Centro Storico in Turin- Fiat Club America tour 2020

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Our tour takes us to the Centro storico in Turin ,where we will make daily visits for the remainder of the week .

So where does an Italian working for Fiat go to take lunch? A nice little trattoria hidden down a small side street in Turin? No. Signor Hardouin has graciously arranged for us to eat at the Mirafiori factory where most of the workers eat.


The factory is still very large with a menacing gate. This looks interesting – security looks tight, but since we are with a senior member of staff, the barrier should just lift on sight of his staff pass. But no such luck, and we have to make our way into the security hut. ‘Can we see your passports please?’ they ask. Passports! They are in the hotel safe, as I did not think we would need them. Ok, but they still want to see our passports or some other form of identification. I try my credit cards and then my office staff pass, my wife tries her bus pass but they don’t cut it.


Fortunately for us, Signor Hardouin knows how to play the bureaucratic games. An Italian standoff ensues, lots of arm waving and the Italian equivalent of ‘Hey, I am only doing my job’ but Signor Hardouin’s arguments prevail and after signing a few forms about, confidentiality we are in. Thank you, Signor Hardouin.


We park up about 50 yards further on from security hut next to the staff car park, and my wife notices that all the cars in the staff car park are models from the FCA group of brands. Signor Hardouin explains that only FCA built cars can park out the front. If you turn up in a ‘foreign’ car you have to park it out of sight round the back which is exactly what a German TV crew had to do recently with their Audis.


Signor Hardouin then leads us into the New Holland (an FCA Brand) Tractor Administration Headquarters, past the 702 model tractor displayed to the left, and an enormous New Holland tractor on display to the right, then it is up the stairs and into the buzzing staff canteen.


Now I am not sure about your staff canteen but mine does a good line in chips and burgers, but this being Italy, it is all salads and good healthy food. My wife goes for the roasted aubergine salad and I go with the Bresaola salad. Once we have eaten it is time to recycle the plates and cutlery which would seem to be voluntary but everybody does it.


Coffee? Of course, this is Italy, none of your vending machine rubbish! It is over to the coffee bar which has at least four giant espresso machines, and probably a dozen staff making and serving the dark and delicious brew. The factory eatery was indeed worth the effort of getting past security!


Suitably fed and watered, we make our way outside ready for our afternoon appointment, of which more next week. In the mean time I hope you will enjoy part two of our visit to Centro Storico.


Address: Via Gabriele Chiabrera, 20, 10126 Torino TO, Italy
Opened: 1963 Admission is FREE
Hours:
Closed ? Opens 10AM Sun
Phone: +39 011 006 6240
Province: Metropolitan City of Turin

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Day 2

A masterpiece from Dante Giacosa the first 500 (better known as the Topolino) rolled off the production line at Lingotto in 1936, the world’s smallest mass-produced car that had a great deal of charm. The first examples were powered by 569cc engine and could carry two people at speeds of up to 100 kph for less than 10000 Lire. It remained in production until 1948 after approximately 122,000 were built.Everything in the museum is amazing including the floors ,ceilings and display cabinets

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when is this event happening?

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This is not an event ,some of us from the Toronto chapter of Fiat Club America went to Turin ,these are photos of the museum and other adventures .

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Lets see some more pictures!

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Of only 114 examples built, this 1954 8V was specially designed by the Fiat engineering department for display the 1954 Turin Motor show. The steel plate frame was clothed with a resin impregnated plastic body with a thickness of only 3mm and weighed less than 50 kgs. It was amazing to see in person true beauty.

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A visit to the Lukas Hüni AG stand at Retromobile is one of the top highlights in a show full of many highlights. In 2017 the stand featured treasures from the Bentley and Bugatti. In 2018 it was the Ferrari 250 series, Last year it was Lancia, with an amazing multi colored line up of Stratos. As 2020 is the 110th birthday of Alfa Romeo it was not surprising that they were the chosen marque, and boy what a line up it was, as you can see from the following shot.

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We were told the idea of building an Alfa Romeo with two separate engines was first discussed during a meeting that Enzo Ferrari held with his closest advisers on the 16th December 1934 to determine how to compete with the superior performance of the German cars. Vittorio Jano was already working on a new car but it was still a long way from being ready. During the meeting Luigi Bazzi told his colleagues of an old idea that could just work. “Fit the P3 with two engines”. Ferrari agreed that it might just work. But it would not be like the earlier Tipo A effort, a Monza with two 6C 1750 engines placed side by side up front. No, this one would use two 3165 cc eight cylinder P3 engines, one in front and the other in the rear.

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In outstanding and highly original condition, this 1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Grand Sport Zagato Spider chassis 8513039, resided in the Rome area until 1960. At one time it was registered to the Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano Roma. It was also owned for many years by arch enthusiast Francesco Santovetti. Santovetti then sold 8513039 to his close friend Tito Anselmi who later sold it to the Pozzoni family. 8513039 has been part of a Swiss collection since the 1980s.

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This Alfa Romeo 8C2300 Long Chassis Pinin Farina Cabriolet chassis 2211075 dates from 1933. 8C authority Simon Moore, having studied the coachwork extensively, believes that the bodywork was modified in the late 1930s to give a more streamlined look. The early history of the car is not known but is fully documented from 1949 when Louis Pierre Jean Leinns, a diplomat for the United Nations registered the car on Geneva number plates GE22627. This was one of the greatest cars we saw on the trip !