Milan: Private Transportation

 Now being a car guy, I can't get through a vacation without a few photos of one of my favorite subject matters - automobiles. So let's go over a few of the car photos I took. Here is a new rendition of an old Italian favorite, the Fiat 500. We saw many of the old generation on our trip along the Amalfi Coast.  [Note: a few years after this post, Fiat brought the new 500 to the US]
Also note, right behind this Fiat is a Chrysler PT Cruiser....interesting that a year after I took this photo, Fiat bought Chrysler!

 And the Smart car that intrigued me on our 2006 trip to Paris. As I mentioned on that trip, the Smart was destined for the States also and, by 2008, it had arrived. I see one occasionally in San Diego, but not too often. They look entirely too small on American roads, while they look right at home in Europe. Funny how that works.

 Is there any American iron in Milan? Why, funny you should ask! Yes, there is! Not a lot, but I did get a chance to snap a few photos. I spied quite a few Jeeps like this Grand Cherokee.

 I even spotted a Dodge Magnum (the black wagon behind the gray car) once or twice.

 And apparently even Europeans are not immune to the SUV affliction, as this Lincoln Navigator proves.

 I think this is the same Magnum as before.

 As we stook waiting for the Milan Sightseeing bus, I spotted this gentleman pull up in a customized Mini Clubman.

 After circling the car a few times, he began shooting photos. That's when I noticed it had a special logo covering the license plate and that the famous Milan "Wedding Cake" fountain was in the background of his shots from the angle he was shooting.

 The custom license logo was for Castagna Milan, a local customizing company. As a matter of fact, here are some photos of this very car.

Some interior shots.

 With so many motorcycles in Milan, let's take a look at a few of those. Yes, we know she is sweet looking and we see her. There was no need for the city of Milan to put up an arrow pointing to her.

 I just love this photo. Notice the rider on one bike has spotted me taking their photo and is giving me the thumbs up! What a town!

 A couple more riders on their way home from work, probably.

 And a gentleman at a stoplight in front of a bank.

Yes, even the Police in Milan get some very fine rides. The Milano Police Department apparently uses Alfa Romeos. Lucky!

 In the fashion district we spotted this officer waiting for his partner to come back out of the store.

 Our hotel is next to the tall building at the back of this photo, but I included the photo here because it shows a Sprinter delivery van from Daimler-Benz. When they owned Chrysler, they replaced the full-sized Dodge vans with these Sprinters in the American market. I see a few on the road, but in general this vans are too narrow and too tall for American tastes. Plumbers and repairmen like wider cargo areas for the wider roads here.

 There was plenty of European cars in Milan, of course, but I didn't snap a lot of them. There were Mercedes everywhere, with quite a few Fiats, Peugots, and just about anything else you can name European. Not quite sure what this little van is.

If I'm not mistaken, this is a Peugot that I snapped from our hotel room window one morning. I didn't see any real upscale cars (Ferraris, Bentleys, Rolls) in Milan like I did in Paris. I'm not sure why that is. Anyway, thanks for taking this automotive tour with me...