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Jean-Luc Houtreille is a simple man with a simple passion: Classic Alfa Romeos. We recently joined him to collect the full story of his Ochre Superstar:
Alfa Romeo is, for me, the brand which represents, in all model variations, sport. The car that interested me, the car I liked, was the Alfa Romeo Bertone Coupé for its lines, its attitude on the track. It runs on three wheels, generally, it raises a wheel.
I always told myself that one day I would have one.
My name is Jean-Luc Outreille, and I drive an Alfa Romeo Bertone Coupé GT1300 Junior 1968.
Why am I passionate about cars? I think it couldn't have been any different because my maternal grandfather was a mechanic, at FN, at Minerva. He worked in Scotland at Rolls-Royce.
He returned, finished his career as a mechanic at General Motors, here in Mons. My paternal grandfather was executive chauffeur from 1928 to 1974.
And in my early childhood, there were not many cars, not a lot of cars. And when I was five or six years old, we drove executive cars, cars from the factory where my grandfather worked, and I drove when I was a child in Ford Fairlanes, Ford Falcons, Ford Galaxies, Citroen Tractions, DS, Jaguars, from the factory. My father didn't spend all of his career... but he began it as a gas station manager.
I was born in a gas station. I'd bathed in the smell of gasoline since childhood. We attended circuits. Chimay initially, I think, Francorchamps, Nivelles, when the Nivelles circuit opened.
The car I liked was always the Alfa Romeo Bertone Coupé in GTA, in 1300 Junior, in 1600. I became interested in becoming a future buyer in the late 70s. Unfortunately, they were often in very poor condition. They were used cars. So I held on to this dream.
And one day, I saw an ad on the internet, I waited, I thought, I said to myself: "Don't be hasty, we'll look at others.” But it was still there. Its color was yellow, Ocher yellow.
I went to see it, and from the moment I saw it, I couldn't do anything other than buy it.
Alfa Romeo is, anyway, the basis of what became Ferrari. As the founder, Enzo Ferrari, was first a driver, then racing director at Alfa Romeo. It was a car which, for its time, the Alfa GT Junior was, for me, advanced. Dual barrel carburetor, overhead camshaft, four disc brakes, five-speed, in 1968, 63 when it was released, 89 horsepower. Few cars at the time, cars other than those of superstars, could claim to have these qualities. So, with this Alfa, we often go out, we go out with my wife, with a friend who is also passionate. Not bad for short rides.
After 100 years of Alfa Romeo, in 2010, I could finally fulfill a dream: driving the Francorchamps circuit with my Alfa Romeo, finally, realizing a dream. I hoped to fulfill a dream. Unfortunately, I say unfortunately, there were so many cars that the best time on a lap lasted just over an hour because there was nowhere to drive. There were cars from start to finish on the circuit. It wasn't even a lap, it was a parade. But it was still a pleasant time to meet thousands of Alfa Romeos on the Spa circuit.
It's a world... The world of old cars is a friendly world, a world where
when you meet another car, we signal, a world where contact is easy because we share the same values and the same passions.
Drive Tastefully®
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