When I was still living in Boston a friend from back home in Jersey came up, and we were trying to figure out plans. In the midst of my offering directions, which included a bus and a train from her hotel to my apartment – a 50 minute trip that comes fairly standard to the veteran Boston resident, she texted me do you have a car? Can you pick us up at the bus station?
Boston, to the Jersians used to calling New York ‘The City’ may not seem like much more than a crowded suburb – it certainly appeared that way to me when I first arrived here. To the untrained eye Boston driving ain’t that bad, until you are forced to do it – weaving mass traffic jams of angry commuters, courting one-way streets and the suspension-killing cobblestone originally intended for horse and carriage.
That being said, thousands of people drive in the city every day, a wide span of trucks and minivans, mid-sized sedan, sports cars and micro cars.
And by god, do I want a micro car. 
On a personal level I am adamantly opposed to the concept of ‘cutesy cars’. As a car enthusiast I’ve grow to understand that cars are about more than their looks. They have legacy, power, innovation, and so much more that comes hidden under the pretty racing stripes and rear spoilers that could have come from a 747.
Keeping all that in mind I am desperate for a Fiat.
Fiat truly owns the title of Micro Car. At barely over 11 feet long, and under five feet tall, it reigns the world of the miniature transportation model. Their curved roofs and wide windows allow for the hatchback influence from Europe. It is easy to picture these tiny toys speeding the Amalfi Coast or parking on cobblestone streets of Rome, as beautiful drivers pop into local cafes for cappuccinos and gelato.
Fiat inspires thoughts of Europe, luxury and class – a personality perpetuated by over the top commercials, where bridesmaids undress in the back seats and Revolutionary War era America changes their historical cry to ‘the Italians are coming’, with preparations that include cutting hemlines and turning the local blacksmith’s into a trendy club.
The legacy of Fiat, in addition to the personality, is tried and true. As of now their Empire continues to expand, in the last few years eating up Chrysler, Maserati, Ferrari, Dodge, Jeep, Lancia, Ram and SRT. The peppy little Italian car has become the British powerhouse of the automotive industry.
The Fiat is so much more than a cutesy car. It is wild and untamed, tattooed with the grand scorpion across its hood. Somehow, the little micro car is sexy, fun, and cool, reminiscent of its Euro origins, and its personal legacy in style and persona.It is a car that has risen up from the ranks of VWs, Smart Cars and Mini Coopers to prove itself the coolest micro car in the big city.
I no longer live in a city, and to a certain degree the allure of a micro car is lost to me. But if, and when, I embark on the epic journey of deciding who to buy, well, you can bet I’ll be shouting ‘The Italians are coming.”