Mainstream Mayhem!

Benvenuti amici!

You've read about and seen many CC5CM3 PSAs hyping the FIAT Club America national event -- here, on our Facebook page and in the threads created for my two favorite North American FIAT/ABARTH forums. There was the additional blog post to help push registration activity at FIAT 500 USA.com.

You may have come across the two articles that appeared on the FCA North America multi-media blog called Objects In The Mirror...

The twin articles, FIAT FreakOut Headed To Milwaukee and Advertising Goes Retro For FIAT FreakOut 2017, were written by Edward Cardenas and constructed from an email exchange between us. Cardenas contacted the national club leaders as part of the corporate annual backing of the epic FIAT Famiglia event and developed a keen interest in the "PSAs" created, by yours truly, as part of our guerrilla marketing campaign.

We were pleasantly surprised to be contacted during the first few days of FreakOut regarding the possibility of covering the Road America "anchor" event. That coverage surfaced as a cool short shout on Classic Cars.com. But William Hall was not the only journalist in attendance. Todd Lassa, of Automobile Magazine also got his FreakOn in his longterm FIAT 500X. His six-page article made an appearance in print (the December issue of the magazine) as well as online (link included above).

So, what's all the hype about? Why do people pour so much energy into promoting this 34 years and going strong event?

My past years as a small press publisher of "underground" comics tell me it's due, in large part, to something we feel as "La Cosa Nostra" or "Our Thing". Is this meant to be some sort of play on words tying FIAT and ABARTH fans to the Sicilian mafia? No. It's more a comparison to that feeling we get when we discover something understood to few and misunderstood by the vast amount of others.

The FIAT and ABARTH brands have never quite planted their wheels on North American roads despite the fact the brands enjoy a rabid fanbase in South America and, of course, Europe. So, monthly local or annual national events around those brands raise a few eyebrows. To our delight... some of the raised eyebrows, in 2017, belonged to those in mainstream media. This is the highest profile hype the club has experienced.

Could this mark the elevation (and evolution), of FIAT and ABARTH marques, from mere unsung underground to ultra mainstream marketshare on our shores? Only time can tell but it seems as though the likelihood of such a thing is more pipe dream than possibility.

FIAT and ABARTH will likely always belong to the true believers. That stated... It's nice to see some positive press in a six-page spread of a major domestic magazine. We embrace it and aim to capitalize on it with a more aggressive approach to promoting (local, national) clubs and events via consistent and entertaining online presence.

Vivere.Amare.Guidare.

Ciao!

@

FreakOut In The Rearview

Benvenuti amici!

Anyone following the CC5C Facebook page and this blog is aware I've been working with a team of local club members, a "planning committee", to organize a national FIAT aficionado convention. This blog entry captures some of the automobiles trailered and/or driven to Milwaukee and the activities attendees took part in. Consider this your reward for putting up with all the "hype" entries published since August 2016. Also, this is a THANK YOU to the local committee, the Board of Directors, FCA North America and our long list of sponsors.

Now, one of my favorite things to do at any car event... small or large... is to hang around waiting to see what will show up. The hanging out happens in the parking during an FIAT FreakOut (FFO). Wednesday & early Thursday I took advantage of less crowding around the arrivals in order to get the cleanest shots possible. This helped build up my excitement for the of activities.

Quiet time with Nonna.

Eurocompulsion Represent!

Pep : Adding Global Depth

From Yugoslavia with Love!

Activities. Yes, let's spend some time covering FFO activities. We staged the inaugural FIAT GeoDash Thursday. (It played the "Normale" alternative to the backroads trip to the ultra-popular "Sportivo" Holy Hill & the WI Auto Museum run.) Think "The Amazing Race" in FIATs and ABARTHs. It seemed Duane Hand, the activity point person, had just as much or more fun than the participants. We thought this was a deeper way of getting to know our city. Why bother hosting an event in a particular place if no one gets to experience said place on their own terms? Am I right?

I'll remind you we divided the entire week of events into "Normale", low-key and family-oriented, and "Sportivo", high-speed and gearhead-oriented, activities. I always thought all FeakOuts should be organized in this way. Thanks to Duane Hand, Joe Noto, the Reiners family and Willie Carter (the unsung heroes of FFO2017) for adding their ideas and/or hard work to the mix.

An Industrial Tribute : Allen Bradley

Victorian Gothic : Cream City

Style : Milwaukee Art Museum

We also managed to secure track time on the legendary Road America race track - "Sportivo" alternative to the "Normale" Pizza Bus Tour. Both happened Friday. It began to rain lightly as we exited the Milwaukee Metro Area, but that did not stop the group of over 70 cars from making the trek to Elkhart Lake, enjoying the final [vintage car race] practice sessions and purchasing mementos from the paddock shops & kiosks. 'Not many images to share for this activity... we were too busy having fun. But I'm sure there will be many images & video clips posted online in the coming weeks. Thanks to Tyler Whitty and Mark Beckmann for their help making this "anchor event" a roaring success.

500 Topolino Leads FIAT Future!

The week of fun was punctuated with the most richly diverse show field in FFO history staged [Saturday] at a the Mitchell Park "Domes". The overcast skies helped keep most of the day very comfortable. 'No rain for the first time in 3-4 years. The sun burned through said cloudy skies during the final hour or so of the event. I consider it a sign we did good.

Spectators came in from outside the national club and they were certainly welcomed to do so. What use is a Concorso if only the owners/drivers get to enjoy? Most FFO activities are strictly members-only. This is the one portion the general public can enjoy. That general public represents future FIATisti and ABARTHisti. That general public is whom we & FCA-North America need to win via the ultra coolness of our cars. It should be our expressed mission to include and court our non-FIAT driving neighbors. And, so, we did.

Sombrita at The Domes

Dolce : Grant's 500 Lounge

Check...

This...

Out!

Beautiful Back Row!

Coupes + Spiders

500s, 124s + X1/9s

IT, MX, PL, YU + RU

Born In Different Countries...

... All Bound with the Same Soul

500X, 500L and Alfa Romeo

Coach Building Relatives

Local Eastern Block represent!

Grilles for Days...

Return of the Spiders!

3/4 Generations of 500 attended!

Local FIAT racing heritage!

ABARTH 750 Zagato!

Local Delta Love!

The perennial Awards Banquet happened later Saturday night and a Sunday Brunch and raffle followed (not pictured). Well, the convention, called FIAT FreakOut, is in the history books and attendees are on the road or already home. Submitting an itinerary proposal, enlisting a willing planning committee, reworking and refining the plan over the course of nearly two years, gaining the confidence/support of the Board of Directors and running around throughout the week was quite the adventure. On behalf of my team, thanks to all the sponsors as well as the event volunteers for partnering with us and the national club to put on the best FreakOut in recent memory. This leaves us with one more, and quite possibly the most, important activity of all.

Think about what you can... or are willing... to do in your area to support our greater FIAT community. Maybe your area doesn't have the numbers to sustain a chapter of one of the two larger clubs, but you consistently roll with a smaller number of passionate owners/drivers. Consider pooling your collective talents and sharing your adventures online. FIAT wants & needs to hear/read about the new breed of enthusiasts and that our numbers are growing. This creates a more [fiscally] relevant balance to the equally [to us] relevant old breed.

Finally, CC5C and Mighty Mouse Militia (M3), phonetically stylized MYT MAUS Militia, are entering a new era. You read about the early beginnings of CC5C on this very blog. You also read about the expanded MYT MAUS MILITIA (M3) idea. I modified the CC5C and M3 logos in order to mark the new era and recognize the global mission of FIAT as well as the multinational (Austria, Italy, Slovenia) roots of ABARTH. The Italian tricolor is, now, replaced with a racing-inspired checkered pattern to match the stylized racing wreath. You many have taken note of the change months ago - the CC5C blog icon/avatar. The ABARTH & GIANNINI versions of the M3 logo may continue to bear the Italian colors, but the RECORD version, along with the CC5C logo, will no longer bear them.

Individuals who purchased the first (and extremely limited) MYT MAUS MILITIA BE ABOUT THE LEGEND t-shirt are already sporting the new look. The idea came to me after our November 2016 event with "Pep Zastava". The missus has asked me to design a more global logo for some time. Modifying the existing logos made more sense. You will find, in addition to these aesthetic changes, I will continue to write stories about non-Italian FIATs as M3 mayhem continues to claim more parking space in the local and national scene/s.

Vivere.Amare.Guidare.

Ciao!

@

Miniature Motoring Mayhem!

Benvenuti amici!

This is the season the CC5C Planning Committee sits down to decide on the events for the coming year. We break our events up into Normale (laid-back, people-centric) and Sportivo (full-on, car-centric) activities. This is keeping in the tradition of FIAT model trims and informs attendees of what they can expect when they join us.

But 2016 isn't over yet and [MKE] local members dream up reasons to hang out all the time. Park your FIAT during the winter months? No worries... you may end up hosting a visit from the club. Check out what we have planned. We trust it may inspire you to get out there and have some multi-FIAT fun of your own!

NOVEMBER [2016]
Pep's Cars + Coffee [500] Club
Pep Zastava w/CC5C
Road Class - Normale
CC5C welcomes our first vintage Zastava (Yugoslav-Serbian licensed & built FIAT) to the fold. Pep's 750 is the mechanical ancestor of the modern FIAT 500, FIAT 500L (also built in Serbia) and FIAT 500X. This is an informal morning hang-out session... conversation over coffee and donuts. We'll add a photo session to the mix if weather permits.

MARCH

Diminutive Drive

CC5C

Road Class - Sportivo

We're cruising into the new year. This is the first of our 2017 Cars & Coffee Club meetings. When we last met we were hosted by Pep Zastava and Valenti Classics. This time we'll meet at Colectivo Coffee (Milwaukee's Lakefront - 1701 North Lincoln Memorial Drive). Catch up with you fellow [local] ABARTHisti & FIATisti. More details will be communicated, via our Facebook page, as plans develop.

APRIL

Cabin Fever Cruise [Lakeshore]

Duane Hand

Road Class - Normale

This year we're combining the Cabin Fever and Spring Thaw Cruise events and dubbing it the Cabin Fever Cruise. Join us on this leisurely cruise along the Wisconsin stretch of The Great Lake. 'North or South is anyone's guess. One can only be certain by joining CC5Cruise Captain Duane!

MAY

The Kane Classic

Sean Kane

Road Class - Sportivo

CC5Cruise Captain, Sean, is taking over our May event. He's driving the FIAT train West, to Oconomowoc a/k/a A Special Place, for 2017. Anyone who's had the pleasure of joining other Kane-led back road romps knows this is going to be as much a blast as the area is special... Get in There!

JUNE

FIATs & FLICKs

Duane Hand w/Amacento

Road Class - Normale

Formerly dubbed the simply More cruise, in honor of the 2010-2012 FIAT USA ad campaign, this has quickly become a club favorite. This Hand-led fun cruise to the Hwy 18 Drive-In (outside theater) is family friendly.

JULY

FIAT FreakOut 2017 [MKE WI]

FIAT Club America w/CC5C

Road Class - Normale, Sportivo
Twenty-seventeen marks the first time Wisconsin will host the FIAT Club America event. This is quite an honor as the [inter]national FIAT convention has a longstanding reputation of bringing Italian car aficionados together.

"From all over North America... and often from overseas... hundreds of Italian car lovers drive, trailer, and fly to converge at a chosen destination, usually rich in history and culture, to play! We unite in the spirit of friendship to celebrate the unique automobiles that reside under the umbrella of the FIAT marque including ABARTH, Alfa Romeo, FIAT, Lancia and more!" - FIAT Club America

AUGUST

Italian Cars & Motorcycle Show [ICAMS]

Reina Int'l Auto & Moto

Road Class - Normale

Reina Int'l Auto & Moto is a true friend to the Milwaukee Metro automotive world and the organization is a true friend to CC5C. Each year we join their longstanding celebration of Italian Cars & Motorcycle Show. This is event is family friendly.

SEPTEMBER

Motoring Mayhem

Joe Noto & Willie Carter w/CC5C

Road Class - Sportivo

This is a first time "official" event for CC5C. The genesis of this event is our semi-annual Road America visit. The event will honor Wisconsin's famed Motorsport heritage with annual visits to strips like; Great Lakes Dragaway, The Milwaukee Mile, Road America & Slinger Speedway. Joe & Willie want you to join them on this special tour.

OCTOBER

FIAT Fall Tour

Sean Kane w/Amacento

Road Class - Normale

This event was formerly dubbed FIATs Feast Farewell. It marks the end of the social driving/touring season. CC5C celebrates another successful year of FIAT fandom with a Kane-led backroad tour and a family-style sit down dinner. Keep up with CC5C via our Facebook page. Get involved with local & national clubs today!

Vivere.Amare.Guidare.

Ciao!

@

Cream City FreakOut!

Benvenuti amici!

When John & Lapo Elkann, Roberto Giolito and Sergio Marchionne reintroduced the Nuova 500 they could not have imagined the splash it would make… or the fevered passion their joint Labor of Love would inspire. The latest generation of the greatest runabout on the planet splashed on to North American shores in 2011 (earlier for Mexico) and the lives of people across Canada, Mexico & the US have never been the same since then.

Although FIAT America & FIAT Club America have been around for decades, the clubs weathered the vast majority of their fevered fan years without new model introductions. The 2011 relaunch of the brand, here, inspired a generation of enthusiasts, and venerated both [inter]national clubs with a spike in new membership.

While FIAT America holds club meetings, as well as other Race-Rally-Tour activities, throughout the year, FIAT Club America is made up of smaller "local chapters" sprinkled throughout the US and Canada and meets en masse once a year. The FIAT Club America gathering is called FIAT FreakOut (FFO). Cream City Cinquecento Club (CC5C) members have attended FFO since the 2014 Chicagoland Area gathering. Twenty-sixteen is the first year we attended as a chapter of FIAT Club America.

FFO2016 was held in Auburn Hills: Home of the FIAT Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Headquarters. The Detroit Area happening included activities like a visit to the breathtaking W.P. Chrysler Auto Museum. The museum is located on the FCA campus and offers an explanation as to why FIAT S.p.A. chose to save Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram (CDJR) from certain industry death. The museum also offers a solid argument for CDJR fitting perfectly into the FIAT Famiglia. But I digress.

[fellow]SHIP at Auburn Hills foto by Milacento

"From [126]Poland, with Love"

[be]LIEVER at Chrysler Museum foto by Milacento

The primary reason FIAT Club America-FFO exists and functions is the cold hard fact FIATisti/FIATeros and ABARTHisti/ABARTHeros love their runabouts. Give them a decent reason to gather in numbers and they are "all in". Whether  attending aficionados own a vintage (original, restored or replica) or a contemporary (stock, modified or replica) Alfa Romeo, FIAT, Lancia and/or Maserati matters not. It's the soul of a human being who appreciates the Latin flair of Italian automobiles that keeps FFO going.

"Going" is one thing Italian cars... and the people who drive them... do better than any other. So, every year the organizers (the smaller local host city clubs) of FFO include at least one group cruise in the itinerary. In fact, at least one cruise is a requisite to gaining board approval. These cruises can come in the form of a traditional "Poker Run", a backroads romp or impromptu procession down a legendary boulevard or avenue. FFO2016 took enthusiasts to the legendary Woodward Avenue. The sights, sounds & smells on "The Ave" are indescribable. Take a spin and one "feels" what Motor City is all about.

FIAT Freaks and their DRAG[centos] foto by Milacento

The Ave: WOODWARD[cruise]

The Ave: WOODWARD[cruise]

The next "must-do" at FFO is The Concorso.

Rain or shine... "The Show Must Go On." Although there are [later] prizes and trophies associated with a Concorso, the true pleasure is in experiencing the soul of the driver permeating through the metal, carbon fiber, rubber, plastic, leather, cloth, circuits, wires and/or petroleum of the vehicles. Study the factory details and/or personal touches of a given vehicle and one can learn a lot about the pilot of said vehicle. FFO2016 was well attended, but partnering with the local "Italian Happening" event and the larger Concourse helped up the ante.

2016: FreakOut or BUST

Italian Happening & FFO Concorso 2016

The Cult of the Scorpion - Concorso 2016

FIAT FreakOut is not a spectator sport...

One of these things is not like the others...

My pick for Winner of the "Bead" Award

Italian Happening-FFO Concorso Ferrari!

"All work and no play" would make life a bore

Rally. Beast. Mode.

"DRAGO" the Lancia

The Legend that is STRATOS

The Awards Banquet happens the evening of the Concorso. Dinner and a high ranking FCA speaker play a big part of the FFO experience. An awards ceremony happens after drinks, fine dining and the corporate presentation.

Entrants are given ballots at the Concorso. Some of the award categories make their way into the ceremony each year, but there is plenty of room for creativity and growth... a reflection of the evolution of FIAT Club America. The 2016 awards were good to CC5C. Mister Reiners, Sean Kane, Bryan Reiners and Duane Hand each drove home with a plaque. Joe Noto & I, pictured below to the reader's right, did not enter our cars in the Concorso.

The men of "La Famiglia" foto by Milacento

CC5C + FFO16 Awards foto by Milacento

"Preaching" P3 for FFO17 foto by Milacento

The final event of any given FFO is the announcement of the host city for the following year. Cream City a/k/a Milwaukee Wisconsin is the chosen home of FIAT FreakOut 2017. Sworn to secrecy until the BOD officially announced their selection, the CC5C planning committee has been biting our collective tongue for nearly a year.

The idea of taking on such a daunting task came about when Bryan & Pat Reiners asked me whether or not I would consider organizing a national event in Milwaukee Wisconsin. Anyone frequenting this blog and the sister Facebook page knows I already keep myself plenty busy. I sharply communicated a condition in my response... I needed enough local volunteers for all phases. Bryan Reiners, Duane Hand, Joe Noto and Pat Reiners immediately pledged their commitment. So, I began putting together a tentative "pitch" for the FIAT Club America Board of Directors (BOD) to consider and fired off an "email of intent".

The BOD... especially Tim Beeble... gave the blessing to fine-tune my pitch and I established monthly meetings with Bryan, Duane, Joe, Pat, Sean Kane and Willie Carter. Kevin Dwyer & Mark Friedel also offered their assistance in planning routes and contacting other groups/clubs to enhance our plan. I am unable to adequately express my gratitude to local club members. No one person (regardless of individual talent and passion) does anything worth mentioning driving solo. It takes an equally committed team that is firmly rooted in a solid work ethic and unified in positivity. CC5C has that in spades. But we could always use more help. Volunteers can contact me via Private Message on Facebook, email or in-person at a local event.

Mark your calendar/s for 19-23 July...

Vivere.Amare.Guidare.

Ciao!

@