But did that deter our community of Italian car fanatics? Well, okay—yes, it did a little. We fully expected to show up, take a picture of a wet, empty field, and go home. But no! Italian cars were arriving, and before we knew it there were 15 Alfas lined up, about 20 Ferraris, and maybe 50 cars altogether. What an intrepid bunch!

So the show must go on, and up went the AONE canopy! Soon, however, it was commandeered to become the official Alfa judging booth. Instead of the judges going around to inspect each car, holding their umbrellas in one hand and clipboards in the other, the cars were driven one-at-a-time beneath the canopy (with tires spinning on the slick infield) to make it a little easier on the judges.

The rain was falling hard and steady, and never really let up. Rain gear and umbrellas were the uniform of the day. (And no, we didn’t sell any AONE umbrellas. Why? Because it was such a torrentially rainy day that everybody there already had umbrellas.)

The day proceeded pretty much as usual, with the judging taking place (under the canopy), wandering between the cars (under our umbrellas), and consuming food and coffee (under tents). An attraction this year was the display of the incredible Ferrari Enzo (under the museum roof). It’s an understated, subtle, unassuming sort of car. (Not.)

Our sympathies go out to Myron Barnett, who took over as head Alfa judge this year and put in a whole lot of work. The rain was not a just reward! Well, he can look forward to next year, when the weather is guaranteed not to be any worse! And kudos go out to Peter Hanson, who drove his beautiful Giulia Spider all the way down from Maine to participate in the event. Finally, our thanks go out to all of the Alfa judges (Jonathan Kirshtein, Steve Silverstein, Arthur Rossi, Andy Kress, and Myron), who steadfastly did their duties despite the wretched conditions. (See the results below.)

In retrospect, the camaraderie of hanging out in the pouring rain with a dedicated bunch of fellow Alfisti was really kinda good. (However, the hot shower and dry clothes upon arriving home were even better…)

—Dave Pratt

As far as the day itself was concerned, it started out wet and became much wetter. Actually, it soaked all of us to the bone. The judges and participants for all of the marques should be congratulated for attending during such miserable conditions.

Peter Hanson, who drove his beautiful Giulia down from Maine that morning during the storm, was a first-time attendee, and was rewarded for his efforts by winning the coveted People’s Choice award. Another notable entry was the Duetto that showed up from Rhode Island—another first-time attendee. It was a very original car (painted its original gray), and one that you wouldn’t expect to see during such adverse weather conditions.

The judges worked hard and, without the AONE canopy, it would have been nearly impossible to judge the event. The highlight of the show probably goes to the intro of the Ferrari Enzo, especially with the weather as it was. It was an unexpected and rare treat to see it, hear it, and watch it drive. The yellow Ferrari Boxer and the 275GTB were also nice, unexpected treats for the eyes and ears.

The Alfas that showed represented a broad spectrum. Our cars included a Giulia Spider, a Duetto Spider, 2000 Spiders, GTV6s, Milanos, and 164s (2- and 4-cam). We made a good showing in spite of the weather.

I have been to other events where the weather hasn’t cooperated, but this was by far the worst. Would I do it again? Absolutely. Looking at the number of pre-registrants, this would have been the largest show to date by a considerable margin. Let’s hope for a better day next year. Our club members showed up and saluted the marque, and I feel honored to be a part of this event.  

—Myron Barnett