The nun's 2,953km 1977 Fiat 126 in Troina

This 1977 Fiat 126 was bought new by Maria Grazie L'Episcopo, one of the founding nuns of OASI in Troina, Sicily. She owned it until her death, and the car was transferred to her niece in 2017. The niece kept it for the next 8 years, hoping that her daughter would inherit it when she turned 16 years old. Unfortunately, when the daughter turned 16, she didn't want anything to do with the old grandmother's car! The niece bought her a new, white Fiat 500 and decided to sell the 126.

From new, this car has covered just 2,953 kilometers. A look at the interior tells you that the mileage is real: the ignition has no scratches, the gear shifter looks new, the steering wheel has no signs of use.

Another sign that the mileage is real is under the hood, where the air filter still reads the details of its last service: the oil and filter were changed on February 24, 2012 at 2,017 kilometers.

The car still wears its original paint, Blu Adriatico codice 408 F. The chassis number is 126A5082624.

Incredibly, in the agency in Troina where we handled the transfer, a photo of the founder of OASI was on the wall. The office worker who handled the transfer knew all about the nun and knew that she had had this little car for that long.

The niece and her daughter helped me push the car out of the garage, and then I waited two hours for the tow truck. A local man named Salvatore and his daughter Antonio kept me company.

They lived in the house above the garage, where the car had lived its whole life. I learned that he was born and raised on that little street in Troina, and he always knew that the nun kept this little, blue Fiat 126 in this garage which she rarely took out. He said that she used it occasionally to go from one OASI property to another. The niece said that she would take it sometimes to go see her siblings in the countryside.

Ho portato la macchina dal mio meccanico a Gangi e ho deciso di fare solo il lavoro minimo necessario per rimettere l’auto su strada senza sacrificare la sua originalità. Prima, abbiamo cambiato l’olio, la batteria e la benzina per farla partire. I pneumatici vecchi di decenni, spaiati, sono stati sostituiti con gomme nuove. Poi, abbiamo cambiato le ganasce e i cilindretti dei freni anteriori e posteriori, gli ammortizzatori anteriori e posteriori, la boccola della leva del cambio, le candele e il filtro dell’aria. Infine, abbiamo revisionato il carburatore.

The car came with its original registration booklet as well as all the original Fiat documentation including the "Riservato al Cliente" folder, the assistance booklet, the maintenance program, the owner's manual, the service stations and "Ci Pensa Fiat" books as well as the original toolkit and spare tire.

What do you think about this nun's Fiat? Was it worth it to bring it back to life? Should I drive it or just keep it in the garage?