Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Car parked on Italian street for 47 years becomes tourist attraction

Angelo Fregolent parked his Lancia Fulvia outside his shop in 1974

Aisha Rimi
Monday 01 November 2021 15:49 GMT
Comments
The car was parked in the same spot in Conegliano, north-east Italy for almost 50 years
The car was parked in the same spot in Conegliano, north-east Italy for almost 50 years (Google Maps)
Leer en Español

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

An abandoned car that has been parked for 47 years on an Italian street has become a local landmark, attracting tourists and visitors from far and wide.

Angelo Fregolent, 94, parked his Lancia Fulvia 1961 outside the newsagent he ran with his wife, Bertilla Modolo in Conegliano, north east Italy, in 1974.

Mr Fregolent told Il Gazzettino: "I ran the newsstand under the house for 40 years together with my wife Bertilla, ten 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."

After the couple retired, they left the car in the same spot and it has since become part of the picturesque town.

Tourists and local residents started taking pictures and selfies with the old car, soon making it a tourist attraction as photos went viral on social media.

However, after almost five decades, the town’s officials decided to remove the car. It was transferred on October 20 to the Auto e Moto d’Epoca Motorshow in Padua, about 53 miles away. Here, the car was on display alongside classic cars.

It was then sent to a workshop to be restored and to fix any damages from its 47 years of sitting outside.

Once it’s been fully restored, the car will be placed outside a local school next to Mr Fregolent and Ms Modolo’s house so they can watch as tourists continue to visit the local attraction.

The Fulvia is notable for its role in the world of motorsport after it won the 1972 Internationl Rally Championship.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in