5 Years of 4C Club Switzerland

In 2014 Alfa Romeo wrote another piece of automotive history with the 4C.
And with the founding of the 4C Club Switzerland in 2015, we (Svetty, Marco and Ralf) have also contributed a little to this.

5 years 4C-Club-Switzerland – what an anniversary!
Actually, we wanted to celebrate it properly.
Actually, we had organized a big program for it.
Actually, this should be one of our annual highlights.

And suddenly Corona came. Soon things that we often take for granted no longer become self-evident. Priorities shift, because for all the love we have for our Bella’s – it is and remains a hobby, albeit a very emotional one. And so, we would at least like to pay tribute to the date of the 5th anniversary.

It all began in 2014

We were lucky to be able to pick up our Bella’s already in spring 2014. The fascination was there from the beginning. And so, they first met online in a 4C forum. But digital is not the same as personal. And so, the three met in September 2014 in beautiful late summer weather at the Hallwilersee. They liked the exchange and so a trip was organized. This time five more 4Cs from Switzerland joined them, and for one day in October 2014 they went through beautiful Switzerland.

Everywhere there were direct and above all very positive reactions to the 4C, a car that inspires people. In the end, the drive was the deciding factor, the idea for the 4C-Club-Switzerland was born. It was quite clear that it should not become a classic club with regulars› table and regular meetings. Right from the start we had a community in mind, which – matching the car – meets for high-quality events.

«If we do it right, it’ll be something big.

And in May 2015, the time had come: we founded the 4C Club Switzerland, the first 4C club worldwide. After our club homepage went live, the first registrations were received immediately. When the 3rd registration was received, Marco already suspected (we still have the mail in the archive): «I think, if we do everything well (rides, news, actions etc.) this could still become something big.

If we had known at that time how big it was, we might not have been able to believe it ourselves.

A lot has happened since the foundation

Our club members are now spread all over Switzerland. Despite the large age range of 22 to 74 years, they are united above all by their passion for the 4C. And although the 4C production was stopped, new people are still joining the club.

There are several reasons for this, ultimately it is due to the good – also international – reputation of the 4C-Club-Switzerland. This is no coincidence, because as a club we have been working since the beginning to share the passion for 4C with other people.

And so it is not surprising that we as the management board of the club have dedicated several thousand hours to the club, because in all our activities we strive for high standards. Be it via social media (Facebook), our website or our club film. To cultivate our network with other clubs and associations, dealers, collectors but also FCA Switzerland and International and of course and especially at our events.

For this purpose alone, we have chosen the way south through the Gotthard tunnel more than 80 times in order to make new contacts in Italy, to open doors for even more exciting events or simply to be on site at occasions.

Some highlights

Since the foundation of the club, we have organized more than 50 official club events, from museum visits to race tracks to trips through Europe lasting several days, most of them organized by us as board members and since 3 years now increasingly by the club members themselves.

As one of the first Alfa Clubs ever, we visited the birthplace of the 4C in the Maserati factory in Modena, where the chief designer of the 4C, Alessandro Maccolini, gave us a special guided tour.

We visited the Ferrari factory, took a look at the halls of Pagani and made a detour to the Panini Museum and last year we stopped by Dallara.

And we were the first club to pay a visit to the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team in Hinwil.

With the 4C-Club-Switzerland we organized the 4CPassionmeeting for the first time in 2017 in Böblingen. More than 200 different 4Cs from all over Europe travelled to this event. And by chance Dieter Zetsche (then CEO Daimler Benz AG) walked through the meeting and was impressed himself and wished for such an event for Mercedes as well.

In 2018 we brought the 4CPassionmeeting to Interlaken in Switzerland and set a new record, which we were able to beat again in 2019. 750 Alfa Romeos and over 1,600 visitors.

But it was often not only the big, special, and outwardly so great events that made the club what it is and kept us happy. No, it was the people we met again and again. Because that’s exactly what we were interested in from the beginning. To share with others the passion and passion for the Alfa Romeo brand and especially the 4C, and thus to experience something new together again and again.

Therefore we would like to use the 5 year old to thank all the people who have supported the club so far – either as a sponsor or as a partner.
But above all thanks belong to our members. Because without members no club, no events. Without your help, your support, none of this would have been possible.

We are confident that we will be able to celebrate the anniversary together with our members at a later date.

For us the 4C is already an icon in the history of Alfa Romeo. And we are happy that we have been able to contribute to this with our club over the last 5 years and we are looking forward to everything that is to come in the future!