1980 Fiat Spider 2000

Owner: Lane Compton, Actor
Location: Los Angeles, CA

The Story: Compton's former girlfriend Roberta found the Fiat on Craigslist about four years ago. She needed a car to get around town, and being Italian herself, she felt a fondness for the car the moment she saw it. When Compton accompanied her to check it out in person, he fell in love with it too. With an offer already on the table from a potential buyer in Chicago, the couple knew they had to act fast. They bought it on the spot.

Years later when their relationship came to an end, Roberta moved back to Italy and was sadly unable to take the car with her. It sat for almost a year until Compton resurrected it for daily use when his other car was totaled while parked on the street.

Having an older car does come with its fair share of headaches, as Fiats have been given a few unflattering acronyms over the years; "FIAT: Fix It Again Tony" or "Fuck It All Transmission." As Compton says, "It's a pain in the ass and it needs a lot of work. The wiring is like a terrible plate of spaghetti and fuses are constantly blowing." But despite all its problems, it's still a blast to drive. "I've never owned a car that makes me smile every time I get behind the wheel. When it's running at its best, it feels so good." And with the wipers working for the first time in three years, it's ready for action.

This particular car has had the same mechanic since it first came over from Italy more than 30 years ago. "At this point," Compton says, "it's more the mechanic's car than mine, and he's building a new top for it as we speak."

Future Plans: It'll need more repairs as time goes on, and possibly a new paint job in the near future, but Compton will keep it alive as long as he can. "I'll drive this car until it won't drive anymore. It makes me happy so it's worth it." And with people stopping him almost every day to tell him how much they love it or how they had the same car when they were younger, it's obvious that this car has made a lot of other owners happy too.

You can see Compton and his ride featured in Funny or Die's "Heart Transplant with Kelsey Grammar" directed by Ian Pfaff, and on his IMDB page.