grandest automotive events on the planet, the 76th Salon de l’Auto Geneve.
Now wouldn't it be nice to have one of these on the bike
rack of your new Alfa Spider?
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I recently enjoyed that opportunity on a short layover in Geneva. After a full night's flying across the Atlantic and an all too brief nap I headed to the Geneva Exposition Center to see what the world's best manufacturers had in store. A short 3 Franc bus ride later, on what must be the world's cleanest buses, I arrived at the Center among the throngs of people and falling snow. A mere 19 Francs more and I was in the door, gliding up the escalator to be deposited directly in front of the Pininfarina display.
Worth the trip to Geneva just to see the Fiorano? Yep!
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My primary goal of the day was to see the new Ferrari 599 GTB and Alfa Romeo Spider. To my sheer delight both of these cars stood in front of me on the Pininfarina stand. Europeans being as they are when confronted with such exquisite machinery meant it took more than a little maneuvering to just see, much less photograph, Italy's latest.
The 599 is truly a work of art. Pictures don't do it justice. It is aggressive, but sleek. Flowing, but edgy. Not a contour or line seemed out of place. It is the perfect iteration of Ferrari's all aluminum design. Unlike the eight Nebraska meat packers who won the Powerball lottery, if I were to win, the first thing I would do is get me one of these, and then retire.
I must say the Pininfarina display was so mesmerizing that I didn't even notice initially the expanse of this show. It is huge! I've been to the shows in Detroit, LA and even the NEC in Birmingham, England, and nothing else compares. It's like seeing the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls for the first time. After regaining my senses and being elbowed for the umpteenth time I decided to go and find the Alfa Romeo display.
Half Brera, half cute. No rearward visibility problems with the top down, anyway. Come on over.
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There it was in all it's glory on the main floor, new Alfas! Breras, Spiders, 159s, Sportwagons all in various colors and trim levels. At our esteemed Editor's request I set out to find the answer to the elusive question; when will Alfa return to the US? My French and Italian being nonexistent, I approached a distinguished looking gentleman with a company badge and inquired rather sheepishly if he spoke English. "No, no" he replied, then ushered me over to one of the Alfa Girls who presumably did. Now, if you have never been to a major international auto show you have certainly missed one of the greatest treats known to man, (sorry ladies). The Auto ShowGirls. There are Ferrari Girls, Porsche Girls, Fiat Girls, Lotus Girls and yes even Volkswagen Girls. I could say they somehow distract from viewing the cars, but that would make my nose grow.
Alfa's wheels would also look good on a Bugatti.
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Anyway, Alfa Girl Number 1 spoke very little English which was hard to decipher, although somehow I didn't seem to mind. I proposed the question at hand which led her to lead me over to Alfa Girl Number 2. Number 2 politely asked me to wait one moment while she went to find someone of authority who could possibly answer my question. I was left in the company of Alfa Girls Number 3, 4, 5, 6... you get the idea. In all too short a time a rather important looking man came around presumably to answer my query. I explained I was here from America and that I was an Alfa owner and had purchased many new Alfas in the past. OK two. I asked him the same question to which he replied with the archetypal Italian shrug "maybe two or three years. We have no final plans now." Before I could ask his name he spun on his heels and walked back to the reception bar to cater to the whims of those very special guests. Another thing about these international shows is that all the manufacturers have special recption bars where The Beautiful People gather for drinks and food. Entry into these mini Gardens of Eden is strictly controlled and my guess is unless you have recently graced the cover of GQ or Elle you will not be granted access. No matter, I was here for the cars.
Alfa GT looks a bit thick in the waist.
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Perusing the Alfa display was a treat and also a bit of a reality check. Yes, the cars are beautiful. They are comfortable and have a sporty feel. The new Spider is gorgeous, but therein lies the enigma. The Spider is nothing more than a Brera with the top cut off. It is not a true sports car in the vein of our beloved Spiders. It will not compete with the BMW Z4 or Honda S2000. It is simply a topless coupe, and a rather expensive one at that. Disappointing to one hoping for a true Italian sports car like the Giulietta. In the USA, the land of SUV's with expansive glass, these new Alfas are simply claustrophobic. There is extremely limited visibility out of the rear of every car Alfa makes. While Americans may like the styling and the promise of performance, they will turn their collective backs on these models because of this. The sad realization is that these are the latest and greatest Alfa has to offer, and if they are to return to this side of the Atlantic in the next couple of years these will be what they bring. I fear they would not meet with much success.
A 6c2500, perhaps to show how times have changed.
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A little let down with that thought I shuffled off to see the Lancia, Fiat, Ferrari and numerous other displays. It was quite overwhelming to say the least. It was like coming off thirty days in a lift raft and sitting down to a gourmet buffet. It all looks great, but is somehow too much to take in at one sitting. By the end of the day and running on only about two hours of sleep in the past 30 hours my energy was running out faster than the battery in my digital camera. Copious amounts of Swiss chocolate and cappucino can only take one so far. Reluctantly, I made my way to the exit, stopping briefly to look at the numerous vendors hawking books and die casts. I stepped outside into a glorious sunset where the earlier snow and clouds gave way to a pristine view of the white capped Alps. Now, where did I put that lottery ticket?
A Molinari Speedboat, 1972, with an Alfa engine. Piloted by Michel Barone.
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