tuscany # 32-36 ~ vroom, vroooom

Cisitalia dashboard ~ Arezzo, Tuscany • click to embiggen
Italian cars ~ in and around Tuscany • click to embiggenDuring all my years with the wife, one word that I can't ever remember hearing was the word, "vroom", so it goes without saying that I never heard her utter the phrase, "vroom, vroooom". However, in Italy / France, if I heard "vroom, vroooom" once, I heard it 1,000 times.

Now, it must be stated that the wife was not given over to some sort of verbal tick because she only verbalized the phrase "vroom, vroooom" in response to my oft-heard directive of, "way cool man, check out that (insert auto name here)." - a declarative sentence that she must have heard at least 1,200 times (maybe more, but only 1/2 the number of times she watched me making pictures) during the course of our travels about the Italian countryside. And, FYI, the difference in number between my exclamations and her responses can be explained by the fact that on some occasions she would just simply roll her eyes and chuckle softly.

In my defense, it should be noted that my love of Italian cars goes all the way back to my very own 1969 Fiat 124 Sports Coupe. It was a killer car for that time - a sweet interior, a high-revving twin-cam motor, 4-wheel disc brakes, 5-speed gearbox, and a suspension set up that was made for the twisty bits (any research will show that those specs were very very rare at that time, especially so in a very affordable car).

I also loved that fact that the dash made no pretense of catering to the American market in as much as all the gauges were in Italian. So, I had to pay attention the acgua temperature and be sure that I did not run out of benzina. I loved it. And, it is worth mentioning the car did not live up to the F(ix)I(t)A(gain)T(ony) reputation - it was very dependable and unscheduled maintenance free.

Over the past decade or two, my interest in cars has been heavily slanted toward those vehicles that are very fuel efficient, compact, and fun to drive - not exactly qualities found in many of Detroit's offerings (massive understatement). In fact, the number of Detroit vehicles that match that description can be counted on the fingers growing out of the top of head (0). And, in the US of A, foreign makers have generally imported only "stripper" compact cars because they assume, and probably rightfully so, that Americans want only characterless and "cheap" when it comes to compact fuel efficient cars.

To be honest, this situation really pisses me off. There are so many unique, creative, and "upscale" (think cabin trim and overall design) compact fuel-efficient cars out there that it boggles the (American) mind. But, unfortunately, virtually none of them are available in the good 'ole gas-guzzling, monster-sized truck/SUV, land-yacht US of A.

Fortunately for me, that may be about to change with the recently-inked Chrysler/Fiat agreement. It has been rumored that the one and only Fiat that Chrysler will market under the Fiat badge (the rest will be be Chrysler badged variants) is the Fiat 500 - a vehicle that I have been lusting over since its introduction.

Luigi • click to embiggenThe new 500 (see the small red car above) is Fiat's update of the old venerable 500 (see the carmel-colored car above - the color of my Fiat 124 SC) and who could be so heartless and cold as to not love Luigi.

The model I am lusting for is the 500C. The wife has been summarily unimpressed with my 500-based desires, although ... on one of our rambles through the Tuscan countryside, I did stop - accompanied by much moaning & groaning from the passenger seat - at a Fiat dealership and managed to drag her inside to sit in one of the 500Cs. Her reaction was direct, terse, and to the point - "OK. Nice. If it makes it to the US, we'll get one."

Cue the location-appropriate chorus of Renaissance-era heavenly angels singing "Halleighlujah, Halleighlujah!!". Vroom, vroooom. Hope springs eternal.

FYI, I threw in the pictures of the Ferrari and the 1947-52 era Cisilatia just for kicks - what the hell, one can always dream, can't one?

Update on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 11:32AM by gravitas et nugalis

Featured Comment: Mauro Thon Giudici wrote: "Just for the record. The 124 coupè was the car that almost any smuggler in northern Italy had (or was dreaming about). Smuggling coffee and tobacco across the Swiss borders employed large numbers of People living in the Alps. By the way you forgot to mention the unforgettable roar.

my response: in the words of the wife - vroom, vroooom

Comments

[Mauro Thon Giudici]

Just for the record. The 124 coupè was the car that almost any smuggler in northern Italy had (or was dreaming about). Smuggling coffee an tobacco across the Swiss borders was employed large numbers of People living in the Alps. By the way you forgot to mention the unforgettable roar.

As for the 500c I'm more on the opinion of your wife.