Those of you who were at the Sharnbrook Pizza event will already have heard Ciro give some more details about our Abarth Spring Festival. Here is what you need to know

We are now ready to take confirmed bookings, so here is how to secure your ticket and a little more detail on what to expect.

The Abarth Spring Festival is a joint event with Yakushi, so as well as a stunning array of Abarths you will get to see the very best of the JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) scene in association with Petrolheadonism, led and championed by our good friend Ciro Ciampi. There will be a number of trade stands present.  The Festival takes place at the Whilton Mill Karting & Outdoor Activities Centre, at Whilton Locks near Daventry. The venue is huge and can easily accommodate 1200 cars - so there's no limit on numbers!

Display cars - the Abarths and the JDM cars - will be parked on hard standing on the twin karting circuits, so you need have no fear that you will be on grass or mud! Entry for the Show Cars will be through the main entrance from 9am (please do not arrive earlier than this - there is ample space, so no need to come and queue thinking it will guarantee you a place).

There is a smaller karting track, and there will be a limited number of places for participants to demonstrate their prowess in a kart.

For those who wish to attend, but who will not be coming in an Abarth, or a JDM car, then spectator tickets will be available. There will be a separate booking page for these. It is important that you purchase the correct ticket. Note that Spectator admission will be from 11am (please do not arrive earlier than this).

For Abarth Owners, the cost is £25 (plus booking fee) per show car, which covers entry for the car, driver and all passengers. Each ticket automatically enters you into The Sponsor's FREE PRIZE DRAW on the day! There will be Sponsors Awards for various categories on the day.  To book your ticket, please visit the dedicated page here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/abarth-spring-break-powered-by-petrolheadonismclub-tickets-253661246617

Tickets for the Karting Championship will be released on 1st March. There will be a limited number of places and these will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. 

This will be a fantastic event, and by adding in the JDM Cars as well, will have quite a different feel to the Abarth Festival that will be held on 10th July - so you really should plan to come to both!

Whilst the 2021 Event Program had a very slow start, thanks to Lockdowns across the UK that made it impossible to get together until well into spring, every opportunity was taken to catch up with many events rescheduled and squeezed into a calendar that was already pretty full. I hope that you were all able to enjoy many opportunities to get together whether that was for small and local gatherings or at some of the larger events where Abarths regularly numbered into several tens and on occasion into the hundreds. There were many highlights for me, of which of course our very own Abarth Festival has sit at the top of the list, a truly special day out that delighted us all. We have every intention of repeating that in 2022 - bigger and better, learning from the 2021 event and taking on board your feedback.

We're not quite ready to announce Abarth Festival 2022 yet, but the majority of the other events that we will attend have published their dates. I've already announced most of these individually, and if you go onto the Events tab on the page, you will find details of each individual event and how to book (where this info is available. I thought you might find it helpful to have a consolidated list in one place. So here it is.

JAN

1st: Brooklands New Years Event - POSTPONED to 16th APRIL
2nd: Cheddar Gorge, in association with SWAG
16th: Project Auto, Shepton Mallett, in association with SWAG and B.A.D Abarth South Coast

FEB

Watch this space!

MAR

Also watch this space!

APR

16th: Brooklands New Years Event reschedule
18th: Provisional date for Abarth Spring Festival - Finedon
24th:  Simply Italian at Beaulieu, in association with AOC SSH, B.A.D Abath South Coast and others
30th:  Brooklands Auto Italia

MAY

22nd: Prescott Italia and Prescott Hill Climb, Glos
28th    Italian Passion for Speed, Cardiff Bay
29th:   Supercars on the Runway, Sywell, Northhants

JUN

12th:   Thruxton Historic Festival
25th   MITCAR (provisional date and venue tbc, likely to be in Derbyshire)

JUL

9th      Northern Italian Cars, with Auto Italia, at Raby Castle, Co Durham
16/17th: Shelsley Walsh Classic Nostalgia

AUG

14th:  Festival Italia at Brands Hatch
21st:  Tewkesbury Classic Vehicle Festival
27 - 29: Silverstone Classic

SEPT

4th:    Classic and Supercar Day at Salon Prive, Blenheim Palace

OCT

9th:    Brooklands Autumn MotorSport

More events will be added to this list as further dates are announced. And that's before you add in all the events that will be organised by the Regional Groups. It has been great to watch the launch and explosive growth of a number of new ones in 2021 (B.A.D Abarth South Coast, Three Counties and Berkshire among them) and also to see yet more activity and people getting involved in the more established Groups, of which we have an awful lot.

If you see something which you think could be of interest to our members, please get in touch and we will take a look at it.

Many people have been able to enjoy the various regular summer evening or "Cars and Coffee" style meets around the country. Most of these follow a formula, such as Ace Cafe holding Italian Night on the second Thursday of the month, and Shelsley Walsh's "Cars in the Valley" being the first Thurs of the month. Many of these have paused for the darkest winter months, and have yet to confirm that they will repeat what were very popular events with Abarth Owners and others during 2022 but I am sure they will do so shortly and I will add the details to this post when they do so.

Clearly, things could yet change, not least depending on government restrictions and the on-going Covid situation. The most uptodate information will be on the individual event description and so you should continue to monitor these regularly.   

I am delighted to announce the 2021 Abarth Festival.

This event has been conceived to bring together all the various Abarth Communities in the UK (and beyond, if you are able to come!) for a day of Abarth-ness, with displays, competitions, trade stands including a number of the popular suppliers of tuning and other modifications, Italian food and the chance to meet up with existing friends and to make some new ones.

It takes place in Finedon, Northamptonshire on a large private site. We have room for hundreds of cars. It should be the largest gathering of Abarths that the UK has ever seen.

Clearly, we are at the mercy of the prevailing Covid situation in the country. Rest assured that if the event has to be cancelled, or if you are unable to attend for Covid reasons, a full refund will be available, so you can book with confidence now.

Further details and the process for booking tickets are contained on the event's website here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/abarth-festival-2021-showcar-tickets-only-tickets-139547467231?aff=efbneb&fbclid=IwAR0eDu-oTnPPwfyVh9ZwHR1TI3sLTlNuz9W3NKOxyzQJXT8JkGqPygT7vpY

On behalf of Ciro, proprietor of the Sharnbrook Hotel, and Mr Petrolheadonism himself, I am delighted to announce the 2020 version of the Bedfordshire Italian Car Show.

Always a popular event, this is sure to be a sell-out. Participation is by advance ticket only, and to ensure compliance with government guidelines and limits on venues, these are limited to a total attendance of 750, with 85% of these allocated to Italian Car owners and their passengers and the remainder to spectators. All tickets are on a Food Package basis, with a BBQ deal included, comprising BBQ or Hog Roast, Ice Cream and a soft deal.

To secure your place, please purchase your ticket by going here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/116796265775

This will be an excellent day out, for sure!   

Anyone who has ever been to an event at the Prescott Hill Climb, home to the Bugatti Owners Club since 1938, and location of an ascent up through the trees on the slopes of the North Cotswolds, undertaken against the clock as well as competing against similar cars, will known not need me to tell them what a splendid setting this, and what a fabulous day out you will have if you attend. And if you've not yet been, then you really ought to rectify that!

Once again, there is a double theme to what is one of the biggest events of the year there, La Vita Rossa and La Vie en Bleu mean a celebration of all things Italian and French. The cars are the real stars of the weekend of course - and expect to see an array of fabulous machinery from both nations in the Paddock and the Orchard - with Bugatti, classic but long obsolete French marques such as Panhard, Delage, Delahaye and Talbot joined by all manner of Renault, Peugeot and Citroen, with the Italian representation covering Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Fiat and of course, Abarth. And that's where you come in! I have obtained a reserved parking area for Abarth Owners Club members, in the Orchard, where we will be able to show off our cars and then take in the delights of hill-climbing, with Italian and French cuisine on offer when you get hungry or thirsty. Singing and dancing - everything from opera to the Can Can girls often feature and gendarmes  on stilts are there to make sure everyone behaves themselves! It is a fabulous day out, and suitable for all the family.

To secure your tickets, you need to go to Prescott's own website,

To get the special Car Club deal, and the vital parking pass that will admit you and your car into the Orchard, you need to specify the following:

LVW20 – two for one on weekend tickets, plus Orchard parking pass

LVD20 – two for one on single day tickets (Saturday or Sunday), plus Orchard parking pass
 
Please note that in order to claim this offer, you will need to add a quantity of two tickets to your basket and the offer will then be applied. The offer is two for one based on the gate price, rather than the advance price. The parking pass will be attached to your confirmation email as a pdf and will need to be printed out and brought with you on the day.

Those who are members of the Bugatti Owners club do not need to buy tickets, but will need the parking pass. To obtain yours, please contact Emily Wells (emily@bugatti.co.uk or by ringing the office at Prescott) to request yours.

Note: this is a 2 day event. It does clash with another event I have advertised already at Sywell on the Sunday, so I quite understand if you will only be able to attend on the Saturday (which is what I will be doing this year), but if anyone is not going to Sywell and wishes to attend on he Sunday as well, you will be most welcome to do so. 

Taking place for the fifth time in 2020 is the Festival Italia at Brands Hatch. The date is Sunday 16th August and like previous years, attendees can expect an action-packed day with races and parades on the track, including rounds of the Ferrari Challenge and Alfa racing, a huge display of Italian Cars, and all manner of other attractions including stalls selling Italian food and drink, the sounds of Italy all being broadcast across the site and the likelihood of a mass track parade of hundreds of Italian cars, in which you can take part, to round things off. .

Abarth Owners Club has been registered as one of the participating Car Clubs. This means that we will get an in-field display area (the precise location of which, the organisers choose, I don't!), and there are free tickets available which will admit the car and driver. Note that passengers will need to acquire their own paid-for tickets.

The process for applying for tickets is the same as it was in 2019, and is now all online. To get one of the AOC tickets, go to the event website, and head to the "Get Involved" section, rather than the one marked "Tickets", namely: http://www.festivalitalia.com/get-involved/italian-car-and-bike-owners/ When you click on the option under "Italian car and Bike Clubs", you will be asked to sign in with an MSV userid if you have one, or to create an account if not. Once you have an account, you will have the option to select from Abarth Owners Club as your affiliated Club. You will be asked for a few details, including an upload of a picture of your car. This is stored and will be usable info for any other MSV events. Once your application is approved, you will be sent a link to allow you to print off your own tickets.

Note that initially we have 40 spaces. Demand will almost certainly exceed supply, but for now, that is all we have as this is Festival Italia and not Festival Abarth, as we were politely reminded last year when we asked for more. We may get some nearer to the event, but don't rely on this happening. For those who do not manage to secure one of the 40, you can still register your car as an individual, which will give you a pass for your car (also free for car and driver) in the "General Italian" parking area. 

I am well aware that this event is still 8 months away, and that plans may change between now and August. If you get a ticket now and find yourself unable to use it, please be public-spirited and make sure that someone else gets the chance to take your place. In 2019 there were 6 people who had a ticket and simply did not show up - this is unfair to those who could have attended in your place.

With Abarth's 70th anniversary celebrations and a still growing population of Abarth Owners keen to meet up at seemingly every opportunity, 2019 will go down in history as our best year yet, with lots of photos, footage, memories and new friendships all evidence of what we have achieved. 2020 is the year when we build on this, and hopefully achieve even more than we did in 2019.   

I've already announced a few events for 2020, and there is a dedicated event thread for each, with details on how to book your place, and more will follow in the coming weeks and months. In advance of these, I thought it would be helpful to post a consolidated list now, so that you can all mark up your diaries now, and hold the dates now. This list will be added to, as not every venue has confirmed their plans for 2020, and we will fill in the gaps with some Abarth Owners Club specific events. 

This is a long thread. I make no apologies for that, as there is lot of detail in here, but I am sure you will agree it is worth reading through to the end.

Undoubted highlight for all those who were able to join in, was the trip to Milan in October 2019, for the Abarth Days. Whilst no specific plans for any similar event in 2020 have yet been announced by Turin (though from hints dropped, I am rather hoping that there will be something), the experience of the Drive itself was so well received that I am looking to organise a couple of Continental Events during 2020.

One of these will be timed to include the SpaItalia event at Spa in the Ardennes in Belgium. This takes place on Sunday 14th June, so reserve that weekend for a drive that I hope will take in the Abarth Works Museum in Lier (near Antwerp) as well as the Spa event itself. It's nothing like as far as going to Milan, so can be fitted into a (rather busy) weekend.... more details early in the new Year.

I am also thinking of an Italian trip - to take in another Alpine Pass or two, and perhaps a visit to Torino to see the factory and Classiche operation, the FCA Heritage Hub, and (if we can manage ti) to get the cars on the roof at Lingotto. Early September is the target date (though this does depend on if there is to be an Abarth Day or not). 

There is more certainly for this block of events, I have either already contacted the organiser, or if they are not yet ready, will be doing so in the coming weeks, to arrange an Abarth Owners Club presence, which in most cases will ensure we have our own display area, and in many cases special club discounts on admission charges. Although details of each event will be on the event's own website, you will need to follow the instructions that are posted here to ensure you get any special AOC ticket package.   

Brooklands New Years Day - Weds 1st Jan
Brooklands Auto Italia - Sat 2nd May
Donington Historic Festival - Fri 1st May  - Sun 3rd May
Italian Classics at the Villa - Sun 10th May
La Vita Rosso at Prescott Hill Climb - Sat 23rd- Sun 24th  May
Supercar Fest - Sywell Aerodrome - Sun 24th May
Italian Passion for Speed - Cardiff Bay - Sat 30th May
Bedfordshire Italian Cars - Sharnbook Hotel, nr Bedford - TBD, (usually late June)
Cars in the Park - Lichfield -Sat 4th - Sun 5th July
Brooklands Supercar Sunday - Sun 19th July
"Quay for my Car", Poole Harbour - TBD (usually a Fri, in July or August)
Silverstone Classic - Fri 31st - Sun 2nd Aug
Brands Hatch Festival Italia - Sun 16th Aug
Gloucester Goes Retro - - Sat 22nd Aug
MITCAR - TBD Aug
Supercar Fest - Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb - Sun 31st Aug
Bridgnorth Italian Auto & Moto Festival - Sun 6th Sept
Brooklands Autumn MotorSport Festival -  Sun 11th Oct

Separate threads will be created for each individual event, with full details not just of the location and timing, but also instructions on how to acquire tickets to make sure that you are part of the Abarth presence at them. The first couple of threads have already been posted, as I already have some details agreed with the organisers, and more will follow. Please pay special attention to the closing date to buy your tickets. In most cases this is well before the event itself. Coming to me a couple of days before hand asking if you are too late will almost inevitably result in confirmation that you are!

There's plenty of space to add more to this list, so if you see something that you think would be of interest, then please do not hesitate to send me your suggestions. I am particularly keen that we do not hold everything in the "south", so we need to head north for more of our activities, and we should also do more driving events as well as the static shows. To that end, I am planning to hold two or three Abarth Owners Club specific events. I have some potential venues in mind, ones that we have not yet been to, but am open to your suggestions. 2020 marks the fifth anniversary of the founding of Abarth Owners Club, and we will look to mark this landmark with something special during the year. 

With the rise in activities of many of the Regional Groups in 2019, most of which arrange their own events, largely for members in their immediate geographies, this does all mean that you are not going to be short of things to do in 2019. But if you have ideas for other things, please do feel free to get in touch........ and I would be particularly keen to hear from anyone who can help with planning routes for driving days around the country.

You may also wish to consider one of the many popular Breakfast Club style meetings that take place all around the country. Some of the more popular ones are these:   

Ace Cafe Italian Night - second Thursday of every month. There are events at Ace almost every night, but Italian Night is by some margin the best, and is usually well supported with all manner of interesting cars. In 2018 and 2019 we consistently outnumbered Alfa Romeo, but some months there were more Maserati there (I know, I contributed to that, as I usually had my Ghibli rather than my Abarth!).
Goodwood Breakfast - the 2020 program has not yet been announced. In 2019 there were 5 of them during the year, each with a theme, only one of which fitted with our cars. We will have to see what 2019 holds. These meets gets very busy now, and you have to pre-book well in advance with a theme-compliant car, and even to secure general parking  but are a great morning out, and the bacon is particularly tasty, though!
Coventry Transport Museum Breakfast - tend to be on a Saturday morning - program on the museum's website. Note that they changed their criteria so a "future classic" now qualifies for the display.
Departure Lounge, Alton - an Italian specific event held bi-monthly, first Saturday of the month (usually). Nice setting and generally gets a good turnout.
Haynes Museum Breakfast - Now well established and very well attended, generally on the first Sunday of the month. Has the advantage that there is a great museum on site
Liverpool Cars and Coffee - huge event on the waterfront. Typically attracts a good number of local Abarth owners. Schedule appears a bit random.
Prescott Hill Climb Breakfast - mix of meetings "at home" on the Gloucestershire slopes, and also a couple of away fixtures (2020 dates are 29/3, 11/7, 23/8 and 11/10)
Queen Square Bristol Breakfast - second Sunday of the month. Always a good show, usually a couple of Abarths there - note that this event outgrew Queen Square and now takes place at a variety of interesting locations in the Bristol area. Full details are on the event's Facebook page. 
Shelsley Walsh Breakfast - dates for 2020 are 15/3, 19/4, 17/5, 19/7. 13/9 and 11/10. Note that you now need to pre-register and buy a ticket from the venue's website
Wilton Wake Up - typically the last Sunday of the month from April to September, these are held at Wilton House in Somerset (near Salisbury). There is a theme, but also plenty of nearby parking for other cars to attend.

It goes without saying, that all are welcome to attend any of our events.

Wishing all Abarth Owners Club members a Very Happy and Safe 2020 and Bertie and I look forward to meeting as many of you as we can during the year.