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Fiat 500 'Topolino' - a little mouse that taught the elephants to fear

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Created on June 9, 2020

Reading time 9min

Written by:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

50

Fiat

4

Bruno von Rotz

3

Balz Schreier

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Archiv

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Daniel Reinhard

50

Fiat

4

Bruno von Rotz

3

Balz Schreier

1

Archiv

20

Fiat 500 (1948) - Spass alleine oder zu Zweit

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Fiat 500 (1948) - einfach süss, nicht wahr?

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Fiat 500 (1948) - nur 3,3 m lang

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Fiat 500 (1948) - erregt immer positives Aufsehen

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Fiat 500 (1948) - bereit zur Losfahrt

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Fiat 500 (1948) - kompakte Statur, aerodynamische Formgebung

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Fiat 500 (1948) - das Faltdach war schon damals sehr beliebt

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Fiat 500 (1948) - fast die ganze Karosserie wurde aus einem Blechstück geformt

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Fiat 500 (1948) - kompakte Status, nur 1,3 m breit

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Fiat 500 (1948) - unverschämt offen

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Fiat 500 (1948) - fast so alt wie die Pilatus-Bahn

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Fiat 500 (1948) - warum der kritische Blick, Topolino-Fahren macht Spass

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Fiat 500 (1948) - schmale Spur, schmales Auto - mit dem Topolino kommt man überall durch

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Fiat 500 (1948) - unterwegs

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Fiat 500 (1948) - locker mit 60 km:h über Land

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Fiat 500 (1948) - schönes Wetter, offenes Dach - was will man mehr?

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Fiat 500 (1948) - die Türen öffnen nach hinten, sehr angenehm zum Einsteigen

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Fiat 500 (1948) - die Sitzlehnen lassen sich vorklappen, das Gepäck kann hinter den Sitzen untergebracht werden

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Fiat 500 (1948) - einfache Faltdach-Mechanik

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Fiat 500 (1948) - Interieur für Zwei

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Fiat 500 (1948) - einfaches aber durchaus wohnliches Cockpit

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Fiat 500 (1948) - Pedale am Boden und Benzinhahn im direkten Zugriff

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Fiat 500 (1948) - nicht vergessen von "Reserve" auf "Normal" zurückzustellen nach dem Tanken!

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Fiat 500 (1948) - Öldruckanzeige

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Fiat 500 (1948) - Tacho bis 100 km/h, so schnell wird er aber selten

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Fiat 500 (1948) - Pompadour-Taschen

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Fiat 500 (1948) - pragmatische Lösung gibt dem Dach einen sicheren Halt

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Fiat 500 (1948) - eine Liebesbekundung eines früheren Besitzers

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Fiat 500 (1948) - ein Klappe zum Kofferraum gibt es nicht, man muss schon durch die Seitentüren gehen

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Fiat 500 (1948) - alles kompakt verbaut

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Fiat 500 (1948) - das Design ist eindeutig der Vorkriegszeit zuzordnen

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Fiat 500 (1948) - charakteristisch, der geschwungene Kühlergrill

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Fiat 500 (1948) - aussenliegende Haubenverschlüsse

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Fiat 500 (1948) - die Motorhaube lässt sich für Eingriffe in die Mechanik auch komplett abnehmen

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Fiat 500 (1948) - längs eingebauter Reihenvierzylinder

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Fiat 500 (1948) - Blick auf den längs eingebauten Vierzylindermotor

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Fiat 500 (1948) - Thermosyphon-Kühlung

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Fiat 500 (1948) - Chassis-Plakette

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Fiat 500 (1948) - Tank unter einer Klappe

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Fiat 500 (1948) - Fiat-Zeichen auf dem Kühlergrill

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Fiat 500 (1948) - Fiat-Zeichen auf dem Bug

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Fiat 500 (1948) - freistehende Scheinwerfer, Scheibenräder

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Fiat 500 (1948) - rundliche Front

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Fiat 500 (1948) - hübsche Details

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Fiat 500 (1948) - Verzierung über dem Kühlergrill

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Fiat 500 (1948) - "Kühlerfigur"

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Fiat 500 (1948) - Kühlluft für die Passagiere

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Fiat 500 (1948) - Reserverad mit Fiat-Schriftzug

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Fiat 500 (1948) - Reserverad nicht unbedingt einsatzfähig

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Fiat 500 (1948) - Rüchleuchten und CH-Schild

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Fiat 500 (1936) - die Frontgestaltung erinnert an eine kleine Maus

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Fiat 500 (1936) - Durchsichtszeichnung - Blick durch das Auto

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Fiat 500 (1936) - der wassergekühlte Vierzylindermotor samt Getriebe

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Fiat 500 (1947) - der Motor, wie er bis 1948 in den 500 A eingebaut wurde

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Fiat 500 (1947) - Durchsichtszeichnung - Blick durch den 500 A

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Fiat 500 (1936) - Blick auf das unverkleidete Chassis

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Fiat 500 (1936) - die vorderen Einzelradaufhängungen

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Fiat 500 (1947) - Hinterradaufhängung und Diferential

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Fiat 500 (1947) - Blick auf den Motor mit demontierter Kühlerhaube

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Fiat 500 (1947) - Platz für die Dame und das Gepäck

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Fiat 500 B Topolino (1949) - modellgepflegte Variante nach dem Krieg

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Fiat 500 A Topolino (1938) - für zwei Personen und etwas Gepäck

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Fiat 500 Topolino (1939) - bereits mit Rolldach

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Fiat 500 Topolino (1938) - die Form erinnerte an ein Mäuschen

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Fiat 500 (1948) - mit dem Familienkombi 'Giardiniera' auf Ausflugsfahrt

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Fiat 500 A Topolino (1947) - im Jahr 1947 kostete der Wagen mit Rolldach CHF 5200

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Fiat 500 (1948) - Produktion im Mirafiori-Werk

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Fiat 500 (1948) - Blick ins Interieur des 500 B

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Fiat 500 B (1948) - Chassis ohne Karosserie beim 500 B

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Fiat 500 (1948) - der 500B ohne Karosserie

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Fiat 500 (1948) - Durchsichtszeichnung - Blick durch den 500 B mit geringen Abweichungen zum 500A

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Fiat 500 (1948) - der Motor mit Getriebe vom 500 B

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Fiat 500 B (1948) - Planzeichnung des Reihenvierzylinders

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Fiat 500 C Topolino (1950) - bis 1955 wurde diese Version gebaut

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Fiat 500 C Topolino (1949) - nur 1,29 Meter breit ist der kleine Fiat

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Fiat 500 B Topolino (1948) - am Concorso d'Eleganza Italiauto 2016

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Fiat 500 B Topolino (1948) - am Concorso d'Eleganza Italiauto 2016

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Fiat 500 (1948) - Frontansicht

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Summary

Hardly anyone would have bet in the 1930s that it would be possible to earn money with a small car and set a real mass motorization in motion. The Fiat 500 came onto the market in 1936 and was built as the 500 A and 500 B until 1949 with hardly any changes to the bodywork. Hundreds of thousands of them! Today, the early Topolino is a popular and much-loved classic car that makes passers-by smile. This report is about the early Fiat 500, built from 1936 to 1949, and shows the Topolino in current and historical pictures as well as in the sales literature of the time.

This article contains the following chapters

At least one class smaller
Pretty clever
Small improvements from the A to the B
Only for a short time
Over 70 years old and not a bit tired

Estimated reading time: 9min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Hardly anyone in the 1930s would have bet that it would be possible to earn money with a small car and set mass motorization in motion. Fiat saw things differently and actually did everything right when designing the Fiat 500. No wonder the "Topolino" was a success and, as a little mouse, gave many an elephant a run for its money. The Fiat 500 did not have a predecessor when it came onto the market in 1936, not even a real competitor. Although there were other small cars at the time, none of them could immediately compete with the Fiat when it came to suitability for everyday use, spaciousness and economy. The Fiat 500 owed this to three design principles: Simplicity, optimized use of space and efficiency.

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