The Italian Job Part Three

When Tommaso tracked him down he learned of the man’s long-term employment at Alfa working up from trainee mechanic at 15 to a respected engineer in the testing department at Arese when he retired. It took nearly a month before Tommaso earned his trust and was allowed to see the car. The distinctive Pino green 2-litre sounded too good, but early pictures confirmed the reports. A deal was struck and Marco sorted out the involved legal procedure to transfer ownership. “It’s impossible to do it yourself without a friend in Italy,” says Marco. “First you visit the ACI to reregister the car. Its offices can be found in most major towns and if you’re lucky someone might speak pidgin English. The normal procedure is to give up the plates but to continue driving we needed to gain the trust of the vendor for the trip home. Without them it’s impossible to insure even if you can find a UK broker who will cover an Italian-registered car. In Italy, even if the car is sold but still has the previous owner’s plates, he is part liable for any problems and tax until they are returned.