Scottish Elises

Got thinking about why I knew when I was a teenager that I had to buy an Alfa.

First car was a brand new 147 just after they were launched. Despite what you might think, I actually had 4 trouble(ish) free years of ownership.

Anyway, I think this was the reason for it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg0ZSCWAicw

NB - 3 mins 10 seconds onwards is the incredible footage that made me think back then that Alfas were cool.

NR

I was there,and remember the alfa rolling,

Stu

Heh...I was there too, but sitting over by the chicane...

Remember heading up with a mate in his Alfasud Sprint 1.5 Green Cloverleaf, followed by his brother in his Alfa 75 3l V6...

Tarquini was always the class act, with team mate Simoni as the blocker / hooligan...

Never went back to the BTCC for years after Alfa left / Supertouring finished...Been last 2 years, but not the same...

Must have had an effect on me back in 1994, as I now drive a 156 Sportwagon!

Ross.

I was there too. I almost always spectate from the top of the banking at Duffus, but on that race, was at the hairpin

They were the good days of BTCC, and record crowds at KH.

I was there too, watching from macintyres. Got a pretty good view as well. Was just a young lad too at my first ever "proper" race meeting and remember being gobsmacked. I also have fotos somewhere of rydells 850 estate very much on two wheels at duffus.

Fcuk!

That was 13 yrs ago

I was there the year before that, as a pimply yoof, loved (& still do) all Alfas - had a 33 for 2 days and an early 156 for 4 years

Numerous shyte Fiats & a crumbly Integrale complete my list of Italian motors owned, just don't get me started on Le Francais

I was there too

Strange we didn't all meet up?????

Don't think I've been since tho' and still remember Alphas as rust buckets, but that roll was ever so exciting. They all went through McIntyres on 2 wheels in qualifying, brilliant racing but qualifying was absolutely awsome

I was there also! It was my first taste of live Touring car action I was only 13 years of age and I was in my element, My dad had recently bought a Cavalier SRI and for that reason John Cleland became my hero
Seeing those guys going at it back then got me hooked on motorsport for life

Happy Days.

They don't make em like that anymore, although I still think BTC is a great series to watch, in person if you can swing it. Puts F1 firmly in (poor) perspective.

for the alfa fans

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default ... ryId=16201

I'm too young to remeember alfa in the btcc though

made me want to buy a 155 cloverleaf seeing those cars in the BTCC, amazing what that series did for certain marques - it also made Volvos (t5s in particular) street credible

GregR wrote:made me want to buy a 155 cloverleaf seeing those cars in the BTCC, amazing what that series did for certain marques - it also made Volvos (t5s in particular) street credible

That's what I was going to say, my folks had recently bought a 940 (the one they still have with 150k+ on clock), they had also looked at the 850 which had just been released along with the T5

I was there too. Standing on the banking on the outside of MacIntyres as his car rolled towards the fencing!

lotustype116 wrote:I was there also! It was my first taste of live Touring car action I was only 13 years of age and I was in my element, My dad had recently bought a Cavalier SRI and for that reason John Cleland became my hero

Was there too aged 13- standing on the inside looking towards the hairpin. I remember running as close to the fence as possible to get a pic of the crushed Alfa as it came round the track on the flatbed!

My parents were friends with Derek Butcher and my mum worked there at the time so we got free paddock passes. I remember a couple of years before that driving up past all the massive queues in my Dads 16V Astra GTE with a big orange sticker on the screen the year after Cleland had won the championship in a GTE. How cool did I think I was!?

Incidently my brother was doing some work with IF motorsport last year and was away at a few race meetings with John Cleland and his son Jamie. He spent a good few days in his company and was mega excited that his hero actually knew his name! I wasn't jealous- in fact, I think I might still have my signed Cleland poster somewhere.....

Stevoraith wrote:I think I might still have my signed Cleland poster somewhere.....

That makes two of us then