Isn't it nice when people like your car?

Went to a friend from works house this afternoon for a BBQ. They have a smallish organic farm (bought a couple of steaks and some burgers while we were there).
His wife (who isn't into cars at all) absolutely enthused about the GTA. She loved it, said it looked fantastic, wanted a sit in it - was even impressed at the sound (which isn't something that most people uninterested in cars even notice).

Wish I'd taken my camera actually. They have a beautiful converted barn house, with a gravel courtyard, and Sofia looked superb in those surroundings.
I told Jenny we'd have to buy a similar house in order to park in front of it. Anyone got a million or so pounds they could spare?

Anyway, she was so clearly besotted with the car, it was very nice. Probably the best thing that happened to me today. Oh.. except... what was it? I seem to remember something else good.....

Oh yes, I remember.

CHAMPIONS

She has good taste in cars I see...

I took my 166 to work on saturday. Talk about interest, people just dont trust alfa for some reason. Can i sit in it. Lets hear the engine. When i lifted the bonnet and showed them the V6 they just stare open mouthed and mumble 'not much room in there to work on it' . As if im going to work on an alfa V6 myself

I then try and explain that an alfa V6 is not a ford fiesta engine that their dad used to fix! Alfas are not called poor mans ferrari's for nothing!

Still, it's nice to look under the bonnet! I do it every chance I get. Love those chrome pipes...

Originally Posted by midlifecrisis

I took my 166 to work on saturday. Talk about interest, people just dont trust alfa for some reason.

wasn't parked by currys in pontypridd by any chance was it?

That's great Had an old man before when I was working called me rich for driving an Alfa was rather random but cool haha

I had a guy look at my 94Spider the other day and ask if it was a Maser no it's not, I said It's an Alfa Romeo (not that he knew what that was)

I do feel immensely proud when I notice people having a nice look or mention they like my car. Can't help it

Within a week of buying the Cup I parked it in a shopping centre car-park. I tried to find a nice big space as obviously I'm very precious about it.

When I returned to the car-park I could see an old-boy and his wife eyeing it up, having just parked next to it. The first thought was "Stupid old git has bloody well hit my car". When I walked up to it and unlocked it, the guy turned to me and said "That's a beautiful car." I thanked him, and he walked off. (I still checked it over for dents though just in case )

I haven't personally had this happen to me yet ..... but my GF did the other day when she went back to put some shopping in the GT.... she thought it was .....

I used to get lots of looks and comments from the 16-24's in my 200SX, and lots of slightly more annoyed looks from the elderly community when it rumbled past, exhaust popping and flaming

The Alfa definatly attracts less second glances, but has had a few comments, generally from a more middle aged group.

Yeah it is a great feeling isn't it! I get this sometimes in the Brera. But this weekend we took the E-Type to Wimbledon Common and had a little picnic within eye shot of the car... almost everyone that saw it stopped and looked round it, old couples, man with his little son, young couples... was great, really feel like we're doing something good by keeping it on the road - a piece of British history.

Oh, and now it's been tuned and tinkered with by my dad's mechanic, the V12 is AWESOME. Almost as fast as the Brera and an even cooler noise from the real quad exhausts!

Got home and had to move a bunch of cars on the drive. Got my fiance (who will soon (subject to finance approval ) be getting a Spider LE, so I got her to move the Brera as it is good training experience! When she was idling, I got her to rev it and take it up to 5000rpm in neutral - she liked it! Whole different experience from a Mini Cooper... could turn her into a petrol head - or better yet an Alfisiti!

Originally Posted by Commanderfish

Yeah it is a great feeling isn't it! I get this sometimes in the Brera. But this weekend we took the E-Type to Wimbledon Common and had a little picnic within eye shot of the car... almost everyone that saw it stopped and looked round it, old couples, man with his little son, young couples... was great, really feel like we're doing something good by keeping it on the road - a piece of British history.

Oh, and now it's been tuned and tinkered with by my dad's mechanic, the V12 is AWESOME. Almost as fast as the Brera and an even cooler noise from the real quad exhausts!

Got home and had to move a bunch of cars on the drive. Got my fiance (who will soon (subject to finance approval ) be getting a Spider LE, so I got her to move the Brera as it is good training experience! When she was idling, I got her to rev it and take it up to 5000rpm in neutral - she liked it! Whole different experience from a Mini Cooper... could turn her into a petrol head - or better yet an Alfisiti!

You need to get your missus along to a meet.

Fran sat in the GTA revving it at autoitalia... She likes the sound.

Originally Posted by OperationAlfa

You need to get your missus along to a meet.

Fran sat in the GTA revving it at autoitalia... She likes the sound.

She's not quite ready for a meet yet - very shy! But once she has her own Alfa and has settled into it I will work on her a bit more!

I had a nice compliment about my old Jag last Friday. Took a friend to her companys award ceremony at the Midland Hotel in Manchester. I'd washed it, shined the tyres and bumpers and it looked fantastic. The concierge on the door said it was the best car he'd seen there all night. Made my day

when i got my 147 washed for the first time ever, there was this guy just silently looking at my car. then he comes over and asks about it and i told him everything he wanted to know...he remains silent for a while and then says..."wanna sell?"

and thats when it wasn't even 2 weeks into my alfa ownership

Originally Posted by OperationAlfa

You need to get your missus along to a meet.

Fran sat in the GTA revving it at autoitalia... She likes the sound.

She was probably thinking why is it I have I have given up a fancy holiday for a car that makes this sound....has she figured it out yet....



Chris

Originally Posted by chrisd_b

She was probably thinking why is it I have I have given up a fancy holiday for a car that makes this sound....has she figured it out yet....



Chris

She realises everytime I floor the right hand pedal...

Now when a BMW goes past in the fast lane she says "you're not going to stand for that are you?"

Originally Posted by OperationAlfa

She realises everytime I floor the right hand pedal...

Now when a BMW goes past in the fast lane she says "you're not going to stand for that are you?"

Sounds like she is going to give you a lot of trouble or get you into trouble


Chris

Originally Posted by chrisd_b

Sounds like she is going to give you a lot of trouble or get you into trouble


Chris

I just need to send her off in her own car. I prefer to cruise on the motorways anyway... I find them a little boring.

I've had a couplle of eyeballing experiences with the Alfa!

SI was walking out of my girlfriends house in a pink towel once to get my overnight gear and had a couple of 16 year old yobs yell at me “nice towel mate” (but not quite so eloquently!), I didn’t say anything, just unlocked the Batmobile (my girlfriend gave the Blackline that title!) and was really proud of the obnoxious double beep it does. I imagined it as her (the car!) way of telling the yobs to shut up and go back to the cider (how uncool is that thought but hey!!)!

A couple of days later, I was filling up at a petrol station and some guy in a clapped out old Corsa shouted “how much did your dad pay for that?!” (considering I am only 22) to which I replied, “Nothing, I paid for it”. Lots of petty arguing later and he still wouldn’t believe that I paid for it and he started getting pretty personal. Once I’d paid and was about to get in my car he shouted “at least if your dads gonna buy you a flash car, you should have the decency to admit it” to which I replied “Don’t be jealous because I’m awesome at what I do and you’re clearly sh1t. Sometimes you have to understand that a 22 year old will whip your balls at everything he does”

The second I said it, I felt really embarrassed and like a complete arse. I honestly felt like apologising to him as he didn’t say anything back but thought that the last thing he would want is an apology from a 22 year old c0ck! I haven’t said anything back to any of the people who have given me stick for driving it now. So it just goes to prove, they can have a positive as well as a negative effect on you!