By Greg Stidsen
Photos by _________

JUST BACK FROM AN AMAZING WEEK of activities and events at the AROC National Convention. This year, the host chapter was the newly-formed Bonneville Chapter. And boy, did they hit it out of the park! With drives into the mountains and visits to iconic sights in the area, there was plenty of time to enjoy the company of fellow Alfisti.

The Pre-Tour was limited to 60 cars in two groups of 30 driving to Bear Lake one day and Park City the other. Bear Lake was otherworldly with a mineral content in the water that gave it an incredible turquoise hue set against rugged mountains. We were entertained along the way by a cattle drive up the highway, complete with cowboys on horses with chaps, hats, and lassos! The trip to Park City included a visit to Moondance Lodge, an incredible 56-acre spread with a 5,000-square-foot log home owned by AROC Bonneville member Jon Moony and his lovely wife, who hosted all 30 of us with a prosecco bar, gelato bar, and the most incredible mountaintop views.

It was great to meet old friends and make new ones with the most passionate car people in America. Being in the West, it attracted lots of folks from California, Washington, and Oregon, as well as folks from Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Colorado. It was lots of fun to reconnect with Brian & Runxin Shorey and Jim & Cindy Lehman, as well as seeing friends from Connecticut and New York, familiar faces at AONE events Frank & Mary LaSala and Rob Rizzo.

The Tech Sessions were a highlight. Ian Cartabiano, Head of Design for Toyota and Lexus, and also Professor at California College of Design invited several of his students to the Convention where they displayed their Senior Projects to design an Alfa Romeo for the year 2035. He walked us through the process of automotive design. Not only that:

• Keith Martin (Sports Car Market) discussed classic car collecting with a focus on Alfa values.

• Dino Cresentini discussed his GTA restomods and had a car and many of the custom parts he fabricates on display.

• Antony Rimicci talked about the business his Dad started in Southern California, Santo’s Italian Car Seervice.

• Brewster Thackary gave a seminar on how to maximize a Bring a Trailer online sale.

Ant Anstead (of ‘Wheeler Dealer’ fame) flew in from London just to give the keynote speech at the Saturday banquet and regaled us with behind-the-scenes stories from automotive television. He is a convert to Alfa Romeo based on his appreciation of the engineering and mechanical detail present in all Alfas. He pointed out that beyond the style, engineering, and performance of Alfa, these cars also have a soul that is unique among car marques.

Thus concluded a fun and memorable 2026 AROC Convention.