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Keith’s Blog: A Clutter of Spiders

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Two weekends ago, there were 10 vintage Alfa Romeo convertibles lined up at a rest stop near the Santiam Pass in Oregon. Cumulatively, they represented over 400 years of driving.

Each year in April, the Alfa Romeo Club of Oregon puts on the “Old Spider Tour” to celebrate Alfa convertibles built prior to 1966. This year was the 46th.

It is also a tribute to club founder Bob McGill and his wife Margaret.

The date more or less coincides with the day Bob bought his first Alfa Romeo, a baby blue 750-series Giulietta Spider Normale from Rambo Motors, the local dealer. That car, under different ownership, is still part of the club here.

Coincidentally, Bob was also my first editor. One of the duties of the club president when I was elected was to write a column for the local newsletter, “AlfaBits.” He was a stern editor, and was unhappy when I wrote about my 250-cc Ducati motorcycle: “This is an Alfa newsletter, remember that please.”

SCM took two Alfa Spiders on the tour. My daughter Alexandra and her husband Ross drove our 1991 S4, and SCMer (and former Berlina owner) Brad Miller was behind the wheel of our 1965 Giulia Spider Veloce. That car hadn’t been driven for more than a few miles since the 2021 SCM 1000. I’ve owned it for 40 years, and it was good to be riding in it again.

To get the cars staged, I drove the S4 to the SCM Batcave, then swapped it for the GSV. While the cars are wildly different in many ways, in a fundamental manner they are both Alfas. There’s a DNA that runs through all Alfas that is unmistakable.

I came away from the tour pleased that I had shared my passion for Alfas with my family, and equally pleased at how competently Brad had driven the GSV. It does love revving up to 5,500 rpm.

Whether a 1965 or a 1991, these both seem like “real” Alfas to me.

Do you agree? 

Alfa spiders old and new
It’s an Alfa smile!
On the road, their natural environment.
With Alex, Ross and our rides. I’m the only one older than the cars.
1991 S4 spider
1965 Giulia Spider Veloce
Alfas Alfas everywhere.
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Keith Martin has been involved with the collector car hobby for more than 30 years. As a writer, publisher, television commentator and enthusiast, he is constantly on the go, meeting collectors and getting involved in their activities throughout the world. He is the founder and publisher of the monthly Sports Car Market, now in its 33rd year. Keith has written for the New York Times, Automobile, AutoWeek, Road & Track and other publications, is an emcee for numerous concours, and had his own show, “What’s My Car Worth,” shown on Velocity. He has received many honors, including the Lee Iacocca Award, the Edward Herrman Award, was inducted into the Concorso Italiano Hall of Fame and more. He is on the boards of directors of The LeMay Museum and Oregon Ballet Theater, and was formerly the chair of the board of the Meguiar's Award.

One Comment

  1. Henry S. Knight, Jr.
    June 6, 2024 at 10:25 am

    I was driving through Tuscany several years and thought I caught a glimpse of a red spirts car in a raised parking area to my left. I turned around and drove into the parking lot. I was presented with a scene of about 27 Ferraris parked arrow nd the perimeter of the lot, awaiting their day-renters to pick them up for a driving tour of Tuscany. The tour company is named Red Travel for anyone who might want to drop a few Grand for a day’s fun. I drooled on the cars for a little while and reluctantly continues on my way.
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