A Vision Becomes Reality

For 66 years, our Alfa Romeo Owners Club has carried the banner for Alfa Romeo in America. The mission has been to promote Alfa’s now 115-year history and its rich heritage, through coordinating driving events, providing technical support and organizing social activities. We successfully foster camaraderie among members, leading to long-term connections and friendships throughout the country.

As a byproduct, the Club has become a valued source of information about this beloved Italian marque. AROC has collected a sizable number of Alfa-related manuals, including owner’s manuals, service manuals, parts manuals, plus fuel injection system manuals and wiring diagrams for certain models. Maintained by the AROC Technical Librarian, these often-rare documents are available digitally to Alfa owners around the world. As respect for AROC’s historical data has grown, we continue to receive numerous offers of Alfa memorabilia – and even vehicles.

As the Club became the repository for all things Alfa Romeo in America, we realized that there was not a dedicated educational center or museum focused solely on Alfas where these treasures could be housed. Around 2018, the AROC Board began discussing the establishment of a charitable 501(C)3 foundation that would allow tax-deductible contributions to AROC. At the 2019 National Convention in Pittsburgh, the Board approved proceeding with the foundation planning and application process. When the time came to file the paperwork for the AROC Foundation, COVID hit, public institutions were shuttered, and our foundation dreams were put on hold. When life as we knew it began resuming and tasks still on the AROC To-Do list – including embarking on the legal process for foundation-building – were brought front and center, we acted.

Now, the Alfa Romeo Owners Club Historical and Educational Foundation is a reality. The foundation is incorporated as a not-for-profit organization and has been granted 501(C)3 tax-deductible status. The Foundation was setup to help achieve the goals of historical preservation, education, and community engagement:

• Preserve Alfa Romeo’s history – collect and archive Alfa-related historical documents, photographs, videos and artifacts in an appropriate repository, as we develop plans for the establishment of our AROC Foundation Library.
• Increase awareness of Alfa Romeo’s evolving adaptations of its cars with publications, educational programs, and resources.
• Support automotive-related studies and projects, including restoration of vintage vehicles.
• Establish an AROC Foundation Museum to showcase significant Alfa Romeo vehicles in an educational setting complete with exhibits highlighting the illustrious history of Alfa Romeo in Italy, America and beyond.

May this foundation be our legacy to keep alive in America not only Alfa’s storied racing history from the late 1920s and ’30s, but also its dedication to stylish transportation for working people. Our knowledge of and appreciation that after World War II, Alfa Romeo retooled its factories to help rebuild Italy and Europe with practical vehicles and domestic products strengthened our affection for the marque. This commitment to rebuilding captured the hearts of all Alfa aficionados. Making it even sweeter, as the design of the ’50s and ’60s cars evolved, they became family cars with passion.

When AROC was founded in 1958, before Alfa Romeos were sold through dealerships, the Alfisti passion was already spreading throughout America. It was found during the 2023 AROC National Convention in North Carolina, that most of the Alfas on the outstanding convention pre-tour were circa-2014 and newer. It was a pivotal moment as it was recognized that we are entering a new landscape for automotive transportation. Predictions are being made that in 10 years or so, today’s daily drivers might be on the back bench based on what’s coming down the pike. We believe that the AROC Foundation will play a significant role in documenting the history of this storied marque in America and hopefully we can help to have trained mechanics that will keep the classics running!