How it all started

Sunday is defined as a day of rest and religious worship. Is falling in love with cars religious enough?

I've developed a weekly Sunday morning ritual where I end up going on a classic car drive to meet fellow car enthusiasts, enjoy a few words over some coffee whilst appreciating the cars that park around or pass by. This has evolved into something I look forward to from a Monday, and on the rainy winter days, well let's just say I won't be the happiest of people around. The good feeling of being around in this car community brings me pleasure and has made it something I look forward to every week.

How did the love for cars all start? I can't really say. I always remember my dad's convertible 1971 Triumph 13/60 in our garage, a honeymoon gift he purchased for himself (yes he's the real fanatic here) and I always replied with a firm "YES" when asked if I wanted to join him for a drive. The joy of riding in a classic car and smelling the scent of petroleum & classic leather never seems to get old.

I could say my love for classic cars originated from this Triumph, nicknamed Florence. I seem to name all our cars, so you can imagine how dear they are to us, as if they're one of our own kids, even though the majority of them have been around longer than we have ..

Naturally when I turned 18, I could not wait to start driving cars. It was not long before I bought my first classic car, and it was as if I unlocked a new level of freedom. I initially did not have a particular car in mind, but wanted to find something classic yet modern and stylish, and obviously with some decent power (rubber burning kind of power - my dad never approved this part). I had to do all this whilst sticking to my budget.. which wasn't much back when I was 21. I had spent months looking up cars and calling owners, also visited a few local cars around but it took me a while till I found the right one.

My first classic car happens to be a convertible 1986 C4 Corvette and it ticked all the right boxes. C4's happen to be underrated for the level of fun they bring and stylishness they had back in the 80's, with its digital dashboard reminiscing the Knight Rider series vibes, four tail lights which look amazing at night, and its sleek linear body.

The original cassette player came with the car in a box however I haven't bothered fitting it in as I enjoy the peacefulness driving around whilst hearing the rumble of the 5.7 ltr V8 and smooth gear shifts (yes it's an auto - I would have loved a stick). Some people find it weird getting pleasure by cruising around alone on a nice sunset evening - they have no idea what they're missing out!

ERBA' ROTI was created simply because I enjoy looking around for cars and capturing photos, just to look through them on my phone when I please. But it just made more sense sharing these photos with you likeminded car enthusiasts. So Erba' Roti is simply a means of looking through my lens whenever I drive around or stop for coffee and the perfect car happens to be around.