Under the motto "From 10th to 19th July , the Cuore Sportivo beats faster in the heart of Lisboa" the Alfa Romeo Clube de Portugal and the Palácio Sotto Mayor (Galerias Comerciais) presented an outstanding exhibition of important Alfa Romeo models in the heart of the Portuguese capital.

Located in the center of Lisboa, and close to the city's downtown area, the Sotto Mayor Palace was built under the instruction of Cândido Sotto Mayor, between 1903 and 1906, and was considered at that time to be one of the most beautiful buildings in the entire city. The Palace lay abandoned for a long time, however just a few years ago it was recovered by a local real estate enterprise company and was refurbished to become a sophisticated Shopping Center.

The Alfa Romeo Clube de Portugal was established in 2001. It is a dynamic association of owners and enthusiasts which promotes several major meetings for its members, as well as holding regular events, such as exhibitions, like the one that was held in Lisbon this month.

A lot of Alfa Romeos, both road and racing cars, mainly drawn from previous years,  were displayed during this popular event, which took place in the Palácio Sotto Mayor – Galerias Comerciais Shopping Center, running from 10th to 19th July.
 

Models represented included the GT 1600 Junior, Spider 1.6, 75, Giulietta 1.6, GTV 2.0 and Alfasud Sprint Veloce 1.3, alongside some much rarer models such as the Giulia Sprint Veloce, Giulietta Spider, 1900 SS Superleggera, SZ Zagato ES, 2000 GTAm, Zagato 1600 Z and Montreal. Rufino Fontes´s GTV 6 (who competed in the C.N.V. Campeonato Nacional de Velocidade - Portuguese Touring Car Championship, during the late 1980s) and Nuno Xara-Brasil's Alfa 156 (which competed in the same championship during the last season), were also displayed, graphically representing the Alfa Romeo brand's long-term involvement in Portuguese motorsport. (In fact, Rufino Fontes became the Portuguese Touring Car Championship Gr. Champion in 1983, while driving a GTV 6 which was prepared by Luigi Racing).

The event was supported by a interesting die-cast small-scale model exhibition and an accurate picture exhibition with historical references related to Alfa Romeo, the Alfa Romeo Clube de Portugal, and several models from the Arese manufacturer. The prestigious nature of the event caught the attention of some of the Portuguese national automobile media, such as the Autohoje weekly magazine and newspaper who announced the exhibition in their on-line edition.

by Ricardo Lapa