BISCIONI AT THE CAPE
6:49 A.M. - Touchdown at Milan Malpensa, flight in from Cape Town via Addis Ababa. After almost sixteen hours of travel, it’s really over - this spectacular, spectacular South African adventure. Written twice, not by mistake, but out of conviction. Ten days of pure Alfa passion. Over a thousand kilometers rolled by in a flash on spectacular roads - smooth, flowing, and blissfully free of traffic, the kind of roads we Europeans can only dream of.
Kilometers traced along mountain passes that look like they were painted by the sweeping hand of an inspired artist - weaving through “leopard-friendly” vineyards, granite peaks, roadside baboons grooming each other, and crowds of bright-colored locals eager to wave as you pass. Kilometers devoured driving “the wrong way,” with the steering wheel where it shouldn’t be, shifting gears with the left hand, tackling roundabouts while your instincts scream, “You’re doing it all wrong - on the other side!”
All those miles to truly see a country that deeply appreciates fine cars and fine wines - sometimes preserving both in the same exquisite wine farms, many of which host remarkable car collections alongside their cellars. In a nation so car‑passionate, there had to be a Museum of Passion - built by true Alfista Lynton Lomas, dedicated to the world’s finest cars, but especially to the finest Alfas. Among them, some crafted exclusively for the South African market - like the GTV6 3.0 with carburetors, proudly represented here by a gleaming white example that steals the show.
We must have been quite the sight: a caravan of Italian Alfisti from Piacenza, hosted by our South African “colleagues.” Six ‘90s 916 Spiders - tops permanently down, even on the crisp mornings of the southern spring. One Tonale generously provided by Alfa Romeo South Africa. A support truck following with a brilliant local mechanic. And finally, the Queen herself: a roaring Stelvio Quadrifoglio, 520 horses strong, gleaming in white, red, and green - just subtle enough not to draw attention! Needless to say, our passage through each village turned into a celebration.
The Cape Town region is lush and vivid, its roads near the southernmost tip of the continent utterly perfect - breathtaking even to those who’ve traveled the world over. They trace a wild, untamed ocean, reminding you how much courage it took for early European explorers to cross these waters more than five centuries ago in search of these pristine shores.
Cape Town itself, dominated by the mighty Table Mountain, mirrors its nation - a land of contrasts, spectacular yet uneven, full of great divides but united by great passions: the ever-present love for the Springboks, and the deep, unexpected, enduring love for Alfa Romeo.
Becasue… yes - there are plenty of Alfas in South Africa! Amid the countless white pickup trucks and seas of Japanese runabouts, you’ll spot them - elegant, distinctive - gliding gracefully between work trucks crammed with laborers. Perhaps it’s because Alfa once built cars here. Perhaps it’s because memories of its sporting triumphs haven’t yet faded into history. Whatever the reason, people here still love to drive an Alfa - and they live it as an exotic, original, elegant way to express what driving truly means.
We owe so much to our days in South Africa - to the awe of its endless, shifting skies, the countless emotions it gave us, and the tremendous warmth of our hosts, Lynton and Trevor. But most of all, and unexpectedly, we’re grateful to South Africa for giving back something precious: the pride of being Italian.
The pride of belonging to a people who truly know how to make cars that deserve to roam the roads of the world - bringing beauty and passion to anyone who truly appreciates the joy of driving.
Photo gallery by Fillipo Fiorani.
