So, I had my first "Fiat moment"...

[131]

Some pics of the daily driver. Pretty common in AU, almost never seen on this side of the pond.

Interesting to see it with Holden badges on it. My sister drives a ute version of that!

[DUCeditor]

Having gotten my Spider back on the road late last summer after a three year hiatus I was surprised at the increased number of responses it has brought from passers by. Then thinking about I had a few realizations.

The first is that when I got the car in `88 most people simply saw it as "another" nice sports car. Triumphs, MGs, Alfas and Fiat Spiders were still pretty common then. Now, twenty three years later, they are not.

The second is that the Fiat brand is now almost forgotten. "A what?" response when I tell people what it is is far more likely than than the one I used to get back in the late `80s: "Oh yeah! 'Fix It Again Tony.' Hah! Has it stranded you lately?"

And the third is the most shocking of all... Although my Spider is a 1977 the design dates back to about 1965. That makes it a forty-six year old design. Thus to a late teen or early-twenties motorhead our Spiders are the equivalent of what a 1920s automobile was back when I (and several of us) started to drive in the days of original Mustang and the Pontiac GTO. Think about that!

-don

[DocGraphics]

I just had a "Fiat moment" & I'm not even driving it yet.

A younger, early 20's, guy & his girlfriend were walking by the house & I was in the garage with the door up & he called from the drive to ask if it was a Fiat. The girlfriend had never heard of one.
He said his mom has one she never drives that needs a little work "It's a 76 with the 'stock' 1600 & dual carbs changed back from the quads she got it with", he was sure of his facts so I didn't correct him, wish I knew it all too.
He said he'd stop again if he see's me out & would like to see it when I get it out on the road.

I can't wait to start diving it, Coeur d'Alene is a tourist town in the summer with the beautiful lake & all. I'm sure it will turn a few heads this summer!
I can't wait to take my fiance' on the "correct" tour of the lakes around here, "Sunny day, top down, windy road, wind in your hair, all to the tune of the tailpipe tour".
She's only been here for 4 years from North Dakota & has yet to see alot of the area lakes & scenery.

[DUCeditor]

"Sunny day, top down, windy road, wind in your hair, all to the tune of the tailpipe tour".

That says it all!~

-don

[papadopalas]

Hi Jimbo, I live in Waldorf (actually just outside of the town) Are you from around here or were you just passing through?

[westy64]

Hey Jimbo,

Ferrari 275 GTS. My Dream Car since 1965 or so when there was a red one on the cover of Car & Driver and a yellow one on the cover of Road & Track. WIth that beautiful 12 cyl motor. Oh man.



No coincidence that it looks like our Spiders' big brother. Pinninfarina styled it up just a few years before he did ours.

Unfortunately these are now half million $ cars.

+1
the most beautiful shark looking car

[baltobernie]

There was a yellow one at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix a few years ago.



At the conclusion of the show, I asked the (presumed) owner if I could park my yellow Spider next to it for a photo. "Uh, no" was the reply.

My favorite FM's are when an individual or a couple are walking the line of cars at a show, and they spot the Spider. Their face(s) immediately light up, and the story's always the same: "I used to have one of those; never should have given it up".

[divace73]

does it actually have the holden badges on it?? I thought they rebadges them as Pontiacs there?

[rjkoop]

Interesting the emotions that this car brings up in people. My car is in the garage and not running right now. We had a street party a few weeks ago and a few neighbors asked about the car and I said it isn't currently running. One of the female neighbors said that her boyfriend (a long time ago) had a Fiat Spider and she asked if it was ok to sit in it to bring back some memories. Of course I said sure so she and her friend went over and sat in the car. 20 minutes later we came over to the car and noticed they were still in there. She said she was having 'a moment' and starting talking about the times with her boyfriend many years ago. Nice...

Later that evening we were having dinner and noticed that the woman who was sitting in the car earlier wasn't around. Didn't think too much of it but then my son came over and asked 'Daddy. Who's that lady sitting in your car in the garage?'. She'd gone back to the car and was reminiscing again.