Description
Author: Alessandro Sannia, The history of "the little car that helped Italy grow" in 200 pictures,Hardbound, 185 Pages, ISBN: 9789079761616, French / English Text, 1st Edition, 2010
- Tiny volume dedicated to a tiny car !!
The 500 has been a banner of Italian genius all over the world.
Anyone who passed their driving test in the sixties or seventies has had at least one 500 in his/her life. As soon as I had my license, I wanted one too: yet my father wasn't that keen on letting me on the road at the tender age of eighteen, so driving had to wait until after graduation.
But I soon made up for lost time: I immediately bought my very own twin-cylinder and even today I still love cruising around Rome at the wheel of my pale green 500 F, made in 1970 and previously owned by none other than Gabriele D'Annunzio, grandson of the famous same-named poet.
To me, the 500 is miraculous, as it lets me get around town in perfect anonymity.
It's marvellous for secret meetings... What more is there to say? I still see the 5oo as a car for today and the only one immune to the passage of time. Italians adore the 500 and always will do, as it has provided them with efficient everyday transport and endless memories.
I welcome this book with open arms, sure that it will enhance the legend of the 500 even further.
Renzo Arbore
