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Fiat 500

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Fiat 500
Overview
ManufacturerFiat
Production1957—1975
AssemblyTorino, Italy
DesignerDante Giacosa
Body and chassis
ClassCity car
Body style2-door sedan
3-door estate
LayoutRR layout
RelatedAutobianchi Bianchina
Powertrain
Engine479 cc I2
499 cc I2
594 cc I4
Transmission4-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase1.84 m (72.4 in)
Length2.97 m (116.9 in)
Width1.32 m (52.0 in)
Height1.32 m (52.0 in)
Curb weight499 kg (1,100 lb)
Chronology
PredecessorFiat 500 "Topolino"
SuccessorFiat 126

The Fiat 500 (Template:Lang-it, Italian pronunciation: [ˌtʃiŋkweˈtʃɛnto]) is a car produced by the Fiat company of Italy between 1957 and 1975, with limited production of the Fiat 500 K estate continuing until 1977. The car was designed by Dante Giacosa.

Launched as the Nuova (new) 500 in July 1957,[2] it was marketed as a cheap and practical town car. Measuring only 3 meters (~10 feet) long, and originally powered by a tiny 479 cc two-cylinder, air-cooled engine, the 500 redefined the term "small car" and is considered one of the first city cars.

In 2007 Fiat launched a similar styled, longer and heavier front wheel drive car, the Fiat Nuova 500.

History

To meet the demands of the post-war market which called for economy cars, the Fiat 500 was rear-engined on the pattern of the Volkswagen Beetle, just like its bigger brother, the 1955 Fiat 600. Several car makers followed the now uncommon rear engine configuration at the time and were quite successful. The Neckar version manufactured in Heilbronn under a complicated deal involving NSU, was introduced in October 1961.[2] In Upper Austria the firm of Steyr-Puch also produced cars based, by agreement, on the Fiat 500.

Despite its diminutive size, the 500 proved to be an enormously practical and popular vehicle throughout Europe. Besides the two-door coupé, it was also available as the "Giardiniera" station wagon; this variant featured the standard engine laid on its side, the wheelbase lengthened by 10 cm (4 in) which yielded a usable rear seat, a full-length sunroof, and larger brakes from the Fiat 600.

Sports models were produced by Abarth. An Austrian variant, produced by Steyr-Daimler-Puch, the 1957-1969 Steyr-Puch 500, had a motorcycle-derived Puch boxer twin motor, a sports model of which was the 1964-1968 Steyr-Puch 650 TR2.

Production of the 500 ended in 1975, although its replacement, the Fiat 126, was launched two years earlier. The 126 was never as popular as its predecessor in Italy, but was (and still is) enormously popular in the former Eastern Bloc countries, where it is famed for mechanical durability and fuel economy.

Models

Fiat

Nuova (New) (1957-1960)

The 'original' new 500, the Nuova, has a smaller two-cylinder engine than all newer models, at 479 cc (500cc nominal), hence the name, and producing just 13 bhp. This model also features a fabric roof folding all the way back to the rear of the vehicle, like that of a Citroën 2CV rather than the later roof design, which only folds half way back along the roof. The Nuova is one of three models featuring "suicide doors". There is also a stylish Sport version of the Nuova, which features a distinctive red stripe and a more powerful engine, bored out to 499.5 cc from the original 479 cc engine, thus producing an impressive 21 bhp from the same original block.

Rear view of the Fiat 500 K "Giardiniera" (greenhouse)

D (1960-1965)

Replacing the original Nuova in 1960, the D looks very similar to the Nuova, but there are two key differences. One is the engine size (the D features an uprated 499 cc engine producing 17 bhp as standard — this engine is used right through until the end of the L in 1973) and the other is the roof: the standard D roof does not fold back as far as the roof on the Nuova, though it was also available as the "Transformable" with the same roof as the Nuova. The D also features "suicide doors".

Fiat 500 F

K or Giardiniera (1960-1977)

The estate version of the Fiat 500 is the longest running model. The engine is laid under the floor of the boot to create a flat loading surface. The roof on this model also stretches all the way to the rear, not stopping above the driver and front passenger as it does in other models of the same period. The K also features "suicide doors" and is the only model to continue to sport this door type in to the 1970s.

F or Berlina (1965-1973)

The F spans two periods of 500 production, the D and the L. As such, it is the most frequently misidentified model. Between 1965 and 1969 the F carried the same badging as the D, but the two models are distinguishable by the positioning of their door hinges. The D has "suicide doors": the F, produced from June 1965, at last featured front-hinged doors.[2] Between 1969 and 1972 the F was sold alongside the Lusso model as a cheaper "base model" alternative. While the F and L are mechanically very similar, the key differences are the bumpers (the L has an extra chrome nudge bar) and the interior (the F interior is nearly identical to the original 1957 design while the L sports a much more modern look).

Fiat 500 L

L or Lusso (1968-1972)

The penultimate model, the main change for the L is a much modernized interior (including a renewed dashboard) which brought the Fiat 500 up to date. Greater comfort and style were provided in this new model for the new generation.

R or Rinnovata (1972-1975)

The last incarnation of the Fiat 500 was the R model. It had a larger 594 cc engine, designed by Abarth, giving it a more usable power rating of 23 bhp, came with a syncromesh gearbox(see wheeler dealer Tv series Fiat 500 edition). The floor-pan which was from either the 'L', or later, the new 126. It was also more comfortable, but more simply trimmed and equipped than before — the gas gauge was omitted and only the low fuel indicator remained. The 500 R was also a stop-gap for Fiat prior to the launch of the Fiat 126, and when the new 126 was launched sales of the old Fiat 500 R naturally plummeted. It sold alongside the Fiat 126 for another two years before Fiat finally retired the 500.

Modifications

Fiat 500 Ghia

Carrozzeria Ghia made a custom "Jolly" version of the 500 inspired by the limited edition Fiat 600 Jolly[3].

2007 model

Main article: Fiat Nuova 500
New Fiat 500

Fiat previewed the all new 500 in March 2007 - exactly 50 years after the first Fiat 500 was presented. The design of the new 2007 Fiat 500 is based on the 2004 Fiat Trepiuno concept. This car features a distinctive retro-look just like the Volkswagen New Beetle and BMW MINI but is substantially cheaper than those cars, with a starting price of €10,500 (similar to how the original Fiat 500 was cheaper than the Volkswagen Beetle and Austin Mini). Fiat shares the underpinnings of the new 500 with Ford for the 2009 Ford Ka. Production takes place in Fiat facilities in Tychy, Poland, and was scheduled for mid 2007, with commercial debut in September 2007.

Etymology

  • The nickname Fiat Bambina was coined by New Zealand business man Rob Elliot.

Long distance travel in 500s

  • In July 1958 seven Fiat 500s , including at least one 500 Sport and several Abarth-tuned 500s, contested the first and only Liège-Brescia-Liège rally for cars up to 500cc. Though beaten by the Berkeley SE492s and Messerschmitt TG500 on the opening hillclimb, the Fiat 500s showed exceptional durability, battling through this almost non-stop 3300km event, over testing dirt-road passes in the Italian Dolomites and Slovenia, to win. First place was taken by the 500 Sport of Italian Arturo Brunetto and Argentine Alfredo Frieder, second by the Abarth 500 of Luxembourgers Wagner and Donven, with 500s also taking 4th, 6th, 7th, 9th and 13th places. While only 13 of the 29 competing cars finished the rally, all seven 500s did, establishing the car's credentials as a capable all-round car.
  • In May 2007 a 1969 Fiat 500 ("Bambino" in Australia) driven by Lang Kidby and his wife Bev started their Fiat 500 World Expedition from Australia. Driving from Vladivostok through Russia they arrived in Garlenda, Italy in time for the car's 50th anniversary celebration. Shipping from Belgium the car set out from New York to travel all the way to Anchorage, Alaska before returning to Australia - 32,000 road kilometers in just 99 days. It is believed to be the smallest car to complete a world circumnavigation.
  • On April 18, 2005 a 1973 Fiat 500 linked Bari, Italy, to Beijing, China, in a 16,000 km journey across the whole of Russia and passing through Vladivostok. Driven for 100 days by Danilo Elia and Fabrizio Bonserio, the old and tiny car was followed along its journey by newspapers and television from all over the world. After the long journey Elia wrote a book entitled La bizzarra impresa (ISBN 88-7480-088-6) ("The bizarre exploit"), now available only in Italian and German (Echt Abgefahren, National Geographic Deutschland, 2007, ISBN 978-3-89405-834-0). On April - June 2007, the same car driven by Danilo Elia run around the Mediterranean sea for more than 10.000 km, being the first Fiat 500 to reach the Sahara dunes.

In 1995 British shoegazing band Lush recorded a tribute song to Fiat 500. The song, aptly named 500, was released on the groups final album Lovelife in 1996. A remixed version of the song, renamed 500 (Shake Baby Shake), was released as the groups final single later that year, reaching #21 in the UK singles chart.

Free diving world champion Enzo Molinari and his brother Roberto drive a beaten-up Fiat 500 with a trailer full of diving equipment in the movie The Big Blue. Both actors and the car later featured in Japanese TV commercials for 'Lazer 100' gasoline.

In The Castle of Cagliostro, a Japanese animated film starring the master thief Arsène Lupin III, he and his close friend Daisuke Jigen escape on a Fiat 500 pursuit after robbing the casino of Monaco. The car is also seen frequently in other animated iterations of the franchise, including the 1971-72 television series and the 2008 special Red Vs Green.

In the 2006 animated movie Cars, produced by Pixar and populated by anthropomorphic motor vehicles, the automotive character of Luigi is a 1959 Fiat 500.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fiat 500.

References

  1. ^ Daily Express Motor Show Review 1969 on 1970 Cars. London: Daily Express Newspaper: Page 21 (Fiat 500L). October 1969. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ^ a b c "Used Car Test: Fiat 500D". Autocar. 130 (nbr3818): pages 49–50. 17 April 1969. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  3. ^ "1961 Fiat Jolly 500". sportscarmarket.com. Retrieved 2009-08-27.

Bibliography

  • Template:It icon Abarth 595 695, by Elvio Deganello and Renato Donati, pub. by Giorgio Nada, 2002 ISBN 8879112872
  • Template:Fr icon Album Fiat 500, di J.J. by Galkowsky, pub. by EPA Edition ISBN 285120470X
  • Template:Fr icon Autopassion Hors Serie, pub. by Auto collection n. 22
  • Template:En icon Fiat & Abarth 500-600, by Malcolm Bobbit, pub. by Veloce Publishing Plc ISBN 1-903706-69-6
  • Template:It icon Fiat 500, by Elvio Deganello, pub. by Giorgio Nada, 2002 ISBN 88-7911-069-1
  • Template:De icon Fiat 500, by Alessandro Sannia, pub. by Motorbuch, 2007, ISBN 9783613028258
  • Template:Hu icon Fiat 500 - az apró, mégis óriási legenda, by Alessandro Sannia, pub. by Alexandra, 2006, ISBN 9633695554
  • Template:Nl icon Fiat 500 - de kleine grote mythe, by Alessandro Sannia, pub. by Rebo, 2006, ISBN 9036618754
  • Template:It icon Fiat 500 fuoriserie, by Alessandro Sannia, pub. by All Media, 2003
  • Template:It icon Fiat 500 (genio di un'epoca), by Ugo Castagnotto and Anna Maria Quarona, pub. by Lindau, 1992 ISBN 8871800397
  • Template:It icon Fiat 500 - guida al restauro, by Marcello Lo Vetere and Italo Grossi, pub. by Giorgio Nada, 2003 ISBN 8879112090
  • Template:En icon Fiat 500 Gold Portfolio 1936-1972, by R.M. Clarke, pub. by Brooklands ISBN 1855202468
  • Template:It icon, Template:En icon Fiat 500: la Guida - the Guide, by Alessandro Sannia, pub. by All Media, 2003
  • Template:It icon, Template:En icon Fiat 500 - l'evoluzione del mito, by Alessandro Sannia, pub. by Gribaudo, 2007, ISBN 9788879063852
  • Template:It icon, Template:En icon Fiat 500 - piccolo grande mito, by Alessandro Sannia, pub. by Gribaudo, 2005, ISBN 8879060201
  • Template:It icon I miei 40 anni alla Fiat, by Dante Giacosa
  • Template:It icon Il grande libro delle giardinette Fiat, by Alessandro Sannia, pub. by Giorgio Nada, 2007, ISBN 9788879114011
  • Template:It icon Io Franco Giannini vi racconto, by Franco Giannini
  • Template:It icon La 500, by Romano Strizioli, pub. by Bacchetta
  • Template:It icon La Fiat 500 - Storia di un mito, by Stefano Parenti, pub. by Polo Books ISBN 88-87577-26-9
  • Template:It icon La Fiat Nuova 500, by Enzo Altorio, pub. by Automitica, 2005 ISBN 8886304005
  • Template:Fr icon La Fiat 500 de mon père, by Lauvrey - Le Fay, pub. by E.T.A.I. 1998 ISBN 2726881785
  • Template:It icon Le Giannini, by Enzo Altorio, pub. by Automitica
  • Template:It icon Progetti alla Fiat prima del computer, by Dante Giacosa, pub. by Automobilia ISBN 88-85880-00-2
  • Template:Fr icon Revue Technique Automobile 500, D, F, L, pub. by ì E.T.A.I.
  • Template:De icon Schrader Motor Chronik Fiat 500 600 1936, pub. by Schrader Verlag, 1969 ISBN 3922617263
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