March 25: Strange times

These are certainly strange, frightening and worrisome times. There must be something I can blog about, that will bring a smile to your and my faces and make us forget about today's world for a few minutes. Ok, let me give it my best shot.

Start with one plain Jane old Fiat sedan, the 124........

Back in its day (from 1966 to 1974), this car provided good, solid transportation for those pasta loving Italians and once it was time to end production in its home country, the 124 started showing up just about everywhere, like Poland, Russia, Turkey, India and other countries, being built under licence almost to the current day.

So what? Just a regular sedan. Nothing objectionable at all.  But, if this was Fiat's Jekyll, take a look at their Hyde for our Humourous Car of the Day shot........

 

This is the 1958 Fiat 600 Multipla Mirafiori. Strange in the extreme. Build a few to transport VIP's around the Fiat works back in its day. Give them a laugh.

Good ol' Fiat, always up for a good time, when it came to design. In case you were wondering, the glass top was easily removed, so that Fiat's visitors wouldn't bake under that clear roof......

 

Interesting fact..........the bumpers were made of wood! Go figure (please).

Lest you think that this was just a bad day in the design studios, Fiat also made the Marinella......

Ok, I hear you, "Barry, these were way back in the fabulous '50's, when many and any strange thing was built in the name of fashion(?) or whatever future those wacky designers envisioned.".

No so fast with those comments, as Fiat apparently loves to have the Multipla held up for ridicule or comic relief, as this recent model shows.......

If you are reading this blog while eating, I apologize. Picture the designer sitting back, looking at their sketches and saying, "What a beauty!". Of course, not every design has to be a beauty contest winner, but what were they thinking??? This one would even be passed over for the Miss Congeniality award.

Yeah, I know, designers have bad days (weeks, months, years?), so let's finish off with one Fiat that looks so good, that maybe all those other images will be washed from your memory banks......

But maybe not!

Until next time and please stay safe........