Alfa Museum to be dismantled...!!!!

[vin sharp]

There is much talk at the moment of an official attempt by FIAT to bypass some Italian cultural laws and dismantle the Alfa Museum in Milan. The story goes that Fiat wish to sell the land for Expo 2015, sell off part off the collection and warehouse what remains with no public access. Apparently this is what happened to the Lancia museum as well, some years back.
Even if all this talk is not 100% correct, it is worthwhile for Alfisti world wide to voice their opposition to this possibility.
If it were a German or Japanese auto company, this fantastic asset the is the  museum collection would be one of the cornerstones of brand recognition and promotion. It would be used and utlised to the max. Instead, perhaps it is the end of the road for the 100 years of physical history of one of the great marques. Why do FIAT seem to not recognize the asset that they have right at their feet??
In any case, Alfisti can go to    www.alfaromeoarese.com   and have your say on the value of retaining the museum as a public accessable collection.   
NOTE: You must click on "Antiprima" (preview) and enter the digit code to finally lodge your submission.
GO TO IT, as submissions go to the Cultural Ministry or such at the end of January!!
Comments also please on this forum from those who have been to the Alfa Museo Storico....how good is it!!! All these fantastic cars in one place, and you don't pay!

[wankski]

wow, vin sharp is on here!!

how are you? still working on alfas? working on newer ones at all? 156s?

ok back on topic.... good find... one of the few reasons i would actually want to go to italy is to see the museum... but then what do you expect of Fiat...   

[Evan Bottcher]

Here is the thread where I posted some photos from our visit last October - http://www.alfaclubvic.org.au/forum/index.php?topic=5836.0

A fabulous tribute to the marque, disgustingly under-funded but lovingly cared for by the museum staff.  I want to go again in a few years, please they must not be allowed to close the museum.

[Storm_X]

well there go my plans for next year.

For my girlfriends 21st birthday she wanted to go to europe and i wasnt keen but she said we can go to milan and visit the alfa museum because it has allways been a dream of mine to go, but that just sucks now doesnt it.

[Barry Edmunds]

There is an email doing the rounds at the moment which provides some details of what Fiat is trying to do and which provides links so that comments can be made about this appalling decision by Fiat.

Please log on and express your views. This campaign to put a stop to Fiat's lunacy should be fully supported by all Alfa enthusiasts around the world.

Please lend you weight to the campaign and forward the email on to as many as you can.

[1750GTV]

No - this must not happen.

As a collection of cars, the museum is unique. As a collection of cars of a single marque, the museum is an invaluable asset to both the parent company (now Fiat) and to anyone who visits, whether they be an Alfa fan, Alfa owner or just someone with an interest in fine machinery. These cars tell wonderful stories of past adventures, of wins and losses, of bravery above and beyond, of enduring friendships and of fierce rivalries. They are the stories of visionaries, people with the imagination and energy to fulfil their dreams. To break up this collection and lock the remaining vehicles away from the public eye is a monumental travesty.

These cars have both a heart and a soul, but alas, it seems that their corporate owners possess neither. Sadly, it seems that the economic rationalists will win again and in doing so, remove some more of the beauty from the world.

I'm just glad that I finally got to visit the museum last year whilst it was still intact.

Chris

[Doug Gould]

Please log onto the website and leave a comment. Fiat seeing the a long list of comments is one of the only things we can do from here to help.

[Paul Gulliver]

This was just posted over on Alfa BB.

The circumstances surrounding the closing of Alfa's historical museum in Arese are shady at best.  Fiat claims it was closed for maintenance and renovation but certain rumors circulating say that the museum has been closed for good and that certain key pieces in it will be sold off to wealthy collectors around the world.

One of the many people upset by this is Massimiliano Romeo, a member of Italy's Lega Nord political party.

"The Fiat group announced on February 8th that it was closing the Alfa museum for maintenance and that it would reopen at a later date", said Romeo.  "To this day Fiat has not submitted any plans or projects for renovation [..] We ask for its immediate reopening."

Fiat has not commented on the issue.

The museum is eighteen kilometers away from Milan (so far off the Milanese tourist track) but managed to attract 24,000 visitors in 2010.  8,000 of them came in June during Alfa's centennial celebration.  The museum is home to about 130 Alfas (half of them in running condition) that together are worth betwen 50 and 60 million euros.

Source:
http://www.milanotoday.it/zona/rho/alfa-romeo-museo-lega-nord-riapertura-29-aprile-2011.html

[Bear157]

I really hope that the museum is going to be opening again some time this year. We will be in Europe over Christmas and, even though Milan is out of the way in regards to where we will be mainly, we are looking to extend to our Italy travels to Milan just so we can go and see the museum.

I sent an email to Alfa HQ requesting info, but I'm not holding my breath for a reply.

[hammer]

Bragger!!

[f1worldchamp]

Forgive the slight bump in this thread, but does anyone know the latest with the Alfa Museum?
I'll be heading over in the few weeks and there doesn't seem anything new on the web as to what the current status is.