FLU Officers FLU Board John Montgomery Janet Bailey [email protected] [email protected] (770) 932-2380 President Kevin Barnett [email protected] Thad Kirk [email protected] Mike Bouse Vice President [email protected] Tim Beeble Denise Burchette [email protected] [email protected] Secretary Ron Conlon Scott Hill [email protected] [email protected] Treasurer Alvon Elrod [email protected] Volunteers Sam Germana Mike Bouse [email protected] [email protected] Membership Coordinator Craig Nelson Denise Burchette [email protected] [email protected] Lee Putman Check out the NEW Advertising Chair [email protected] Chris Layton Bobb Rayner www.flu.org [email protected] [email protected] Visit the web for the latest in what’s happening in YOUR club. Jon Prisbe [email protected] RICAMBI Website Coordinator Brett Melancon [email protected] We need your submissions! Editor/Publisher RICAMBI needs submissions from YOU! Anything from a simple Larry Smith photo and description of your car to a nice article telling about Editor your car or interesting tech knowledge. Send photos and articles to [email protected] or call 865-604-3271 for instructions on how to submit your articles. FLU thanks you! Editorial submissions can be sent in for consideration to: Brett Melancon 145 South Gay Street Knoxville TN 37902 [email protected] All submitted material will be considered and is subject to editing to fit the format of RICAMBI. Material will not be returned unless arranged before submission. Questions regarding submissions should be directed to Brett Melancon via e-mail at [email protected] or calling 865-604-3271. Editorial and photos may be submitted electronically via disk CD or e-mail. All ads must be sufficient quality and format suitable for printing. Please check with questions about format. Please do not send low resolution graphics from web sites unless you check and discuss it beforehand and have permission to do so from the source. On-line Classified Ad submission using the FLU forum at http://fluforum.italiancarclub.com/ Non-club members please send all checks for classifieds to Scott Hill, Club Treasurer 3258 Scioto Farms Drive Hillard, OH 43026 1 www.flu.org Arizona “Desert FLU” (chapter) Eric Lynn– (602) 524-0053 [email protected] Pittsburgh (regional contact) Atlanta (chapter) Jody Farr– Indiana (chapter) [email protected] John Montgomery– (770) 932-2380 Mike Walsh– (765) 345-9883 [email protected] [email protected] Roamin Chariots (chapter) Blue Ridge (chapter) Ron Conlon– (405) 325-9498 Mid-Atlantic (regional contact) [email protected] Frank Battaglia– (434) 295-0990 Haz Neuman– (410) 836-1102 [email protected] [email protected] Rocky Mountain (chapter) Carolina FLU (chapter) Joel Hailey Mid-South (chapter) [email protected] Denise Burchette– (eastern) Chris Layton– (207) 882-6207 [email protected] [email protected] So-Cal (chapter) Kevin Barnett– (Western NC & SC) Sean Russell– (858) 401-3510 Montreal (chapter) (828) 230-8470 [email protected] [email protected] Andrew Mikus– [email protected] Chi-FLU Texas FLUud (Houston) (chapter) North East VT/NH/ME/RI (chapter) Mike Rutenberg Lee Putman– (847) 687-7291 [email protected] www.chicagolandFLU.com Diane Curtis– 207-882-6207 [email protected] [email protected] Toronto (chapter) Jerry Cucchiara– (416) 496-0071 Delaware Valley (chapter) Northeast Coast CT/NJ/NY/MA (chapter) [email protected] Shaun Folkerts– (516) -983-FIAT Tim Beeble– (203) 743-4954 [email protected] [email protected] West Michigan FLU (chapter) Pete Ziegeler– Detroit (chapter) Ohio Valley (chapter) [email protected] Sue Watch– John Kristoff [email protected] [email protected] http://www.ohioflu.com/ WYNSO (Western New York, So. Ontario) (chapter) East Tennessee (regional contact) Ottawa Canada (chapter) Darryl Stacey– (716) 822-3812 Brett Melancon– (865) 604-3271 [email protected] [email protected] Jeff Schneider– (613) 733-5657 [email protected] Florida-FLU (chapter) Kevin Barnett– (828) 230-8470 FLU is spreading, if you would like to start a FLU chapter in your area, please contact John Montgomery for information on how to [email protected] become an official FLU chapter. You may also sign up to be a regional contact. This is the first step to becoming a chapter. Join the fun! www.flu.org 2 From the Prez Life is Best when Driven... Wait a minute...aren’t we smack dab in the middle of a deep recession? ll eyes are fixed on the shiny red and silver Fiat brand What about the fact that we just lost logo above the main stage at the Los Angeles brand names like Pontiac, Saturn, International Auto Show. Music fills the air, the Hummer and Mercury? Some Ahouse lights come up and the curtain draws open. A dealerships have closed and even the beautifully preserved 1957 Fiat 500 drives out onto the middle “Cash for Clunkers” program only of stage. This is not just any car. It’s the Fiat “Cinquecento”, or jump-started sales for little more John Montgomery 500–the car that changed the paradigm of personal than a month. So what possible chance President- Fiat Lancia Unlimited transportation in Europe over 50 years ago. does Fiat have for success? The answer–100%. Fiat’s success The passenger door opens, and the only female head of an here in North America is absolutely certain. Several factors in automotive brand in the world steps out into the spotlight. North America will fully ensure the outcome. Here’s why: It’s Fiat’s Laura Soave. Cool, confident, collected and 1. The Fiat 500 has a track record of stunning success in over first-generation Italian, Ms. Soave is the flag bearer of Fiat’s 80 international markets and remains on waiting lists in many triumphant return to North America after a 27-year absence. parts of the world. Consider the fact that the car was launched Watching this historic moment brings an incredible amount of in the middle of 2007, when the world economy was just pride and even a few tears of joy to longtime Fiat beginning its journey down a long slide of decline. So here is a enthusiasts. In the hour of need with gas approaching $5 per car that continues to defy the laws of economic gravity; sales gallon, Laura and the Chrysler/Fiat team are now poised to actually grew as the economy worsened. change our paradigm of personal transportation in the U.S. Fiat’s reintroduction into the American market is much more 2. The price of fuel will continue to rise. Even if the latest than the launch of a new car brand; it will redefine our tensions in the Middle East subside, the self-imposed American approach to personal mobility says Ms. Soave, “The timing ban on drilling in the Gulf of Mexico is in effect for seven more could not be any better for the Cinquecento to enter the U.S. years. Countries like Cuba, China and Mexico have no bans in market.” She’s absolutely right–this is the perfect time. the gulf, so they will just sell it back to us at higher prices. The conversion process from fossil fuel based transportation will continue to be a painful one as regulatory structures put us on parity with other oil starved nations. The Fiat 500 serves to lessen consumer pain while new alternative fuel technologies continue to emerge. 3. Personal airline transportation is becoming the less viable option. Increased regulation, invasive security screening and jet fuel costs will take people out of airline seats and place them into the driver’s seat of highly efficient cars. A new Fiat 500 will require only 15 gallons of gasoline to make a 600 mile trip continued on next page * 3 www.flu.org from Detroit to Atlanta. Mobility on our own personal terms is fuel -efficient with all the creature comforts and can still handle often at odds with environmental initiatives, yet cars such as the 80% of the essential tasks now given to the family SUV? Safety Fiat 500 intrinsically move the demographic line of on a small car could be a concern, but the Fiat 500 design brings environmental and economic responsibility into the bell curve small car protection to a new level. The Fiat has seven airbags of the population. Freedom of mobility is one of our most including side impact and driver knee protection. The Fiat 500 fundamental rights and the Fiat 500 is an economical way to model carries a European NCAP five-star crash-rating as well as four-wheel disc antilock brakes, traction and stability ensure that right continues. control, halogen projector headlights, electronic information 4. CAFE fuel economy and emission standards will ever computer and rear window washer/defroster. tighten. The laws of economics and market demand are not What about the Fiat’s carbon footprint? The 500 treads the only principal forces driving auto design, manufacturing lightly with a base weight that is over 350 pounds lighter than and production. Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards the BMW Mini. It also does not require premium fuel like the for 2008-2011 were legislated into policy long before economic Mini, gets better mileage than the Mini with a better power-to- conditions and public buying preferences materialized. The weight ratio and tighter turning radius. EPA ratings are 2011 mandate bumps the mileage up to 27.3 MPG and this year best-in-class 30/38 MPG for the five-speed and 27/34 for the includes SUVs and light trucks. CAFE standards for six- speed automatic. 2012-2016 are already in place–39 MPG for cars and 30 MPG for light trucks and SUVs. Smaller vehicles are in our future.