A brief review of Fiat 500 history

For those historians among us, Wikipedia has a great little summary of the 500's origins. Check it out!

History

The tiny Fiat 500 is now something of a trendy cult car, its rounded egg-like body and diminutive size endearing it to millions. It was no joke when it was introduced in 1957: designed as utilitarian transportation for the masses, it put Italy on wheels during the 1960s and spawned several variants. More than four million were built in a 20-year production run.

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. A minimalist four-seater with kart-like handling, the original cars were powered by an air-cooled 479cc flat-twin, later boosted to 499cc that gave 18 bhp. Hardly breath-taking - but the 500 could cru-at 55 mph (88 kph) and boasted Scrooge-like economy within over 52mpg with reach. Several car makers followed this now nearly vanished design at the time and were quite successful. The firms Neckar of Germany and Steyr-Puch in Austria each made cars that were legally based 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.

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 economy.

Dante Giacosa - Born in Rome on January 3, 1905,but his family was originally from Piedmont. He took a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Turin Polytechnic in 1927 when he was just 22, and immediately joined Fiat, having answered an advertisement in the paper.

He was taken on as a design engineer and went on to become one of the greatest designers in the company’s history. In 1933 he became Car Engineering Manager, in 1955 head of the Vehicle Engineering department, and in 1966 Division Manager and Member of the Executive Committee. During his career he dealt not only with engineering but also with car design, as in the case of the Nuova 500 in 1957, which won him the Golden Compass award in 1959. He left Fiat in 1970 but remained a consultant ‘for life’.

The cars created by Giacosa included: the Topolino in 1936, the 1400, 1900, Campagnola, the various versions of the 1100, the 600 and 600 Multipla, the Nuova 500, 1800, 2300 and 2300 coupé, the Autobianchi Bianchina, the Autobianchi Primula (the first Italian car with front-wheel drive and a transverse engine), the Autobianchi A112, the Fiat 124, 125, 126 and 128, and he also collaborated with Pio Manzù on the development of the Fiat 127. He died in Turin on March 31, 1996.

Fiat 500
Manufacturer Fiat
Production 1957—1975
Predecessor Fiat Topolino
Successor Fiat 126
Class City car
Body style(s) 2-door coupé
3-door estate
Layout RR layout
Engine(s) 479 cc Straight-2
499 cc Straight-2
594 cc Straight-2
Transmission(s) Manual 4-speed
Wheelbase 1.84 metres (72.4 in)
Length 2.97 metres (116.9 in)
Width 1.32 metres (52.0 in)
Height 1.32 metres (52.0 in)
Curb weight 499 kg (1100 lb)
Related Autobianchi Bianchina
Designer Dante Giacosa

Image and Info courtesy of wikipedia.org