17 July,2009 09:42 AM IST | | Shree Lahiri
Fiat Classic Car Club brings fans of the car together
Ferrari lovers, move over. It's time for another group of loyalists to take centre stage. And their first love is not the swanky limousine but rather the humble-looking Fiat. Together, they have formed the Fiat Classic Car Club (FCCC) since 2004.
The FCCC is the brainchild of Subhash Karmarkar, a management consultant. "The Fiat is sturdy and hardly needs any maintenance," he tells MiD DAY. "Recently, at the launch of the Fiat Grande Punto, I saw people booking it on the spot. That's the confidence people have in a Fiat."
According to member Hem Shrotri, being a part of this club "teaches you the ropes of leadership. You work out the logistics for many activities like the rallies on January 26 and August 15, and learn to gel with members from different age groups."
Karl Bhote (23), whose family owns five fiats says, "Being in the club has been a great experience."
The club has 150 members. One of them, retired banker Dattanand Chandavarkar, has owned a 1962 model for the past 25 years. "My Fiat is a family member," he says. Echoes professor Suhas Chandra Kulkarni, "The car talks to me." In some cases, the passion runs in the family. While Amulya Dahanukar loves the Fiat, his daughter owns a Punto. Musician Bhakti Wagle is a proud owner of a 1981 Fiat, which her father handed down to her.
