How the Fiat 500 developed over 80 years
The story of the Fiat 500 began in 1936, when it was presented to an astonished public. Small cars were almost unheard of at the time, with hardly anything under four meters. But Fiat seized a unique opportunity and created the first people's car with the Topolino, as the 500 was soon called due to its appearance (Topolino = little mouse) and its size.
With a water-cooled front engine with four cylinders and 569 cm3, the car, which was only 3.2 meters long, offered everything that two people needed to travel.
This original 500, to which we have just dedicated an extensive report , was built until 1955. It was replaced by the Fiat 600 (from 1955) and Fiat 500 Nuova (from 1957) models. These two models, developed for the demands of the fifties and sixties, no longer had the engine at the front, but at the rear.
The "new" Fiat 500, about which there is of course also a nice report , no longer had a four-cylinder engine, but had to make do with two cylinders. It was nevertheless a success and was available until 1972; the successor Fiat 126 had to do without the famous name.
Only many years later, in 1992, was there another Cinquecento. And it had the engine with two or four cylinders at the front again. Now, however, the front wheels were driven. And then in 2007 came the Fiat 500, which still exists in a similar form today. The engine was again at the front, as in the Topolino from 1936, and the shape corresponded to the Fiat 500 Nuova of the 1950s to 1970s. The circle was complete.
Since 2007, the Fiat 500 has been built in almost unchanged form, now even with an electric drive. Of course, it is no longer quite as compact as it was back then: the wheelbase has grown by 30 cm, the length by almost 40 cm and the width by over 35 cm. And of course it doesn't weigh 520 kg, but around twice as much. On the other hand, it has become a lot safer and, in an emergency, four people can also travel in it. And, as already mentioned, the Fiat 500 can also be "electric".
For people who also like the modern Fiat 500, here is a short film about the creation of the New 500 Unique, interpreted by the Fiat partners: Bulgari, Kartell and Armani.
The film takes the viewer on a 6-month journey, with behind-the-scenes glimpses of the teams that created the three timeless masterpieces. The narrative voice of the film is Olivier Francois, (President Fiat Brand Global & Chief Marketing Officer FCA) the "director of the project", who through the various team members, including the partners, explores the questions and dreams of the "one-offs" of Bulgari, Kartell and Armani.
