This is a true story by guest author Leo Maselli.

By now, quite a few of you have craned your heads to see a 2011 Fiat 500 zipping around your community or at least heard the news that Fiat is back. If you’re wondering about the people’s perception of such a development here in this country consider the assertion of Pierluigi Bellini, associate director with the auto research firm of HIS Global Insight in Milan:

to change people’s perception of Fiat in the U.S. is going to be the most difficult job. In the best case, American consumers don’t know what Fiat is. In the worst case, they do.

I know what a Fiat is. In fact I’ve owned a ‘70 124 Spider and a ‘81 2000 Spider during my lifetime. I have quite the tale for you that will make you want to get your hands on the modern version of this fun ride. Let me take you back, per favore.

In an effort to get to Fiat’s old production plant in time for our clandestine, early morning, visit to the legendary rooftop test track, Bodie and I had driven all night to Lingotto, Italy. Reports said that the track remained fully functional, even though the facility had been deserted a full year before our arrival that cold winter morning of 1983. We planned to get inside the gate with Bodie’s bright yellow ’63 Fiat 500 Abarth – 595 sports model famously tuned by Carlo Abarth himself.

Our goal was simple: get the car onto the rack and have us a good old-fashioned joy ride. In the back seat was a case of French wine (an equal count of Châteauneuf du Pape and Côtes du Ventoux (with two of each already missing). Bodie and I were on a road trip over the Alps from Provence, south, into the Piemondi Region of Northern Italy. We were prepared for a once in a lifetime adventure arranged by a cousin of mine who was night watch supervisor at the abandoned Fiat plant.

View Larger Map

Lingotto is a district of Turin where, in 1923, the huge factory was constructed by Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Fiat). The factory’s design was considered quite innovative at the time because it had five floors. Raw materials went in at the ground floor, and cars were built on a line that went up through the building. Finished cars emerged fully formed at the rooftop level, where the test track was located. The plant had an amazing fifty-year run, but was finally closed in 1982. The old factory has since been rebuilt into a modern complex of concert halls, theatres, a convention center, arcades and a prestigious hotel. The extraordinary test track was, however, retained and can still be visited today on the top floor of the shopping mall and hotel.

The sun was still below the horizon when we pulled up to the guardhouse and were unexpectedly greeted by two uniformed guards who demanded our identification papers. My cousin was no were to be seen. One of the guards unceremoniously pulled his gun and held it pointed down at his side. The other guard indicated we should get out of the car and remain still and quiet while he made a call. Five minutes later, headlights headed our way. If it wasn’t my ne’er-do-well cousin, we were already in trouble.

Sure enough, behind the wheel was my cousin and he had a big smile on his face, even as he slammed on his brakes and jumped out of his car like General Patton. His smile quickly disappeared when he approached the nervous guards. Without a word he handed them an envelope of cash I had wired yesterday afternoon and Bodie took it upon himself to present them with two bottles of our precious wine. Now feeling important and cared-for the guards became our new best friends. We were asked to pull inside the gate, shut off our motor and wait. An escort would be joining us as soon as possible for the journey up to the track.  With a kiss to both my cheeks my cousin sped off never to be seen again.

After an unexpected siesta of 30-minutes (must have been the wine), our escort finally appeared aboard a vintage Moto Guzzi motorcycle and signaled us to follow him. I recall that the sky was becoming light as we roared into the massive building that stood in the center of a massive complex of outbuildings and railroad tracks. Inside were a dozen or more men at work under floodlights with sledgehammers and jackhammers knocking down unwanted concrete walls and such, but the ramp that spiraled around the outer edge of the interior was intact and up we went, speeding to keep up with the Guzzi. The echo was deafening.

Once on the test track the motorcycle sped away on down the track at a hundred-plus. We gave chase, but could not catch up but rest assured, we stomped on it and had a good time trying. How fast did we get the Fiat Abarth up to? The little rear-wheeled drive performed well even with only 20 hp under the hood. We squeezed out a top speed of 85 mph on the 1.000 km track (0.621 miles wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingotto). The banked-turns were a carnival ride with no hands. After an hour of fun and speed, a uniformed guard appeared up the ramp on a bicycle, blew a whistle and waved us off the roof with a red bandana. By lunchtime we were headed back to Provence with just enough wine left to make it home.

Old or new, the Fiat 500 Abarth has always loved to drive in the Alps as will as a busy city like Torino or San Francisco. Test drive one: either the base Fiat 500 with 100 hp or the Abarth turbo version with 160 hp – or both. You’ll like the experience.

Related Posts:

• No Related Posts