2013 Fiat 500 Abarth Tenebra Design Concept

Building on the success of the Fiat 500 Abarth – the brand's halo model, which sold out in only two months after being first introduced – the Fiat 500 Abarth Tenebra is designed for driving purists who crave more exclusivity and style from the only high-performance small car with the pedigree of an Italian exotic in the U.S. market.

Matte Grigio (gray) exterior paint provides the new Fiat 500 Abarth Tenebra with an individualized look. This Cinquecento features new Nero (black) Chrome exterior accents, Gloss Nero headlamp, tail lamp and parking lamp bezels, and new lightweight 16-inch Hyper Nero Chrome Abarth design aluminum wheels. For even more distinction, the signature Abarth bodyside stripe and mirror cap are Grigio in color and remain glossy for added contrast. For a bold finishing touch, a Gloss Grigio roof-sized Abarth 'Scorpion' logo delivers an unmistakable look.

The exclusive contrast of Grigio and Nero continues on the inside of the Fiat 500 Abarth Tenebra. Unique Abarth designed front performance seats with racing-harness pass through are finished in Nero leather with Grigio piping and accent stitching. For a touch of craftsmanship, the signature Abarth flat-bottom steering wheel and instrument-panel cluster brow are wrapped in Nero leather and finished with Grigio accent stitching. Providing a highly technical look, authentic carbon fiber with a matte finish spans the width of the instrument panel, while Grigio accent stitching has been added to the shift knob and parking brake handle.

Adding a high-definition music experience the way the artist intended, the segment-exclusive Beats Audio system is standard and includes six premium speakers, an 8-inch dual-voice coil (DVC) subwoofer with trunk-mounted enclosure and 8-channel amplifier with Beats Audio's proprietary digital sound processing (DSP) algorithm.

FIAT Brand to Debut Fiat 500 Design Concepts at the 2013 North American International Auto Show

• Twonew design concepts expand the appeal of the Fiat 500 Abarth and the Fiat 500 Turbo with unique exterior and interior appointments

• Fiat 500 Abarth 'Tenebra' design concept displays unique Matte Grigio (gray) paint and special appointments including a roof-size Abarth scorpion logo

• New Fiat 500 'Cattiva' design concept highlights 500 Turbo's sophisticated appearance featuring sporty bi-color look and blacked-out appearance

January 11, 2013 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - The FIAT brand continues to showcase the design potential of the Fiat 500 lineup with two new design concepts that will debut this month at the 2013 North American International Auto Show. The models are based on the successful high-performance Fiat 500 Abarth and the recently launched Fiat 500 Turbo, and they showcase how unique, sporty and personal their 500s can look.

At the show, the FIAT brand will also display the 2013 Fiat 500 Abarth Cabrio, the all-new battery-electric 2013 Fiat 500e, and the 2014 Fiat 500L and Fiat 500L Trekking, which expand the Italian design and character of the 500 by adding two more doors plus comfortable accommodation for five passengers. All of these models were revealed at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2012.

'We are not standing still,' said Tim Kuniskis, Head of FIAT Brand North America. 'In 2012, we broke a record by selling more than 50,000 units in North America. A few months ago, we revealed four all-new vehicles that will carry our sales momentum into 2013. Now, at the Detroit show, we showcase how the smart use of accessories and clever design elements enhance the personality of our 500, which becomes the perfect canvas for personalization and self-expression.'

by Fiat

With more than four million produced during its twenty-year production run, the tiny Fiat 500 was something to behold. Easy to spot by its rounded egg-like body, the Fiat 500 filled a need for utilitarian transportation for the Italian masses when it was introduced in 1957. The post-war European market needed an affordable option, and the rear-engined Fiat 500 was just the solution. The rear-engine design was taken from the Volkswagen Beetle and proved popular enough to be adopted by several other carmakers.

The designer behind the 500 was Dante Giacosa, who was famed for being one of the greatest designers in Fiat's history who not only dealt with the car design but also had a big hand in the engineering. A cheap and practical town car, the Nuova (new) 500 was debuted in July 1957 and is considered one of the first city cars and lasted until 1960. Giacosa was extremely motivated to construct a car that packed more into a smaller space and he did this by making the engine mount at the rear side. It featured a smaller two-cylinder engine than all newer models and produced just 13 bhp. The Nuova featured a fabric roof that folded entirely back to the rear of the car, similar to the Citroën 2CV. It was one of three models that came with 'suicide doors'. A stylish Sport version of the Nuova came with a special red stripe and more power in the engine.

With kart-like handling, the four-seat 500 was powered by an air-cooled 479cc flat twin, which eventually was boosted to 499cc that gave 18 bhp. With a top speed of 55mph, the 500 was an incredibly popular and practical vehicle of choice throughout Europe. Weighing at only 1,100 pounds, the 500 had a wheelbase of 72.4 inches, a length of 116.9 inches, and a height of 52.0 inches. The 500 had a Cx (aerodynamic resistance coefficient) of 0,38, which was quite impressive for the era.

The 'D' replaced the original Nuova in 1960. Similar in appearances to the car it replaced, two differences set the models apart: the engine size and the roof. The D came with an uprated 499 cc engine that produced 17 hp as standard and continued to be used until the end of the L in 1973. The roof for the D didn't fold back as far as the Nuova, but it that earlier roof was available as the 'Transformable'. The D also came with 'suicide doors'. Torino Motors assembled the 500D in New Zealand and it was locally dubbed the 'Fiat Bambina'.

The 500 was offered as the 'Giardiniera' station wagon variant in addition to the two-door coupe in 1960 until 1975. The wagon had the standard engine laid on its side, an additional 10 cm wheelbase that made room for a useable rear seat, larger brakes, and a full-length sunroof. Called the K or Giardiniera, the estate version of the Fiat 500 is the longest-running model. To create a flat loading surface, the engine was laid under the floor of the trunk. The roof stretches all the way to the rear and didn't stop at the driver and front passenger like other models of the time. The K came with 'suicide doors', and unlike other models, it continued to carry these doors into the 1970s. Production moved to Desio in 1966 and the Giardiniera was constructed by Fiat subsidiary Autobianchi. Production of the Giardiniera tallied at 327,000 which later examples featuring Autobianchi rather than Fiat badging.

The Fiat 500 F or Berlina was produced from 1965 until 1973 and spans two periods of 500 production, the D and the L. Because of the two production periods, the F model is very easily confused and misidentified. The F sported the same badging as the D from 1965 until 1969, but the two models can be easily told apart by the positioning of their door hinges. The F produced from June 1965 finally featured front-hinged doors while the D has 'suicide doors'. From '69 until '72 the F was sold next to the Lusso models as the less expensive 'base model' version. There wasn't much mechanically different from the F and L, but the main differences lay in the bumpers and the interior. The L had an extra chrome nudge bar, and the inside of the L featured a fresher updated look while the F interior didn't change from the original 1957 design.

Introduced in 1968 was the L or Lusso 500 model. It featured a modern interior that included a revamped dashboard and paid special attention to comfort and style for the passenger. The 500 L was produced until 1972.

The final version of the 500 was the R or Rinnovata version. The R model sported a larger 594 cc engine that was designed by Abarth with a more practical power rating of 23 bhp and a full synchromesh gearbox. This final model was much more comfortable than the previous version yet was more simply equipped and trimmed than before. The fuel gauge was removed and only the low fuel indicator was left.

Several custom models of the 500 were produced, including the 'Jolly' version by Carrozzeria Ghia with inspiration taken from the very exclusive Fiat 600 Jolly. The Jolly came with wicker seats, a chopped-roof, no doors, and usually seen with a canopy roof.

Showing that they had a lot of muscle behind their compact frame, seven Fiat 500s contested the first and only Liège-Brescia-Liège Rally in July of 1958. They were beaten by Messerschmitt TG500 and the Berkeley SE492s, but the little Italian cars show their rugged side and proved they were capable of incredible durability. Reputed to be the smallest car to complete a world circumnavigation, a 1969 Fiat 500 traveled 32,000 road kilometers in less than 100 days. In 2005, a 1973 500 took a 16,000 km trip traveling through Russia for a 100-day journey. Its progress was documented by newspaper and television stations worldwide and eventually a book entitled La bizzarra impresa ('The bizarre exploit') was published about the trip. In 2007 this same car became the first Fiat 500 to reach the Sahara dunes was taken around the Mediterranean Sea for over 10,000 kilometers.

The Fiat 500 was produced from 1957 until 1975 and was replaced with the Fiat 126. The 500 R was sold alongside the 126 for two years before the 500 was retired. More than 3.6 million Fiat 500 cars were sold during its lifetime and at the end, the production had been outsourced to a Polish company called FSM. The 126 never reached the same popularity as its predecessor in Italy. In March of 2007, Fiat debuted the all-new 500 model, based on the '04 Fiat Trepiuno concept. Its arrival coincided with fifty years since the original 500. The new 500 is also dubbed the bambino and competes with the Mini Cooper and the Volkswagen Beetle.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_500

http://www.vihti500.info/history-of-fiat500.php

http://www.fiat500america.com/fiat500-history/

by Jessican Donaldson