The 39th Meeting of the Fiat 500 Club Italia in Garlenda on July 7,8 and 9, 2023

The legendary Fiat 500 Meeting in Garlenda 2023

On the first weekend in July, the Fiat 500 Club Italia, supported by Axel Gerstl, invited the Fiat 500 community to the 40th edition of its legendary Fiat 500 meeting in Garlenda in northern Italy – a report on the history of the largest event for Fiat 500 enthusiasts can be found in our Newsletter 215. It was attended once again by our colleague Andreas and globetrotter and journalist Gianluca Fiorentini who shared with us after their return what they had seen, heard and experienced during these three days.

On Friday, the first day of the meeting, the number of Fiat 500s that met at the Borgata Ponte square was already close to 500. Over the day, the Parco Villafranca then filled up with many little 500s.

As usual, welcome bags with various gifts were distributed among the participants, and at the same time, an exhibition on the subject of the Fiat 500 in the world of comics was opened in the “Dante Giacosa” multimedia museum. The first day ended with a glorious night-time parade through the streets of Albenga down to Doria beach promenade, where the 500s let their engines hum.

On Saturday, the last participants arrived and Gianluca figured out that with 908 Fiat 500s and derivatives, the drivers and co-drivers, the population of Garlenda (normally just under 1,250 inhabitants) had doubled within 24 hours. At Parco Villafranca, Andreas and Gianluca met Gianni Bighin, a Garlenda veteran from the very first meeting. “When the first events took place, we felt like pioneers. We were only a handful people and we used to sleep in our 500s here in Parco Villafranca,” over 80-year-old Gianni recalled with dreamy eyes. “I worked at Fiat for ten years – from 1960 to 1970. My job was in the paint shop where the Fiat 500s were lined up. We produced a good 60 cars per hour, one per minute. Then, I started my own business.” Gianluca was very enthusiastic about meeting Gianni, whom he finds brilliant: “When we wanted to know the codes of particular colours, he answered with the speed and accuracy of a computer.” And when asked about his opinion on the Fiat 500 custom models and conversions, Gianni replied: “I love modified car bodies. My goodness! They are beautiful! Those who make these conversions are true artists!” For Gianni, the Fiat 500 is “the symbolic car of the Italians, an icon of style. It was produced in a run of four million units and it is the compact car that motorised the ‘booming’ Italy (of the post-war period, editor’s note). For me, the Fiat 500 is a gift from God.”

After talking with Gianni, Andreas and Gianluca took part in a ride to Alto, with Gianluca in particular enjoying the “thrilling, winding roads.” The evening programme with show and musical events brought the day to a perfect end.

Sunday, the last day of the meeting, saw a big parade of Fiat 500s from Garlenda to Pietra Ligure, escorted by a Lamborghini Huracán of the state police and led by the yellow Fiat 500 from Lupin III, the organisers’ car, and the little Fiat 500 of the Axel Gerstl team, driven by Gianluca. After their arrival, the Fiat 500s gathered on the squares and along the seafront, where an official farewell ceremony was held.