Fulvias in the US

[Huib]

My mum and dad were well ahead of their time by taking the kids (me, 2 brothers and a sister) all over Europe in the fifties in a Ford Prefect (or wast it Perfect), camping in self made tents. Great fun. I remember a pass between Austria and Yugoslavia which was so steep we had to get out of the car Getting through customes on top of the pass was a social affair involving the drinking of tea etc. Took an hour. I was very thirsty and took a good zip from a bottle of one of the officials of what I thought to be water but turned out to be slibowitsch.

I also remember many many cars with their bonnets up on the side of the road on the Gottardo pas, the San Bernardo and others.

I often drive those roads again over the last few years. It is amazing how narrow they are. 50 years ago these were the main arteries. Since everybody pays money to stand in a traffic jam on the toll ways, these roads are fortunately very quiet again and great fun to drive. Last friday my wife took me to dinner in Brasschaat, one of the suburbs of Antwerp, we drove the old road. Great fun in spite of the zillion roundabouts.

The Lancia's were indeed not very trailer friendly. In the early seventies we went camping all over Europe in a Fulvia berlina with a very big bungalow tent and four people in it. Worked out well. I remember that in the Picos di Europa in Spain I had the choice between filling up with 80 octane or pushing the Fulvia up the mountain. After filling up with the 80 octane I had to park the car against a tree and release the clutch to stop the engine.

I also remember the first trip Annabelle and I made out of the country with the Fulvia berlina in 1971. This was to London were we parked the Fulvia right in Carnaby street. At that time Carnaby street was the center of the world for fashion. Annabelle still has the dress I bought her in Carnaby street. When we returned to the car there was a note under the wiper put there by a Bobby saying: We welcome you in London and hope you have a pleasant stay but can you please park somewhere else next time as it is forbidden to park in Carnaby street"

The challenge of the year is to get Annabelle to wear that dress again on the next Fulvia meeting. I need your help and advice.

Did everyone have a look at the events calendar? The next Internation Dutch Flemish Fulvia meeting is on 8 and 9 of September 2007 in the Belgian and (mostly) French Ardennes. Register now. We will do our best to find roads resembling the roads of the sixties and get as much of the athmosphere as possible.

[Jan]

April??

[Huib]

Sorry, september 2007.