THIS IS A CLUB EVENT YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS! Fellow AONE members Ven Fonte and his son Nick have invited us to spend the good part of a day among their amazing collection of classic automobiles in Sudbury, MA, on Sunday, November 2nd, between 10:30AM and 3:00PM. We are talking well over twenty cars that are all predominantly Italian, and a huge proportion of those are vintage pre- and early post-war Alfa Romeos!

The Fontes don’t just stare at their cars — that’s not how they were intended. These cars are driven, with enthusiasm. There’s a nice two-part interview prepared by Bonfanti Garage with Ven with some of his cars here: Part 1 and Part 2 (you will see these cars in the flesh). And check out the first photo below showing Nick and Ven at this year’s Alfas at the Glen. (The others in the slide show are photos taken at the Fonte garages.)

Ven Fonte was born in Italy and came to the US in 1965. He was the founder and president of Dynamic Flowform, Inc., a leader in advanced cold metal forming of precision components for military, aerospace, and other applications. But we all know where his true love lies! 

Shortly after immigrating to the US, he purchased his first car, a 1966 Giulia Super. From then on, he always had an Alfa in the garage (Berlina, Alfettas, and a Spider). He was an active member of AONE (and driver instructor), and modified his Spider for autocross. In the late ‘70s, he purchased a GTV and graduated to wheel-to-wheel racing with SCCA. In the late ‘80s, the cars were put on ice while he grew his business, but the fire was relit when Nick, his son, became a teenager with the same passion and continued the tradition of Alfas and racing. For the last 15 years, Ven has been spending his summer months in Italy rallying his pre-war Alfas through the switchbacks of the Dolomites and zig-zagging across his native land, the way these cars were meant to be enjoyed.

Over the past 30 years, Ven and Nick have bought and sold dozens of cars, a journey that has culminated in this remarkable collection of uniquely historic and significant Alfa Romeos. Now, just about all of them are gathered in one place, creating a truly unforgettable sight.

The timing of our visit couldn’t be better: Ven has another residence in Italy where he keeps some of his cars, but four real beauties (the ones in the title photo above) just recently arrived here in the States and we’ll get to take them in!

There’s no real schedule of events for our visit. When we arrive, we’ll be free to wander around the collection at our own pace and take our time ogling the things that interest us (well, that’s most everything). To keep us sustained, there’ll be a food truck (a good one) on the premises where we can grab some food and drink. (There won’t be adult beverages sold, but feel free to bring your own.)

We expect this to be an extremely popular club event, and we may have to limit the number of people who can participate. The event is only for AONE members and their guests — please don’t share this info with non-members or post it on the internet. You must sign up in order to attend by sending an email to webmaster.aone@gmail.com to say that you’re coming and how many people by the end of the day Wednesday, October 29th. We’ll acknowledge your message and reply with the address and directions. (Note that November 2nd is the first day back to Standard Time, so don’t forget to set your clocks back!)

Hearty thanks to Ven and Nick for offering us this opportunity! Hope to see you on November 2nd!