His Vintage Fiat Has a Superpower: It Can Park in Manhattan’s Tightest Spots
But Marco Vacchi says driving his 1970 Fiat 500 in the Big Apple can be ‘a bit scary’ Marco Vacchi, originally from Ravenna, Italy, says his 1970 Fiat 500 ‘is a little touch of my roots.’ By A.J. Baime | Photographs by Daniela Spector for The Wall Street Journal Aug. 11, 2023 5:00 pm ET Marco Vacchi, 42, a photographer of celebrities and a coffee entrepreneur who lives in Manhattan, on his 1970 Fiat 500, as told to A.J. Baime. When I was growing up in Italy, my grandfather used to drive me every Sunday in his 1970 Fiat 500. I am from Ravenna, a beautiful historic city in Emilia-Romagna. This is the land of lasagna and Lambrusco, of Parmigiano-Reggiano and prosciutto di Parma. There are a lot of
Marco Vacchi, 42, a photographer of celebrities and a coffee entrepreneur who lives in Manhattan, on his 1970 Fiat 500, as told to A.J. Baime.
When I was growing up in Italy, my grandfather used to drive me every Sunday in his 1970 Fiat 500. I am from Ravenna, a beautiful historic city in Emilia-Romagna. This is the land of lasagna and Lambrusco, of Parmigiano-Reggiano and prosciutto di Parma. There are a lot of memories with my grandfather in that car, driving around the hills outside the city, bringing a tank to a fountain to fill with water and things like that. I still have this Fiat, and I keep it in a garage in Italy so I can drive it when I am there.
The Fiat 500 was like the Volkswagen Beetle. In Germany, the Beetle was built to be “the car of the people.” The Fiat 500 was built to be the car of the people in my home country. It was a small car that everybody could have access to, and there was huge production of the original car from 1957 to 1975. [A total of 3,893,294 were built, according to Stellantis, Fiat’s parent company. Fiat builds a newer version of the 500 today.] The 500 stood for the two-cylinder, 500-cubic-centimeter engine (499.5 cubic centimeters, to be precise).
In 2019, I found a Fiat 500 from the same year and the same color as the one my grandfather drove when I was young. It was on Craigslist, for sale on Staten Island. I saw it and thought there is no way I am letting this go. I bought the car for $8,500. I believe my 500 is an L model, for “luxury,” which in this car basically means leather seats and a few other things. [The car’s top speed is 59 m.p.h., according to Stellantis.]
I own espresso shops in Manhattan called Madman Espresso, and also a bakery called the Madman Bakery. So I call my Fiat the Madmobile. I use it to promote my businesses. But mostly, I love to drive it.
When you drive this car in New York, it can be a bit scary. You find yourself making the cross of Jesus with your hand over your chest. It has no anti-lock brakes and no air bags. You are surrounded by big trucks and huge SUVs. I only drive the car back and forth between Midtown and Greenwich Village, maybe 30 blocks a day, and only in good weather. It is so small, you can park it anywhere, which is a big plus in Manhattan.
The top speed on Vacchi’s Fiat is 59 m.p.h.
Photo: Daniela Spector for The Wall Street Journal
The car has four seats. A couple months ago, I had a cousin visiting from Italy and she has kids. It was fun going around New York with them in this little Italian car. One time, I was in Times Square, and I found myself in front of a roadblock. Someone saw this car and waved me through the roadblock. I did not even realize it was Columbus Day, but people thought that I was part of the parade and the Italian heritage. So, the next thing I knew, by mistake, I was driving this Fiat 500 in the Columbus Day Parade down Fifth Avenue.
For me, this car brings back great memories and helps me make new ones. It is a little touch of my roots.
Write to A.J. Baime at [email protected].
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