I'm liking the new Fiat 500

In 1968, I was dating my wife on Okinawa. I needed wheels to get around the island and had a used Fiat 500 lined up.

My father died that day. I returned to the states for the funeral and to help my mother get through this sad day. I lost my option on the Fiat. I always thought about that car... it was perfect for running around a small island on a few cents worth of gas.

Forward space ahead 43 years.

The Fiat 500 is back... its available in the states... and it's looking better than ever. I used to commute to Tysons Corner and beyond five days a week. In those days, I liked to surround myself with "serious hardware" as a matter of safety. Now that I'm retired, my driving is generally limited to an occasional lunch or dinner in Old Town Manassas or the Occoquan, the three bookstores within range, a couple of Starbucks and a few shops I like.

I was thinking, "Electric car" or "Hybrid". I've test driven the Ford Prius, the Chevy Volt (you have to pay for the privilege of getting on the list for a Volt sometime next year), and followed the Nissan Leaf. The return of the Fiat 500 has "re-engineered" my thinking.

Battery cars and hybrids are expensive and complicated. Honestly, they just don't "turn me on" (car-wise). There's enough gas around to get me through my lifetime. I'm thinking something fun to drive that hits an emotional cord might just be the ticket!

So, I'm off to test drive a Fiat 500. I've seen one in Red that pretty much "knocked my sox off" on display at Potomac Mills Mall... and they are "cheap". I've heard the "Fix it Again, Tony" jokes... I've owned Italian cars and know all about that. (Owning an Italian car used to be like having a mistress... when its good, it's really, really good... when it's bad, it's really really bad... and its always expensive.) Reviews indicate that Fiat is past those days. It gets close to 40 miles per gallon which put it on Kelley Blue Book's Top Ten Green Gars list. That Green Cars list gives me some "Environmentalist" creed.

And, most important, it touches on an emotional cord... it touches my soul.

So, if you see me running around in a red Fiat 500 one of these days, don't be surprised.

I'll be imaging that my wife and I are on our way to the East China Sea with the top down just like we had planned to do so many years ago... or perhaps in reality its off to Occoquan for lunch by the water.

The Fiat 500 may not have waited for me to return from the States in 1968; however, my wife did. Lucky for me...