The first weekend of June saw the 10th Raduno of the “Registro Internazionale 6C 2500 / 6C 2300” held in Antwerp, Belgium. The event took place from Friday June 1st to Sunday June 3rd with a breathtaking turnout of 6C models, as well as other historic Alfa Romeo types. In total the participants counted 38 cars, with another 20 Alfas joining on the Saturday. The event kicked off late Friday afternoon at the Groote Markt in the historical centre of Antwerp.

Most of the Italian-entered cars arrived by transporter, however some of the entries were impressively driven through the bustling city traffic and precarious tramways by their passionate owners. Noteworthy was the large turnout of Dutch-registered 6C models, whereas the furthest Raduno member had traveled all the way from Finland. The stunning collection of priceless Alfa Romeos lined up around the fountain outside the City Hall, attracting the attention of all passers by. The sight of such precious Alfa Romeo models, lined up together in such an historical inner-city setting was quite simply stunning.

One of the most fascinating cars taking part in the Raduno was Corrado Lopresto’s entry. His unique Alfa Romeo represented somewhat of a mystery, based on a 1939 6C 2300 Lungo chassis. Underneath the elegant and crisp Castagna bodywork lies a Gioacchino Colombo-designed 3-litre V12 with triple carburettors, perhaps once-destined for one of the 1941 S10SS Mille Miglia racing prototypes. One of the former owners was reunited with the car on Friday evening after 30 years.

After the cars had lined up outside the City Hall, participants visited the nearby Cathedral for a short guided tour and a concert of organ music. After the concert, it was back to the City Hall for an informal buffet dinner in the Leyszaal on the first floor with a spectacular view over the Alfas parked below. The buffet dinner offered regional Belgian specialties with an Italian twist, as well as Alfa Romeo Scrimaglio wines courtesy of BUGA Italauto Antwerpen. The City Hall itself is a particularly elegant and historical building, reflecting the rich history of the city of Antwerp.

On Saturday morning the Raduno drove to the north of Belgium, stopping en route to meet members of the Dutch Alfa Romeo Club (SCARB) at the Hotel Kasteel Maxburg. During a coffee and cake break the Raduno was welcomed by 20 SCARB teams in their classic Alfa Romeos. From that point the Raduno continued into Holland to call past the Louwman Collection in Raamsdonkveer, which is the biggest European collection of classic and vintage cars and related items. The collection itself includes an interesting exhibition of rare Alfa Romeos, some of which have recently joined the collection after the closure of the German Rosso Bianco museum (with all 170 exhibits being purchased by the Louwman Collection). In the foyer three spectacular Alfa Romeo cars awaited the Raduno. After a spot of Italian buffet lunch in the museum restaurant, the Raduno split from the SCARB members and drove the 1 ½ hour trip back to Antwerp for an Italian-oriented gala dinner at the hotel. The Raduno continued to explore the surroundings of Antwerp on Sunday at a leisurely pace.  A scenic drive took the cars through the harbour, the polder and the Verdronken Land van Saeftinghe nature reserve.

A 4-course lunch and farewell party was held in the idyllic and picturesque village of Bazel, with a view over the River Schelde.
 

The meeting became the largest gathering of the historical Alfa Romeo 6C models to date in Belgium.

Alfa Romeo 6C2500 Sport "Freccia d'Oro"
The book Alfa Romeo Freccia d’Oro, by Belgian enthusiast Luc Colemont, was presented at the Raduno meeting on Friday evening after the relaxed dinner in the City Hall of Antwerp.

Luc Colemont is an enthusiast of the original Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Sport Freccia d’Oro (Golden Arrow) model, of which only 680 examples were made between 1946 and 1951. The Freccia d’Oro was the first post-World War II Alfa Romeo production car. In contrast to most other 6C 2500 cars, the Freccia d’Oro had a body that was designed and constructed by Alfa Romeo themselves, therefore bearing the Carrozzeria Alfa Romeo badge. For his 50th birthday, Luc Colemont wanted to find 50 surviving cars worldwide. The result is a Register with nearly 60 Freccia d’Oro’s, many still alive and running.... but the mystery about the Freccia d’Oro which was blown-up in the cult movie “The Godfather” remains unresolved.

Owning an original 1947 example of the Freccia d’Oro himself, Colemont asked the KesselsGranger DesignWorks team, represented by the styling duo Steven Kessels and James Granger, to develop their solution for a modern evolution of the large saloon. “The result is 200% what I wanted. It is stunning,” exclaimed Colemont after being presented with the design at the beginning of May 2007. A sketch of the design is published at the end of the 548-page full-colour book as a look towards the future.

“We did not want to create a retro design, which is exceptionally easy to do with a car as charismatic as the Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Freccia d’Oro. We much rather wanted to create a fascinating avant-garde solution with an individual character,” explains James Granger. From the front the design builds on the name of the model, which translates as Golden Arrow. The form language is a combination of sharp-edged dynamism with svelte organic curves, set off by simple detailing. One of the impressions in this design was to create a luxury car which impresses through its simplicity in form and detail. The beauty is in the clarity of the shape, the sharpness of the lines and the lack of aggression. It is a sensual car with an air of mystery, developed for a customer who is perhaps more demanding than the average car enthusiast, searching for real beauty and art in a modern car. A car like this is intended as more of an art form, a highly individual creation which can be appreciated entirely by its owner for the lack of compromise in its tailored design. It is a luxury car of almost incomparable wealth, however through its beauty and fascination it can never be described as being pretentious. At the same time it is a car which intends to continue involving the owner through the mystery which the design presents: a timeless shape which is developed for appreciation rather than depreciation over time,” explains James Granger.