FIAT enthusiasts gather at the 2011 Fiat FreakOut convention in Nashville, Tenn. 

Auto Shows,Fiat,Heritage | June 26 2018

Fiat FreakOut heading to Florida for the first time

Organizers of this summer’s Fiat FreakOut are holding the annual gathering of FIAT owners and aficionados at a location further south than ever before, and at a resort known as the “Most Magical Place on Earth.”

Fiat Club America’s 35th Fiat FreakOut will be held Aug. 15-19 at Walt Disney World in Orlando. Organizers have coined this year’s event as “The Most Magical FreakOut On Earth,” and has a number of events planned at the resort and in central Florida.

“We determined all those stories about Florida’s legendary hospitality must be true and that we needed to bring the FreakOut south for the first time ever,” said Jason “Tiki” Tackett, Fiat Club America regional contact.

Fiat Freakout attendee.

The Fiat FreakOut is an annual event that brings together FIAT, Lancia and Alfa Romeo owners and aficionados from across the United States, and beyond, for a long weekend of events, awards and drives.

When the first FIAT FreakOut was held in 1983, it was just a small group of Fiat owners who met on the infield of the Pocono International Raceway for a one-day gathering. Since then, the event has been held in Poughkeepsie, New York (site of Fiat’s first American operations); Auburn Hills, Michigan; Niagara Falls, New York; Nashville, Tennessee; and Chicago, Illinois, among others.

It has grown to attract more than 500 people over four – or more – days, and has expanded from a car show to include events such as an awards banquet with guest speakers, driving tours, track days and local sightseeing visits.

Some of the highlights of this year’s event include:

  • The official first day of the FreakOut features a guided driving tour of the nearly 40-square-mile Walt Disney World property, complete with points of interest communicated to the caravan of cars via two-way radio. The tour ends with a visit to the club’s favorite classic Fiat 500, Luigi from the movie “Cars,” at his home in Radiator Springs at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
  • A scenic trip through orange groves and Florida’s backwoods to the Lakeridge Winery
  • A private dessert party at the Italy showcase at Epcot
  • The FIAT Studio Showcase. Organizers are inviting all FIAT Studios to participate in the Saturday Expo Italiano by setting up a table and display to build a relationship between the Studio and FreakOut attendees.

A number of Fiat 124 Spiders were part of the Fiat Freakout.

For more information about the Fiat FreakOut and registration information, visit the FIAT Club America website.

Edward Cardenas
Hello from the Motor City! I’m Edward Cardenas and I’m multimedia editor for Stellantis. As a lifelong Detroiter, I have been surrounded by the automotive industry. I’ve had members of my immediate and extended family work in the industry. I’ve covered it as a journalist and advocated for it as
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Hello from the Motor City! I’m Edward Cardenas and I’m multimedia editor for Stellantis. As a lifelong Detroiter, I have been surrounded by the automotive industry. I’ve had members of my immediate and extended family work in the industry. I’ve covered it as a journalist and advocated for it as a communications professional. I have also experienced the thrills of the industry while riding in a race car at nearly 200 miles per hour. Having this breadth of experience, I look forward to drawing upon my experiences to bring a wide range of stories, photos and videos about Chrysler, FIAT and Alfa Romeo to Stellantis Digital Media. When I’m not covering my brands, I’m spending time with my wife and two boys.