Today I took the Alfa out of the workshop to take part in the Centennial Celebration Drive organised by Italia Auto Club (IA) along with other Alfisti organisations. The route was from KL to Genting, via Ulu Yam and our support cars were Fiat Coupé 20V Turbos owned by IA forum members.
The weather wasn't perfect. It was raining the night before and there was a brief morning shower. The meet up point was Sime Darby's Autoconnexion Jalan Ipoh showroom. Needless to say, there was a big turn out of Alfas - nearly 70 cars altogether. There were some lovely examples of Italian engineering - like a really rare right hand drive 1964 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider 1600 - supposedly the only one in Southeast Asia. 
We were flagged off and promptly got stuck in traffic near the roundabout after Batu Caves. It wasn't that bad after exiting that particular area and the old girl performed flawlessly on the way up. Here is a video of the cars being flagged off:
Granted, she wasn't the fastest car in the pack but I was pleasantly surprised that the GTV managed to keep up with the convoy and reach up to speeds of a hundred plus km/h on the sweeping straights of Ulu Yam. The Genting hill climb was a bit more challenging but she made it to the top. Not bad for a 1973 classic car!
Just after Awana and before Genting proper, there is a large parking lot where the Alfas gathered for a photoshoot. Since she was one of the few classics there, the GTV got front row seats :).
I didn't stay for the buffet lunch and headed back down to KL after a tiring but eventful day. Great job by the organisers of the event (special thanks goes out to IA Fiat Coupé members who made sure no one got lost).
I had an awesome time.
[Pictures courtesy of the IA gang of photographers]
3 comments:
Alfas are for the heart and soul. The mind always tell me otherwise. Of course I cannot wait for the new Giulietta.
Speaking of drives and meet-ups...when you wanna try hang out with old motorheads like us? We wanna have a go at that V8 of yours la.
As soon as I recover from a prolonged viral flu thats been attacking my body these past few weeks. Its that time of the year again where you get well, then someone else at work gets bloody sick and the whole vicious cycle starts again. Blah... Will message on FB once I feel better.
Going up Ulu Yam with a slight temperature and a hacking cough wasn't the best of experiences but hey, how could I pass up on the chance to celebrate Alfa's 100-year anniversary with other Alfistis?
Oh and I too can't wait for the new Giulietta. Early reviews say it's a decent car but I'm not completely sold on the looks.
"The Genting hill climb was a bit more challenging but she made it to the top. Not bad for a 1973 classic car!"
That's not bad at all! I know there's all the jokes about all Alfa's car models perpetually breaking down but this just goes to show that they're far hardier than they're given credit for.
I love the group shot by the way. :)
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