2017 Fiat 124 Spider Elaborazione Classica Convertible on 2040-cars

Auto blog

The right way to own and operate a vintage Fiat 500

Annetta Calisi and her husband have restored their Fiat 500D to the same specification with which it left the factory in 1964. The result is a cheeky yellow cinquecento that looks the part of a 1960's movie star car. For that matter, so does Annetta, who dresses appropriately mod for this latest Petrolicious video, The Speed of Sunshine.
At one point in the video, the lucky owner mentions, "I keep saying 'fun' don't I?" which does a fine job of summing up what it must be like to own this little rascal. Watch below, and smile.
Have you seen the rest of the really well-made Petrolicious video series? If you like classic metal, well shot and well recorded, you should check out our tag page, here (we think you've earned a little video break).

Fiat Beast of Turin fires up, vows to kill all in its path of destruction

The roadways, racetracks and lawns of Goodwood have seen a lot of varied machinery over the years. But few if any can match the Beast of Turin for outright raunchiness and brutality. The vehicle in question is a Fiat S76, built in 1911 to do nothing but go fast in a straight line, contesting the era's outright land-speed record. It features a monstrous 28.5-liter four-cylinder engine churning out 290 horsepower that propelled what would become known as the Beast of Turin to a top speed of around 140 miles per hour, which was downright crazy for that era. Now restored to running condition, the Beast of Turin is set to hit the Goodwood Festival of Speed this June. But before it does, Charles March – Earl of March and Kinrara and lord of Goodwood House – took a ride in it around his estate on a date no less suitable than Friday the 13th of March. Witness the mayhem in the video above. News Source: Goodwood Road & Racing via YouTube Fiat Automotive History Racing Vehicles Classics Videos Goodwood autoblog black

FCA-Renault revival may hinge on willingness to cut Nissan stake

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Renault are looking for ways to resuscitate their collapsed merger plan and secure the approval of the French carmaker's alliance partner Nissan, according to several sources close to the companies. Nissan is poised to urge Renault to significantly reduce its 43.4% stake in the Japanese company in return for supporting a FCA-Renault tie-up, two people with knowledge of its thinking also told Reuters. It is still far from clear whether any concerted effort to revive the complex and politically fraught deal can succeed. FCA Chairman John Elkann abruptly withdrew his $35 billion merger offer in the early hours of June 6 after the French government, Renault's biggest shareholder, blocked a vote by its board and demanded more time to win Nissan's backing. Nissan representatives had said they would abstain. The failure, which FCA and Renault blamed squarely on the French government, deprived both companies of an opportunity to create the world's third-biggest carmaker with 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion) in promised annual synergies. It also shone a harsh light on Renault's relations with Nissan, which have gone from frayed to fried since the November arrest of former alliance Chairman Carlos Ghosn, now awaiting trial in Japan on financial misconduct charges he denies. REVIVAL TALKS Italian-American FCA — whose brand stable encompasses Fiat runabouts, Jeep SUVs, RAM pickups, Alfa Romeo luxury cars and Maserati sports cars — has so far turned a deaf ear to suggestions by French officials that its merger proposal could be revisited. But since the breakdown, Elkann and his French counterpart Jean-Dominique Senard have had talks about reviving the plan that left the Renault chairman and his Chief Executive Thierry Bollore upbeat about that prospect, three alliance sources said. Renault and a spokesman for FCA declined to comment. One of Elkann's senior advisors on the Renault merger bid, Toby Myerson, was expected at Nissan headquarters in Yokohama on Monday for exploratory discussions with top management, two people with knowledge of the matter said. Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa is likely to attend. Myerson did not respond to a message from Reuters seeking comment. The meeting comes amid mounting strains that may preclude compromise, after Senard warned Saikawa that Renault was prepared to block key Nissan governance reforms in a dispute over board committees.