Benvenuti amici!
Not long ago I announced, in a blog entry and on the CC5C FB page, my choice of membership with FIAT Club America. The organization started many years ago... as a pen pal group, founded by Santo Bimbo, once called FIAT Club of America and [later] FIAT Lancia Unlimited. It has grown quite a bit since then and enjoys the distinction of bending the ear of the Italian automaker in North America. My interest in the organization has nothing to do with their status, though. There are three specific things, about FCA, that I find intriguing.
1) People & the FIATs they drive
One thing I've learned over the time I have lived with La Fee Verte is I get a kick out of seeing other people as happy & excited about FIATs as I am. I read about it, hear about it and/or see it and I swear I feel greater excitement than imaginable. In fact, the feeling has been so strong and so often I have given serious thought to leaving my current career path to secure a future working at FIAT USA in one capacity or another.
As a pragmatic and fiscally conservative person, I have thus far been unable to simply leave a paying job to pursue my passion. So, with the support of the loving missus, I founded the CC5C, established this blog & launched the CC5C Facebook page. I have no idea whether, or for how long, these three activities with stave off my desire to add my talents to the pool of deft skill at the parent to the little mouse, but I know seeing the smiles on the faces of the famiglia is doing my soul lots of good!
2) FIAT FreakOut
2013 FIAT FreakOut
Since 1983, North American FIAT aficionados (mostly focused on FIAT's working class sports cars) have met on the East Coast to celebrate the cars they love with other people sharing their passion.
I have been aware of FIAT -- primarily by the 1957 500, the FIAT 124 Spider, the FIAT 128 & Alfa Romeo Spiders -- since my teens & tweens. I always thought them some exotic car I could never dream of owning. Although the jury is still out on the Alfa, it turns out FIATs are nothing if not affordable cars. In fact, as my studies of the automaker have taught me, FIAT is the original 'by the people, for the people' car brand.
While post-purchase researching my first Italian city car, I came across the FCA website. I delighted in the idea of one day joining other owners of what I always thought were examples of MODern Art on Wheels. Alas, it appeared I would need to make the voyage to my favorite coast to make that a reality. It will be some time before I will have the heart to put those kinds of miles on my Pretty Green Pop. Enter the 2014 FIAT FreakOut. Yes! Finally! July 10-13, FCA will let their freak flag fly in the Chicagoland area.
With the CC5C seed growing roots, my goal is to be part of a 10 or more FIAT caravan representing our little club at the summer extravaganza!
3) Ricambi magazine
As a bit of an obsessive person, I like to be able to read as much about what interests me as I am able. As a former small press publisher of comic books, I am a huge fan of printed special interest periodicals. This combination can be tricky, if one happens to be a North American fan of FIAT.
It seems every brand and car enthusiast, save FIAT & FIATisti, has a fan magazine on the racks. By now, you can imagine how frustrating a visit to the nearest magazine vendor must be for me. I am left with turning the pages of various car rags in hopes of finding an advert or lame 'don't care about Italian design' review of 500s and 500Ls.
Fortunately, included in the annual membership fee with FIAT Club America is a 6-issue Ricambi magazine subscription. The bi-monthly publication includes articles about former FreakOuts & other get-togethers, affectionate recollections about beautiful, little Italian machines and a slew of other point-of-interest editorials. At a mere $35 for the annual FIAT Club America fee, the price tag is clearly competitive with many mass-produced hobbyist publications.
I trust you found this entry as engaging and informative as past scribblings and I hope, if you are active/interested in being active in local CC5C gatherings, you will consider joining us in representing our group at the FreakOut next year. Cute little caravans are cool!
Vivere.Amare.Guidare.
Ciao!
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