131mirafiori forum

Things are finally beginning to come together for 3ma09. We have now chosen our accommodation in Turin and Kevin has been very busy sorting accommodation for the overnight stay in France for those of us that won't be able to drive to Turin in a day; while Simon is looking into routes and ferry/train options.

We are still in conversation with Fiat Auto and hope to soon announce details of our factory tour on Friday 29th May.

One of our Italian members effe131 (http://131mirafiori.com/smf/index.php?action=profile;u=32) has been very busy communicating with the authorities in the City of Turin and we soon hope to be able to announce details and location of our public static display of 131s which we hope will take place on Saturday 30th May.

effe131 (http://131mirafiori.com/smf/index.php?action=profile;u=32)? has also made a few suggestions for drives in the Turin Piedmont region but we are always open to further suggestions.

Our chosen Turin hotel is the Pacific Hotel Fortino (http://www.pacifichotels.it/eng/fortino/hotel_fortino.asp). A modern four star hotel set within a peaceful area in the north section of Turin with easy and quick access to the motorway system. It is just a short walk away from the historic old town and just 10 minutes from Piazza Castello. We have negotiated an exclusive deal with the hotel which is not available on their website. Click here (http://www.131mirafiori.com/phfvt.htm) to see a virtual tour of the hotel but please wait for the announcement of our exclusive deal before booking your rooms.

great work theo, the hotel looks superb, 3ma looks set to be the event of the year, well done to all  for the work so far

Our specially negotiated deal with the Pacific Hotel Fortino is now posted on the website. Please see the website's Travel & Accommodation (http://www.131mirafiori.com/travelacc.htm#Accommodation) section (trav & acc (http://www.131mirafiori.com/travelacc.htm)) for details of the offer and how to book your room(s).

The special rate rooms for 3ma09 have to be booked with the hotel directly and are not available for booking online. We have reserved several rooms and these will be held for us until the end of February 2009.? Please make make sure you quote "3ma Fiat 131 meeting in May" when booking your room(s). You must guarantee your reservation direct with the hotel. The hotel's cancellation policy allows for the cancellation of rooms provided at least 24 hours notice is given before the booked arrival so if still in doubt book your room(s) now while you can and if necessary cancel later.

For the UK, Irish and most probably Northern Europe participants we are also arranging an overnight stay for Tuesday 26th May. This is most likely to be at the Ibis hotel in Bourg-en-Bresse (http://www.ibishotel.com/gb/hotel-0603-ibis-bourg-en-bresse/index.shtml) and we are awaiting details of a special deal which will be posted on the website as soon as we have them.? If you would like to join us for the overnight stay on Tuesday 26th May please post here or email us at travelacc@131mirafiori.com so we have a better idea of the numbers and therefore the rooms required.

An overnight stay for the return journey is also most likely to be arranged in Troyes and once again in the Ibis hotel (http://www.ibishotel.com/gb/hotel-5546-ibis-troyes-centre/index.shtml). Please let us know if you would like to be included for the return journey overnight stay on Monday 1st June 2009.

Please remember once you have booked your room(s) for Turin with the Pacific Hotel Fortino to complete the 3ma09 Registration Form (http://www.131mirafiori.com/3ma09Registration.htm) and let us know you'll be joining us.

I would like to suggest something.A awful lot of work goes into organising a event like this one and this event would not be possible only for 4 people,they are Theo,Simon,Kevin and most of all Effe131 in Turin.My point is that whoever travels to Turin,should contribute something to these 4 people.Remember,no one would be going to Turin only for them!!.I hope to be able to go and if i do,i will be contribiting something for the four organisers.
This is only my opinion and i would like to hear the views of the other forum members.Eugene ::)

Fantastic idea Eugene!!  ;) ;D

I'm booked in with the Pacific hotel since last night.

Fantastic piece of work on presenting the accommadation Theo - very appealing.

"Please remember once you have booked your room(s) for Turin with the Pacific Hotel Fortino to complete the 3ma09 Registration Form (http://www.131mirafiori.com/3ma09Registration.htm) and let us know you'll be joining us."? ;D ;)

Just to update anyone else who is booking at this time.

I sent my booking email 1 week ago with no response. I rang tonight and my e-mail was in the inbox but unactioned. I spoke with Barbara who could not explain why it was not responded to. A simple oversight I think - However it might be wise to follow up the e-mail booking with a telphone call - I think this is necessary anyway as they say that they need a credit card number for the booking.  :)

Our arrangement with the Pacific Hotel Fortino is that everyone will do their own booking and settle their own bill at our agreed price for the 3ma. The hotel will therefore need the individual reservations guaranteed with a credit card. I would strongly suggest that credit card information is not sent by email but you either call the hotel or send them a fax. I did consider setting up a secure booking page on our website but wasn't sure we want the responsibility of handling people's bookings and their credit card details. So by all means email the hotel for the reservation but as Kevin said follow that up with a phone call or a fax with credit card details.

Just phoned and spoke to Rui.
Have sent my e mail with requested dates.
Waiting for a reply before phoning with credit card details.
Steve
PS: Looks like the BMW! Fiat is still not legal in Spain :(

It took 20 minutes to reply, phone call made and room booked. ;D

That's great news Steve.


There's still time to get the Fiat sorted! If you look at the homepage (http://www.131mirafiori.com/) of the website, at the moment there's

Just ship the Fiat back to the UK (or straight to Turin!) and don't worry about legality in Spain.
 
Now... "Please remember once you have booked your room(s) for Turin with the Pacific Hotel Fortino to complete the 3ma09 Registration Form (http://www.131mirafiori.com/3ma09Registration.htm) and let us know you'll be joining us."? ;D ;)

Loads of time to get things sorted Steve - After all those photos you cant disappoint all the cars' admirers!!

I'm sure there will a BMW meet at some other time!!? ;)

Why dont you hire that lovely brown Super from Seat1312000tc...?? ;)

Parrish if you bring the Bemmer I promise to keep my mouth shut  ??? ???

haz anyone toted up yet hotel in italy ,travrling hotel ,tunell, tolls and  fuel to see how much we need? :o
jason

We don't want to scare ourselves Jason? :o? ?;D

Seriously though, it's difficult to give a complete cost as there are many varying factors.

• Mileage. This depends on starting point. I estimate total mileage for the event (getting there, driving around for 4 days and getting back home) will vary from just a few hundred miles for the Italians to up to 2000 miles for the longest travelled. From the UK it'll be about 1500 miles just getting there and back and we'll have another couple of hundred miles driving once we are there.
• Fuel Cost. Once again this depends on the total distance travelled and of course on the car used. Someone using a Series 3 1400 SOHC is bound to get more mpg than someone using a modified quad-carb 2 litre twin cam. I would say the difference could be between 30 mpg for the former and 20mpg for the latter so a big difference in overall cost.
• Ferry costs. These are for the UK and Irish participants and will depend on the route chosen and the time/date of the crossing. For UK participants the return cost will be between ?120 and ?160 while from Ireland the cost for car and two passengers should be between ?200 and ?448 as booked by Kevin or even more if not booked in advance.
• Tolls. I have no idea! I've driven to Italy several times and always used the motorways but never totalled up the cost of the tolls. But once again, the cost will vary for different participants depending on their starting place and whether they use motorways or the more scenic and cheaper but slower non-motorway roads.
• Hotels. We all know our negotiated rates for the Turin hotel but once again individual costs vary according to the number of people travelling. Single rooms work out more expensive and triple/family rooms give the best value per person. We have not yet finalised an overnight stay for the way there and the way back but if you will be using an overnight stay hotel for the way there and the way back, expect to have to pay about ?50 per night per room.
• Food. Our hotel deal does not include dinner so expect to have to pay about ?20-?25 per person for dinner and ?10-?20 per person for lunch.
• Additional costs. Having not finalised the itinerary (we are still waiting details of the proposed factory visit from Fiat Auto before we can finalise other details) we can't give an indication on additional costs or indeed if there will be any. We hope to arrange to visit some interesting places while in Turin and it may be that some places will have admission costs but we don't anticipate these as being a lot, if any. We could get a Turin+Piedmont Tourist Card (http://66.196.80.202/babelfish/translate_url_content?.intl=uk&lp=it_en&trurl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.turismotorino.org%2findex.php%3fid%3d510)? for as low as ?19 that will give us free admission to more than 160 cultural sites: museums, monuments, exhibitions, fortresses, castles and Royal Residences in Turin and Piemonte as well as free travel on the city's over-ground public, tourist transport (panoramic lift in the Antonelliana Size, Knows - Superga rack tramway) and GTT shuttle buses to Real Venaria - Park the Herd, Rivoli Castle - Contemporary Art Museum, Pralormo Castle - ?Messer Tulipano?. Don't forget that our classic cars will not be allowed in certain central parts of Turin during the week.

So any brave people out there with a calculator?  ;D

I think there's a danger that people can get hung up on the cost. I realise only too well that money is a very important factor but I think we all need to bear in mind that it's quite unlikely that we'll be able to do this sort of trip to Italy very often, so view this 3MA as almost once in a lifetime.

As a certain advert says

"Trip to AutoItalia Brooklands 2009 - ?30, purchase of 1982 131 1400CL - ?750, trip with all your 131 mates to Turin to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the launch of your favourite car - PRICELESS!!!".

This is why, despite a gloomy financial outlook to the next few months for me, I'm trying desperately to be there - if only as a passenger in someone elses 131.

Si - That is expertly put. For me this is the highlight of 2009 and if it meets only half of my expectations it is an event that I will look back on for years to come... as a unique and highly enjoyable event, unlikely to be ever repeated.

For Irish attendees I would budget for ?1500 for a couple which is not cheap but where else in the world could you get such a themed event...?? ;)

Absolutely priceless and certainly a one off treat.? ;D

If there is anyone out there in two minds about getting their 131 ready for this event or maybe the one after, put the effort in now, because as of yet there are no plans for any more 3MAs!? :o

I heard this rumour that 3ma10 will be in the Black Forest region of Germany? :D ;D A certain member from that area promised to organise a meeting? ;D :D

But seriously, Simon and Kevin have both elucidated this much better than I ever can so please listen to them!? If we manage to have the sort of 3ma meeting we've been planning for a while then it will certainly be one not to be missed. Even if some of our planned activities don't come together in the end and it just turns out to be a long drive to Turin with a few drives around the area it will still be something not to be missed. There's something very special about a motoring holiday with a number of like-minded people. Just the feeling of 'belonging' you'll get while driving your 131 in a long convoy of 131s will be something not to be missed. And Italy is a very special place. If you have the inexplicable love for one of Italy's seemingly mundane cars then you'll absolutely love Italy; the places, the people, the food, the coffee even the bureaucracy!? ;D

As Simon said, we are doing our best to keep the costs as low as possible so we can get the maximum number of people to join us and one way of reducing costs is to join in someone else's car. We obviously would like as many 131s as possible to be there but we also want as many people as possible. The more the merrier as the saying goes and the better it will be for all so if you don't have your 131 ready or you can't afford to drive it to Turin and back then consider joining in as a passenger in another 131 or even getting cheap flights to Turin and joining as a passenger once there. And of course if you are joining us in your 131 and you have space in your 131 for someone else then please let us know.

At the risk of repeating myself and what Simon and Kevin have also said, 3ma09 will be a once in a lifetime event and one that I would certainly not want to miss. As I have mentioned before, I went to the Lancia Centenary Celebrations Held in Turin in 2006 and I still get excited about it when I think of it. Admittedly that was a much larger celebration than we could even manage for 3ma09 but 3ma09 will be equally special as far as I am concerned. If you own a 131 you obviously love the cars, nobody these days has a 131 because of any other reason. And if you love your 131 then 3ma09 should be a "must do" event and you'll regret it if you are not there once you start reading about it and seeing all the photos and videos.? ;)

I was "forced" to write an article about the Lancia Centenary Celebrations in Turin for the Fiat Motor Club (GB) magazine and a copy of the article is attached with this posting; simply click on the "Lancia Turin Trek.pdf" link at the end of the message (or click here (http://131mirafiori.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1882.0;id=2675))if you'd like to read the article of my last drive to Turin. And as posted many times before, photos of that drive to Turin can be seen at http://www.gammaconsortium.com/LTIM/.

Simon, Thotos!

I really want to go  but my car is an honest to goodness sports car difficult to drive on normal roads (i.e. ceramic clutch). The costs do not scare me, but the 2800 km (1400 each way) does.

I am still deciding what to do ...  I certainly would not want to miss it, though teaming up with someone -  so we travel in a group or several cars - would help.

Do you know anybody from Scandinavia ( i.e Sweden or Norawy) or at least Austria or Czechia) going to Torino?

If i decide I will not drive my car , will anybody accept me as a passanger (flying to Torino), or maybe a second driver/passanger. I can actualty fly to another location and share the driving as well as the cost ?....   

Miro   

PS : Blackforrest !!!  ;D :D This is a great idea. I was there in 2007 driving my Volvo-  Driving my 131 will be even  more fun !  ::)
   

Hi Miro,

I am currently waiting to see how my personal employment situation pans out over the next few weeks before I can commit one way or the other ::) but if do attend ( and I'm now 75;25 'for'!) I am probably going to be on my own as my finances are unlikely to stretch to cover the cost of my whole family. If this turns out to be the case I would gladly have you along in my car as a second driver to share the driving and costs, etc. 8) - in fact I would welcome the company. ;) ;D

We haven't had any confirmations of attendance yet from the countries you have mentioned, however there are a number of forum 'users' who live in them that we are hopeful will come along.

Simon.

Miro - There are 3 enthusiasts in 1 car coming from Austria and we are expecting 3 cars from Germany (not sure what part).

Try to bring your car - The more cars the better for everyone who makes the effort to attend. I for one am looking forward to seeing your car in the metal (or fibreglass)!!? ;)

We certainly will have a convoy of cars from Germany which you'd be able to join Miro. There's also a car-train (Motorail) running from Dusseldorf to Verona so you could drive to Dusseldorf, get yourself and your car on the train and sit back and relax while the train takes you to Verona and then a short drive to Turin from there. See http://www.dbautozug.de/site/dbautozug/en/start.html for details and costs. Duddeldorf is probably a bit too far north for you but we'll investigate other car carrying trains for you if you like. We'd all like to see your car so it would be great if you can get it to the 3ma.? ;) :D

Thanks, guys , I knew I could count on you.

I looked at the ZUG - great idea !! But bad dates ( the best connection from Berlin would be May 22 and June 6 and a cost of over 1200 Euros. I believe that teaming up with another driver looks better.

Simon, do you speak any Polish - by the time you get there and back you might learn some ::).

Where will you start and what would be the best place to hook up?

Miro

I am still looking at driving but all thos who drove a sports car on a normal road knows what I mean.
Driving a 124 spider for Miafiori celebraton would be a faux pass, right ? 

 

The D?sseldorf-Verona AutoZug Motorail train runs every Friday night (i.e. May 22nd as you said) in April  but from May to October it runs on Friday and Sunday nights so you could take one on May 24th departing 17:54 and arriving 09:55 next morning the 25th in Verona so you could be in Turin in time for lunch. We expect to be arriving in Turin early afternoon on Wednesday 27th. There should also be a return Zug on Monday 1st June.

Hello Miro and everybody else,

if you don't mind being 3rd/4th passenger for at least part of the journey:
We'll bring 7 persons in 3 cars to Turin (Holger/Hans/rollcage, Ernst/Jan/?/?, Ren?/Gerald/Marcel/?). Usable hook up places could be Darmstadt (south of Frankfurt) or Stuttgart.
At the moment we're discussing which way to chose over the alps (nearly one suggestion per person from "most economic" to "most fun" ;D)

Looking forward to meet you all,

Ren

I've heard from the Pacific Hotel Fortino today saying they are unable to hold our unbooked reserved rooms for much longer. So if you even just think you might be able to join us, PLEASE book your rooms with the Pacific Hotel Fortino now as you can always cancel without penalty provided you do so at least 2 days before the first booked day.