Guardando Avanti

Benvenuti amici!

We thought we should throw some dates out there for future meet possibilities. To keep this as simple [for you and us] as possible, we propose meets take place the last Saturday of each month listed. The entries marked with a number in parenthesis signify the four major events of the year. Note: There are no meets listed for the months of December, January, February and June.

Some members shared their ideas for future meets and we are keen to exercise them sooner than later. One such idea is our upcoming post-cruise dinner and/or coffee [at Grand Cafe Benelux or Coquette Café]. Either of these locales are perfect for us to chill out and enjoy what the Historic Third Ward has to offer. Please, email RSVP to help ensure there is enough space available for the group.

Another example of member-driven ideas is the May 31, 2014 'Simply more' meet. For those who do not recall, 'Simply more' is the first North American FIAT campaign ~ "Everything you need & nothing you don't". Paul contacted me this week and proposed the drive-in idea. I think it fits perfectly into the CC5C, and FIAT, profile. You will find the proposed 'Simply more' plan among the meet dates below. Mark your calendars...

Saturday, 26 October 2013 - Halloween by 500!
(4) An October 2012 weekend drive with Franko & Dawn played part in laying the foundation for this club. They will celebrate one year with their 'cento in October. The occasion begs to be honored with a cruise. Haunted House or Six Flags Fright Fest? What do you think?

Saturday, 30 November 2013 - TBD 
Weather permitting, this will likely be the final cruise of the year. We are open to ideas on how to celebrate or whether you think this is doable. We realize many members may be out of the area celebrating Thanksgiving. 

A chilled out downtown dinner could be nice.

Saturday, 29 March 2014 - Spring Thaw Celebration!
March marks the month the 500 Prima Edizione FIAT 500s started their engines in North America. We will meet at our local studio and cruise from there.

Saturday, 26 April 2014 - FIAT 500 North America!
April marks the first month the FIAT 500 became widely available for purchase in North America. We will meet at our local studio and cruise from there.

Saturday, 31 May 2014 - Simply more/Drive-in meet!
(1) This could be our first real road trip together. As stated earlier, Paul suggested a cruise to the Jefferson County Hi-way 18 Outdoor Theater. This could be our coolest meet... until the FIAT Freakout!, that is.

Saturday, 10-13 July 2014 - FIAT Freakout!
(2) Yes, you read that correctly ~ a three day cruise. Next year, the Chicago chapter of FIAT Club America will host the 31st annual meet. July is the recognized birthday of FIAT s.p.A., the FIAT 500 and the Città Crema Cinquecento Club. This is the major FIAT event of the year!

'FIAT Parade' courtesy of & © Ben Davis

Saturday, 30 August 2014 - 1st CC5C cruise Anniversary!
(3) August marks the first club cruise. We had such a blast last month. How could we not celebrate the event? Just how we will celebrate is up for suggestions ~ e-mail away!

Saturday, 27 September 2014 - Meet & Eat!
Let's keep it simple. We will meet at a yet-to-be-determined location and cruise before sitting down for a chilled out dinner and/or coffee. The locale will be taken from CC5C member suggestions.

Saturday, 25 October 2014 - Halloween by 500!
(4) An October weekend drive to Haunted House or Six Flags Fright Fest? 

Saturday, 29 November 2014 - TBD
Weather permitting, this will likely be the final cruise of the year. We are open to ideas on how to celebrate or whether you think this is doable. We realize many members may be out of the area celebrating Thanksgiving. 

A chilled out downtown dinner could be nice.

Finally, here are some boss shots of another non-Wisconsin CC5C supporter. Like Edwin's rosso Abarth, this is another heavily-yet-tastefully modded mighty mouse. I must admit, these babies make me long for a Scorpione of my own. All photos are courtesy of the man himself. Thanks, Brian.

CC5C vinyl window badge looks brilliant on...

... Brian's (Florida Supporter) killer nero Abarth

Black on Black = Viscious


Somewhere a gear head is doing cartwheels

Vivere.Amare.Guidare.

Ciao!

@

Ricordi della mia FIAT

Benvenuti amici!

So, the missus, our 'cento & I were out for the regular Saturday errands. These runs typically include stops for a bit and/or bite of the old country. The missus is from Europe and I am one generation separated from the Caribbean. We love the accents, goods (foods included) and vibes of those places. Yeah, I know, we currently live in Wisconsin. At least we're in MKE ~ the taste of the Old World is largely Germanic ~ Cream City is a nice, small-big city w/a rich working class history, beautiful public parks system & a good chunk of Lake Michigan. I digress. One of our occasional stops is a little Puerto Rican spot called La Isla. It's located in an ever-changing area of the city. It seems every 5-10 years a new wave of immigrants moves in and the businesses change hands. This means there is always good eating to be had. 

Anyway, as usual, I parked La Fee Verte as far up the block as I could. I prefer people parallel parking behind her ~ I know they are more likely to see our Pretty Green, then. As we left the eatery and headed towards our coach, I noticed a tall, dark, older gentleman w/peppered hair peering in our direction. He was stood smoking outside a pub, so I was prepared for a pitch for some coin to buy another pint. "Oh, what a dumb-dumb chicken little" is a mantra I would silently chant to myself in just a short few moments. As we stepped into our Fičko, the man called out to me with rolling Rs, lapping Ls, hard Ds, Gs & equally hard Hs. 

"Nice car, sir. May I ask how much you paid?"

"Oh. Thank you. Sure you can. $XX,000.00."

"Really? For such a car, not a bad price. It's good. How do you like it?"

"I love it. I wouldn't own another car."

I leaned in, told the missus I'd be back, shut the door and walked over to the gent. He met me at the front of our Cinquecento & went on to tell me he owned a 750 when he was a young man. Knowing the 600/750 was the equivalent in popularity in Eastern Europe to the 500 in Italy, I said "The 750? That was successor to the 600 in Serbia." The man stopped, his jaw dropped a bit (while the edges of his mouth curled into a slight smile) and a glint of light twinkled in his eyes. 

"I was born in Macedonia - former Yugoslavia. This car was very popular for many years." He went on to reminisce about his youth in a FIAT, although I suspect the badge read Zastava. He commented on how lucky I am to own one and how much he loved the color. He said the styling was perfect and FIAT, for so much time, was the brand of all Europeans ~ that every European has a FIAT lodged in their childhood memories.

I stored that conversation deep in the recesses of my mind for another time. Many of the memories that gentleman shared mirror some of my feelings about our little one as well as some childhood memories the missus shared with me before. The very personal freedom in the stories of the man rang as so much more than tales of wielding a machine in hand. They were, to my ears, proof positive of the social importance of focusing on making people happy ~ even when it is something as simple as men named Giacosa and Giolito creating past & present FIATs or a group of people sharing their enthusiasm.

I would like to share, with you, a little musical dedication to a kind stranger whose stories made me smile a different smile as we drove off in our Cinquino. Hvala, wherever you are, for sharing a small part of your life with me.

Balkan Express by Gramatik

I hope to see you, your loved one/s & your 'cento very soon...

Vivere.Amare.Guidare.

Ciao!

@

Le Tue Foto ~ Sicilia a Seattle

Benvenuti amici!

One of the club benefits I most enjoy is sharing your FIAT love with other enthusiasts. The aim is to create some glue to join our splintered fanatical experiences. One MKE member, Joe Noto, is visiting family in Sicily. We asked him to send some photos our way, if he had the chance. He has been kind enough to do just that. I thought I would share some here...

Classic Nuova 500 w/'68-'99 front logo

Panda ~ The other soon-to-be global FIAT

1998-2010 Multipla ~ Before Elle

Fine design in all trims, colors & sizes

Next, I would like to share a photo of the immaculate X1/9 which should be joining us on our September cruise. I met the owner, Sean Kane, at our LS not long ago. He was looking at Abarths and for a local FIAT enthusiasts club. As fate would have it, I was visiting the studio ~ dropping off CC5C cards & window badges. Luke directed him my way. I am looking forward to seeing/hearing reactions when Sean pulls up in this classic...

1982 X1/9 courtesy of Sean

Finally, we have two snapshots from a club supporter in Seattle Washington. John Koch has roots here ~ it is only fitting he show some Cream City love while 'jetting' around Emerald City. As with all member autos of this Celebrate Life society, I am honored with the logo displayed on his 'cento. Thanks for going through all the trouble, John.

Ciao! from Seattle courtesy of John

I hope you enjoyed the shots. I am looking forward to sharing yours in future entries. Send them our way via email. See you next Saturday!

Vivere.Amare.Guidare.

Ciao!

@

Musica per la 'Cento

Benvenuti amici!

Music is, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest inventions of humankind. Whether we "... use two sticks to make it in the nature..." or roll all the sounds we can muster into a Bittersweet Symphony, it has a way of penetrating the very fabric of our beings. 

When we are feeling 'azzurro' an upbeat tune can help us feel understood and ease the pain felt inside. When we are 'rosso' with anger an aggressive track can pop that bubble of rage and blanket us with a sense of release. When we are feeling lost & confused a simple lyric can help light and/or clarify the way. When we are in good spirits the right song can keep the party going! 

I am a serial playlister. From the heyday of vinyl 12" singles and cassette tapes, I have plotted sequences and dreamt up titles to create a musical mood. I am not sure why I do it or what motivates others to do the same, but there is a certain thrill in sharing or simply creating them for personal listening at home ~ on a walk or bus ride ~ while driving an automobile. 

Driving what I believe is the best 'city car' on the planet has only created [for me] more great excuses to create more playlists. I have gone so far as to create 500-themed playlists. One such playlist was taken from a 3-disc set of '50s-'60s Italian pop songs. This music represents the Dolce Vita era ~ Italian industries of music, film, fashion, motos and automobiles were firing on all cylinders. 

The music also captures a time when some of the finer things in life - like an affordable mode of personal transport - were finally within the reach of everyday people. The Nuova 500 we own is part of a revival of the time and the music of the era is perfect for a 'cento-driven cruise.

I have taken the liberty of putting together a short list of this music to share with you. I begin with what is my absolute favorite recording from the period. No matter the version, I cannot seem to get enough...

The original by Renato Carsone & Nisa

Cinematic cover by Sophia Loren & RC

Swing House hit by Yolanda Be Cool

I am not certain what the reason is, but this little ditty (and its many incarnations) makes me think of FIAT bringing the Cinquecento to North America. I guess, on some level, it must stem from the surprise I felt when visiting one particular FIAT 500 forum and reading some US owners desiring a more Americanized version of the car. Meeting safety regulations is one thing ~ creature comforts North Americans want added to the perfect economy car is quite another. I am thrilled the automaker chose to afford Roberto Giolito the freedom to define his vision without compromising said vision for foreign markets. Moving on...

Here are some more tunes from my 500 'Dolce' playlist ~ prepare to smile:

La Doce Vita - Fausto Pepetti

Zoo Be Zoo Be Zoo - Sophia Loren

Personalita - Caterina Valente

Piccola - Adriano Celentano & Anita Traversi

For me, and I think this is also true for the beautiful missus, the 2007 Cinquino retains the social importance (equally affordable & somewhat indulgent transport for people from all walks of life) as well as the stunning looks of the 1936 & *especially* 1957 FIAT 500. I suppose that is part of the reason our LFV seemingly insists I always have a bit of this music at the ready. What musical vibe do you feel on a cruise in your 'cento? Share them with us.

On the subject of sharing, Edwin & his missus (two Virginia CC5C members) were kind enough to send these quick shots of their Fičkos w/CC5C window badge displayed. I would be remiss, if I failed to mention these are two my favorite  500s. The UK EsseEsse wheels are gorgeous and their modifications thoughtful. I am humbled to have my artwork on a so many out-of-state Fititos. Thank you for supporting the act of living life with passion.

Keep those photos coming, friends. Share your FIAT related stories. I am pleased beyond words to include them here. 

Vivere.Amare.Guidare.

Ciao!

@

The Mission

Benvenuti amici!

We are a mere thirteen days away from what we hope will be another outstanding meet. I thought we should blog the route plan & locales early enough to give everyone time for review. We hope we have plotted out a route you will find surpasses the club-lauded route of our inaugural meet.

I propose we begin our upcoming meet where we ended our last. I, for one, think beginning where we finished would be a fresh twist for stringing our meets & great Milwaukee neighborhoods together. Why settle for same-as-it-ever-was cruise scenarios when our Fititos are anything but?

Begin: Halloween Extreme @ 200 W Silver Spring Drive 

** The southernmost spots are usually free **

Stroll to La Coppa ~ Enjoy gelato or espresso

Once all have arrived and had a chance to reconnect, we will head back to our beloved Fičkos. 

• >> Turn right out of lot and get across to the left turning lane
• << Turn left to Silver Spring Drive Continue to N Lake Drive
• << Turn left to Lincoln Memorial Drive Continue in left lane
• << Turn [soft] left @ STOP sign Continue to merge w/Mason Street
• << Turn left to Prospect Avenue Prospect Ave merges w/Wisconsin Avenue
• >> Turn right to Water Street
• << Turn left to Juneau Avenue Continue to old PBC/Brewhouse Inn
• >> Turn right on to 10th Street

End: Brewhouse Inn & Suites

The streets, and more to the point Cream City Brick buildings, in this area are perfect backdrops for photos. If we angle park our 'centos, we can fit them in a relatively small street area while [visually] blocking out any/all non-FIATs. Timing is somewhat critical ~ as it is not likely we will be the only people dropping in for photos. Arriving before 2:00PM will help us get the most out of our time. 

A few people have mentioned stopping at a café afterwards. I think it is  a great idea. Grand Café Benelux is not far from the inn ~ Coquette Cafe is another Cinquino-worthy café in the general area. I, personally, dig both locations and think they offer more perfect photo ops. If we choose to head to one of these hot spots, I propose we do so via Water Street to the Historic Third Ward.

Finally, for all interested, I will have a plethora of the new Italian language window badges on my person. If you want one to complement your English language version, or simply as a keepsake, do not hesitate to say the word and it is yours. Of course, we are looking forward to seeing more Cinquecentos with the club grille badge as well.

Vivere.Amare.Guidare.

Ciao!

@

CC5C: The 2nd Meeting

Benvenuti amici!

Our first club meeting was brilliant! So many attendees expressed excitement in the idea of a sooner-than-later next, I was quick to propose another get together. Unfortunately, a scant few have communicated September unavailability ~ on the flip side, some new faces will join us. I never expected everyone would be able to/up for a cruise every month. In fact, I did not plan to meet every month. My hope was/is everyone can get together every 3 months (including one major event  and some scattered impromptu meets tossed in for good measure). Nothing more or less...

This is simply a quick follow-up to make clear my commitment to the fun of getting to know you better while slipping these sexy 'centos into the heart of Cream City. Club members have already proposed their own ideas for future cruise destinations ~ which is a major part of the fun! I  propose to begin the meet with gelato and/or coffee @ La Coppa. When everyone arrives we can cruise downtown via Lake Shore Drive.

Our destination will be the Brewhouse Inn & Suites (formerly part of the Pabst Brewing Company) @ 1215 N 10th Street. The inn is part of an exciting sustainability project. Maybe we can parade our MODern Art On Wheels to MAM as well? Considering the FIAT 500 & 500L are studies in an appreciation of the past while moving into the future, I think these would be perfect backdrops for  club photos & member snapshots.

Last week, I informed CC5Cers, GoBadges completed the CC5C grille badge ahead of schedule. They shipped all pre-orders Friday & I received mine today. So, here is the first photo of it for you to see. The badge is packaged with a touch of class. I am stoked to offer the option to this group. I will post photos of my cromo badge on La Fee Verte as soon as I wash & wax the past few days of sketchy weather off her. *Updated photos below*

My CC5C grille badge in GoBadges case

Our LFV w/cromo framed CC5C grille badge

Mark & Lauren's black framed CC5C grille badge

Moon's Bay Area Valentina repping CC5C

I look forward to sharing more photos of your 'centos with the window and/or grille group ID in the very near future. Stay connected for more Cream City 500 Club updates & other FIAT goodness...

Vivere.Amare.Guidare.

Ciao!

@

L'affetto per la Piccola FIAT

Benvenuti amici!

We saw some big time FIAT love during our 500 Parade through the Northwest-to-Northeast sides of town last Saturday. One woman went so far as to set up a blockade, with her car, to ask just what we were doing. We were quickly on our way after sharing our passion - and a card - with her.

Passion ~ I realize I regularly sprinkle my blog entries with various FIAT terms of endearment ~ specifically for the 500s and the 600s. In the interest of 'edutainment', and inspired by the Che Cosa Significa CC5C entry, I would like to provide readers with pronunciations and loose definitions of said terms...

'Cento [chéntō] - (Italian) nickname and/or affectionate term for a FIAT 500, shortened version of Cinquecento, literally one hundred, from Latin centum. To my knowledge, this is some loony present day invention of yours truly, so we will date it circa 2012. Also can be used as a suffix ~ as in my club handle, Amacento, or in mobicento (a mobile phone synched with a 500)

Cinquino [chìngkwi nō] - (Italian) nickname and/or affectionate term for a FIAT 500 circa 1957, shortened version of Cinquecento, literally five hundred, from cinque five (from Latin quinque)

Fića [fi cha], Fićo [fi chō] - (Serbian) nickname and/or affectionate term for FIAT 600 meaning little FIAT, built and sold under license as the Zastava 600 and 750 in former Yugoslavia circa 1960s

Fičko [fich kō] - (Slovene) nickname and/or affectionate term for FIAT 600 meaning little FIAT, built and sold under license as the Zastava 600 and 750 in former Yugoslavia circa 1960s

Fitito [fi ti tō] - (Spanish) nickname and/or affectionate term for FIAT 600 meaning little FIAT, built and sold under license as the SEAT 600 circa 1957

Maluch [ma looH] - (Polish) nickname and/or affectionate term for FIAT 126 meaning small one, built and sold under license circa 1973 as the Polski FIAT 126p (known as Peglica [peg li tsa], meaning 'little iron', in Serbia & Croatia and Bolha [bōl ha], meaning 'flea', in Slovenia) ~ modern EU FIAT 500s are built in Tychy Poland

Topolino [tō pō li nō] - (Italian) nickname and/or affectionate term for original FIAT 500 circa 1936, literally little mouse, also term used for Mickey Mouse

The above terms are also commonly used to describe the modern day FIAT 500. The cars permeate European cultures & history as if they are old members of the family. In turn, the names endure. Finally, the Americas can lay some claim to lineage of the more 'global' Cinquino. So, it is not a bad idea to make oneself familiar with the connections to/love for the vehicles credited with mobilizing much of post-war Europe. Right?

On the subject of mobilizing ~ I would like to get club members together again for some serious Cream City photos. How serious? Old Pabst Brewery area serious. The idea I am proposing is to meet for some gelato and drive to the downtown area via Lake Shore Drive. From there, we can hit some spots for owner-'cento & cool group photos. The date I propose is Saturday, 28 September (noon).

I have one last bit of info to share ~ great news for those currently without a CC5C window badge. The new order of vinyl clings has arrived. Send me an email to get yours before the next meet. You may also score them @ our local studio. I hope to see you sooner than later...

Vivere.Amare.Guidare.

Ciao!

@