Happy New year petrol readers!! After a hectic ending to a festive period
channelling all our love and energy to the Food Bank Central Liverpool, we
kicked January off with one of our favourite Charities - Tom Harrison Veterans
House with the support from Liverpool Councillor Roy Gladde, who expressed
his love for our Char sui roast pork buns and Morgan classic cars.
A little harsh to say a bull in a china shop, David Gidman a familiar contributor to
Wirral/Sefton Life rocked the Chung Ku Restaurant car park with a colourful line of
Lamborghini's to support all the bold classic, American, sports cars.
The star car of the day was John Reynolds 1954 Fiat 500 Topolino Belvedere. The
Fiat 500 was nick named the Topolino (meaning little mouse in Italian) which was
one of the smallest cars in the world at the time and better equipped than many
cars twice its size. Launched in 1936, three models were produced until 1955, all
with only minor mechanical and cosmetic changes. She is powered by a tiny 569cc
four-cylinder with a 4-speed manual transmission, side-valve, water-cooled engine
mounted in front of the front axle, (later an overhead valve motor) and so was a full-
scale car rather than a cycle car. The radiator was located behind the engine which
made possible a lowered aerodynamic nose profile at a time when competitors had
a flat, nearly vertical grille. The shape of the car’s front allowed exceptional forward
visibility.
The Giardinetta was at the beginning only available as a so-called woody, i.e. with an
outside ash frame and available in seven metallic colours. Probably the first woody
was the Morris Minor and Countryman woody came around 1952-60. When it was
later renamed Belvedere meaning ‘Estate’, the wood was replaced with metal. This
model as well as the regular two-seater Convertible-Limousine were also produced
in France by Simca, and in Germany by the German Fiat subsidiary NSU-Fiat.
If you look closely, not only was the car very compact, the car is attractively finished
in a beautiful two tone grey combination with a surprisingly spacious 4 seater tan/
brown leatherette interior and full length vinyl roof PLUS luggage space.
This little gem oozes detail especially the suicide doors, or how about the copper
steering rack or the enamel cappuccino bakelite knobs contrasting the brown dash
and yellow glaze Italian Benzina Olio clock.
Autocar concluded its 1949 test report on a Giardiniera most favourably: ‘This
exceptionally small car is a highly attractive proposition, whether it be judged on the
score of pleasure in driving, economy or all-round utility,’ which pretty much sums
up its appeal today.
Until next time...
We would like to say a big thank you to Michelle O’Dwyer and all members who
donated to ‘Tom Harrison House Charity for the Veterans’ this weekend. Huge thanks
to the C’N’C crew & Charalene Lee. Our next date will be a Cars N Coffee Liverpool
Charity Evening - Chinese New Year at the Chung Ku Restaurant Liverpool - 4th
February. Email : [email protected] for details and tickets!
Next Cars N Coffee Liverpool meeting is to be confirmed, please visit
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carsandcoffeeliverpool
wirrallife.com 97