Has any single car brand made as many desirable cars as Alfa Romeo? The 4C may just be the 2nd most gorgeous car of all time. (And no, I'm not thinking of the Ferrari 250 GTO or the E-Type Jaguar - the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale wins this poll for me!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa_Romeo_33_Stradale )
I've always believed that every car enthusiast should own one Alfa Romeo in their life; indeed - is it possible to call yourself a car enthusiast if you've never owned an Alfa?
Having owned one Alfa (my first car, Roxanne -
"You don't have to put on the red light"), I'll add that owning
one Alfa is generally enough for any sane person in one lifetime. (Borrowing a mate's Alfetta for the occasional weekend run is a much better proposition - a bit like how the best swimming pool is your neighbour's, to avoid all the grief and cost of owning one.)
It was the car that I loved more than any car I've owned since - and it was the least realiable and most frustrating car that I've ever owned. When it was "on song", it was an absolute delight to drive; but before the drive, there was always that moment of trepidation:
"Please, Roxanne - please start for me today!"
Like all Alfas of the 70s era, Roxanne had that gearbox quirk that a downshift from 3rd to 2nd gear was impossible to achieve until you mastered the "Alfa Figure-4 shift" - a smooth U-turn sweep from 3rd to ALMOST engage 1st, before sliding smoothly down into 2nd, in one smooth continuous motion. (Only other Alfistas will understand!)
