It has become a tourist attraction.
We have all heard about barn-find cars which sat in a garage for many decades. One that has been parked in a public place for many years is not something we hear about. One car has done this in an Italian town.
A 1970 Lancia Fulvia Berlinera from Conegliano in Veneto is creating quite the stir. The Berlina isn’t yet as famous as the original. Rally car This sedan is now a popular tourist attraction. This is because the small sedan has been sitting in the same spot for almost half a century. It’s been there for 47 years. If you try it elsewhere, your car will be towable and placed in the impound lot.
What’s the story? Angelo Fregolent, a 94 year old resident of Fulvia Berlina, owns the Fulvia Berlina. Fregolent operated a newspaper stand right in front of his car until 2019. He kept his newspaper stocks in the Lancia sedan before he placed them on the stand. It is a wheeled locker that has been stationary for many decades.
The car has been there since 1974, according to the math. This means that the car was driven around for at most 4 years before it became semi-permanently parked in front Fregolent’s home. Why is the car still not moving for so long? The original Italian news report did not provide any explanation. It could have been a mechanical problem or the owner leaving it alone because it isn’t working.
The body of the Fulvia was affected by time and the elements. We believe that the paint is rusted from the inside. The paint has suffered 47 years of abuse. Amazingly, the tires don’t have to be completely flat.
Unfortunately, sidewalk renovations ended the 47-year streak. Fregolent stated that he would move the car as long as it wasn’t being scrapped. The car is already a little celebrity in the small town. Italian newspaper Il Gazzinetto straight up called it a local monument.
Two things are worth mentioning here. It’s remarkable that this car hasn’t corroded into orange powder, given the fact that Italian cars from that era were known for their rust. It wasn’t even mentioned whether the car had ever been issued a parking ticket over the many decades that it has been there. Whatever the case, 47 years of parked in the same spot could represent a world record and should be used to cement Fulvia’s legacy.