The Netherlands isn't the first country that comes to mind when talking about the classic Fiat 500, but it's actually a key player in the world of enthusiasts of the iconic Italian small car. In fact, in 1980, it was founded “The Club van 500”, whose existence inspired the establishment, four years later, of the Fiat 500 Club Italia.
On the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the Dutch association, which will take place from 5 7 to September, many of our members from many regions of Italy are already on their way to reach the place of the great event, the Boshoek Park in Voorthuizen, covering between 1.200 and 1.800 km (depending on where they come from), and joining others from various European countries.
The bond between Italy and Holland is very close, made up of continuous visits and mutual presence at the respective events, in particular at the International Meeting of Garlenda and Sittard-Geleen, which for a long time hosted the traditional event in the Netherlands. Sittard-Geleen itself, 41 years ago, was the destination of the first Garland expedition, led by Domenico Romano and Giuseppe Nespolo, who on the return journey decided to found the “Friends of the 500” (later Fiat 500 Club Italia from 1990).
The invitation to the event, launched last year during the Garlenda Meeting, immediately piqued the interest of Italian enthusiasts, and the Club has prepared a travel program to allow those wishing to travel in a group to participate, so as to also benefit from mechanical assistance, which is very useful for managing minor problems with cars that are at least 50 years old. The initiative has been joined by 20 crews, not counting those who will travel to Voorthuizen on their own.
The delegation will be led by the honorary president Alexander Scarpa, who within the Club is responsible for maintaining relations with foreign associations, and the vice-curator of the 500 Museum “Dante Giacosa” Silvio BertolottoA special feature of the expedition was the presence of the first car registered with the Fiat 500 Club Italia, that of the founding president, Domenico Romano, the same one from the 1984 trip and who has already tackled the Italy-Holland route on other occasions. A return to the origins of his passion for the legendary twin-cylinder and an experience rich in emotion.
