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!

@

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!

@

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!

@