Category: Blog

Roadster Salon will be making a major announcement through all media outlets at the end of the Summer. This dramatic news involves production plans for the first Spider built by Roadster Salon from the ground up with its own proprietary driveline and special features. There have been many rumors about these plans and this new direction. All we can say at this time is that it will be a radical departure from anything we have produced in the past, and will break new ground in terms of performance and overall driving experience. Stay tuned.

Unbelievably two April record snow storms in Chicago delayed our shipment on several occasions to one of the most patient and appreciative customers we have ever worked with. We will update you in his own words when the car arrives in Manhattan Beach. An incredible car for an even more incredible customer!

Every business has ways to cut corners. Car restorers are no different. Using cheap labor and materials are just one way to save money. Skip a step. Don’t check your work multiple times. Maybe don’t check it at all. Sacrifice long term durability for quick fixes. And if it takes too long, add it to the bill.

The best shops accept the fact that you can’t in good conscience charge a customer for your problems when things go wrong. In this business, slow and steady wins the race. You can either build your brand slowly with tight margins and be fair to everyone–or go in for the kill and be gone in a few years. The choice is clear.

This philosophy applies in every aspect of what we do. From mechanical work, crafting interiors, to pain refinishing. This means hundreds of man hours, and many months of sweating the most minute details.

No this is not an April fool’s joke. Over the past week, our team finally got enough of a break in the weather to get some miles logged on our most anticipated creation in recent years. It has been frustrating for everyone here at the Salon to look at this sweetheart and not be able to drive it on the road. You can only have so much fun revving the engine in our garage.

The Dioniso project was created digitally as a fully realized concept prior to production. Although some subtle changes were made along the way (no hood scoop or side vents) the car is faithful to its rendering in every other detail. Weather permitting, we will be shipping this amazing spider very soon. Stay tuned.

When you get a call on an extremely rare, rust free California Alfa GTV you listen. You also have no one to blame but yourself if you don’t look the car over thoroughly before buying it. Just like a novice private party, we bought this lovely GTV on the advice of another dealer and some well-staged photos. Based on our purchase price, we expected the car to be showroom ready. When it arrived at Roadster Salon, our hearts sank.

While the car did run well as described, the photos we examined told a different story from what we saw in person. Why on earth would a customer—or dealer for that matter paint a $60,000 car with the skill set of a fifth grader. Runs, drips, fish-eyes and orange peel were in almost unlimited supply. Waves and misaligned body panels took center stage. And it wasn’t just the paint. We were also treated to mismatched tires, shoddy bright work, and worn out carpets (hidden by new floor mats) at no charge.

In spite of the weather, we have actually accomplished quite a bit with the garage doors closed. Winter’s grip has us in a strangle hold, but we’re hanging in there. Lot’s to get accomplished before next summer. We currently have three Alfa Romeo 1967-68 Duetto projects in process. The first of these will be ready to leave as soon as the weather breaks and we can get a transport truck in the driveway.

Another year-long project, this traditional restoration was done to the highest standard for a customer in Ohio. Every detail down to the signed engine plate and personalized Roadster Salon build tag makes this car a show stopper.

Material quality, panel fit, wiring and undercarriage detailing are all far superior to the original car. This near six-figure project is one of our nicest restorations to date. An amazing achievement to be enjoyed reliably for many years to come. We wish this Alfa buona fortuna in its new home!

We will keep you up to date on the other two Duetto builds. One has personalized modifications including a custom air conditioning system. It’s shipping to Florida. The other looks like the twin of the Ohio car, and is just getting started. Headed for Texas, the plan is to keep her the original orange-red.

Anyone want to test drive a spider in this weather? It’s been barely a month since our last entry, and we are already looking at almost a foot of snow outside the showroom. A real gut punch for those of us hoping for decent driving conditions for a few more weeks. Obviously the Dioniso project will need to stay in the garage until Spring. Luckily our customer also lives in a seasonal environment overseas, so the urgency to ship has passed.

Most of the issues that required sorting in October have been resolved. Now it’s only a matter of waiting for clear roads and sunshine so we can put enough test miles on the car to be comfortable shipping it out.

While it may take nine months to have a baby, it takes longer to give birth to a custom Pininfarina spider. We thought we were close about a month ago, but the special instrument panel is fighting us. Other elements are dragging on a bit too. We have taken our first ride in the car, but it still feels like it needs additional sorting.

Our main concern at this point is the impending winter in Chicago, which will make further testing difficult if not impossible. It all comes down to customer direction, and if Mr. Dioniso will allow the car to be driven with snow/salt on the roads. My guess is that we will take it as far as we can this Fall, and wait for significant road time in March or April when the chill of the air is gone and the salt trucks are parked until next season.

As with any project, customer excitement and anticipation are difficult to balance with the reality of working on an almost forty-year-old chassis. Marrying new design elements with old technology is always a challenge. Hard to tell a patient customer the cake isn’t ready to come out of the oven.

The Dionisio project, which began some eight months ago is now in its final stages. Only fine details and build tweaks remain. A productive visit from the Dionisio family at our Barrington facility last week was all that was necessary to finalize some key elements of the build. Wood for the custom dash along with special order gauges will make a definitive statement in the interior. Real Borrani wheels and a custom exterior graphic will complete the overall look.

We have created something very unique for Mr. Dioniso and his son that we are extremely proud of—meeting the family in person was a great moment. It was a chance for us to all share in the efforts made to build this stunning automobile. It makes a huge difference when we get to meet the end user. Knowing the work is appreciated really makes it all worthwhile.

In an unexpected development, a Series One Roadster Salon Lusso built originally in 2010, took fourth place at the International Falls Annual Car Show against a field of muscle car entries. “We entered the show on a lark. Our Lusso was one of only three foreign cars at the show, so we were really surprised at the attention it received, considering the audience. The top three cars were a 1972 Mustang, a 1969 Chevy Z28 Camaro and a 1917 Dodge Touring, so we were in nice company.” Most people had no idea what the car really was, and assumed it was a 1960’s Ferrari.

This particular Lusso was production number 02/50. Over the years, the owner has upgraded the car each winter, as Roadster has developed new technology. Currently the car has received most S2 upgrades including our second-generation rack/pinion steering system. Unlike some Lusso models that are show ponies, this example has logged the most miles of any Roadster Salon Lusso sold to date. During the relatively short Northern Minnesota driving season, the car is used vigorously on a daily basis.

I am amazed at how nice the car still looks. The fit and finish has really held up over the years and the reliability has been comparable to our newer cars at home. My wife is the main driver, and she really enjoys the curves with the top down. If it isn’t snowing, the Lusso is first out of our garage.