The club calendar is filled with opportunities for motoring, social, or competition activities.
Please contact the secretary with additions/corrections to the club calendar.
Club President Mandy Thompson has arranged a Sunday outing on the Mornington Peninsula with an opportunity for members to enjoy the produce of the region, a fantastic lunch at a local winery and meeting local club members from the Peninsula Chapter.
Start time: 8.30 am for 9.00 am departure
Start location: BP Service Station (outbound from Melbourne) 1400 Mornington Peninsula Freeway, Baxter.
As is the norm for club outings such as this there will be a break for coffee and a pit stop of around 20 minutes at the halfway point in McCrae. Parking space is available along the service road opposite the Lighthouse. There are three cafes close by so you should be able to get a coffee and a bite to eat without too much trouble.
The arrival in Shoreham is timed to for lunch at the delicious Is Blue Vineyard. $45.00 meal and wine tasting.
More information: Is Blue Vineyard, 269 Myers Rd, Balnarring
Bookings are essential. Please RSVP by COB Friday 18th October with Name, Membership number and contact details when registering for this visit. Also advise of any others joining you on the day.
Contact: Mandy Thompson
Club President
M: 0412 806 240
E: president@alfaclubvic.org.au
If you wanted to hold an event centred around Italian food, entertainment, children’s activities, cars and motorbikes in Melbourne, the most obvious place to hold it would be Lygon Street Carlton.
For quite a few years now a display of Italian cars and motorbikes has been an integral part of the long running Italian Festa in Lygon Street Carlton, and once again the Alfa Romeo Owners’ Club has been invited to participate in the display of Italian cars.
Location: Argyle Square South, off Lygon Street Carlton.
Time: 8.30 am to 4.00 pm
As it has been in previous years the aim of the event again this year is to build on the success of previous Italian Festa’s with more music and performances from a range of well-known artists, comedians and community groups.
In addition to the display of Italian cars and motorbikes there will also be a range of entertainment, sporting activities, an area dedicated to children’s activities and other amusements, cooking demonstrations and a myriad array of tempting Italian cuisine available.
More details about the Italian Festa are available from the website http://www.carltonitalianfesta.org.au/
Entry to the car display area will be from the Cardigan Street end of Argyle Square South. To enable proper planning of the display area it is essential that interested members register early.
Please provide your name, membership number and vehicle details when registering your interest in being involved in the car display.
Contact: George Soropos M: 0449 517 656 GTA Group E: George.soropos@gmail.com
In his 30 plus years of working on Alfa Romeos Alex Donnini has amassed a wealth of experience and has used this knowledge and experience
A technical visit of particular interest to current or prospective owners of current model Giulietta (940 Series) and 159 (939 Series) cars will be held at Alfa Donnini Repairs.
Host for the morning will be Alex Donnini, well known to many club members, who has a passion for Alfa Romeos and has over 37 years’ experience of specialising in Alfa Romeos, Fiats and Abarth.
Following on from previous visits, the focus of the visit will be on 159 petrol & diesel plus 1750 Tbi and diesel vehicles.
Where: 849 Dandenong Rd, Malvern East. Start time: 9.00 am
Coffee & Morning tea will be provided. The visit is open to all club members and new members are welcome to attend. More details about Alex’s : www.alfadonninirepairs.com.au
Please provide name, membership number and contact details when registering for this visit.
Contact: Colin Thomas M: 0407 090 826 E: 932register@alfaclubvic.org.au
Club nights are held on the second Wednesday of each month (with the exception of January) at Bells Hotel, starting at 8pm with procedures relatively informal, usually consisting of reports from committee members, updates, news, buy/swap/sell and quite often feature a guest speaker.
Meals are available in the hotel’s bistro and many members arrive early.
New members and visitors always welcome.
AUSTRALIAN CLASSIC EVENTS – DRIVING TARGA FLORIO AUSTRALIAN TRIBUTE TO CARLTON’S 2019 ITALIAN LYGON STREET FESTA
In the 6 months since Australian Classic Events (ACE )acquired the Targa Florio Australian Tribute (TFAT) events management rights from 2019 to 2022 in Victoria ,they have focused on great driving roads that deliver a 4-day festival that excites and delights the senses, replicates the Italian event and brings the style, culture and spectacle to Australia with a uniquely local flavour… and La Dolce Vita!
The Melbourne based Lawson family, well known for their passion for owning, restoring and racing classic Italian cars in Australia and overseas, own and manage ACE, and through their wide connections in the classic car sector, are confident the TFAT will develop into a major international event within the next four years.
For as long as Andrew Lawson can remember the Targa Florio and Mille Miglia and everything that the events represent has been an important part of life. With a grandfather that raced Indian bikes in the 1920s and a father with a passion for pre-war cars and in particular historic Italian cars, the love of these famous Italian rallies has been entrenched from very young ages.
Andrew Lawson ,ACE’s Event Director said “We wanted to ensure the rally had a grand finale –Lygon Street was a logical venue for the finish given the Italian connection with Targa Florio’s Sicily origins and Melbourne’s Italian historic links, but also to combine with the 2019 Carlton Italian Festa – the perfect finish to 2 great events.
This Italian connection together with Melbourne’s Official Sister City status with Milan since 2004, according to Andrew, “is a key base for our future strategy to expand this important Italian cultural and classic car connection to promote Victoria , clearly Carltons ’Lygon Street and the Royal Exhibition Building are entrenched in history and the perfect setting for international standard Italian and European Classic car rallys and displays.”
2019 TFAT Event Overview
Set in mid-November the 2019Targa Florio Australian Tribute is an excellent opportunity for people to enjoy a unique classic car event that combines driving experiences with great food and wine and the enjoyment of life.
The 2019 route has been planned to ensure that great driving roads are highlighted over each of the 4-day event.
Thursday 14 will see cars winding there way along the Great Ocean Road, celebrating 100 years since the start of construction and then back for lunch in Queenscliff and across Port Phillip Bay on the Ferry to Cape Schanck.
Friday 15th highlights circles Western Port bay through Flinders Tooradin and West Gippsland and arriving at the Phillip Island race track to complete a great day driving.
Saturday 16ththe event takes to the mountains – driving through Gippsland to the Haunted Hills Racetrack, and then an exciting drive up over Mt Donna Buang and down into the Festa Verde in Healesville. A stage with interviews, a 500 strong Italian and local car display and a grazing evening highlighting the Yarra Valley’s premium food and wine will ensure a night to remember.
Sunday 17thcompletes the cloverleaf around Melbourne with the Ferrari fleet enjoying a drive through Lancefield, Malmsbury fair, Mt Macedon, to Williamstown and finishing to the cheers of 30,000 lovers of all things Italian at the Lygon Street Italian Festa.
As per the Italian Event, there are 3 categories:
- Classica Trofeo: For vehicles from 1906-1976. A showcase of classic vehicles that are a crowd favourite.
- Ferrari Tributo: For vehicles from 1977-present. A superb collection of beloved Ferraris in one place.
- Supercar Trophy: For vehicles from 1990-present. Superb power and prestige on display.
This year’s event will see a field of 100 – 120 cars across the 3 categories. To add to the competition 2019 will see the introduction of “La Corsa Scuderia” Team Award. Teams are made up of 3 cars with the team aggregate competition scores added to determine the winner across the 3 categories.
The event’s website www.targaflorioaus.com has been rebuilt and is a wealth of information on the event.
For more information on the 2019 event, Andrew can be contacted on 0412 299 678 or via email on andrew.lawson@targaflorioaus.com
To view John Lawson’s ( Andrew & Paul’s Father) tribute article to the first Targa Florio Australian Event held in Nov 2017
https://italianautoicons.com/targa-florio-australia-tribute-2017-by-john-lawson/
Andrew Lawson, Event Director, 2019 Targa Florio Australian Tribute, Melbourne, Victoria
These Lawson family-owned historic cars participated in the Targa Florio Australian 2017 &2018 Tributes
1936 Delage Le Mans 951 B20 Lancia Aurelia 1929 Alfa Romeo 1750 SS Zagato
Andrew & Paul Lawson joint drivers in the 2018- 1000 Mille Miglia with their 1929, 1750 Alfa Romeo SS Zagato. Photos were taken at Brescia, Italy, May 2018. They came 129th out of 450 entrants.
The Spettacolo Concorso, sponsored this year by Tiamo Coffee Restaurant in Carlton, is a very import part of the Club’s long running and very popular Spettacolo event each year.
Entries for this year’s Spettacolo Concorso are now open and will be accepted until Saturday November 20th.
The preliminary judging of entries will be carried out at Mauceri Motors, 9 Meriton Place Clayton, with final judging to take place during Spettacolo, at Wesley College, 682 High Street Road Glen Waverley on Sunday December 1st.
Trophies for the Concorso, and the Spettacolo Show ‘n Shine competition, will be presented during Sunday’s Spettacolo.
Having access to the facilities offered by Mauceri Motors for the judging of Concorso entries certainly makes the very difficult task of the judges so much easier as well as providing the concorso entrants themselves with an opportunity to watch the judges at work and be on hand to answer any questions from the judges.
Entry to the Tiamo Spettacolo Concorso is open to any AROCA club member owning an Alfa Romeo over 25 years of age that has been restored or is in showroom condition.
Concorso entrants are required to be present during the judging or, alternatively, nominate another person to represent them during the judging process.
Entry for the Tiamo Spettacolo Concorso is $60.oo per car.
To register please contact: Gary Pearce M: 0417 365 929 E: 105register@alfaclubvic.org.au
All Club members, interstate visitors an anyone else who happens to be involved in or with Spettacolo are invited to attend an informal dinner to celebrate Spettacolo 2019.
Many country and interstate club members are already planning on being in Melbourne for the Spettacolo weekend with the Spettacolo Dinner on the itinerary so it will be necessary to book early for the dinner to avoid missing out on an entertaining evening with friends.
Time: 6.30 pm for 7.00 pm start.
Location: Rising Sun Hotel, Corner Raglan St & Eastern Road, South Melbourne.
Cost: $55.00 per person (Drinks available at bar prices)
It is recommended that you book early as places are limited. RSVP by Friday 29th November.
For Bookings Contact: Karen Murray – Social Secretary, M: 0401 036 649 Email: Social@alfaclubvic.org.au
Alfa Romeo Spettacolo 2019 Showcasing Zagato
Club members, owners of Alfa Romeos and fans of the iconic Italian marque are invited to attend the club’s annual Spettacolo at Wesley College, 620 High Street Road Glen Waverley on Sunday 1st December
This year’s Spettacolo will be Showcasing Zagato, the famous symbol that first appeared in 1923 and over the decades has been used on many different models carrying the familiar Cross & Serpent emblem.
Owners of any model of Alfa Romeo, regardless of age, are invited to bring their car/s to Wesley College to be part of the display and join in the celebration of the marque.
The near perfect surface of the manicured field at Wesley Oval, and the college building as a backdrop, is the perfect venue for a display of classic Italian cars with more than 300 Alfa Romeos and other Italian marques expected on the day.
A major feature of the event each year is the Wash ’n Shine” competition and this year there are 20 different categories available for owners to enter. There are also categories for previous winners.
Preliminary judging of the Concorso entries will take place on the day before Spettacolo with the final judging of entries and the presentation of trophies during Sunday’s Spettacolo.
Even if you don’t wish to enter the competition, bring your Alfa along anyway and join in the display of the largest number and variety of Alfa Romeos in the Southern Hemisphere on the magnificent Wesley College oval
Aside from the magnificent display of cars on the Wesley College oval there will be plenty of delicious food and refreshments available, entertainment for the young ones, Alfa Romeo merchandise, trade stands and displays by the event’s supporters, Alfa Romeo Dealers, Club advertisers and sponsors.
The activities for the younger Alfisti will include face painting, ballooning and a Jumping Castle.
This year, we will have more food, pizza pasta, great coffee and a sausage sizzle with tables and shade tents provided for your convenience and comfort.
Entry to the venue is via the Main Gate on High Street Road. $10 entry fee per car.
Please mark this event on your calendar and join us for this great celebration.
To ensure a successful event on the day, any volunteer support will be warmly welcomed.
Contact: John Hanslow Register Coordinator M: 0409 961 719 E;register@alfaclubvic.org.au
The Club produces a Bi-monthly full-colour magazine, Cross & Serpent and E-Alleggerita, an E-newsletter which is published 6 times a year. Both publications provide reports on club events, details of upcoming club events, club news, general interest articles on all manner of topics, usually Alfa Romeo related, lots of photographs of club members at events and classified advertisements.
Contact the Editor. Mobile 0405 383 431 editor@alfaclubvic.org.au
