Italians do some great things with cars. Well, to be fair, they pretty much do everything with a great deal of artistry and passion. It doesn’t take much to get into their history of art, sculpture, music, food, dance, and cars to realize how captivating their culture is. But my focus is their beautiful cars and the Italian driving culture around making small cars just as captivating and enjoyable as larger displacement cars. Part of this has been historically motivated by their small streets, tight passages between buildings, and the government system that taxes cars by the size of their engine. But a great deal of it has to do with the magic of making a beautiful object, regardless of the scale or power.
from Ludvigsen feature apr 15
Italy was in pretty poor shape after the war. Although resources were slim, Italians were clever with what little they had, using limited ingredients to “cook” in remarkable ways. When it came to transportation, the vast majority of what Italians could afford were bicycles, scooters, or very small cars. The earliest iteration of the Fiat Topolino was a fantastic little pre-war car that delivered economy and style, allowing families of even modest means a way to get around town and explore distant cities with confidence.
