Being About The Legend

Benvenuti amici!

I am back with you following my semi-retirement from Car Culture Lifestyle blogging and my formal retirement from leading the local FIAT-ABARTH club I founded in 2013. The reason for my reprisal... unfortunately... is a very sad one.

Sergio Marchionne, the famed and (quite frankly) one of the greatest automaker CEOs of all-time fell ill last week. It was reported he underwent invasive surgery last month and his grave illness was connected to his body's reaction to it. I could go into further detail, but you have no doubt already read the multitude of reports that surfaced since last Thursday. He passed into the next today.

I am a creative realist. People like this man tend to become my life heroes.

The motivation behind what will be my final e-publication to this blog is simple... I want to honor the man responsible for saving the ABARTH, Chrysler, Dodge and FIAT brands. I want to honor the man who made Jeep & RAM brands more relevant than ever before. I want to honor the man responsible for relaunching Alfa Romeo in true Alfa style... "Italians know how to build great cars." I want to honor the man responsible for reviving Maserati from the doldrums to which the brand was stuck for some time. I want to honor the man who lit fire under the arse of Scuderia Ferrari... "A Ferrari that does not win is not a Ferrari." I want to honor the man who, only last month, announced FCA would report out completely debt-free profit by the end of this month... July 2018. I want to honor the man responsible for the livelihoods of over two hundred thousand people around the world. What have we done in the past 14 years? And I'm certain I'm only scratching the surface of his brilliant legacy.

Don Sergio Marchionne was much more than a "fix-it" man. He was fearless. He was creative. He was visionary. He was an apparent man of his word... He made public oaths to reopen plants around Italy as well as the rest of the countries in which FCA is active and he methodically worked hard toward making good on said oaths. He was a loving father.

Many news outlets falsely and ignorantly claimed FCA "replaced" Sr. Sergio with a new CEO. No one can take the place of Our Honorable Departed. I cannot say how FCA and Ferrari will look and/or operate without Don Marchionne in their respective orbits. But I can say... beyond a shadow of a doubt... the automobile industry will never look quite the same. So, please, rev your engines with purpose today. We all, FIATisti-ABARTHisti and all petrolheads alike, owe this great HUMAN BEING at least that much. 'A small way this great leader of the modern automobile industry + classic working class hero will LIVE FOREVER...

Vivere. Amare. Guidare.

MILITIA-OUS INTENT!

Benvenuti Amici!

Every few months we feature owner experiences. It's become something of a tradition to "capture" the experiences of the well-traveled, the adventurous, the passionate. and the inspired. Sometimes the owners find themselves inspired enough to start businesses and, in doing so, inspire other drivers. Sometimes the owners find themselves inspired enough to seek adventures beyond their daily driving experience. This blog entry is meant to pack all of these FIAT life experiences in one tidy holiday package... just for you.

I recently spent some e-time with FIAT500USA regular, Robert Nixon. Robert Nixon (RN). Nixon, among many other things, is a fellow blogger. He and Brian Nixon publish Nixon Motor Sports, a blog they use to share their burning passion for petrol-driven competition.

Team Nixon Motor Sports

CC5C: Model?

RN: I ordered by FIAT 500 Abarth in 2012, and took delivery in September of that year. This is a 2013 model.

CC5C: How are you involved with your local and/or the greater FIAT/ABARTH community?

RN: My main involvement with FIAT is as a moderator on the FIAT500USA forum. I like to attend car shows, local Cars and Coffee events, and try to keep up with the auto industry a little bit. 

CC5C: Why FIAT/ABARTH? What is the primary use of your car?

RN: My Abarth is my daily driver, so I’ve been very happy with it for over 59,000 miles so far. I was attracted to the Italian heritage of the company, and figured that I couldn’t afford a new Ferrari or Maserati, so the return of FIAT to the US got my attention! After test driving the regular 500 and the Abarth, I voted with my gas pedal foot and went for the Abarth. 

CC5C: How long have you tracked your FIAT/ABARTH? What competitions do you take part in?

RN: With the Abarth I started to autocross in 2013, and it’s been a great way to have fun, meet more car fans, and also learn a lot more about my car in general. Thanks to my job I’ve had to move a few times, so I’ve competed at events sponsored by various Sports Car Club of America and other clubs in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. Earlier this year I drove the Abarth on track at a two-day National Auto Sport Association (NASA) event with an instructor, and that was really fun.

Proof Positive Daily Drivers Can Be Fun

CC5C: Wow! So, you actually track your daily driver?! I think that's an important point for people interested in the brand(s) but uncertain about reliability. Can you speak to that?

RN: The beefier stock suspension on the Abarth enables it to hold up fine on a track day. It’s not going to be a NASCAR or Indy car experience, but it is a ton of fun to drive non-competitive track events. Other great car experiences I’ve had in the FIAT are charity events where you can get on track for a short stint just by donating a toy or money to a charity. Not a race or anything, but I’ve enjoyed at least a few laps at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Darlington, Martinsville, and Virginia International Raceway (VIR) and always had fun doing it for a good cause. 

CC5C: And is tracking a daily driver common? Do you see that a lot? Is there anything else you'd like to add to this point?

RN: I’d estimate that tracking your daily driver is common, but that at some point if you really get into track events with SCCA, NASA, or other groups that you’ll want a dedicated track car. To go with all the racing required safety gear (seat, harness, roll cage, etc.) is a big step up from just doing a high performance driver event with just a helmet and regular seat belts.

CC5C: How have you placed? How has your FIAT/ABARTH held up under the intensity of competition?

RN: At the local event level I think the Abarth is competitive in the SCCA H Street class this year, but it’s not seen much at the big national level events. With fewer drivers at local events I’ve won my class for the past three years, but the main thing for me is having fun driving! The Abarth has held up in great condition to a regular diet of autocross, and like any other car if you compete with it you’ll want to have better tires. I’ve got a second set of wheels and tires for autocross events. Other than regular maintenance of oil changes, spark plugs, and checking fluid levels, I replaced the brake pads this year so that I’d have plenty of pad for the track event. Even then, after four years of autocross, the stock brake pads were performing fine, although the fronts were due to be changed, the rear pads had plenty of life left. In other words, the stock Abarth can take whatever you throw at it!

Stickers Add 10hp to Every Abarth

CC5C: The last bit of your answer brings a new question to mind. How much of your ABARTH 500 is still stock?

RN: Most of the car is stock, I’ve only upgraded the brake pads (still using original rotors), wheels and tires, new slightly larger rear bar, and replaced the stock air filter with a K&N. I have some Koni yellow sport shocks to install for next year, and I might also add lowering springs to lower the center of gravity too.

CC5C: And what kinds of reactions have you received/witnessed from drivers of other makes?

RN: I think most other drivers love seeing the Abarth, as well as hearing it! The exhaust is designed with no muffler so it was designed by FIAT to have a nice sound! To me the sound makes me feel like I’m a 16-year-old all over again, even though I’m way past that age!

CC5C: 'Anything else you'd like to share with our readers?

RN: There are all kinds of driving opportunities out there, so I recommend checking out the race track websites, and find out what your local car club is doing, whether it’s FIAT, Porsche, BMW, Corvette, Mustang, etc.

All Weather + All Wicked

I want to thank Nixon Motor Sports and Robert Nixon for sharing their FIAT-ABARTH life experience via the CC5C blog. This entry serves as my final e-publication for a while. It's been an honor serving the global FIAT and ABARTH community, in this way, since mid-2013. Be sure to check out the Nixon Motor Sports blog to read their exploits and inspire adventures of your own!

Vivere.Amare.Guidare.

Ciao!

@

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!

@

Where The FIAT Freaks Are

Benvenuti amici!

I shared my top five sources for FIAT news and communicating with other ABARTHisti and FIATisti in this 2014 blog story. My news sources vary from time to time, but the places I go to obtain and share info about ABARTHs and FIATs remains the FIAT 500 USA and FIAT Tech forums. The members of these forums, including people hailing from the Americas to Asia and Europe, frequent to learn about their cars and share what they learn about their cars. Both forums host separate sections for leading North American aftermarket vendors as well as local and national clubs. These online community destinations, and their value, are the focus of this September 2017 blog entry.

FIAT500USA Events & Club Section

FIAT Tech Events & Club Section

Perhaps one of the most difficult things about being a fan of a little known and/or little respected automaker and brand is figuring out how to get/stay in contact with likeminded fans. One would need to write/travel to other parts of the country or world to do such a thing in years past... as chronicled in this October 2013 blog. We are (arguably) fortunate enough to live in a day and age when the need to go to such lengths -- to share enthusiasm, experiences and information -- is no longer necessary.

FIAT 500 USA and FIAT Tech, as well as similar forums, transport enthusiasts from one side of town, region and continent/s to another with a simple point and click. No stamps or passports are needed to get it done. But the doing does take some measure of desire and effort from forum visitors.

The very first thing one needs to do, provided the individual already owns a computer and has internet access, is register on either or both sites. Visit the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and "Forum Rules" sections to avoid making "newbie" mistakes. Then, "hover" or "troll" other sections and threads to settle into the purpose and vibe of the forum/s. It won't take long before you feel the urge to add to the e-conversation and get further involved with the online environment that is driving fandom at the moment and into the future. I recommend 1 hour 2-3 days a week to get the most out of your forum activity. It truly is that simple to get started and stay connected. My personal experience and communication with other ABARTH and FIAT fans is this kind of contact is especially important in parts of the country that are more isolated and/or devoid of solid Italian car culture activity.

FIAT500USA Forum Homepage

FIAT Tech Forum Homepage

Visits to these forums exploit an added benefit, for fledgling local and established national clubs, to secure more exposure that is required in order to maintain/build interest between monthly meets and annual events. It cannot be denied. Reposting links and images to one Facebook page from another Facebook page is great but in no way comes close to achieving what personal interaction at a regular meet and/or through forum activity guarantees. The best way to justify the time required to attend monthly local club outings is to plan and attend those meets. The best way to justify annual national club dues is to... well... justify those dues by exhibiting value through community member-focused action. Smaller, local clubs seem to capitalize on this the best, but FIAT Club America also has its own section at FIAT500USA. The national clubs need the help of their respective boards, members and officers.

I encourage you to take action if you read value in what I've written here.

• Establish new and attend existing local enthusiast meets
• Register and Post to the ABARTH & FIAT forums
• Check out/Like some Facebook pages
• Read and/or write a FIAT blog

The success of the brand truly resides in your hands. Join the movement today!

Vivere.Amare.Guidare.

Ciao!

@

CC5CM3 PSAs : Revisted

Benvenuti amici!

You'll recall we highlighted our own "CC5CM3 PSAs" early 2016. We continue to present our homegrown FIAT-related ideas in this way. These ideas... these "Public Service Announcements (PSAs)"... are meant to serve the greater FIAT community in a way that both inspires & emboldens somewhat isolated enthusiasts to mobilize, to gather and to invest time into building their own local and/or regional clubs. This, in turn, supports the efforts of the national and global FIAT communities... including the corporate entities.

Our efforts certainly have not been lost on FIAT Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). The  North American multimedia arm of the automaker featured a corporate blog story, highlighting our work, when we applied our brand of servitude to the 34th Annual FIAT FreakOut "guerrilla marketing" campaign. We are grateful the time put into these is catching on and trust we'll see more personal engagement, from other social motoring groups, in the coming months and years.

We haven't lost our sense of humor in this process... as the FIAT FreakOut PSA above clearly indicates. We realize, in an ever-changing global climate, FIATisti and ABARTHisti need a break away from the madness. So, we continue to throw in the occasional funny and/or cheeky PSAs for good measure.

It all, in the end, is about having as much fun as possible. Feel free to visit the CC5C Pinterest page often. Pin and Share our PSAs, inspire other enthusiasts around you, and get involved with your local, regional, national and global communities today. Don't worry if your local/regional enthusiasts are driving models and makes other than the 500 and FIAT. We added other beloved models (124/125, 126, 127/128, 600, 850, Panda, Punto, etc.) and FIAT-licensed marques, including; AutoVAZ/Lada, Polski FIAT, SEAT, Steyr-Puch, Zastava/YUGO, etc. to our online portfolio. Take it a step further and open your own cyber gallery. Share your images to our Facebook page. We dare you!

Vivere.Amare.Guidare.

Ciao!

@

Meet CC5C: Grant Stanfield

Benvenuti amici!

We're back with a new introduction to a CC5C member, Grant Stanfield. Grant is what I'd characterize as a dyed in the wool FIAT guy... and Italian car aficionado in the truest sense. This introduction will be a little different. Your introduction to this passionate CC5C fixture comes in the form of a mini-review of the Cinquecento family. But, first, a little more on the pilot of "Bambino Rosso".

You'll likely smile when first meeting Grant & his 500 Lounge. Grant is a warm and lively person and his ride reflects that aspect of his state of being. A bonnet spear, luggage rack and just the right amount of stickers & badges adorn his road buddy. It's impossible to imagine being anything but happy when in the company of the pair. You can look forward to meeting them on the road later. Let's move on to his mini-review (for now).

I had the privilege of driving two more members of "Famiglia Cinquecento" in recent weeks; the 500X and the 500L. The silver 500X Pop AWD was a rental car I drove for 10 days - from Buffalo NY, through the Berkshires, to Newport RI, Cape Cod MA and back.

'Great little SUV; 'very responsive and secure handling in any weather at all speeds. But it lacked navigation, leather and the panoramic glass roof. 'Guess I'd spec mine out as a Lounge. That stated, I really loved spending a long vacation with the 500X.

I got a red & white 500L Lounge loaner, today, while my 500C was serviced (manual clutch recall - all better!).

'Also a pleasant vehicle... very spacious and comfortable. It lacked a Sport Mode (I looked everywhere for the button) and felt gutless... even with a turbo charger. 'Still no AWD option... so, my personal choice would be for the Italian-built 500X as the practical, fun all-weather daily driver.

'No dig on the Elle for being Serbian-built, by the way. I kept saying "Kragujevac!" to myself in the 500L... all the way from Kaukauna to Green Lake and back. It certainly is an interesting and solidly-built vehicle. But I was pleased to be in actual Italian SUV, the 500X, I can't afford the Alfa Romeo Stelvio or the Maserati Levante.

My next trip, in August, is a 10-day Grand Tour through Germany, Switzerland, France and Italy. Our focus will be on good food, wine and auto museums (maybe some factory tours).

Did I mention the rental car for that trip? A new Ferrari 488 Spider!

"Bambino Ross" and I will see you at FIAT FreakOut 2017!!

Vivere.Amare.Guidare.

Ciao!

@

Meet CC5Club

Benvenuti amici!

FIAT FreakOut 2017 is just around the corner. Over a year of preparation was poured into what the national club Vice President dubbed a "Once in a FreakOut" event. We thought now would be a good time for a brief introduction to some of the folks you'll meet when you arrive in Cream City.

Duane Hand: CC5Cruise Coordinator, 2017 FFO Planning Committee

Originally from upstate New York, Duane moved to Wisconsin in order to attend Beloit College. He married there and ended up staying in Wisconsin.Duane is a retired Army/Army Reserve veteran and is currently an X-ray Technologist. He bought his first FIAT 500, a giallo 2012 Sport, looking for something economical but fun... Something happened (he's not sure what is was) but now he's hopelessly hooked on FIATs! Duane traded that giallo 500S for a grigio 500 GQ.

Willie Carter: CC5C member, 2017 FFO Planning Committee

Willie bought his 1974 X1/9 eight years ago (sight unseen) for a whopping $800USD. 'Took a 1998 FIAT Punto block and had that built for the X motor. 'Modifications to have a complete unique car that fits his personality. 'Still a project with lots of work still going on. Before he got his X, he had a 1974 124 Spider that was a project... just to give him something to do in his spare time. That's what got him hooked on vintage Fiats. Now, besides his X, he has an '81 Spider 2000 project and a 2014 Fiat 500 Pop pulls duty as his daily driver.

Sean Kane: CC5Cruise Coordinator, 2017 FFO Planning Committee

I received my 1982 FIAT X1/9 from my late uncle, Damon Kane who passed away from ALS in August 2013. I took possession of my car back in September 2012 and have absolutely loved it ever since! I am a member of the FIAT Club of America Board of directors, Secretary of my daughters Parent Teacher Organization, co-own Commonwealth Mortgage Group, work in IT for my "regular job", blissfully married and the father of two beautiful little girls.

Owning my FIAT has introduced me to so many great people. I absolutely love the fact that the car provides you with a way to meet new people and explore new roads. I coordinate two drives each year.

Do you have a story to tell? Do you want to show off your FIAT? Send in your photo/s and your tale. We're happy to share them here.

See you sooner than later.

Vivere.Amare.Guidare.

Ciao!

@

Get Centered: West to the East

Benvenuti amici!

I published a modestly popular entry that "chronicled" our 2015 holidays to Slovenia, Italy and Austria. I sit down to write this entry in much of the same spirit. This time we visited Japan and Australia. We decided to tether them based on good old fashioned geography. The continents of Asia and Oceania readily checked off our collective bucket list in one tidy trip. This is a blog created by and written for FIAT aficionados. So, I seasoned both courses of my travel images with a couple dashes of 'Cento.

Asia holds a very special place in my heart as well as the heart of the missus (when the subject is Japan). So, Japan we chose to receive the lion's share of our time abroad. Arguably the best time to visit the island(s) nation is during the Sakura a/k/a Cherry Blossom season. It's a perfect time of year to reflect and get re-focused and/or centered. Thus, the title of this entry.

See the sights via foot, bicycle, taxi, bus and train if you ever choose to see Japan. Every method of transport offers a different perspective of this simple yet complex place. This trip marks my second time to this wonderful country. I also enjoy the benefit of having friends to visit there.

 Animation, Collectibles and Comics...

... Pop Culture is near sport in Japan

Sunshine, overcast skies or rain...

 ... Prepare to experience all in Japan

There is no shortage of places to blow your mind. Japan is a country that steps boldly into the future with one foot firmly planted in history. This theme has been chronicled in past blog entries about what helps make FIAT S.p.A. so special to me. A visit to the magical place cannot be reduced to the feeling of driving a FIAT for the first time, but the following summarization of what I believe to be true about the Japan Experience could also be used to describe my first drive in a small, economical Italian runabout  "There are two ways to come away from a visit to Japan; 1) you check it off your bucket list, or, 2) a piece of your heart forever remains in the Land of the Rising Sun."

A discovery during a trip to the countryside...

... Feeding massive Koi at a meditation pond...

... Hidden delights for the wandering eye...

... Not to be forgotten historic treasures...

 ... Famous cross-sections: Organized chaos...

... Find one's true place in the masses...

... Marvel at what man has wrought for fun...

... Set aside time for the so-called mundane...

 ... Urban carwash? Nothing is "just" in Nippon

 Check the plate on this Tokyo runabout

Next stop... the Land Down Under. I'm not sure any two countries can be as different as Australia is to Japan. The largest island nation in the world is very modern despite efforts to hold to their traditions and create an architectural historic register. That, in itself, is a stark difference to the effortlessness Japanese ability to marry their past with their present and future. Australians, in spite of their recent "service industry boom", are still in process of learning to be hosts to the world. The Japanese put blood, sweat and tears into the "art of servitude" on every level and the difference could not be bolder.

Aussies may not agree or appreciate me claiming as much, but I liken their landscapes, cityscapes and people to the country and people with whom I coexist in the USA. They're "cowpokes"... just as we are. Their history is stained with activities born of early British exploration. They struggle with grasping theirs is a nation of "immigrants" and what the fact means in the present day. Their cities and outback resemble our cities and deserts.

But they also have some of the coolest native creatures this side of Dr. Seuss. That is something 100% Aussie. Seeing and "interacting" with 'roos, koalas and wallabies... as well as breaking away from the city... is not to be missed. This was true for us and, I imagine, it is true for the majority of visitors to the largest land mass of Oceania.

Fast food is sweeping over every society on the planet. This frustrating, for some, reality has given rise to "fast food alternatives" like Grill'd. This local chain decorates their space with impressive wallpaper of brilliant black & white illustrations and messages like the one below.

Australia, by virtue of how it was settled, offers accessible beaches to a great deal of her inhabitants. We chose to visit two of said beaches. They're clean and beautiful. Sunbathers, swimmers, surfers, and skaters share these spaces in what feels like perfect harmony. Relaxation is something Aussies do quite well... 'good news for weary and overworked visitors. Don't care much for playing and/or resting at the beach? No problem. Go for a hike at Blue Mountains. Just do some research prior to heading out and you'll find what it is you seek in this Western society that resides in the East.

Back to the city and more pedestrian exploration. Many of the travel photos I take I'm sure have been taken by many... MANY... people before. So, I always try to snap a few of things that may only bear some significance to me. Full disclosure: I don't typically share those images. I keep them as a private time capsule of my experience of the world around us. That stated... I did take a few I knew I'd share here. I leave you with these images and the wish for you to travel and enjoy the world as well as her inhabitants.

See you sooner than later...

An artwork that conjured thoughts of diesel gate

The UK chose the A595 Competizione. Australia?

Another cool license plate on another sweet 500

Vivere.Amare.Guidare.

Ciao!

@