Fiat 500 – Icon of the 60s . If you had to name a trio of legendary, stylish small cars, the Fiat 500 would not be missing among them. Alongside the Volkswagen Beetle and the Mini Cooper, the Italian automaker is also proud of its smallest car, and I dare say that the Fiat 500 was the most successful remake for the new century.
The roots of the Fiat 500 (cinquecento) go back to the period before the Second World War. In 1937, the smallest car in the world at the time, the Fiat 500 nicknamed Topolino , was launched.
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By 1955, the manufacturer had created 3 different models. It must be added that the original idea was to produce a slightly larger and mainly roofed alternative to the scooter. In addition, the market at the time demanded small cars with economical operation. The Fiat 500 was also interesting in its appearance. The cars of that time had a radiator located in front of the engine , which predetermined the shape of the front mask – the radiator grille was almost perpendicular to the road. The designers achieved the typical aerodynamic slanted "muzzle" of the Fiat 500 by placing the radiator behind the engine. This shape also gave the driver a better view. Affordability was also a big attraction. Even though the Topolino ended up being more expensive than expected, its price was still quite low and around 520,000 units were sold in 8 years.
In 1955, a slightly larger city car, the Fiat 600 (seicento), came onto the market.
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It was a class larger car and its design became the basis for the legendary Fiat Nuova 500 (nuovo – new). It wasn't just that an improved 500-Topolino hit the market. Introduced in 1957, the vehicle showed an absolutely revolutionary view of small cars. Until then, it was primarily about economy in city traffic. However, the Fiat 500 was presented as a stylish car , as part of the personality of a modern person, a design piece. The Fiat 500 turned an economical car into a fashion icon. Finally, there was something practical, economical, cheap and at the same time stylish and fashionable. Thanks to its size and egg-shaped shape, the Fiat 500 earned the nickname Bambino.
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The author of the new look was Dante Giacosa , who had already collaborated on Topolino. He worked at Fiat since 1927 from the age of 22, his hiring paid off for Fiat. He added lightness and an inimitable style to Italian cars, which gained popularity abroad. Under license, cars identical to the Fiat 500 Nuova were also produced with great success in Germany (Neckar) and Austria (Steyer).
The Fiat Nuova 500 measured less than three meters in length and could fit 4 passengers. The original model from 1957 had a two-cylinder engine with a volume of 479cc. The car was able to develop a power of 13 horses. In contrast to the Topolin, the doors opened towards the front of the car (classic hinge on the center pillar), the offer also included a model with a fully retractable canvas roof.
At the end of the 1950s, the economy began to develop again in war-torn Europe. Especially in the north of Italy, new companies were being created that called for utility vehicles. In 1960, Fiat came up with a station wagon version of the little Bambino – the Fiat K called the Gardiniera . In this model, the engine was placed under the floor to allow the largest and most importantly the area of the transport space. Interestingly, here too the front door was in the front. The Gardiniera was produced until 1977, making it the longest-running Fiat model.
The 500 received improvements already in 1960. The Fiat 500 D was almost indistinguishable from the Nuova in appearance, but under the hood it hid a more powerful engine with a volume of 499cc. He already had 17 horsepower. The roof could only be retracted to the edge of the rear window, so it resembled a large sunroof when retracted. Dante Giacosa returned to the rear-hinged doors on the 500 D, like the Topolino.
In 1965, the 500 F type called Berlina was introduced with a more powerful engine (19 hp) that could reach speeds of up to 95 kilometers per hour. It also differed from the "kid" in that it had doors hung classically at the front.
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In 1968, the Fiat 500 L (Lusso – luxurious in Italian) was introduced, which represented a more comfortable variant. The technical differences were not significant, it was primarily a matter of modernizing the interior and increasing passenger comfort.
Fiat 500 L
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The last type of classic 500 was the Fiat 500 R (Rinnovato – renewed, renovated). Under the hood bubbled a 594cc two-cylinder capable of developing up to 23.5 horsepower. The Rinnovato was the last station on the way of the Fiat 500. Already at the time of its production, a successor – the Fiat 126 – was launched on the market, alongside which the 500 R sold out. Although the Fiat 126 was based on the concept of the 500, it had a more comfortable interior and more power, but its popularity never caught up with its predecessor.
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Between 1957 and 1977, over 3,600,000 units of the Fiat 500 model were sold. All types also had their sports versions with slightly higher performance.
Although the successor to the 500 Fiat 126 did not reach the popularity of its predecessor, it was by no means a loser. It was also produced under license in Poland under the designation 126p at Fabryka Samochodow Malolitrazowych (FSM). He was especially popular in the East behind the Iron Curtain . Although the Fiat 126 was not very high-quality, nor comfortable, and moreover it rusted prematurely, it gained a lot of interest due to its individuality and, above all, its low price. In total, over 4.6 million units were produced between 1972 and 2000 (!). In Italy, production was stopped at the beginning of the 90s, when the manufacturer began to focus on the preparation of a new model. In Poland, the last 126p left the factory only in 2000 as part of the Happy End collection (500 red and 500 yellow cars).
The Fiat Cinquecento was supposed to be the new city car for the 1990s. However, the competition was not far behind, and the Cinquecento did not reach the fame of the previous Fiat 126. In 1998, it was replaced by the Seicento , which was produced until 2010. Retro style slowly came into fashion after 2000, which prompted the Fiat management to introduce the good old classic in a modern coat.
Fiat Cinquecento
On the fiftieth anniversary of the production of the first Fiat Nuova 500, the new Fiat 500 was introduced. A compact, elegant car that didn't even try to hide that it's no saint under the hood. The designers have successfully managed to follow the look of the iconic 500 from the 1950s. For example, the Ferarri version was created (2008)
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, Felippe Masa Sports Car (2008), Barbie Edition (2009)
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, the famous fashion house also participated in the Fiat 500 by Gucci special series (which we had the opportunity to test) in 2011. The Fiat 500 continued the popularity of its predecessor both in the field of motoring and in the field of stylish design.
