September 30 came forth with clear blue skies and 70-degree temperatures. This was important, since this was the day for the running of the 3rd Annual Italian Car Cruise (ICC) in central New York. A positive omen was offered by the Italian gods when, on the drive to the start, in the middle of nowhere, a Ferrari 512 TR went motoring by in the other direction. A very rare sight indeed. Those following me had expected me to turn around and chase him down in my Fiat X1/9 (my 164S was still being worked on), but I knew that my chances were about nil, so I didn’t.

By the cruise’s departure time there had gathered 26 Italian cars, which included a Mangusta, Lambo Jalpa and an Abarth Double Bubble. The participants were as diverse as the cars, and included two AONE members, and others coming from as far as Virginia, Ottawa and Connecticut to take on the challenging 100-mile route, which offered some splendid colored foliage and scenery for the passengers, who had the time to look and see it and read the road graffiti especially painted for the event.

Back on the course after a particularly testing section of the Targa ICC, the group took a break for some good food and socializing at a quaint lakeside inn. Afterward, the group moved on a short distance to the photo-op field, where all of the cars were lined up in their glory (see photo below). An unannounced part of the cruise instituted this year was the Founder’s Choice Award, which consisted of an Italian piston painted with the tri-colors mounted on a wooden base. The gathered were informed that the trophy was aptly named, since the selection was purely arbitrary and subjective, dependent upon whatever moved me at the moment. AONE member Bud Brickman and his beautiful Alfa 1900CS were the recipients. Bud commented on how the tri-color striping of the award matched the striping of his Alfa shirt.