No. CCXXVII - Ada Lovelace (1815-1852), the "World's First Computer Programmer."
Autobahn
Twice, I have spied pairs of Fiat 500s motoring along, one pair on Saginaw Street heading south from "downtown" Grand Blanc & the other, over a week later, heading east on I-69 out beyond Belsay Road. I've not seen a lone 500, leading me to suspect I've seen witnessed road tests, either by automotive journalists or for some internal marketing purpose of Chrysler's. In both instances, the sun was at a very low, early-morning angle & I was motoring in the opposite direction, limiting my ability & time to gaze upon the wee Fiats, probably the first branded Fiats I've ever seen in person (I spotted a Maserati some months back, Maserati being a part of the Fiat conglomerate alongside Ferrari & Alfa Romeo). Welcome back to the American market, you men of Turin! Also, there has been a spat of Mini sightings this week. As petrol prices approach, & most likely exceed, $4/gallon this summer, will these tiny motorcars become so commonplace as to be unremarkable?
3 comments:
Wayback machine: 1960s, California suburb. Through the years, our family goes from one far-flung car choice to another, a stream of automotive non-sequitirs whose only thing in common was a second-hand price low enough for us to afford.
This (presumably) was how we ended up with a wee Fiat 1100 one year, the sole vehicle for our family of four. My mother thought it was adorable, and my 6'5" dad somehow got in and drove it, but it literally couldn't make the grade one Saturday when we tried to drive up nearby Mt. Diablo for a picnic.
Good times. I expect my dad has pictures of that Fiat somewhere.
More Beaton fun. Go Ada.
Are minis not common in MI? I see a shit ton of them out here.
California Dreamer: Bang up job with the pun about the ol' Fiat not making the grade. Hee hee!
Watergirl: {1} Reality: Flint is the "Vehicle City" & the suburbs are, well, suburbs. Space is not at a premium anywhere in Genesee County; so, there is no necessity for a wee city car as in crowded Boston. Also, this remains a G.M. burg; we have a B.M.W./Mercedes/Lexus dealership south of Grand Blanc, but I'm not sure they carry the Mini, meaning you'd have to buy yours in Metro Detroit. {2} Perception: You see more of something once you start actively looking for it.
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