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The new Fiat 500 has caught the attention
of Europeans and now a possible merger of Chrysler and
Fiat could bring Fiat to America. Add the company's
siblings, Alfa Romeo and Lancia, and you have a full
Italian invasion. Fiat's connection with Ferrari and
Maserati has established a strong enthusiast base for
Italian automobiles in the USA. Like Henry Ford, the
Fiat company began with racing in their blood over 100
years ago, but both later wanted to build a car for
the masses. Ford built the Model T and Fiat built the
501.
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My 'chance' introduction to Fiat was
with a Fiat 501 racer in 1980. I had heard about a late
1930s Cadillac limo parked in a barn not far from where
I lived. Most old cars are worth a look, but this one
was more of a joke. The 1938 V-12 was in need of everything,
and the mouse-infested interior was best inhabited by
the mice, not humans.
However, at the other end of the barn, was a chicken
coop with a beautiful cast aluminum steering wheel poking
out of the top. Completely covered in chicken droppings,
was a 1919 Fiat 501. Why on earth would anyone sacrifice
it for a chicken roost? I am not a farmer, but I know
that this is not normal procedure. The one-eyed farmer
pointed to his glass eye and said that the car had cost
him dearly and the birds were revenging him. It seemed
rather funny at the time, but I suppressed my laughter
and headed home. I had not asked any questions about
the car and dismissed it as a derelict, not aware that
it was a race car. No sooner had I arrived home than
the telephone rang with the farmer on the line. He had
told his wife that I had taken an interest in the Fiat
and she had commanded him to sell it to me at once.
Discussions led to a $500 purchase and the discovery
that it was a race car.
Welcome back to America, Fiat. The Fiat heritage is
enjoyed throughout the world.
A selection of Fiat brochures to introduce you to the
variety of years and models can be seen below:
Visit the 'Fiat' website.
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