We continue our travel across the world again by heading back to Italy to speak to another official Abarth Club. Our friendship with this club has grown a lot over the last few months by speaking more regularly through the usual social media platforms.
My guest today is GianMaria and I got the chance to get an insight further to see what Abarth Club Lario are all about, the club history and their recommendations should you ever decide to take a trip to Northern Italy.
So tell me more about Abarth Club Lario…
Our club is based on people. The club has a real family tie all following the same passion. Obviously there is a President, who is responsible for it. But there is also a team of Abarth enthusiasts who help run it to make it work.
How many members are currently in the club and do you have many people running it?
As of right now we currently have around 40 regularly registered members of various ages and genders. The management of the Club is entrusted to 5 members of the Board. That being the Club President, Vice-president and 3 Councillors. Any of our club members have the opportunity to interact with the Board. They can put forward their ideas by making suggestions where we can attend and more. But our full focus is our Abarth’s in the foreground and with respect for everyone.
For those who are unware. Can you tell us where exactly Lario is situated in Italy?
Lario is the name used in Latin to define Lake Como, so we operate in the area around Lake Como, mainly in the Province of Lecco. Since January 2020 we have created, thanks to the support of 4 other passionate friends of the Abarth brand, the Valtellina Delegation which occupies the Province of Sondrio. It also covers a geographical area and not an area with provincial borders, so we can safely say that our club covers over 4,000 km2 and 160 municipalities, the largest in the Lombardy Region.
How long have you been going as a club?
Abarth Club Lario was born in 2014 by joining forces with a group of friends. In January 2017 it became an official Abarth club and since then it has been a continuous crescendo.
What has been the best moment so far with Abarth Club Lario?
The "6th rally" was perhaps the most magical moment for us. We were joined alongside 16 official clubs and 2 others which aren’t yet recognized by Abarth. To do all of this in one day was a difficult task, but in the end it led to the highest point to date for us. In addition to this, the Abarth Days 2019 event was also a good time for us. Being with over 4,000 people with the same passion was truly magical.
What are the next plans for the club?
One of our aims we would like to is raise the quality standard and bring the Abarth Club Lario to be a club where the number of members is not important. But what matters is the desire to be together and drive our Abarths. We will build a more dynamic club together with the club members. We will try to propose new initiatives by making it better for all involved.
Where would you recommend to stay if anyone was planning on visiting and is there anything in particular worth seeing?
I would certainly recommend the "Manzonian Route" organized by the Municipality of Lecco, inspired by the novel of "I Promessi Sposi", visiting Bellagio, Varenna, Fiumelatte, which takes its name from the colour of the small river that crosses it.
Il Lario (Lake Como), is known all over the world for its fantastic panoramas and its magnificent villas, so it is very difficult to indicate a place instead of another.
The same goes for Valtellina, a splendid valley immersed in the Lombardy Alps, where food (Pizzoccheri, Bresaola, etc.) and wine take the tourists to a new dimension.
Livigno, Bormio, the Adamello among the places not to be missed, such as the Stelvio Pass, 21 km of curves, the paradise of the Abarths.
Which clubs are you the most closest to in Italy in terms of friendship?
We have excellent relationships with most of the nearby Abarth Clubs. We don't have a "best friend" club, because we work with passion with everyone in the Abarth community.
What makes Abarth Club Lario special?
The Abarth’s are the glue, but then human relationships, regardless of the age of the individual partner are the DNA of Abarth Club Lario and we are very proud of this.
What has been the biggest challenge so far for the club?
One of the biggest challenges was gathering several official Abarth clubs in our latest rally. Also by creating the "Valtellina Delegation", following all the rules imposed by Abarth. This wasn’t easy, but in the end the strength and desire to grow allowed us to start a new challenge.
Lastly, what do you like most about the history of the brand?
Today's Abarth’s are beautiful, but yesterday's Abarth’s, including the Abarth 1000 TC, are collectibles. The whole brand history is incredible. The smell of petrol, the bursts from the exhaust and the muttering of the engine certainly give you goose bumps.
Thanks again to GianMaria from Abarth Club Lario for giving us the opportunity to learn more about their club. If you'd like to see what they get up to then please follow them on the following social media:
Facebook: Abarth Club Lario
Instagram: @AbarthClubLario