It’s Time To Book A Trip To Arese: The Alfa Romeo Museum Is Open

Photography by Rosario Liberti (@royale77)

Come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant…to Arese! The Alfa Romeo Museum is now open to the public for the first time in years.

If you waited a long time to finally see cars like the Carabo, the BAT coupes, the DTM cars, or any Alfa dream car, you do not have to wait for a concours, Goodwood, or any other event. In 2015, you can book a flight or take the chance to put a few miles on your car to feast your eyes on the crown jewels of one of Italy’s most revered car manufacturers.

All the cars are mesmerizing, and visiting the museum can greatly help in ticking off a few items on your bucket list. You won’t regret it.

The Alfa Romeo Museum is perhaps the icing on the cake of Marchionne’s new plan for FCA. Let’s not forget: Alfa is part of a bigger, complex, and not-so-passion-driven commercial operation that is aiming at increasing production numbers. Having a place where enthusiasts can worship the brand’s history is not only is a positive thing for everyone, but also a welcome signal that classic cars still matter in a successful business operation.

I am well aware of the commercial nature of the Museum re-opening. I won’t exclude that Marchionne was about to sell the collection if Alfa Romeo had less appeal than it has now. It is definitely good news for everyone, and should help petrolisti show their support for the brand.

The museum is located inside the old Headquarters in Arese. The restored structure is bursting with life for the first time in years. What once was a decaying and empty monument to the victory of Italian mediocracy over excellence, now has finally regained part of its past beauty. The new interior design is sober yet original: entering the structure, you can feel the excitement that drove the men who built Alfa Romeo over the decades. 

In my opinion, the best part of it is the entrance to the first floor of the exposition, which has been made to look like the inside of a human Heart. The visitor has the experience of touching with the hands the passion that drove Alfa over the years and what, hopefully, will drive its engineers in the future.

The first floor features part of the company’s road cars produced from 1914 to the 2000’s, not counting the present line up in the new showroom, with the latest Giulia QV Descending to the second floor are a collection of one-offs and specials made by the likes of Castagna, Pininfarina, Zagato, Bertone, and Touring. Next to this section there’s a part dedicated to the 6C and the Giulia, with a parade of the complete line up of this legendary model: TZ, Codatronca…

The real treat comes in the last two floors: Grand Prix, sports prototypes and GT cars. I eagerly awaited this trip because of this section, and it will give goosebumps to any car aficionado: in a single place you have lots of motorsport history from the ’20s and ’30s. You can touch the cars of Nuvolari, Sivocci, Campari, Jano! Some of them feature exposed internals, such as the two bimotore cars, and the others are plain amazing. From the Le Mans cars, to the Championship-winning P1 and P2. On the wall, an emotional film carries you away with the feelings: places like this seriously compromises your manliness—sorry, something got into my eye…

The end of the tour is a parade of the famous 33, with the two ’75 and ’76 Championship-winning TT12 and SC12 standing side by side, a TZ2, two F1s—and saying farewell is the 1993 155 V6Ti DTM that won the DTM championship with Nicola Larini at the wheel.

Thankfully, we can enjoy the museum, and be happy that one of the most prestigious brands in the world is back in business. Let’s hope for the best. Now, Mr Marchionne, have you heard of a brand named “Lancia”?