My sons are used to my automotive diversions on our holidays. Often a bookshop, specialist garage or an old race circuit appear, with me pretending to act surprised. But on the last morning of a recent trip to the Dolomites, I came clean and said we just had to visit the revamped Museo Storico Alfa Romeo.
My eager determination to be first through the doors on a Saturday morning caused no end of banter about rust and dodgy electrics from Joe and Ben, who since early childhood have endured my Alfa obsession. Exactly 40 years ago I made my first visit to the museum, when my then girlfriend also suffered a trip around the Milan suburbs in our Alfasud Sprint.
The museum was founded in the early 1960s by Luigi Fusi, the retired works engineer turned historian, author and curator. As well as collecting some historic Alfas, Fusi instigated the building of several inspired replicas to fill gaps in the story, including the spectacular ALFA 40/60hp Aerodinamica. The closed body, inspired by a water droplet, was built by Ercole Castagna for Count Ricotti, but with fixed windows the noise, heat and fumes were insufferable, so the Count had the top cut off. In 1974 Fusi had the lost body recreated from the original drawings, and it now takes centre stage in the Masters of Style display.
Fusi died in 1996, and I recall admiring his Touring-bodied 1931 6C-1750 GT saloon, which heʼd owned for 30 years, when it was auctioned by Bonhams in 2015 (its £109,000 price was beyond my budget). The interiorʼs special aura made it easy to imagine the fascinating conversations Fusi must have enjoyed with companions on road trips. Today I treasure several books signed by the founding curator.
The museumʼs dramatically redesigned display was conceived by architect Benedetto Camerana and reopened in 2015. The marqueʼs story is presented through three main themes: Timeline, Beauty and Speed, which mix up the chronology. From the moment you step out of the red entrance tunnel, the use of space, mirrored backdrops, bold portraits, audio and visuals engage visitors with the gripping Alfa saga and the heroes that made the name. Many of the great cars have no barriers, so visitors can get up close to the most valuable exhibits.
The prototype Giulietta Spider and Duetto are presented together in a special enclosure
