The passion for classic cars is truly international: there are enthusiasts and collectors all over the world. The FCA Heritage team has decided to meet them to tell their stories. The first story is that of Angela Cherrett, an elegant English lady, Alfa Romeo "ambassador" in the UK.
Some people are born with cars in their blood. It's a matter of DNA, a natural attraction unbounded by space or time, which may strike anywhere.
Angela Cherrett, an English Alfa Romeo collector, is well aware of this. "I began at twelve or thirteen years of age, when I trained my pony to pull me around in a kind of carriage. We went all over the place, on the roads, and the game made me feel like a real driver," she recalls disarmingly.
As for all car enthusiasts, one of the most eagerly awaited milestones is getting a driving licence. It is a kind of second baptism, which finally enables them to experience their passion at first hand. From that time on, they have only to choose the "companions" with which they are going to share their journeys through life.
This is no easy matter, especially if two people have to agree on every decision. This was the case with Angela Cherrett and her husband Allan. "My first vintage car after I passed my driving test was an old racing Riley.
But after I married Allan, together we bought an Alvis 12/60: I was never really keen on it, to tell the truth, so I started to look for a car I could feel was completely mine in every way. I travelled around a great deal, in sun, rain and even snow, until I finally came across a car, belonging to someone I didn't even know, which made me exclaim to myself: "I've got to have it!". It was an Alfa Romeo 6C 1750: what happened was a kind of love at first sight. Then, together with my husband, I bought and restored a model of the first 6C (a 1500 Sport, a 3-seater with Zagato coachwork)." That was the start of a long love story with Alfa Romeo.
A passion that Angela and Allan have always nurtured with care and dedication, building up their family collection and taking an interest in the Brand's history. For them, it has become almost a kind of profession.
"I experience the history of the Alfa Romeo brand every day, at first hand, thanks to the joy of owning and being able to drive several of them," Angela explains. "For example, the 6C 1500 Mille Miglia Speciale we conserve with loving care is really fantastic: it has the same lovely lines as the Sport but is even faster. The weight distribution gives it better performance, with the large tank in the tail that provides agility and sportier handling.
And yes, I adored the Alfasud Quadrifoglio Verde, a masterpiece!"
The long list of cars on the family's books also includes an Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior, bought second-hand in 1968, partner on trips to Italy.
Then came the 2000 GT Veloce, a 2000 sedan, and the current everyday car, the 147 2.0 Twin Spark, which "is getting on a bit now - more than ten years old and a hundred and sixty kilometres - but I love it too much to give it up."
Although she prefers road versions to racing cars, Mrs Cherrett is aware of the importance of the cars built for the track, as one of the most important common denominators of Alfa addicts all over the world. "Alfa Romeo is quite rightly famous for its successes in the racing world, and this part of its history is a vital part of the passion and loyalty all of us Alfa lovers share."
Angela and Allan's love of the brand is an intelligent one, which has strengthened over time, supported by study and research into Alfa Romeo's past. Angela is considered an ambassador in the UK, although she prefers not to take on this role as a real profession: "I'll always be an amateur. I'm researching the history of the brand and the evolution of our club, the Alfa Romeo Register." And the wonderful anecdote she tells us before we say goodbye is linked to the club, and to the sense of sharing. "It was in 2008, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Being invited to join the Automobilismo Storico Alfa Romeo group was a great honour.
I was lucky enough to take the wheel of an Alfa Romeo Tipo B P3 Monoposto, currently on display at the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo in Arese. A dream come true.
The other participants were all trying to get to the finish in the shortest possible time, but I never wanted the experience to end, so I went slowly, and savoured every moment of it. What an unforgettable weekend!"
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