By Peyton Barthelman
Any American would understand that a visit to Italia can be nerve-racking for many reasons. For myself, I suppose that I was anxious because I felt a great deal of responsibility to immediately portray myself in the most Italian way – to fit in and align myself with Italian culture. Going into the third week of this program, one of the most comforting things that I’ve learned is that Italians do in fact appreciate other cultures within their country, but only with due respect to their own. It is not hard to fit in here when you understand and actively show that you do your best to respect theirs (which could be done through the way you pay for your caffè to how you say “Buongiorno” or even the time of day that you purchase a cappuccino). On the other hand, Italians love cars the same way that Americans do - from lenses of aesthetic, performance, and utility. 'Cars and Coffee' is an American event produced by anyone that can simply send out a mass media message to organize it. While some more than others are well-funded and attract more cars – the event brings together cars of all kinds and people from all over the nation to walk, talk, and enjoy coffee. Why might this event not be such a tradition in Italy as it is in America? As I describe the most common makes in Italy, one characteristic stands out. Vehicles are appreciated from afar, in that individuals might own or enjoy the eye-candy that a car might be, but conversing about one’s car is not as much of a commodity as the Fiat 500.
There are no expectations when it comes to the right vehicle for Italy. While it’s obvious that Italian’s appreciate smaller cars for their efficiency, there are many more aspects that they desire as well. It is possible for this to be the American way to sort a love for cars into genres, with one similarity to Italian culture – the most classic cars stick around because there will always be appreciation for the greatest historical relevance, icons, and fashion. Michael Puccia, the Vice Chairman of Casa Belvedere’s Board of Directors is an example of a true Italian motorsports enthusiast who writes that “cars are no different than fashion, food, art, or architecture… It’s all part of our culture” (WeTheItalians). American examples of this could be the Dodge Charger, Ford Torino, Plymouth Duster, Buick Gran Sport 400, or the Pontiac Grand Prix GXP. On the Italian side of the comparison, we’d look at Lancia, Bugatti, Alfa Romeo, Lamborghini, Maserati, Ferrari, Vespa, and FIAT. Each of these Italian makes are classical and iconic to Italy. For this reason, almost all Italians will turn their heads the direction of one of these cars, except for maybe the FIAT (Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino) which came to be the most affordable and efficient car for Italians. The car is appreciated for its compact size, allowing it fit through any narrow vicolo (alleyway), or parking spot, and allow them to take corners at higher speeds compared to any car of the nation.
The first FIAT was built in Turin, Italy in 1899, with the mission 'to create mobility’. They succeeded creating a compact and highly capable base. Its utility and performance genres were excellent, and since Italian’s are known for appreciating aesthetics and beauty, FIAT Group makes every single one of their cars with a sleek and approachable body style. Only over time did Fiats begin to maximize productivity which created a value depreciation and throughout the 1980s, the acronym was given new meaning: FIAT, “Fix it Again, Toni”.
While on the topic of efficiency, our visit to Sorrento showed us that the most productive way to get around was a motorcycle/scooter. When people think of Italian motorcycles, they think of the Vespa. I toured the little Vespa Museum in downtown Rome during week one of our program and got to appreciate the original models that were thrown together via assembly lines in the 1940s. Interestingly enough, the very first Vespa model was put together with spare aircraft parts from the landing gear of Mussolini’s planes and designed by Corradino D’Ascanio (Vespapizzaria). Piaggio is the overhead corporation that formed to finance the assembly and distribution of the scooter across Europe. In 1956 it only took 11 years for Piaggio to sell more than a million models. So, why all this fuss over a little scooter? Well from my own perspective, they’re small, quick, and stern. Each of these three features are aspects that Italians identify with as individuals. Much of Italian roadways are narrow, parking is limited to sidewalks and curbs, and traffic amongst legitimate 4-wheel vehicles can be intense.
The Vespa solves the problem of parking by taking up only a 4–5-foot length and barely 3-foot width (allowing to park in almost any location). The small yet powerful engines within only a 400-pound vehicle allow for the user to have an acceleration that is incomparably better to any 4-wheel, and the lightweight characteristic is the scooter’s own safety feature, keeping the user in complete control. I did not get the opportunity to rent a Vespa, but I watch from the sidewalks as Italians thrive using this vehicle to get around the busy streets of Rome, the hectic but lively streets of Sorrento, and even the scenic country-roads of Toscana.
The Alfa Romeo (my favorite) is the most recognizable, aesthetically pleasing, and performance-based commodity in Italy. Local Italian police forces are a great example of why this car is so reliable. Nearly every police vehicle in Italy is either a GTV (Fastest Coupe/2-Door) or Tonale (SUV/4-Door). The same way that the United States law-enforcement uses the Ford Explorer’s yearly production of a consistent and reliable vehicle to arm their forces, the Italian law-enforcement does so with Alfa Romeo. Our month in Italy has surely given me the greatest appreciation for the brand and has surpassed Porsche as my favorite make. In my opinion, the GTV in its midnight gray colorway is the most attractive car for its interruption of the idealistic Italian vehicle. This car stands out in Italy, while everyone drives a Vespa, Fiat, or otherwise supercar (Bugatti, Ferrari, Lamborghini), this car finds the middle of performance, aesthetic, and efficiency. Alfa Romeo Co. was started in the early 1900s and during WWII, it was commandeered by Mussolini to produce the nicest cars for the wealthiest of Italians.
Since WWII, Alfa Romeo has redeemed themselves by mass producing small cars the same way Fiat did. Leading into the 1980s, they moved towards performance and aesthetic again. Fifteen years after their pause on imports in 1995, they have since been one of the world’s most appreciated Italian car-brands. One reason for their continued growth as a car company is due to their involvement with Formula 1 racing which has doubled its fan-base and in-person spectatorship in just the last 3 years
Italian car culture is an arena that stands out among all nations for its ability to continually view cars as a vital aspect to life alongside food, wine, music, art and even architecture. Furthermore, I have found a greater appreciation of cars (moreso Italian-made cars). When it comes to 'Cars and Caffe', I can acknowledge now that Italians would not appreciate such an event the way we might in America, not when it comes to the diversity of cars. Italians love their own car more than they do the conversation or comparison to someone else’s, which is beautiful in its own way.
About the Author
Peyton is a graduated senior at Colorado State University with a degree in Communication Studies alongside a minor in Business Administration. One week following the end of the program, he earns the project engineer title for a general contractor in Livermore, California. He feels beyond fortunate to attend this program and sends his greatest thanks to his professors Don Carlo and Dr. Julia for their hard work leading the program and their heartwarming efforts to make this program the once-in-a-lifetime experience that it is. Peyton enjoys anything outdoors and has recently begun fly-fishing the high alpine of Colorado. He will be thinking of his program leaders and peers within the program as he departs Colorado to start his career.
Work Cited
Belvedere, Casa. “Italy's Car Culture.” We the Italians, 24 July 2014, https://www.wetheitalians.com/from-italy/italys-car-culture
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