By Enrique Zuniga

The hotel for the 2019 National Convention is The DoubleTree by Hilton Pittsburgh – Cranberry. The negotiated rate is $119 per night. We cannot emphasize how important it is to book your hotel room early.

The Three Rivers Alfisti convention organizers have arranged for the entire hotel to be Alfa Romeo. All AROC convention attendees, as well as any and all Alfa Romeo vintage racers, and any Alfa VIPs attending activities related to historic racing will be staying at this hotel. All hotel parking lots will be for Alfas. (RVs and trailers are welcome, but please contact the convention in advance.)

It is paramount to realize that the all Alfa hotel is predicated on early bookings. All hotels only make money when their rooms are full, and they will not risk not having their rooms sold out. Hence, they monitor bookings months in advance.

If for whatever reason attendees are not reserving rooms, the hotel will simply market our projected-but- unreserved rooms to other groups or individuals. If an attendee waits too long and cannot book a negotiated-rate reservation, it hurts in two ways:

1. The attendee will have to pay a higher, non-negotiated, rate at the convention hotel or at an alternate hotel, and
   
2. The convention doesn’t get hotel credit for filling the higher-rate room. Hotel credits are important because the hotel provides meeting rooms at a discount and free guest room amenities based on the number of nights that are filled.
   

Make reservations via this link on the Convention website or directly with Hotel
DoubleTree by Hilton
910 Sheraton Drive
Mars, PA 16046
Tel: 1-724-776-6900
Please mention that the group discount is under "Cortile Della Corsa"

Last June we announced that Dwight Knowlton was selected as our logo artist for the upcoming Cortile della Corsa AROC convention in 2019.  We are excited to release the final logo design !

We are now working on the new gear that will be available for pre-purchase prior to the convention.  We whould be making those announcements next, so watch this space!

See Dwight Knowlton Selected as Logo Artist for the Cortile della Corsa
for more information.

Kelly Telfer has been been selected at the featured artist to create the Cortile della Corsa poster for the 2019 Alfa Romeo Owner's Club Convention and the Spotlight Car for the 2019 Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix.

, aKelly designed and printed their race team shirts and soon, everybody else wanted him to design their shirts!  He started a T-shirt company, O.Tee Shirts, when he was 20 years old- based on his original art and new-found race contacts.

It turned into one of the largest T-shirt companies specializing in motorsports in the country. Over the next couple of decades, Kelly created art and apparel for many top racers, tracks, and manufacturers; including Mears, Andretti, Petty, Earnhardt, Senna, Mansell, the Daytona 500, Laguna Seca Raceway, Monterey Historics, Long Beach Grand Prix, Indy 500, Monaco F1, as well as Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge, NASCAR, Indy Car and F1. 

Be sure and check out Kelly's website, Kelly Telfer's Fine Art, and learn about his Ambush Art.  We should be making an announcement regarding the poster art sometime in February or March.

Make plans now to join us in Allegheny West in Pittsburgh's Historic North Side.

Three Rivers Alfisti is excited to announce that Dwight Knowlton has been selected as the artist to develop the logo for the Cortile della Corsa AROC convention in July 2019. 

Dwight is the author of The Little Red Racing Car, a father son story about a Maserati race car car restoration as well as The Greatest Race ,which is the story of Sir Stirling Moss’s record setting 1955 win of Italy’s great race, the Mille Miglia, and his most recent book, The Small Silver Speedster, about a father and daughter who fly to New York City to pick up their new Porsche 356 Speedster from Max Hoffman’s iconic dealership.

When Alfa Romeo was founded in 1910, draughtsman Romano Cattaneo came up with the company’s logo based on a crest he saw in Milan above the door of Castello Sforzesco.

Being that the company was founded in Milan, a symbol representative of the city seemed appropriate. Designer Giuseppe Merosi helped turn the idea into Alfa Romeo’s official emblem.

Apart from some minor tweaks with the wording, gold trim, and wreath appearance over the years, the design has remained fairly consistent.

Where the biscione symbol itself comes from and what it means has been a subject of ongoing debate for over a century. Here are some leading theories:

• It refers to a local legend of a dragon which tormented the land in the fifth century and was slaughtered by Uberto, Squire of Angera.
• It’s the crest used by archbishop Ottone Visconti when leading crusaders into battle against Saracens (Syrians/Muslims) during the first crusade, a Biblical symbol of divine protection.
• It’s the crest on the shield of the nomadic Saracen knight Visconti defeated, which he took with him as proof of his victory.
• The serpent represents the House of Visconti’s itself, a symbol meant to seem intimidating to others.
• The serpent is orally giving birth to a human being, coming out a “new man, purified and renewed,” just as the creature itself is one of renewal through skin-shedding (according to Alfa Romeo representatives).
• It represents the snakes Lombards wore around their necks for good luck.

The biscione has undegone minor changes with the green snake becoming larger and smaller over time with slight changes to its' body thickness.  The human being consumes by the Viper has become less recognixable over time.

In January Bernard martin presented a proposal to the Alfa Romeo Owners Club Board of Directors that the Three Rivers Alfisti chapter of AROC would host the 2019 AROC Convention at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix's Cortile Italian Car Show where the TRA was founded in July 2017.

Our Club presented some rather unique ideas for the convention:

The Board voted unanimously to hold the convention in Pittsburgh. Our next step is to start to revise the initial planning in more detail.  The complete presentation is below and can also be found on our YouTube Channel.

TRA Members where able to experience luxury while helping parents and families in need this past holiday season.

The folks from Ron Lewis Alfa Romeo invited TRA members to Sienna on the Square on December 14 from 12:00-2:00pm to enjoy Italian cuisine, live music by Christina Chirumbolo, and test drive one the new Alfa Romeo Giulia's or Stelvio's.

For every test drive, Ron Lewis Alfa Romeo donated $20 to Christopher’s Kitchen.

Space is LIMITED.  You MUST RSVP to attend.  No Walk-ins are going to be permitted.  Please use the button button to make your reservation.

Editor's Note: This iS breaking news TODAY!  You should also know that we've just recently submitted a proposal to host the Alfa Romeo Owner's Club Convention in 2019 at the Cortile Italian Car Show during the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix.  We proposed it be called the Cortile della Corsa:  The Courtyard of Racing and to feature the racing history of Alfa Romeo!  We think it's going to be a terrific time to sample much to the incredible history of Alfa Romeo Racing!!

• Alfa Romeo returns to Formula 1 after more than 30 years away from the sport
• Alfa Romeo and Sauber F1 Team have entered into a multi-year partnership agreement covering strategic, commercial and technological cooperation 
• The official name will be Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team

The prestigious Italian brand owned by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) today signed a multi-year technical and commercial partnership agreement with Swiss Sauber F1 Team for participation in the Formula 1 world championship beginning with the 2018 season.

The single-seaters will sport the distinctive colors and logo of Alfa Romeo, the team's Title Sponsor, and will be equipped with 2018 Ferrari  power units.

The scope of the agreement includes strategic, commercial and technological cooperation in all applicable areas of development, including access to engineering know-how and the expertise of Alfa Romeo technical staff. This partnership will provide additional opportunities for the two organizations in both Formula 1 and the automotive sector in general.

Sergio Marchionne, CEO of FCA, said: "This agreement with the Sauber F1 Team is a significant step in the reshaping of the Alfa Romeo brand, which will return to Formula 1 after an absence of more than 30 years. A storied marque that has helped make the history of this sport, Alfa Romeo will join other major automakers that participate in Formula 1. The brand itself will also benefit from the sharing of technology and strategic know-how with a partner of the Sauber F1 Team's undisputed experience.

​The Alfa Romeo engineers and technicians, who have already demonstrated their capabilities with the newly-launched models, Giulia and Stelvio, will have the opportunity to make that experience available to the Sauber F1 Team. At the same time, Alfa Romeo fans will once again have the opportunity to support an automaker that is determined to begin writing an exciting new chapter in its unique, legendary sporting history."

Pascal Picci, Chairman of Sauber Holding AG, commented: "We are very pleased to welcome Alfa Romeo to the Sauber F1 Team. Alfa Romeo has a long history of success in Grand Prix racing, and we are very proud that this internationally renowned company has chosen to work with us for its return to the pinnacle of motorsport. Working closely with a car manufacturer is a great opportunity for the Sauber Group to further develop its technology and engineering projects. We are confident that together we can bring the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team great success, and look forward to a long and successful partnership."

The return of Alfa Romeo, one of the major protagonists in Formula 1 history, is expected to contribute significantly to the appeal and future development of the sport. Alfa Romeo brings with it technological know-how and a large and passionate fan base, while participation in the championship also offers benefits for the brand in areas such as technology transfer and road safety.

Alfa Romeo is known around the world for its racing heritage and technological excellence. The undisputed champion of the pre-war Grand Prix (in 1925, the GP Tipo 2 dominated the first World Championship), Alfa Romeo participated in Formula 1 from 1950 to 1988, both as a constructor and engine supplier. Immediately upon its debut, Alfa Romeo won the first two drivers' world championships, in 1950 and 1951, with drivers Nino Farina and Juan Manuel Fangio. From 1961 to 1979, Alfa Romeo participated as engine supplier to several F1 teams.

​Following its return as a constructor in 1979, Alfa Romeo achieved its best result in 1983, taking sixth place in the constructors' championship. More than 30 years after withdrawing as a competitor from Formula 1 (1985), the brand is returning with the clear intention to make its mark.

Alfa Romeo is a historic brand of FCA Group. Since its founding in Milan, Italy, in 1910, Alfa Romeo has designed and crafted some of the most stylish and exclusive cars in automotive history. That tradition lives on today as Alfa Romeo continues to take a unique and innovative approach to designing automobiles.​ In every Alfa Romeo, technology and passion converge to produce a true work of art. Fully reviving Alfa Romeo's spirit and maximizing its global appeal has been one of FCA's priorities. Following a clear and well-defined strategy,

FCA designs, engineers, manufactures and sells vehicles and related parts and services, components and production systems worldwide through 162 manufacturing facilities, 87 R&D centers, and dealers and distributors in more than 150 countries. In addition to Alfa Romeo, its stable of brands include Abarth, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Fiat Professional, Jeep, Lancia, Ram, Maserati and Mopar, the parts and service brand.

​The Group's businesses also include Comau (production systems), Magneti Marelli (components) and Teksid (iron and castings). FCA is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "FCAU" and on the Mercato Telematico Azionario under the symbol "FCA"

In 1970 Peter Sauber founded his company and designed his first racing car in the cellar of his parents' house. The race team grew steadily and enjoyed its first major international successes in the late 1980s. As the Mercedes works team, Sauber celebrated a one-two victory in the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1989 and back-to-back Drivers' and Manufacturers' titles in the World Sports Car Championship in 1989 and 1990. In 1993 Sauber entered Formula One.

Among the team's F1 highlights have been a fourth-place finish in the Constructors' World Championship in 2001 as an independent team and - in partnership with BMW - a one-two finish in the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix on the way to third place in the constructors' standings that year. In 2010 Sauber became an independent outfit once again. 2012 was a very good year of the Sauber F1 Team, headlined by four podium finishes, 126 World Championship points and sixth place in the constructors' standings.

The 11th October 2012 marked a milestone in the history of the team - the day when Sauber stepped down as Team Principal and passed on the baton to Monisha Kaltenborn. Between 1993 and the end of 2016 the team contested 424 grand prix in Formula One. In 2017 the Sauber F1 Team celebrates another milestone: it is the 25th Formula One season in the teams' history. The fourth oldest Formula 1 team starts together with its new owner, Longbow Finance S. A., into a new era. In 2017, Frédéric Vasseur was named as the new Managing Director and CEO of Sauber Motorsport AG, and Team Principal of the Sauber F1 Team.

​Sauber has its headquarters in Hinwil, in the Swiss canton of Zurich. The team's state of the art factory houses manufacturing facilities and offices spanning an area of 15,600 square meters and boasts one of the most advanced wind tunnels in F1.