Benvenuti amici!
As is evidenced by this blog, our Facebook page and my activity with our local club (as well as other clubs), I am FIAT crazed. I find the madness from which I'm afflicted digs in deeper as I read & write more about the brand and its history. One bit of heritage I've always found interesting, and feel is missing from the modern iteration of the Italian automaker, is the ABARTH-Giannini rivalry. For those unfamiliar with the Giannini legacy, let's take a moment to delve into another bit of Italian automotive history.
Giannini, although most often associated with FIAT as a tuning company, began as part of the service network for ITALA… an automaker founded by Matteo Ceirano. Some FIATisti may recognize this surname as the name of a company sold to don Giovanni Agnelli. It is one & the same and this business deal is part of what marked the recognized birth of the most celebrated industrial dynasty in Italy. Some very early FIATs, based on Ceirano designs, made Giannini Automobili S.p.A. a perfect fit for FIAT post-purchase work and Motorsport. But it was not until the '50s that don Attilio and don Domenico would become part of the the official sales & service network. It is during this period the brothers created what many might deem as their twin masterworks: The 500TV Giannini & the Giannini 590 GT.
The 500TV Giannini hit Italian streets and tracks the same year as don Karl 'Carlo' Abarth's vicious 595 ABARTH. The 595, of course, is one of many extreme versions of the original 1958 500-based ABARTH. The Giannini brothers, later, retaliated with the 590GT and a street-to-track sibling rivalry was born.
Like two sisters vying for the affection & attention of their doting father, the Rome-based legend went head-to-head with the Austro-Italian legend until the untimely departure of don Domenico. Although, Giannini-powered performance versions of FIATs would continue… even after don Attilio sold the company… the company would not fair well during the '80s. No longer able to keep up with the costs associated with the racing circuit, the tuning company countered financial struggles by re-imagining itself as a FIAT accessories company. This brings our story full circle.
In early 2013, in an effort to offer prospective buyers a happy medium between the standard FIAT 500 Sport and the 500 ABARTH, the North American branch of the company introduced the 500T. On paper, the 500T is pretty much the equivalent of the European-spec base 500 ABARTH. Without ABARTH-specific badging, along with the 500 Sport interior, this makes it the perfect starting point for tuners with a knack for street/track flair.
Before the year was out, FIAT USA scrapped a formerly announced 'FIAT Custom Shop' and introduced a limited edition version of the 500T (and 500 Sport)… the Cattiva. By and large, the Cattiva is an upscale version of the standard 500T (and 500 Sport). It is in this respect the stories of the post-'80s Giannini company and the 500 'Turbo' converge… and this fan's dreams take over.
It is an outright shame the tuning company became little more than a fond memory of days gone by, but it is a greater shame FIAT has failed to capitalize on the similarities between the fabled 500TV & 590GT and the 500T. The past Giannini models and the current 500T serve as an alternative to the Cult of the Scorpion. With no true rival in the segment, bringing back Giannini in this capacity would/could cause a real stir. And who doesn't like a bit of drama in their Italian coaches? It appears I'm not the only supporter looking at our favorite automaker & the modern iteration of the Cinquino from this vantage point, as at least one owner (in France) has taken to the task of creating a personal homage to don Attilio & don Domenico.
It's your turn ~ don Elkann, don Marchionne, don Giolito & don Olivier. C'mon… Forza Giannini!
Ciao!
@
The Original City Car Takes The Track
The Other Small But Wicked: 500TV Giannini
The Devil's in the Details: Giannini 590GT
The 595 ABARTH is a Tiny Terror
Like two sisters vying for the affection & attention of their doting father, the Rome-based legend went head-to-head with the Austro-Italian legend until the untimely departure of don Domenico. Although, Giannini-powered performance versions of FIATs would continue… even after don Attilio sold the company… the company would not fair well during the '80s. No longer able to keep up with the costs associated with the racing circuit, the tuning company countered financial struggles by re-imagining itself as a FIAT accessories company. This brings our story full circle.
Missed Opportunity #1: FIAT 500T
Missed Opportunity #2: 500T Cattiva
It is an outright shame the tuning company became little more than a fond memory of days gone by, but it is a greater shame FIAT has failed to capitalize on the similarities between the fabled 500TV & 590GT and the 500T. The past Giannini models and the current 500T serve as an alternative to the Cult of the Scorpion. With no true rival in the segment, bringing back Giannini in this capacity would/could cause a real stir. And who doesn't like a bit of drama in their Italian coaches? It appears I'm not the only supporter looking at our favorite automaker & the modern iteration of the Cinquino from this vantage point, as at least one owner (in France) has taken to the task of creating a personal homage to don Attilio & don Domenico.
It's your turn ~ don Elkann, don Marchionne, don Giolito & don Olivier. C'mon… Forza Giannini!
Giannini-fied EU-spec 500 Sport
Vivere.Amare.Guidare.
Ciao!
@
