1963 Fiat 500

The Fiat 500 (In Italian, Cinquecento) was in production from 1957 through 1975. The design was courtesy of Dante Giacosa and introduced as the Nuova (meaning new) 500 in July of 1957. The vehicle was an inexpensive, practical, utilitarian vehicle that was perfect for families. There was seating for two adults and three children's. It measured just 10 feet long and powered by a 479cc two-cylinder, air-cooled engine offering 13 horsepower. Later models switched to conventional front-hinged doors (while the earlier models had 'suicide doors'). The engine displacement size also increased to 499cc, and eventually to 549cc.

The 500 was also available as the 'Giardiniera' station wagon which had its standard engine laid on its side, with a wheelbase that was 10 cm longer. In this guise, there was a usable rear seat.

Sport models were produced by Abarth, as well as Giannini. An Austrian variant, produced by Steyr-Daimler-Puch, the Steyr-Puch 500, had a motorcycle-derived Puch boxer twin motor offering up to 41 horsepower.

This particular example began its life in New Zealand and was built under an exclusive arrangement with the New Zealand Government that required at least 51% of all parts to be locally sourced. The body was welded together in Italy and final assembly took place in Auckland, using New Zealand glass, NZ tires, NZ seatbelts, NZ rubber gaskets, etc. The car was imported to California in December of 2000. The car sat under a tree for several years before it was purchased and given a complete restoration. Before the work was completed, the car was listed for sale on craigslist as 'a project.' The current owner purchased the car and performed a spectacular restoration, bringing it back to its original glory.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2011

The Fiat 500 was introduced in 1957 as a successor to the Topolino model. (Topolino means 'mouse'). The designer was named Dante Giacosa, an individual who would later become an automotive legend for his contributions to the industry. The 500 was a two-seater, rear-engine, utility car that was built as an economical means of transportation void of luxury items or sports-car intentions. It featured a 479cc overhead valve engine mated to a four-speed gearbox. With 13 horsepower the 500 never set any land speed records. It had a top speed of 85 km/h.

To help improve the performance of the 500, Carlo Abarth offered bolt-on aftermarket parts and accessories. These additions helped with increasing the horsepower and performance of the engine as well as improving the handling and making the vehicles more fun to drive and competitive on the streets.

In 1957, the 500 received 2 extra horsepower, bringing the total to 15. Wind-up windows were now standard.

In 1965, the 500F lost its suicide doors in favor of the more popular hinged doors. The horsepower rating was once again improved and now offered 19. The top speed was 95 km/h.

From 1969 through 1975, a Lux version was offered. This featured full carpeting and plastic revised dashboards.

In 1975 production of the Fiat 500 ceased. 3.6 million examples had been produced during its life span. In 2004, Fiat created a concept car that was similar in design and style to the Fiat 500. It was called the Fiat Trepiuno and featured front-wheel drive.

The 500 endured a successful life span due to its economical size, excellent fuel economy, ease to repair, styling, competitive price, and city-friendly driving characteristics. Due to its small size, it was easy to navigate and drive in the small, Italian streets. Thanks to its short wheelbase and length, the vehicle could maneuver easily into cramped parking spaces.

By Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2006

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 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.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_500
http://www.vihti500.info/history-of-fiat500.php
http://www.fiat500america.com/fiat500-history/

By Jessica Donaldson