The Caravan Salon due to be held in Dusseldorf from 29 August to 7 September has been a leading date in the recreational vehicle show calendar for many years.
Fiat Professional plans to mark the event by introducing the original ‘Portofino’ show van based on the innovative Fiorino, the smallest model in the range.
The new ‘Portofino’ show van, an original and explicit hymn to freedom of movement, came about in a manner very typical of the Camper sector: i.e. partly through the initiative of Vernagallo-Holiday, a conversion company that specialises in small recreational vehicles – and partly through a joint venture with SALT, a body builder that specialises in the tuning and preparation of special and exclusive vehicles.
The ‘Portofino’ is a contemporary twist on the legendary beach buggy, the open-topped cars that were built onto some small Fiat models by a few imaginative Italian bodybuilders in the 1960s. At this particular point in the past, cars were not seen as badges of wealth - and luxury was a lifestyle. The roots of the ‘Portofino’ show van lie in this particular tradition of Italian styling and exclusivity.
*Globalmotors