CC5Cinema: Return of the Spiders!

Benvenuti amici!

The title of this blog entry tells you everything you need to know about the content therein. We follow-up our short history of the legendary X1/9 with an abbreviated look at the evolution of the FIAT Spider… specifically, the infamous 1966 124 Sport Spider.

Drawing from his [Pininfarina] designs of the  Corvette Rondine & Ferrari 275 GTS, Tom Tjaarda helped FIAT birth a never-to-be-repeated ultimate sunny day driver. Correction. The inventor of the city car recently revealed their plan to deliver a new 124 Spider for 2017 (from a former Pininfarina designer). So, it is due time we revisit what was hinted about here and in our X Marks the Spot entry.

The idea of the original 124 [Sport] Spider took firmly planted root long ago. Like the original 500, she branches from the 508/508C Balilla family tree.

FIAT 508 Balilla Sport

FIAT 508S Bailla Spider

The idea of sporty, or as is truly the case sporting, versions of successful production models is as old as automobile history. The 508 Balilla, itself, earned that very honor. Spider variations of these sport cars had the distinction of competing in Grand Touring. Manufacturers would match their power engineering and body design for homeland and continental supremacy. This is still practiced, today, in closed and open-wheeled endurance Motorsport (following the path paved by FIAT's purpose-built 24hp Corsa). But there was also a burgeoning production niche for these open-aired variants.

FIAT 1100 TV Transformabile

FIAT 1200 Spider

Like many other automakers, FIAT seized the opportunity to capitalize on the increasingly expensive to manufacture sporting coaches. (We owe the very existence of street legal Ferraris to the high cost of racing.) Sport, Sport Spider and… eventually… GIANNINI or ABARTH versions were quickly added to the range or "family" of the most important models. With transformabile, cabrio or spider (Also; spyder and roadster outside of Italy) variants of the 1100 and 1200, the groundwork was laid for the cross-continetal pleasing 124.

The FIAT 124 made good use of the DNA developed in its predecessors and the size-to-power ratio challenge sorted by its older cousins, the iconic 600 and 500. Putting to work all that had been discovered, under the leadership of don Dante Giacosa, countless engineers toiled and finally created a fine 4-door family sedan that worked well in the city and was ripe for range building.

FIAT 124 Sport Famiglia

The 124 family of runabouts was a crucial variable in the success equation of FIAT in the mid-to-late '60s and '70s... complete with the sedan, coupè, wagon and sport models. As the automaker did with so many sales hits before it, the [Oscar Montabone] simple and affordable city sedan was handed to "amici di famiglia" for a fresh look and a quick spin. This time, the task was entrusted to the House of Farina. Of course, the Pininfarina-penned open cockpit version -- of the in-house designed Sport -- was nothing short of elegance on wheels. This further cemented FIAT S.p.A. as the premier producer of the working stiff's sport car… in/outside of Italy.

The coach builder reports 80% of all 124 Sport Spiders ever built were sold in North America, specifically the US of A. So, when rumors of a second coming began circulation the internet was alight with artist renderings and other speculative fodder. I, myself, have seen/read/heard more musings than I can recall in this entry. Rather than add to what you can already find elsewhere, I choose to offer a bit of the past that got us to where we are today. I also offer you comparative photos of vintage 124s and their contemporary counterparts.

As I leave you to your critiquing, I encourage an attention to the details… bonnets, grilles, head/tail lights and forward/rear "overhang". Look to the stance and attitude of what has been built upon the Mazda chassis. Determine, for yourself, whether the modern 124 Spider has retained the soul the Sports and Sport Spiders that came and went before it without aping what their designers delivered to showroom floors. More importantly, post-research and/or investigation, I beseech you to answer two questions.

Does the spirit of the 124 Sport Spider and FIAT Dino Spider burn in the heart of these images? Is there something worth celebrating in this new halo car?

Lines & Curves Do Not Lie

                     

Whether or not FIAT hit the mark with the coming of the ABARTH 500-powered 124 Sport Spider remains to be seen (next summer). Now, for the sake of this fan of hardtops & targas, bring on an Alfa Romeo-powered 124 ABARTH Rally variation. Can you hear all iterations of these wonderful runabouts roaring through backroads, streets and highways now? Heed their call...

Vivere.Amare.Guidare.

Ciao!

@

X Marks the Spot

Benvenuti amici!

I always felt the desire to write about the most important Italian runabouts, but I fully admit to having limited knowledge on so many of them. This may have something to do with my obsession with the various iterations of the 500. To be certain, I could probably spend years focusing solely on the 'cento. But doing so would exclude way too many historical FIAT benchmarks.

The poor man's Ferrari. The first true working man's sports car. One of the top 10 styled cars for the '80s. The X1/9 has been dubbed many things since its 1972 debut and they all fit the special model. But how did the city car queen come into existence? Well, the short answer is "probably not how you imagine". This blog entry is the slightly longer answer.

As is the case with the majority of great FIAT runabouts, the successful introduction of the first true People's Car, the 500, owns the space that is the genesis of what would become the X1/9. While a quick glance at the original Cinquecento may not clearly illustrate this fact, a little bit of digging through the annals of Italian Motorsport history will. The Cisitalia D45 and the corso version of the the 'Topolino' exhibit don Dante Giacosa's desire to make small things go fast while appeasing his employer's desire to make cars of any speed affordable to the broadest demographic.

FIAT 500 'Topolino'

Unfortunately, or fortunately -- depending on one's perspective, most of il Maestro's creative hours would continue to be monopolized with the mandate to bring to market a car every Italian could afford. Sr. Giacosa did just that in 1955, with the FIAT 600. While it is true its predecessor, the Little Mouse, became more affordable with every generation/update, the Seicento hit the market at a lira-saving price.

In addition, the model has the distinction of being the first rear-engined FIAT. In fact, the 'Fitito' a/k/a 'Fičko' was packed with many innovations and distinguishing features when it forever changed the course of engineering/designing small automobiles. Perhaps the greatest of these notables is the fact it is the clear design inspiration of the 1957 Nuova 500. But spending too much time on that model would mean taking an early exit from the road trip to the X1/9. So, let's keep cruising.

FIAT 600

The direct successor to the mega popular 600 would need to build upon its technical advancements. Knowing this all too well, don Dante continued the internal technical name of the Seicento, 100 A-F, with the 850 (internal name of 100 G). The 850 proved so popular it was available in several versions/trims; a sedan, a sport coupè, a van and… most important to the telling of the story at hand… a sport spider. 

The 850 Sport Spider, among the other models hanging from the X1/9 family tree, bears some resemblance to the subject of this entry. The primary reason for the shared styling is the House of Bertone.

There is a long held tradition, at FIAT, of handing off their most successful offerings to "amici di famiglia" for a good shot of fresh ideas. Bertone, among others, played a key role in providing don Giacosa with the fuel he needed to push his engineering (and the future of Italian motoring) further. Perhaps there is an unspoken knowledge of this fact, among FIATisti, and that helps explains why we hold Gruppo Bertone is such high regard.

A little more on that later.

FIAT 850 Sport (Spider)

The next two turns on the road from 500 to X may not look and/or feel logical to most, but they are crucial steps in arriving at our destination. Although not apparent with a first or second or third glance, the FIAT 128 holds a very special place in the evolution of Italian automotive engineering. Much in the same way the 600 had done, 14 years earlier, the 1969 128 marked a break from Turinese mechanical thinking of the time. As the first front-engined and front wheel drive FIAT, one could comfortably crown it as the first modern FIAT model. Major improvements to/advancements on the power layout introduced by Sir Alec Issigonis were tested & proven with don Dante's 1964 Autobianchi Primula and continued with the 1969 Bertone-designed Autobianchi A112.

FIAT 128

The A112 is, perhaps, the most popular Autobianchi among fans of spirited driving. The love child of two FIATs, the 850 Sport Spider and the 2-dr/3-dr hatch version of the 128, the A112 stands on the shoulders of automotive giants.

Although he admired the space saving layout Sir Issigonis introduced, Mister Giacosa did not care for the engine and transmission utilizing the same lubrication source… and space. He felt it cumbersome and this is evidenced by necessary engine removal, in some generations, to replace the clutch with Sir Issigonis' design. Likewise, don Dante had trouble accepting the lack of fresh airflow inherent in the original engineering of Sir Alec. A problem solver, in the truest sense of the word, the father of the city car put his mind and hands to work at FIAT-held Autobianchi.

The automotive world (and market) was changing and automakers either ushered said change or followed in the footsteps of those that did. If you frequent this page, you know the oldest mass producer of 4-wheeled goodness most often fills the role of usher. Autobianchi, for nearly 40 years, is where the Italian powerhouse tested many of it's most ambitious ideas. As successor to breakthroughs like the Primula and A111, the Autobianchi A112 enjoyed a full five years of tweaks and improvements to the ideas introduced in its predecessors. With the 128, the Primula and A112, FIAT and Bertone would discover just how adaptable the new Giacosa ideas could be and herald the next generation of Italian runabouts.

Oh, look, it's a segue!

Autobianchi A112

We finally arrive at a more obvious predecessor to the X1/9. The 1969 Autobianchi Runabout concept, like the A112 and Primula, utilized the engine of  the FIAT 128. Although, due in large part to the Autobianchi-Lancia merge, it never made it beyond the conceptual phase, the Runabout would see the light of day again… as a FIAT. One doesn't need to look too hard to recognize the production model it would become. And one doesn't need to think too hard to understand why don Dante Giacosa (FIAT) & don Marcello Gandini (Bertone) made sure this design dream rolled onto showroom floors. 

Autobianchi Runabout

The numerous race track & sport coupè variations of especially popular FIATs prove Sr. Dante Giacosa was always keen to engineer/design an economical, standalone production sports car. In many ways, the X1/9 (the destination of this blog entry trip) is arguably the first purpose-built FIAT track car since the 1902 24hp Corsa. Unfortunately, with his stepping down from full-time employment in 1970, he was no longer the head of FIAT's engineering division at the arrival of the 1972 X1/9. Fortunately, he continued to serve as a consulting engineer and the concept-become-reality utilized the power unit developed in his Primula, A111, A112, 128 and 127. The FIAT X1/9, itself, began life as ideas for a FIAT 128 sport coupè and/or spider.

FIAT life

The X1/9, like no other model before it, exhibited the "adapt and overcome" nature of Giacosa's transversely-mounted engine side-by-side the transmission & suspension when FIAT-Bertone chose a mid-mounted, rear-wheel drive setup for the mini sports car. This choice further led to the decision to move the spare tire and fuel tank ahead of the engine… maximizing the already great weight distribution and handling of the X1/9. Perhaps all these characteristics, coupled with the aerodynamic and singular (among FIAT runabouts) design and nomenclature, secured the legendary status of the model… and explain why it was not released as the sportiest member of the 128 famiglia.

The X1/9 enjoyed strong enough US sales to warrant three generations outside of Europe. In fact, the sales led to Bertone taking over production and sales after FIAT left the North American market in 1982. Sales fueled the Bertone production years until 1987, in the US, and 1989, in the homeland. The radical nature of the engineering/design that birthed the economical sport-about most easily answers the "why" regarding its popularity among FIATisti, ABARTHisti and non-FIAT petrol heads alike. So deep was the impact of the 'X' the Italian targa-topped two-seater eventually found itself an obvious engineering & design influence in the USA (See; 1984 Pontiac Fiero) as well as Japan (See; 1992 CR-X Honda del Sol).

FIAT style

This all seems to be the FIAT way; Dream it, draw it, build it and they will come. No other automaker takes manufacturing small-to-mid-sized city cars quite so seriously and no other automaker has more surely shaped the look of backroads, streets and highways around the world. Well, X1/9 fans, I trust I did your favorite model justice while providing all FIATisti with another reason Cream City 500 Club is the all-inclusive Wisconsin life experience arm of FIAT Club America. With the re-introduction of the 124 just around the corner, the second coming of two seat wallet-friendly Italian fun is once again drawing nigh. Let the celebration commence… or, for restorers, continue...

Vivere.Amare.Guidare.

Ciao!

@

Countdown to 500!

Benvenuti amici!

We recently overtook the 400 'Like' mark on our Facebook page, and we featured a great vintage photo of a 508C on said web community. So, we thought now would the perfect time to write an entry about don Dante Giacosa's creative race to the FIAT 500 Topolino checkered flag.

Most Italian car enthusiasts know and celebrate the 1957 FIAT Nuova 500. And there is a lot to celebrate in its introduction to the automobile market. The '57 Cinquino is small, cute, simple, elegant, affordable and the inspiration behind the design of the widely successful 2007-to-present FIAT 500 family range.

Although the 500 (Cinquecento) may seem like a no-brainer overnight success, it is/was anything but that. The idea of a small, attractive family car can be traced back to the earliest of FIAT S.p.A. mandates, but the first true step to making the idea… the dream… a reality must be credited to the 508 'Balilla'. 

Before we continue with this automotive tale it's important to address another. That is the use of the nickname 'Balilla' and its perceived origin.

Balilla may be recognized, by some (especially anti-facists), as the name of a folk hero mentioned in the Italian national anthem. As is the case with many fascist leaders, Mussolini co-opted everything that made Italians feel proud and branded them with the mark of his philosophy. This has left an ugly stain on quite a few marvelous inventions. The national anthem was originally written in 1746, as a protest song against Austrian occupation. It is a sad twist of irony it, too, fell prey to the blood-soaked tyranny of Mussolini.

In any case, many Italian industrialists began using the nickname of the boy (Giambattista Perasso) who threw stones at Austrian oppressors for their own inventions. In the case of Fessia, Giacosa, Nebbia, Tranquillo and Zerbi, they used the name for the 1932 508. The Balilla was ambitious, but it fell short of the affordability goal. Yes, it was modestly priced… for someone already able to afford an automobile. But that important distinction meant the 508 was earmarked for an early replacement. Enter the 1936 500 'Topolino' and the 1937 508C a/k/a the 1100 'Balilla'.

The design of the 508C/1100 may look glaringly familiar to fan of the "Little Mouse" and there is good reason for that. Both models were designed/engineered by none other than don Dante, but the Balilla is clearly larger and has more doors & windows than the Topolino. The most important similarity, between the two small family cars, is the price point. Mister Giacosa continued to find ways to cut costs, paving the way to the ultimate city car.

One would think, with the introduction of the 1936 "People's Car", this countdown to 500 is complete. One would be incorrect. FIAT followed up the '36 500 with the not as famous, but equally praiseworthy, 600 (Seicento). FIAT, and Dante Giacosa, took quite the leap forward in the 1950s. With Mussolini gone, and fascism out of control, designers and engineers could get back to their art form of choice. In the case of those working for FIAT S.p.A., the goal of making the roads inside and outside of Italy as accessible to the have nots as it was to the haves became more important than ever.

The 1955 Seicento was an absolute blast of fresh air. In many ways, it played the role of herald to the the modern day automaker. After decades of close-but-not-quite-there attempts at delivering a model that could put every Italian behind the wheel of a car, Sr. Dante finally came through… and in a major way. The FIAT 600 is the direct descendent of the original FIAT 500.

By the time of the arrival of the 600, the engineering of automobiles, In Europe, was in the midst of a shift. The small car standard, established in large part by FIAT, was firmly in place and engineers were faced with finding new ways to create ample space for traveling holidays. In the case of what was codenamed Progetto 100 (Project 100), the goal was to; fit four adults, luggage while weighing in at approximately 1000 lbs and capable of at least 52 mph top speed. When one considers the corresponding numbers of the preceding model it's plain to see Mr. Giacosa had his work cut out for him. But he delivered. He placed the engine at the rear of the car, an established engineering idea, and included several innovative features… not found in other small cars of the era.

The 600 includes; a water-cooled engine, hydraulic drum brakes, single double-mounted leaf spring suspension, gas-charged & coil-over shock absorbers, 4-speed 3-synchro transmission and… wait for it... a cabin heater. Oh, don Dante also over-delivered in the speed department. His new runabout was capable of 68 mph top speed (even more, with the ABARTH version)! Along with the Scorpion stung version, the Seicento was available in a cabrio and the 6-seater minivan version called the Multipla. As a complete family range, the 600 was the stylish ticket to ride for a nation… and, later, a continent (and beyond).

So, this begs the question, how do we get back to 500?

Well, simply put, rolling average people on the road forever changed the world. With husbands working beyond the confines of one village or another, wives found the need to get around… faster... to hold down the fort. The new responsibilities required a new skill set and tools. They needed help and FIAT, once again, rose to the occasion. A second 600 for one household would be excessive, in regards to load capacity, and cost way too much money. The true need was something smaller and costing less than the Fitito/Fičko but bigger than and costing close to the price of an open air Vespa. Briefed on his mission, the General [Giacosa] went to work.

Already having delivered (in one sense) with the Seicento, don Dante gave himself the time and laid the styling and spacial foundation he needed to engineer a vehicle large enough to carry a growing Italian family with picnic gear and/or groceries but small enough to drive through pre-automobile roads and  park on cramped streets. After several proposals, each edging closer to the full intent of the 1932 attempt at the perfect small city car, the master engineer and maestro of design arrived at a viable offering. 

The automaker revived the 500 name in 1957, with a new 479cc-499cc rear engined addition to their range. This car lived up to its name in every conceivable way. Although not an instant hit, as was her bigger and slightly older sister, the Cinquino would eventually become the iconic symbol for La Dolce Vita. While many of the models that paved the path for her 9 foot (2.97m) footprint are oft times forgotten, the little mouse that could is celebrated in virtually every medium. The Ballila, the Fitito and the Cinquino were each spun-off to define different automobile segments -- that still exist today. FIAT continued to grow in marketshare, with models that perfectly fit into the morphing lifestyles of Italy's inhabitants.

Flash-forward to the '90s when FIAT would, once again, revive the 500 and 600 names… this time replacing the numerical with Cinquecento and Seicento. These models set the stage for the triumphant Nuova 500 reintroduction, in 2007. The latest iteration of the ultimate runabout, now a full range of city cars, is a testament to the timeless of original and groundbreaking design.

The engine has returned to the front of the vehicle, where it was in the original 1936, and the styling of the 1955 and 1957 solutions have been re-imagined for the modern age. The design/engineering language is a continually evolving one. But sometimes, as is the case with what Sr. Dante Giacosa wrought, it is so far ahead of its time that decades pass before we truly understand and make the best use of its intended purpose. Sr. Roberto Giolito carries that torch and has proven, to this FIATista, he understands the heart of the task at hand.

Onward and upward!

Vivere.Amare.Guidare.

Ciao!

@

CC5C: Different Gear, Still Speeding!

Benvenuti amici!

CC5C (Cream City Cinquecento Club) was founded 4 July, 2013. In the 2+ years we've been active, a lot has changed. The FIAT Family range of cars has grown to five 500-based or inspired models… 6 when you include the 500e. In a year or less, that range will include the return of the 124. FIAT S.p.A. purchased Chrysler Group LLC. FIAT-powered Dodges, Chryslers and Jeeps are adding some spice to the North American automobile menu. The first Italian built Jeep is already rolling on & off roads in the US and the EU. Alfa Romeo introduced two new models to the market. Maserati is the head of a performance group that includes ABARTH and Alfa Romeo. Scuderia Ferrari, tattooed with Alfa logos, is taking podium on a regular basis. Although still majority held by Agnellis & Ferraris, Ferrari has spun off on its own. My friends, the action shows no sign of slowing down.

All that activity is bound to impact national and local car clubs celebrating the sweet FIAT life experience... CC5C is among them.

Our inaugural attendance attracted 20 curious 'centos and is, now, hovering between 5-10 (sometimes as many as 13-17) hardcore FIATisti… sun, rain, sleet or snow. Many members have purchased their second, third and/or fourth FIAT! In fact, on this very blogspot  we chronicled moving from a 500P (500 Pop) to an A500 (ABARTH 500) as well as the customizations to the beloved runabout we fittingly named La Sombrita (The Tiny Shadow).

Although the majority of our blog entries are written by one person, we regularly feature pieces about or written by others. These entries happen to be among our very favorites.

We began local business relationships with a trip to a gelateria and, now, have more pronounced ties with other eateries, the local Italian community and local car culture-related staples. One of the most important of these has been with Reina International Auto (and Vespa). The Reina family is a permanent petrol culture fixture, perhaps even the nucleus of our local Italian car and moto communities. In 2015… for the first time in the history of their Italian Auto, Moto & Vespa Day... a local FIAT club joined their ranks! Being a part of their perennial extravaganza, as one family-focused unit is an honor.

Still, there is more. Our first piece of club 'branding' was an inexpensively produced black & white, square bordered window cling. Those clings were free of charge and mailed to those interested on our dime. We, now, have several 4-color grille badges and die-cut decal options fans can use to show their love. We created a multi-national design/logo to represent the CC5C philosophy of unified FIAT fan efforts and called it… the Mighty Mouse Militia or M3. We are very excited about this expansion of our merchandise line, with an alternative to the borderless M3 magnetic grille badges.

Because we realize many tune and/or track their FIATs, we offer FIATisi in-the-know the M3 vinyl decals! Honor the achievements of the Giannini brothers and their greatest rival… the true Scorpion King… Karl 'Carlo' Abarth with these heritage logos. No other automaker can claim the significant strides both tuning/racing houses made in the quest to improve power-to-weight ratio in the common commuter car. When one considers the cars they chose were the smallest Dante Giacosa designed/engineered... and FIAT S.p.A. produced... celebration is the only logical reaction.

These beautiful stick-ons are offered, at EuroCompulsion, in the ABARTH (giallo), RECORD (grigio) and GIANNINI (azzurro) versions. They measure 2"x2" (5.08cmx5.08cm) and are perfect for attaching under the bonnet, on the windshield/window and/or the hatch of your lovely or on your track day skull protector. Local members can purchase theirs directly. More fun + affordable CC5C-M3 gear is on the way for 2016!

Today, we announce another change… an evolution of our local club.

For some time, the founder of CC5C has also offered his services as the Wisconsin Regional Representative for the national Italian runabout club called FIAT CLUB AMERICA (FCA). Writing an article or two, for FCA's RICAMBI magazine, and answering emails from new FCA members around the country has been fun. But it is time to draw nearer to national activities and secure the future of Wisconsin's FIRST and ONLY dedicated FIAT Social Motoring club.

Check the subtitle of this site and you'll notice something has been added. Our evolved affiliation with FCA, as the official Wisconsin chapter, is boldly proclaimed. The culmination of two years of work (between the national and local clubs) cements our commitment to the efforts of the three decades strong club and works to match, domestically, the international appeal of this FIAT life enthusiast blog & supporting FB page.

So, how does this change the blog?

Apart from the modified subtitle... not at all. We will continue to write and publish about the FIAT life experience/s of local club members and share stories submitted by our supporters across the nation… and around the world.

Does this change the nature of the local club?

Not really. The local club has always functioned with a loose, albeit clear, structure. One individual has always acted as 'president', while others assisted in the capacity of a 'secretary' and/or activities coordinator. We have/will always plan bimonthly or monthly meetings/gatherings. We will always plan F-U-N events. What does change is how we function on our guided drives. For insurance purposes, we will -- at times -- require a 'Fun Fee' for non-FCA members. They will remain minimal/affordable, in order to encourage the broadest appeal and participation.

The CC5C-FCA guided drives will likely be far and few between... and they will be announced far in advance (via our club FB Events page).

'Still more? You bet'cha! Our final update, for this entry, is the strong famiglia-style relationship we are forging with a specific new local business… 

… Veloce Indoor Speedway (Veloce IS). Our own Joe Noto has accepted a Sales Manager position with the indoor kart firm and CC5C-M3 is playing a key role in planning the Veloce Kart Championship League. The league is billed as "Powered by Mighty Mouse Militia"… a nod to the FIAT-ABARTH EU division involvement in Formula 4.

We think local enthusiasts will dig it. Cream City deserves the level of thought and passion poured into planning this activity. The marketing team responsible for Veloce IS marketing took out all stops, in regards to designing league and team logos/badges. They were able to take the wheel of initial ideas we handed over and cross the finish line with a "Mighty Mouse Militia Approved" advertising vehicle. It's brilliant… truly beautiful… artwork.

Veloce Kart Championship racing league activity puts sticky tires to twisty tracks 26 October 2015. Check their site for more details.

With so much happening in 2015, it's difficult to image how we will keep up in 2016. The operative word is "difficult" not impossible. Twenty-sixteen already promises to be an even bigger year for CC5C, FCA, FIAT USA and… of course… Veloce IS. More on that at a later date. Until we meet again…

Vivere.Amare.Guidare.

Ciao!

@

CC5Confessions of a FIAddicT

Bevenuti amici!

First, I need to apologize for the lack of a September entry. From time-to-time, I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to share FIAT life experience stories written by other FIATisti-ABARTHisti. These are some of my favorite blog entries. Usually, coming from life enthusiasts without a lot of writing experience, it takes a little longer for that inspiration bug to bite. But the wait is finally over!

Today, I have the esteemed honor to publish an anecdote from a fan who has become more than a friend… he's a brother-in-FIAT.

I first encountered Colin Brown on a fan site I once frequented. Although his curious user handle earned my immediate attention, it was his posts that held it. When I designed the CC5C logo he was one of the very first to request one. He has since supported virtually every club effort. So, without further ado, we bring you a tasty slice of his FIAT journey.

Where this began…

How did I, an aging... now retired... guy of Norwegian and Scottish descent, become the passionate head of a two Fiat and one Ducati household? The answer may have a circuitous beginning, but the ultimate answer ends up being pretty simple. Still, I advise you buckle up and settle in.

I’ve always considered it fortunate that my father was mechanically inclined, my mother was artistically inclined and that my only sibling.. my older brother... was the primary beneficiary of their combination. My brother’s natural talent and passion for automobiles culminated in his career as a designer with General Motors during the '60s, '70s and '80s. As such, I was exposed to, if not surrounded by, all the mechanical things boys gravitate toward; cars, trucks, trains, airplanes, boats and actually, more cars than you can reasonably imagine.

'wishes he had this toy track during his childhood

In the '50s my collection of Dinky Toys, Corgi Toys and Matchbox vehicles was boast-worthy, to say nothing of the Tonka Toys in our garage. Following in both my father’s and brother’s footsteps, I indulged in extensive model-building as well. I passed the requirements for the Boy Scouts Automobile Merit Badge while I was still a Cub Scout.

My initial exposure to actual European vehicles came in a tidal wave of imports becoming popular during the boom years of the '50s. One neighbor got a Renault Dauphine and a 4CV. My mother acquired an early VW Beetle. My dad helped a summer engineering intern rebuild his disintegrating MG TC. Fiat didn’t register on my radar until my brother was assigned a position with GM’s Opel in Germany in the mid-60s.

My continuing good fortune included a trip to Europe with my father during the summer of 1966 and having my brother drive us on a personally guided tour of the heart of central Europe. Staying in modestly priced pensions allowed us to gain more exposure to local residents and cultural norms. In Rome, for instance, the son of our hotel owner was an avid Ferrari fan. The evening meal at the table with our two families lead to some hearty discussions of Ferrari vs. Chaparral in the World Constructors Championship! My brother was a minor participant in GM’s highly… though poorly kept... secret assistance in the design and production of the Chevy-powered Chaparral. Having celebrated the Chaparral’s first European victory the weekend before insured raucous, friendly and passionate conversations in that Italian hotel!

Beyond that in-the-flesh introduction to the passion Italians feel toward their national automobile brands, both my father and I had begun falling in love with the adorably tiny Fiat 500s and 600s we’d encounter on mountain passes, struggling under the load of an entire family, often with their suitcases strapped to the roof, intent on getting the most they could from their own modest summer vacations. Considering the size of American cars from the mid-60s, it was as if we were viewing those cars the way an adult sees a batch of kittens or puppies, or today’s popular Minion movie characters.

[Fast-forward a a couple of years] My father began dating a woman whose only fault I could determine was her ownership of an even older, more pathetic Chevelle than we owned. [I'll spare you the details.] Perhaps in a rare fit of passion, associated with swooning for his new found female companion, the shock of my teenaged years was his showing up in the driveway one night in a Ferrari red Fiat 850 Sport Coupe! All the passion recalled from that evening meal, in the pension in Rome two summers before, came rushing back like a flash flood. My father soon thereafter married the wonderful woman whose Chevelle I’d previously loathed, but which had become the inadvertent reason my dad could have his mini-Ferrari moment. A single Chevelle in a two-car family apparently satisfied the [thrifty than thou] Scrooge in him.

The first modification to the Fiat was an Abarth logo wood shift knob... to match the stock wood steering wheel, and which entitled me to wearing Abarth jacket patches and applying Abarth stickers to many things hither and yon. While most of my male classmates that senior year in high school either had... or lusted for... Camaros, Mustangs, Firebirds, Barracudas, Pontiac GTOs, Hemi powered Chrysler stock/drag cars, I was the lone Fiat enthusiast I can recall. But believe me, slaying 6 cylinder pony cars and VWs was my Walter Mitty dream come true! [Add to that] I’m proud to recall I got a speeding ticket for doing 85 in a 65 mph zone. Had I been caught a few miles earlier, I was going 99 mph on a steep downhill with a tailwind on oversized snow tires!

Returning to cold, hard, factual reality, it can be said that my father probably also bought the Fiat for its incredible fuel economy. Sadly, Fiat was not doing itself any favors in the American market during those years, and our little baby succumbed to a few of Fiat’s faults. Rust appeared in less than a year. [To add insult to injury] A gas station attendant’s… remember them?... error resulted in a warped head. The Fiat had been our inspired ride to the races at Road America in Elkhart Lake to cheer on the tiny Abarths in their battles against much larger and more powerful cars in their classes. It wasn’t long before many other foreign brands began leaving the American market, and eventually, our 850 Sport Coupe was reduced to a fond, but very distant [impractical] memory.

For a number of years, my preference for European design and especially handling and performance resulted in my purchase of several VWs and Audis. I [later] considered myself fairly well off with my reliable, versatile, reasonably economical, admittedly offbeat Honda Element. I was pretty certain it was the last car I’d ever need. It towed my boats, it moved me and several friends and relatives quite a few times. It was great to drive in horrible [Minnesotan] winter conditions. I can now admit, though, that despite of meeting a huge number of fellow owners, who are mainly as abnormal as I am, it turns out it was never anything but a great platonic relationship.

Imagine how disappointing it was to see the Fiat 500 reborn in the European market in such a spectacularly reimagined form, and believing that cutie would never reach these shores. And then an Abarth version appeared! Even more sadness! But wait…

Due to an unlikely… although somewhat engineered behind the scene... meeting of the most wonderful woman I’ve met in my life. Beyond a sane man’s wildest dreams [she] ended up marrying me, and the winds of my personal fortune dramatically shifted once more. Fiat hooked up with Chrysler, and the new 500 was headed to the USA! I could barely believe it. I had to test drive one as soon as it was possible... and came away grinning like a little kid. Although the entire layout of the engine/drive train and amenities was almost the polar opposite of the original 500, the joy was not merely still there; it was overflowing. But I wasn’t, yet, ready to part ways with the versatility of my Element.  And both our cars were paid for!

Things finally boiled over when Fiat actually began offering the 500 Abarth for sale in the U.S. The chillier blood of my northern European ancestors probably determined that I needed to wait for an actual test drive before committing to the little pocket rocket, but commit I did! The Scotsman in me can get 35+ mpg in daily driving, or I can drive it like I stole it, and get as low as 28 mpg.  But the smile… it lights up my face every single time I turn the key and hear that [exhaust] growl! And it’s not just that. This is definitely not my old man’s Fiat! It’s solid, reliable, durable, comfortable, charming, thrilling, and backed up by the entire staff of our local Fiat Studio with devotion to customer satisfaction like I’ve never experienced before with a product or service of any kind!

During the three years and 29,000 ecstatic miles that have passed with my Abarth, the Element has been shuffled around various parking spots in the driveway or on the street, rarely used, and actually becoming more of a nuisance to keep for the few times we “need” it. I can barely await the arrival of the new Fiat 500X. I tell myself that it has many of the things my Element and her Accord provide us... wrapped up in Fiat style and passion. But I come back to my senses and remember that any man-centric advice to the wife is like a land mine waiting to be stepped on! Still, my wife happily accompanies me to the annual spring auto show and we were both impressed with the 500X. 

My wife really liked her Accord... and was particularly happy that it was the first car she’d actually chosen to buy without anyone’s influence but her own. So, I  I was astonished to get a phone call from her, while I was out of town attending a multi-day conference, [informing] me she was at that very moment in our local Fiat Studio buying a new Fiat 500X! My wife’s thought processes are incredibly complex and thorough. What I didn’t know was that she had been processing all she knew about the current crop of cars out there together with our situation for months! She assures me “it’s not your fault” she chose the Fiat, but I’m still ever so slightly anxious about that 'fact'.

[Back to the start] How did I, an aging... now retired... guy of Norwegian and Scottish descent, become the passionate head of a two Fiat and one Ducati household?

The only conclusion I can come to is this: both my wife and I have endured major back surgeries in our lives, requiring blood transfusions. I’d bet more than a dollar, that we both must have received a rather large dose Italian blood in the process! But what’s undeniable is that we’re both thrilled and proud to be Fiat owners. And isn’t that really what this whole “Fiat passion” business is all about?! - CB, Esquire

Vivere.Amare.Guidare.

Ciao!

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