The Fiat 500 Launch Stops Italy

The Fiat 500 Launch Stops Italy!

Next week (4-5 July 2007) towns and cities across Italy will come to a standstill to celebrate the launch of the new Fiat 500, exactly 50 years after the launch of the original icon, and the Italian car maker is organising a launch on a truly epic scale.

When the original car was launched, a cavalcade of 150 cars paraded through Fiat's home town of Turin. For the new Fiat 500, not only will there be a massive event in Turin, but another 30 cities across Italy will close their city centres and historic squares to every car - except for Fiat 500s, old and new.

In Turin on 4 July there will be a party for more than 7,000 guests from 63 countries, including 3,750 dealers, importers and big company representatives, more than 1,000 journalists, about 100 financial analysts, 200 suppliers and 1,000 guests including authorities, businessmen and personalities from the worlds of entertainment, fashion and sport. The following day in Rome senior Fiat executives will present the Fiat 500 to the President of Italy.

At the same time, across Italy some of the most historic and beautiful squares and piazzas will be dedicated to the Fiat 500, including piazza del Popolo in Rome, piazza Duomo in Milano, piazza Politeama in Palermo and piazza San Carlo in Turin. In each a special part will be held with entertainment, car displays and food stalls.

But the biggest and most eagerly awaited moment will be the show planned for Turin on 4 July that will start at 10.00 pm in the Murazzi area down by the River Po. The event has been produced by K-events/FilmMaster Group directed by Marco Balich, Italy's most famous creative producer known all over the world for his inspired and imaginative spectaculars, including the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics which last year attracted world attention to the city of Turin.

For the Fiat 500, Balich has organised an extraordinary kaleidoscope of lights, sounds, music and stunning performances that will enrapture the public present in the stands in corso Cairoli.

In addition to the 7,000 guests already mentioned there will be 500 employees of the Fiat Mirafiori factory and 4,500 people who have taken part in the scratch card contest run by La Stampa and they will be joined by tens of thousands more watching the show on maxi-screens in Turin's finest squares, the piazza Vittorio Veneto, piazza San Carlo, piazza Castello and piazza Emanuele Filiberto, or all those who decide to watch the live television broadcast on Canale 5.

In addition, starting 10.00 pm, the event will be streamed to the website http://www.fiat500.com/ so offering viewers the chance to experience all the emotions of the celebration in Turin, wherever they might be in the world. The culmination of the presentation will obviously be the arrival of the car which, for the first time, will show itself off in all its beauty and originality to the public at large.

But this is just the start of the party!

On 4 July, before the evening show, Turin's finest squares will play host to numerous, original initiatives dedicated to the new Fiat: from piazza Vittorio Veneto to piazza San Carlo, from piazza Castello to the Quadrilatero Romano, as far as the evocative Borgo Dora.. The event will also provide an ideal opportunity for visiting the Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli, which will remain open exceptionally till 9.00 pm, or one of the numerous museums in the city centre, some of which will be open until 2.00 am.

On the morning of 5 July, after the press conference at PalaIsozaki (which may be followed live on http://www.fiat500.com/), 180 cars will leave the Stadio Comunale for the test drives of the international press while, in corso Traiano, some historic Fiat 500s will provide the framework for picnics, shopkeepers' parties, street markets and animations. Owners of original Fiat 500s will be able to drive round the test track at Mirafiori and organise a photo to remember it by.

Programme, 4 July 2007

Piazza Castello

* From 9.30 am children from Estate Ragazzi, church parishes and private and public schools will attend the Great Children's Party, the 500 Snakes and Ladders game and the Great Game of the 500 Week;

* From 7.00 pm the evening will become a music and entertainment get together for adults with the concert by the Orchestra di Ritmi Moderni;

* From 9.00 to 9.30 pm, the Orchestra of the Teatro Regio will pay tribute to the new Fiat;

* After 9.30 pm young hair stylists will interpret "500 brush strokes"...under the stars;

* From 11.00 pm Ugo Alciati will interpret the "Taste... of the 500";

* From 12.00 am Guido of Pollenzo will prepare 500 kg of Gragnano pasta offered by Eataly while the games, entertainments and jazz continue.

Piazza Vittorio Veneto

* From 9.00 am display of 800 historic Fiat 500s belonging to the numerous European clubs;

* From 2.00 pm to 12 am 6 mobile post offices will be available to provide cancellations for a commemorative stamp dedicated to the Fiat 500 (the design reproduces the work called "Fiat Nuova 500", done in 1968 by the painter Antonio Aimone);

* Various animations and award ceremonies are planned throughout the day.

Piazza San Carlo

* From 7 pm to 7.30 pm a fabulous Aperitif party with Campari "Cin Cin Cinquecento".

* Photographic exhibition dedicated to the Fifties;

* At 12.00 am "midnight toast" with Asti Spumante served by Piedmontese sommeliers;

* From 12.00 am arrival of the "Band 500" on board 15 historic cars that will perform jazz, swing and evergreens.

Borgo Dora

* From 6.00 pm an exceptional street market of modern antiques dedicated to the Fifties;

* In the Cortile del Maglio the public will be able to taste a new beer created for the occasion by Teo Musso of the "Birrificio Le Baladin";

* From 7.00 pm theatre with period scenes and ballroom dancing;

* From 7.00 pm to 12.00 am "The Theatre of Taste", five Slow Food Osterie: the Antiche Sere, Con calma, Frà Fiusch, I Saletta and La Betulla, interpret the Fiat 500.

* At 12.00 am "Pinocchio's risotto".

Quadrilatero Romano

* From early afternoon, display of vintage cars;

* From 7.00 pm various restaurants will prepare aperitifs and themed dinners;

* DJs and groups of jazz musicians will ride around in period cars.

Via Garibaldi

* From 9.00 pm to 2.00 am, stalls with Toscani cigars, Barolo Chinato and cakes.

ENDS

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