The good, the bad and the Super

1967 ALFA ROMEO GIULIA SUPER

The Giulia has been earning her keep. I took her up to Monterey this year for Pebble Beach and did all the usual stops: McCall’s, The Quail, Historics at Laguna, Lemons, and Concorso Italiano. I must say she did wonderfully, didn’t miss a beat. The nice thing too is that, when you drive a classic, they have a tendency to wave you in, with a lot of ‘Please sir, right this way’.

One trick I learned was that parking at Pebble is horrible no matter what time you arrive. I got there at 4am (it was still dark), parked as close as I could and walked down to the field. Here’s the trick: they’re going to tow you, and you must accept this as fact. The car is 50 years old and it’s an Alfa; it’s not like it’s never been towed. But at Pebble it’s a complimentary tow. To a private, secure lot five minutes away. More like a valet service than a punishment.

The Giulia’s other big adventure was the Targa Baja rally in Mexico, for which 32 classics met in San Diego and crossed the border into Tecate for four days of high-speed driving on the best roads in Mexico. From Porsches and BMWs to Alfas, any classic is welcome to enter.

We climbed the mountains and followed the coast, the

federales escorting us through the congested parts so we could parade quickly through the cities. In Tecate we stopped to gather at the main square for a welcome from the mayor and made the news – the locals

waved flags and everyone was friendly. From there we headed up La Rumorosa, a stunning and treacherous drive on a desert mountain road, where it’s not uncommon to see 18-wheelers on their sides. We finished by the water in Ensenada, with a line-up of classics. Very impressive.

On day three, the group headed into the mountains and an altitude of 9000ft – but, as we made our way out of town, the Alfa started backfiring and wouldn’t rev beyond 3500rpm. Oh no. So I pulled off the road and we gathered around the open hood. It was the ignition system. It had failed.

Navigator Nick and myself decided not to hang around Mexico and to flatbed the Alfa back to Los Angeles. All my Alfa stories seem to involve a flatbed.

Back at the shop on the Monday, we swapped the distributor back to Marelli Plex, cranked the ignition, and she was purring like the car I adore. And now it’s time to make a run to the grocery store, because she still has to earn her keep.

‘AS WE MADE OUR WAY OUT OF TOWN, THE ALFA STARTED BACKFIRING AND WOULDN’T REV BEYOND 3500RPM’