The Classics, Past and Future:

“Misty Mountain Hop” 

By Deb & Dan Donovan
Photos by Dan, Jay & Suzanne Woodruff, and John Rowntree

Some may recall a time when the cars driven, the songs listened to, and even some now long-standing AONE events were not yet considered "classics." However, somewhere along the way, even a '88 Spider, like the Wachusett Mountain run itself, has become a "classic."

The Wachusett Mountain run's history includes leadership passing from its founder, Kevin Murphy, to Gene and Judy Durso, and then to Deb and Dan. Kevin initiated the annual event in October of 2000 as a hillclimb. The initial event included invited guests from the Triumph club and had over 30 cars. This was before renovations to the Auto Road and summit parking took place. Many will recall it being quite interesting getting Alfas together for the ever-important group photo. Unfortunately, we have not been gathering at the top recently, as new DCR fees have been imposed ($5 Mass Residents/$20 for out of state). 

The weather forecast had been sketchy all week — a bit of touch and go. However, our fearless organizers (the Donovans) opted to stick to our original date.

 The "Alfa gods" were kind to us, as we avoided rain and were greeted with a mild mist as we began our tour. The day's weather and route brought to mind the 1971 classic Led Zeppelin tune "Misty Mountain Hop". 

Similar to recent Wachusett runs, this year's route included locations such as passing the mountain, stopping at Petersham Common, and concluding at the Old Mill. However, the itinerary also incorporated new turns. Participants were treated to new route variations through Westminster, Petersham, Princeton, and Hubbardston, and along a designated scenic byway through Barre, Oakham, and Rutland.

"Modern" Alfas (or "future classics") outnumbered vintage Alfas for the first time on any AONE run! Vehicles ranged from a 1967 GTV as the oldest to a 2025 Giulia as the newest.

The day concluded with a fine lunch and camaraderie at the 1761 Old Mill Restaurant. And yes, we did get a group photo (of course) and even managed to group them by “classic” and “future classic.”  Thanks to all who contributed photos and special thanks to John Rowntree for curating them all. 

And thanks to all who attended and made this year's Wachusett Run another success:

Mike & Allison Hollinger - 1967 GTV
Dan & Deb Donovan - 1988 Spider
John & Roberta Rowntree - 1992 164L
Jon Rabin & Katy - 2017 Giulia QV
Tony Vicari - 2017 Giulia
David Shin - 2020 Giulia
Chris Buote - 2020 Giulia
Jay & Suzanne Woodruff - 2025 Giulia