Why car that was parked in the same spot for nearly 50 years had to be removed by local authorities
- This Lancia Fulvia was parked in the same spot for nearly 50 years
- It became something of a tourist attraction within the Italian town of Conegliano
- However, it was eventually moved on orders of town officials
Published on Jul 24, 2024 at 4:38 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Jul 24, 2024 at 7:00 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
A car which had been parked in the same spot for decades was moved after nearly 50 years of being stationary.
Angelo Fregolent, 94, parked his car outside the news stand in 1974 and never moved it since.
But officials in the Italian town of Conegliano eventually decided enough was enough.
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How one car became a tourist hotspot
In the years it was parked outside the news stand, the Lancia Fulvia 1962 became something of a tourist attraction.
Visitors to the town would jump at the opportunity to take a selfie with the compact four-door car.
It even earned itself a marker on Google Maps.
Politicians even found ways to get in on the hype – Piero Garbellotto took a selfie with it whilst he was running to be mayor of the town in 2021.
The owner at the centre of the story opened up about the car’s backstory.
Speaking to an Italian newspaper, Fregolent said: “I ran the newsstand under the house for 40 years together with my wife, Bertilla, 10 years younger than me.
“When I opened the business, I was happy to have the Lancia Fulvia parked in front of it because I had the newspapers unloaded in the trunk and then I took them inside.”
The end of an era – the Fulvia gets moved
Despite all the love the car was getting, town officials eventually put their foot down and had it towed away.
According to Italian newspaper Il Gazzettino, it was blamed for blocking the flow of traffic and pedestrians.
On October 20th 2021, the Fulvia was taken to the Auto e Moto d’Epoca motor show in Padua – approximately 53 miles away.
Giovanni Berton, who is president of a historical car club in Conegliano, told an Italian newspaper: “The history of the Fulvia has been around the world, and we could not remain indifferent.
“Thus was born the idea of taking it to the car showroom, where many will be able to admire it.”
After its stint on display, the car was placed in the garden of Cerletti Enological School – just over the road from where it used to sit.
Its owners can now see it from their window and town officials won’t be upset about it blocking traffic.
A win-win situation.
Being stationary for nearly 50 years is relatively easy work – being in working order after 50 is impressive.
One LA man hit 1 million miles on his Porsche 356 after 50 years of owning the beautiful car.
That’s real commitment.
