I’m an Alfa nut. Love the cars. I’ve never owned one — which the cynics say is why I still love them! But I admire them from afar. Someday, someday…

Anyway, I bought Essential Alfa Romeo because it seemed like fun. And it is. The copy I have was published in 1998 and covers the cars from 1954-95. It’s a paperback book, just under 100 pages long, but it’s a great introduction to the marquee. Alfa has built some beautiful cars and the photography makes that obvious. They’ve also built some real rust buckets, and that’s not mentioned a lot in the book. But then, they are trying to sell the image of Alfa more than warn people away!

If you love cars and want to learn more about the Alfa Romeo, start here. Simple to read, it navigates you through the dizzying array of Alfa models through the years. I feel wiser and better informed because of this book.