VeloceToday.com

The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

This Week, of Interest: Alfa Museum in Jeopardy

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Petition to Save the Alfa Museum at Arese—Do it NOW

If you are already aware of this situation, please click here to sign the petition: www.alfaromeoarese.com

Perhaps you’ve heard some rumors of the fate of the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese, to the effect that Fiat plans to tear down the building and create a different structure—and not a new museum. This would in effect get around the recent government edict to protect the Alfa Museum and the cars in the collection, as the edict did not mention the building itself. The fate of the cars in the Museum, which itself would no longer exist physically, would then be in jeopardy, sold, or moved to Turin rather than remain in their native city.

We had our man in Milan, Roberto Motta, check out the story. He is his report:

Fiat is attempting to change the constraint of the Ministry of Culture for the Protection of the Alfa Romeo Historical Museum and Archives annex. Their apparent goal would be to tear down the building in which the historic Alfas are housed. (Read our article about Saving the Museum)

The ongoing attempt by FIAT is to make a change to the proviso which would allow the sale of some of the jewels now in the Museum in Arese; or provide the ability to sell the whole property and move the remaining cars to Turin. This would mean that a priceless national heritage would be eradicated from its historical context and then dismember what remains, something that already happened to the Lancia cars. This is precisely what most enthusiasts and the city of Milan and Arese do not wish to happen!

To avoid this, the Alfa Romeo Club Milan has created a blog, which is monitored constantly in order to collect the signatures of fans who want to keep the archive and museum at the site of Arese.

Heads UP…

It is vitally important that we all react quickly for at end of January, the Ministry of Culture will check the objections and requests for amendments. Then the Council of Ministers shall issue the decree after examining the reasons of those who have “promoted” the initiative to recognize the interest of national historic structure in Milan. So your signature is needed before that time!

To express your opinion, it is not necessary to subscribe to the blog: just post a comment. The homepage of the blog is www.alfaromeoarese.com There are over 500 signatures so far, but VeloceToday can easily add thousands of more signatures if our readers respond, so please follow the below instructions!

How to sign the petition:

Click on the site, find “commenti” at the lower right side of the grey box. There will be a number before the word commenti indicating the number of comments. Click on that. Scroll down all the way to the end of the comments section to see the comments box. Enter your comment, (make it brief and to the point) and in the box below which says “Comment Come”, select ‘Anonimo’ and hit “Posta Commento.” A screen will come up with a visual id script, enter that and your message will be posted. It may take a minute or two but it will work, and it is important. Remember if send as anonymous (anonimo) you may want to put your name in the text box.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. It’s pretty frustrating to see Alfa Romeo treated like that by what seems like an old vengeance from FIAT when in essence it is the Italian car making that’s in jeopardy. Equally frustrating to have gone to Europe this summer only to be told the museum was closed in August of their anniversary for “modernization”.

    Alfa Romeo has rarely been on its own and more than not been subsidized by the Italian government. With its achievements, partial raison d’etre for giving birth to other car manufacturers and inciting many global players to race, Italy needs to come to term with this part of their heritage. Either spin it off or hopefully FIAT comes to their reason and start prepping Alfa Romeo to return to its former glory.

    Thanks Peter,
    Nick

  2. Letting the Alfa museam disappear would be a terrible incident…we need to protect
    historic motor racing heritage. Letting these cars be dispearsed would tryly be a shame!

  3. I love Alfas. I drove a Duetto for 14 years, but I cannot find out where on the gray box to sign the petition.
    Please help !

  4. We hope all of you who are sending us comments also go through the hoops to get your signature on the alfaromeoarese website. Just carefully follow the instructions–and the grey box is the one in the center of the screenwith both Italian and English text. xxx commenti can be found at the bottom right of this centered box. Some readers have found that it takes two or three attempts but it finally works.

    Ed

  5. Unfortunately it appears the petition website home page (the grey page) does not show the word ‘Commenti’ at the bottom if you use Firefox or a MAC. We have made their webmaster aware of this but it may not yet be corrected. Also, there is no need to fill in a URL when requested, just your name. Your comments will be posted anyway. Let’s overwhelm the Italian Ministry with support for the museum!
    Pete, thanks for spreading the word.
    Oliver

  6. When you get to the page, the grey box does have comments listed. The best way to view them is to drag your mouse over the gray box to highlight the text.
    Having been to the museum, to lose such an iconic symbol of Italian heritage is beyond words or understanding. This is art in its purest form, living and breathing moving art. This move must be totally money driven without care for the cultural aspect of what it means to Milan and the surrounding area. Alfa Romeo is Milan along with all the other great art that the city holds for all to see. It would be like taking down the “Last Supper” and putting it away for no one to see.

  7. I did after some time find the box and added my comments to the list… they purposely made it difficult to find. As the owner of 2 vintage Alfa’s a 2600Z and a JrZ, Fiat 1500 Ghia, and numerous Lancia’s, I find it appalling that Alfa’s collection of its history could be wiped out forever by one stupid corporate blunder… Very short sighted on Fiat’s part. How sad that they do not cherish their history, that so many worked to create. But then that seems to be corporate mentality these days, all over the world not just Italy.

  8. I’ve owned at least one Alfa (currently 2) over the past 40 plus years. I’ve lived with this marque through the good times of the ’60’s and early 70’s as well as the dark days of the past decade. Some of you may call me a heretic but I honestly believe the best thing for Alfa would be for it to be sold to Audi (VW). Look at the Mercedes, Porsche and Audi museums. They are wonderful. The Germans understand the importance of their past and how it relates to their future – ie ur quattro and the new quattro concept- old 356 Speedster and new Speedster. I think Audi would appreciate and build upon the wonderful hertitage of Alfa Romeo- not to mention bring the financial resources for another great decade of Alfa’s. Fiat on the other hand apparently only sees Alfa as an excess expense.

    Dale

  9. very upset about this happening, leav it to FIAT to destroy a little more of Alfa Roméo’ brillant past
    as a former North America Alfa Roméo dealership, Fiat made us close our stores many of us , faithful to the clover leaf for years were abandonned by the Torino MOnster
    it is, a shameful, act of barbary

  10. Serge
    I know what you mean. But you are preaching to the choir. Get that comment into the alfaromeo arese site where it counts!

  12. As an owner of Alfas for many years (several Guiliettas Veloces, 1900c, Duettos, etc and a visitor to the museum (I was the only one in the museum, as it was closed that day). I had the honor of sitting in many of the cars, taking photographs, seeing many of the cars I had only read about. I had one of the most exciting days of my life. Do we wish to let the “Fix It Again, Tony” people take away our heritage?????

    Emphatically, I hope not!!!!!!!!!!!!

  13. shame on fiat .FIAT socks . not leting to grow . they left us on 1994 . stile we drive the old alfas with proud . fiat should sale it to vw
    and alfa will be re borne . to hell with FIIIIAAAAT

  14. Leave this museum untouched in its birth place, it is unthinkable that in Alfa Romeo’s 100th year any Govt or local authority would consider destroying this wonderful history museum.
    Malcolm Ebel
    Club Captain
    AROCA Australia, South Australian Division.

  17. Fiat please do not !!! close the ALFA museum , its history and we need to be able look back on history.Restore it to its former condition with PRIDE AND RESPECT for a great automobile.

  18. Italian or more importantly Milano authorities should stop the disposing of the cars ,another building in Milano maybe but don’t let FIAT stuff it up for future generations. Ken a visitor in 06

  20. I was in Italy last year, and skipped the Alfa museum as it was “closed for restoration”. Did see a beautiful 2900 coupe from the Alfa museum in the Ferrari museum, where most of the Ferrari people were ignoring it. Same thing at the Mille Miglia Museum in Brescia, which had several of the prewar Grand Prix cars. Alfa has a racing heritage most car companies would die for. Why not have the cars together in one place in their home town?

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