It was probably no coincidence that FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) lured the almost 4,000 visitors to Passione Alfa Romeo to the TCS traffic center Betzholz near Hinwil of all places. Because just a few kilometers to the north, the heart of Alfa's motorsport activities has been beating since this year in the form of the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team - albeit with Ferrari engines ...
Impressive parking lot
Even the visitor parking lot offered a lot for the eye. The organizers around Paolone Spalluto, who is also responsible for the Passione Engadina, carefully grouped the arriving vehicles according to age.
Rarities from A for Alfetta to Z for Zagato, such as the Giulietta SZ Coda Tonda from 1961, were parked in the infield, while newer Alfas were allowed to stand next to them within sight. Non-Alfas, no matter how beautiful or old they were, had to stay outside. In this way, the brand's past and present were cleverly brought together.
Rare and not always successful
One interesting example was the Sprint GTC from 1965, which was already rare in itself and also came in the rarely seen color Azzurro Spazio and a car-colored hardtop. An Alfasud from the first series in almost new car condition was much noticed and photographed by the fans.
In addition to the numerous and always popular Giulia, Giulietta, Sprint, GT, Montreal or Spider of all vintages, the fans also enjoyed the less popular and now almost extinct Nissan hybrid Arna or the baroque Sei. Neither of them ever really won the hearts of Alfisti fans. One Alfa man commented: "Even Alfa Romeo is allowed to make mistakes." Fortunately, the Italians almost always got everything right.
Oldies create a racing atmosphere
FCA Heritage also brought historic sports and racing cars to Hinwil, some of which could be seen in action. One of the highlights was the ultra-flat, 330 km/h Tipo 33 TT12 with starting number 1.
Arturo Merzario won the one-make world championship with this car in 1975. The 75-year-old did not miss the opportunity to personally drive his racer around the circuit.
Also impressive were the two 6Cs and the impressive 8C Monza with its fat eight-cylinder roar, which date back to the glorious pre-war era that produced heroes such as Tazio Nuvolari or wild races on public roads that are unthinkable today, such as the Mille Miglia.
There used to be more sound
Another absolute feast for the eyes and ears was the Tipo 33 Stradale from 1967, of which only 18 were built, with a 230 hp two-liter V8 and elegant butterfly doors. Unfortunately, it only drove a short lap. It would have been nice to see more of these gems on the circuit.
But the disappointment was short-lived, as ex-Formula 1 driver Ivan Capelli "stole" the 1750 GTAm from 1970 from the static exhibition. After a noisy and somewhat hesitant warm-up, the mechanical Spica injection decided to join in after all, and Capelli laid down some impressive black marks on the track.
The Formula 1 engine of the Sauber-Ferrari roaring in the background had little chance. Racing cars simply used to sound nastier ...
Not just oldies
Of course, Passione Alfa Romeo was not just about the past. The oldies provided an exciting setting for the presentation of the latest products in the Alfa Romeo range, such as the Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio NRING with 510 hp V6 and all-wheel drive. Only 108 of each will be produced, celebrating the 108th anniversary of the Milanese brand.
The two special versions of the 4C, the Coupé "Competizione" and the Spider "Italia", were also on display. Visitors were also able to get behind the wheel of the Giulia, Stelvio or 4C themselves. The queue for the test drives was correspondingly long. The Passione was definitely a lesson in how to make the most of tradition to sell the current model range.
