In Love With a Fiat 500

Veronica's photo taken in the garage the day I brought her home.

After 15 years of a beautiful long-term relationship, I dumped the automotive love of my life, Fiona, my 1998 Volkswagen Beetle.  OK, I had had another long term love affair with my Honda named Holly back in the eighties.  Holly  came to a sudden, unexpected end when I was rear-ended on a freeway entrance ramp.  My heart, but not my bones, was broken in that accident, and I was hesitant to love again until I met Fiona.

The first several years that I drove Fiona, people would wave and smile at her everywhere I went.  It was hard to stay in a bad mood while driving Little Miss Sunshine.  Fiona may have a lot of years but she only has 78,000 miles on her.  The mechanic who tuned her up last said, "She will go forever."  Well, I did not give her that chance, because, I am ashamed to say, I fell in love with a Fiat.

I have kept my secret crush pretty quiet.  It started a year or so ago when I saw the commercial with Jennifer Lopez driving the white Fiat 500 convertible through the streets of her old neighborhood in the Bronx. I fell in love instantly, not with Jennifer, but with her car.  I had been faithful to Fiona for years, never thinking someone else would ever win my heart again, but it happened.  It just happened.

I had to have the white steering wheel!

I do feel guilty.  Fiona has been faithful to me all these years although she did need an engine replacement early on back in '99, which her parents paid for.  I felt a bit betrayed by that but I got over it.  But after seeing J-Lo drive that beautiful car, I found myself lusting after every Fiat 500 I saw.  I knew I should know better because my ex-husband and I owned a Fiat when we were first married in '71 and that Fiat was cute but it was a piece of junk. 

I found the new Fiat irresistible but I had to be sure.  I read up on it extensively, going to a variety of car websites.  I learned the 500 have been a big success in Europe since '07.  Sure they were smaller than most cars Americans drive, but they get incredible gas mileage.  They have wall to wall interior air bags ready to explode when you crash and risk being folded up like an accordion.  Then of course there is that cuteness factor.  

Some of the men who learned about my love affair with the Fiat 500 did not support me.  Men read Consumer Reports to decide which car to buy.  Women, as we all know, look to see what "Jenny from the block is driving."  After all, J-lo has made some excellent choices in her life of late.  She dumped that awful husband of hers and got herself a new man, a younger model who can really dance!  One of the critical men, who shall remain nameless,  gave me a hard time about buying this car now never misses a time to drive her. The only man who gave me support with this difficult transition was my friend Gordon in Florida.  In fact Gordon owns a black Fiat 500 and I had my first Fiat ride in his car in November.  The moment we pulled away from the curb I knew it was all over between Fiona and me.  I would be dumping the German born/Mexican made VW for a younger, pale green Italian.  I blame Gordon now, not Jennifer.

My daughter, who just moved home after living 13 years in NYC, totaled her car while I was in Florida.  Finally, I had the perfect excuse to consummate my affair -- I mean, buy the Fiat.   I gave Fiona to Alexis.  Fiona actually took my rejection of her pretty well.  I was surprised.  I think the fact that she is now being seen with a young, attractive driver 30 years younger than me helps her cope with the pain of our separation.  When Alexis was learning to drive a stick, she threw that lovely bouquet of flowers I always kept on the dash into the back seat, and Fiona could have cared less.  I thought Fiona loved those artificial flowers, which I would always update for the different seasons: tulips in the spring, roses in the summer, mums in the fall, holly at Christmas.  Maybe she felt those flowers made her look old, I don't know.  I put blond streaks in my hair, trying to look younger, so I guess I can't really blame Fiona.  I guess you really never know a person, I mean a car, like you think you do.

At the moment we are all living happily ever after.  Alexis loves Fiona and I love love love my new pale green, white dash, 5 speed Veronica.  Veronica even came with blue tooth.  I had no idea what that even was until my adorable 27 year old car salesman explained it to me.  I did test drive an automatic 500 thinking that with my arthritic knees I should give up on driving a 5-speed.  No way!  Driving a stick in this car makes me feel like Danica Patrick at the Indy 500.  I decided I can just take Advil on long road trips.

No, it's not me.  My Fiat is light green!

I must say however that I have found Italian woman to be rather temperamental and demanding.   Veronica told me on the way home from the dealership she wanted a moon roof installed as soon as possible.  I told her it was too expensive but I would buy her flowers for her dash.  She scoffed at me.  I do want her to be happy though so I may just have to buy her that moon roof.