Am I the only one.............

[verytalldave]

..........who is fed up hearing the old, old mantra spouted on TOP GEAR about having to own an Alfa before being considered a "real" petrolhead?

I have never owned an Alfa, nor do I ever want to particularily.
I have owned a Lotus which is I suppose the British equivalent to Alfa. At least when comparing reliability and build quality.

I cant see their logic behind this claim. Perhaps its just one big wind-up.

 

[W210 Fan]

..........who is fed up hearing the old, old mantra spouted on TOP GEAR about having to own an Alfa before being considered a "real" petrolhead?

thats just their opinion, my opinion is you cant be considered a true petrol head until you have designed and built your own vehicle, but thats me and my hobby not fact,

some people will say a true petrolhead would have owned an AMG, Ford websites will say until you own a Cosworth, just make up your own mind and stick to it, if you feel like a petrolhead because you enjoy driving your car then your a petrolhead,

 

[prprandall51]

Agree. I find it very patronising - especially as they clearly don't have much respect for old alfas (witness trashing the three nice bangers).

 

[manalishi]

Please don't watch TG for car advice! That's dafter than watching Jerry Springer and expecting useful relationship guidance!

 

[st4]

What if you buy a diesel Alfa?

 

[Seamster15]

They are just journalist putting their view foward, do you belive what they say in the Daily Mail? LOL

have you never thought about an Alfa then? Nope me neither....

Simon

 

[W210 Fan]

have you never thought about an Alfa then

Yes, then I remembered I needed something reliable to get me to work,

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

It's something to talk about - nothing more.

I suspect it stems from the fact that if you buy an Alfa it's because you really want an Alfa - otherwise the reputation would put you off?

 

[st4]

Yes, then I remembered I needed something reliable to get me to work,

It might make it there, but out there in the wet office car park it would dissolve.

 

[Seamster15]

It might make it there, but out there in the wet office car park it would dissolve.

You so funny!

 

[st4]

You so funny!

I know. I could crack the age old Alfa Setzler joke, an alfa really does dissolve that fats when placed in water :bannana:

 

[Satch]

I understand the sentiment which is roughly along the same line as that which says you cannot be a true artist unless you have suffered for your art.

At their best, most (but by no means all) Alfas do provide a fine driving experience. But by God you can suffer various miseries so the theory is that only the true Petrolhead will endure long term pain in return for the short term driving pleasures.

But that can be said for many cars and is overdone.

 

[st4]

I understand the sentiment which is roughly along the same line as that which says you cannot be a true artist unless you have suffered for your art.

At their best, most (but by no means all) Alfas do provide a fine driving experience. But by God you can suffer various miseries so the theory is that only the true Petrolhead will endure long term pain in return for the short term driving pleasures.

But that can be said for many cars and is overdone.

So do BMW's and Porsches and they have the decency to start on the morning and not corrode within a year. Even a W210 is a slower corroder.

 

[Seamster15]

So do BMW's and Porsches and they have the decency to start on the morning and not corrode within a year. Even a W210 is a slower corroder.

My Porsche only broke down once in the supermarket car park.... nice.

Simon

 

[SpikeUK]

It's something to talk about - nothing more.

I suspect it stems from the fact that if you buy an Alfa it's because you really want an Alfa - otherwise the reputation would put you off?

You got it!

Owning an Alfa 20 years ago was an experience that still makes me smile today.
However, I can't quite bring myself to buy another. I now get my fix by renting them when on holiday - the last 159 was lovely.

 

[IanA2]

Lovely cars to look at.....lovely cars to drive.......would never own one!!

 

[st4]

Lovely cars to look at.....lovely cars to drive.......would never own one!!

Are they, I think that Brera is a bit of a pig and the new mito ain't much better. I saw pics of the 166, it was a looker I admit.

Can they be good to drive, really, or is that just to justify having one in the owners head. A lot of them are FWD, a RWD car will be better and the equivlent BMW and MB will be ahead of the game.

I don't get why people automatically assume because a car comes from italy its beautiful and has character. I drove a "characterful" hatchback according to evo magazine and it was rubbish, and I could see past the dillusional rubbish car mags tend to print about italian cars.

 

[pjs]

'real' petrolhead - how about the joy of ragging that hire car, or even a hired transit, of owning a car with 'soul' - from a £150 talbot sunbeam to an M3, flippin the paddles on a dsg golf gti at full pelt, wasting cash restoring a triumph spitfire that you had no idea would be such a bag a xrap, having some scary moments when your ambition exceeds your skill, messing about in the snow in a rwd drive car, that'll do for me. Fancy a 159 Q4 sometime though.....

 

[grufflybear]

Diesel Head

Not sure I am a petrol head at since I now happily pilot my diesel Merc but many years ago I got through three Alfas, a Giulia Saloon which looked odd but was great fun when I wasn't patching rust holes, an Alfasud, again great fun because but fell to pieces but best of all was a really mad purchase - a 1959 Giulia Sprint Coupe which had Aluminium bodywork which at least didn't go rusty - They had great charm and character and yes they did fall apart quite easily but I remember them with affection.... ps... I agree it didn't show much respect to the Alfa Club to turn up with the 3 Top Gear cars and basically just take the mick!

 

[jonm]

I guess what they are saying is that to buy an alfa you must truely love cars/the brand/petrol and not be making some form of sensible choice, i.e purchase with the heart not the heart, cuz sense would say no, no ,noooooo.