The Fiat Nationals 2026 - A guide for newbies.
OK. You own a Fiat. New or old, it's awesome. It's fun to drive. But there must be more to Fiat life.
I'm here to tell you that there is such a thing.
It's called The Fiat Nationals. And the next one is just a few months away. April 10-12, 2026.
What's the deal, you ask?
How about three days of wall-to-wall Fiats of all shapes and sizes? You get to meet new Fiat owners, also of all shapes and sizes. It's a 3-day Fiat party. And the upcoming Nationals are in our own backyard; a couple of hours drive away in Goulburn.
Here's a brief history of the event.
It started way back in 1964, when the gauntlet was thrown down for a motorkhana challenge between the NSW and Victorian Fiat Clubs, and the battleground was a paddock outside Wagga Wagga.
Motorkhana, you say? Think of it as a sort of a slalom around marker flags against the stopwatch. But that wasn't the most important thing about the event. We came to party. And party they did. I have the photos! Bringing home the Fiat of Italy Cup became important in later years.
After a few annual events in Wagga, the Queensland Fiat Club also wanted to join in. So, the event was moved to Dubbo in the 1970s, being close to the mid-point between Brisbane and Melbourne on the Newell Highway.
After some years in Dubbo, with occasional events being held in Orange (the Woollies carpark, no less!) and Forbes, we ended up at Bathurst in 2005...and added hill climb and show 'n' shine events to the proceedings. Now the party was three days, the form it has taken today. We now see the addition of Fiat Clubs from the ACT, South Australia and occasionally Western Australia, making the event truly National.
This century it was agreed to take the Nationals on rotation between host states. Now The Fiat Nationals is a road trip AND a three-day party. We have converged on Willowbank Raceway in Ipswich, Qld, Winton Raceway in Benalla, Vic, and Tailem Bend in South Australia. NSW and the ACT Fiat Clubs share One Raceway in Goulburn or Pheasant Wood in Marulan, but we have also held the Fiat Nationals at Sydney Motorsport Park in 2014.
Now, dear Fiat owner, the question that arises out of this little history summary is.....I don't do motorsport, I just like to drive my car and occasionally show it at cars 'n' coffee days. How are the Fiat Nationals relevant to me if I am not into motorsport?
Well, if you read between the lines here, I use the word "party" a bit. And by a bit, I really mean a lot.
The Fiat Nationals is the greatest gathering of Fiat enthusiasts in the country. That should be enough to get one excited.
No matter which Fiat you drive, everyone appreciates the effort one makes to get there.
The social part of the event is the drawcard for me. I used to be a motorkhana demon but now I take lots of photographs of the competition events and of the people. I have been attending on and off, since 1978. Others have been going longer than me. There is an amazing spread of ages, equal to the variety of cars that show up.
The Fiat Nationals is the friendliest, most fun thing you can attend as a Fiat owner.
This year I have made it my mission to encourage lots of Fiat owners from both within the Fiat Clubs, but also Facebook Groups and other non-competition Fiat Clubs and associations to come on down.
The BIG drawcard for non-motorsport Fiat enthusiasts is conducting our traditional Show 'n' Shine event within the annual Auto Italia event in Queanbeyan on the Sunday. Auto Italia has been running since the 1980's and is the biggest gathering of Italian cars of all makes, and many of us go there every year for the weekend.
It will be a fantastic experience (to add to all the other fantastic experiences of the Fiat Nationals) to be part of the Fiat Nationals convoy from Goulburn to Queanbeyan and then arrive on masse in our dedicated Fiat Nationals area.
Planning is underway to especially cater for those who are not into competition, particularly those whose cars are on historic plates that don't get out that much. There are optional drives and sightseeing routes to enjoy whilst "the noisy ones" stress and strain for the sake of competition.
What I do know is that everyone who attends this annual Festival of Fiat Fun will welcome you all with open arms, you will make new lifelong friends like we regulars have done for years.
We really look forward to seeing new faces and new cars, and this year in particular we are improving the event to create as wide an appeal for all types of Fiat cars and enthusiasts.
I can't imagine the Fiat founder, Giovanni Agnelli. in 1899 would have had any idea that a 126 years later, a bunch of crazy Aussies on the other side of the world would have so much fun with the brand he founded.
But, that's the Aussie way. Let's do this. If you have never attended before, THIS IS YOUR YEAR!