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A Dummies Guide to the Fiat 500 |
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History
The Fiat 500 was the car that put Italy on wheels and it was made with the intention
of doing just that. The man in charge of the 500 was Dante Giacosa, Fiats chief
designer. Just as it is now, economy was very important when the 500 was being designed.
Inspired by the VW Beetle, Giacosa put the 500s engine in the rear and it was of
course air-cooled (like we didn’t know that!). That meant it was lighter than previous
Fiat designs. It wasn’t exactly powerful and it started out with a weak 479cc engine.
It was eventually upgraded to a 499cc engine wh ich would let you trundle along nicely
with a top speed of 55mph. It was unveiled in 1957 and production gained momentum
right through the sixties as millions took to the ‘Nuova 500’. The earliest improvements
were made a year after launch which included a slight power increase and the addition
windows that wound up! The early cars were poorly built and some will complain about the rear hinge ‘suicide’ doors which were on all 500s before 1965. In 1958 the 500L
model came on stream, a car which offered buyers an alternative to the standard
car. The 500L had a plusher trim and reclining seats. Production of the 500 ended
in 1975. In all 3.6 million cars were sold during the cars life. The car was replaced
in the Fiat line by the 126. Today the car has a strong following and is an iconic
Italian car.
Models
Nuova 500: This is where it all started for this little Fiat. It was unveiled in
1957 and lasted until 1960. This was the model which featured the rear-hinged doors.
500D: The 500 D was introduced in 1960 and continued until ’69. The D still had
the “suicide doors” but the engine by now was bigger; a 499cc engine producing 17bhp
compared with 479cc engine in the Nuova which produced only 13bhp.
Giardiniera: Probably the most practical 500 was this estate version. It outlasted
the saloon model by 2 years. The engine was laid underneath the boot floor to create
the space needed in an estate.
500F: The 500F or ‘Berlina’ model arrived on the scene in 1965 and is often confused
with the 500D because they both sported the same badging. The 500F however had got
proper doors! They opened in the usual fashion - from hinges at the front. The 500F
was sold alongside the 500L as a cheaper, more basic model.
500L: The 500L was sold between 1968 and 1972. Included in this was a new steering
wheel, improved instrument panel, reclining
seats (a new addition to the car) and
carpets (another first for the Bambino).
The Future for the 500
In 2004 Fiat revealed a concept car based on the original 500. It’s another design
being reincarnated as a ‘retro’ styled car for today. It seems that the big bosses
at Fiat were motivated by the new Beetle and Mini to open the dusty filing cabinet
of old designs in the corner of a Turin office on the search for something to bring
back from the dead! The 500 was just the right car for the job. Fiat is working
with Ford on this project and the new 500 will be mechanically the same as the next
Ford Ka. The car will go on release in July 2007; 500 days after Fiat announced
they would put their concept into production.
Thanks to Eircooled member Conor "Coolcon" McNally for contributing this article,
and Olwen for the pink Bambino pic.
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