La Mia Vita con La Fee Verte

Benvenuti amici!

We, the CC5C, enjoy sharing life enthusiasm with others. Whether it is our latest modification, road/air excursion and/or famiglia cruise ~ we wish people as much fun as we are experiencing. This week we choose to share a snapshot, more accurately snapshots, of our FIAT 500 trek with you.

Although there is an end to this entry, our life travels continue to bring us to the beginning of the next… and the next… and the next... We hope you get a kick out of this peek into our family album.

We begin this photographic trip at our first FIAT rental (a bianco 500 Pop w/nero interior). Enterprise rental offered me a Chevy Aveo or  the other small economy car they had on-hand. No-brainer, yeah?

A 500 Pop like this was my first drive...

I knew of the little Italian, because a little bird alerted me when they began rolling out of factories in Europe. I read anything and everything I could about the new Cinquecento. There was plenty to be found about the European model, but the North American version was just too new here. 

It seemed every article was more focused on how ill-suited the reviewers thought it to the USAmerican market than the build & design quality. I was left with little choice other than relying on safety scores, price point comparisons and European reviews.

Roughly a month or two later it was absolutely decided in my mind. If I could swing the payments and find a color combination with which I could live for some time, I would drive home in a FIAT. I asked a gear head buddy to kick tires & test drive with me. I had to make sure it was solid in comparison to others in its class.

Well, it did far more than measure up to the other options. It pulled on my heart strings. As much as I put on airs, I knew I was hooked when I laid eyes on this Pretty Green Pop w/tri-color interior. The avorio wheel worried me a bit, I must admit, but not enough to steer my decision in another direction. I would drive away with La Fee Verte.

… First photo (note the brick)...

… MODern Art on Wheels...

I must say, as an lifelong artist, I find Italian small cars to be some of the most photogenic machines on the road. The 500 is, at once, a study in Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Minimalism and Pop Art. Come to think of it, there is also a bit of Ukiyo-e and Chinese brush painting in its design ~ as much about what is not there as what is. Art imitates life.

… First 500 Miles…

We record many milestones; the first 500 miles, the first 1000 miles, the first 1500 miles, etc were recorded with photographs. Another interest we, well I, took up is customization. The first of which, for me, was the fog lights. I had to have them. But it didn't stop there.

… First Mod ~ Fog Lights…

 … And another ~ Shifter & Boot…

… And another ~ Hatch Pull Strap…

… First multi-FIAT Cruise…

I enjoy sharing the acquired knowledge of the 500 with others. I find the exchange of information very enriching. Knowledge is useless unless it is shared. One couple was so appreciative of this free exchange they invited us for friendship, a cruise and dinner. This experience would feed my imagination through the upcoming winter.

… First Winter…

… She handled the first snow storm…

… With plenty of personality…

… The missus feeds my inner geek…

… Knitted gift ~ FIAT afghan…

What does a Fiatista do through the cold, blistery winter months? Curse the use of salt, of course. That is until the first thaw ~ when keeping the little 'Cento clean (salt/slush-free) no longer feels like a futile exercise. If one is wise, one also uses that time to develop a healthy relationship with the people trusted to care for one's investment each time one drops it off for regular maintenance and… mods.

… First 12 months…

… LFV gets some B-day goodies too…

How did FIAT get a non-car guy to start collecting clothing and other tidbits to  publicly proclaim his affinity for the brand and, especially, the automaker's flagship model? Beats me. But my creative juices were flowing and, as is the case with most artists, I felt the need to share. Could it have been the cabin fever I caught during the long Wisconsin frost? Whatever it was, I created a club ID logo for a club which did not, yet, exist.

… Committing an idea to paper…

… From paper to LFV…

… To the People (1st Guidare e Gelato cruise)…

… To the City (2nd Guidare e Gelato)…

… Partners-in-Smile (3rd Guidare e Gelato)…

I enjoyed creating the first MKE FIAT life community logo so much I also created one inspired by the name of an online I sometimes visit. We are not certain whether we will also offer it as a vinyl window cling/badge, but we are fans of Euro-style grille badges ~ like the one I created for CC5C. In any case, this too is about sharing the fruits of life.

… One of 3 variations for FIAT 500 Owners...

… LFV becomes shinier over time…

… More miles & smiles to come…

We are still smiling and sharing our life passion with other FIAT life enthusiasts (online as well as in-person). La Fee Verte has afforded us the same thing her ancestors offered the Italians, Spaniards, Yugoslavians, Russians, Poles, Slovaks, Czechs, Greeks, Portuguese,  Francs, Brits, Dutch, Germans, other Europeans and Latin Americans before her. She provides us a sense of freedom to go where we want when we want… responsibly and economically… and that with a degree of style only she & her kind possesses. 

So, what's your story? Have you recorded it? How would it look? How would it read? "Spread your love like a fever…"

Vivere.Amare.Guidare.

Ciao!

@