Fiat has its roots all the way back to 1899. In that year, the car factory of Giovanni Battista Ceirano was taken over with production, patents and prototypes and Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Fiat) was established.
Small, fast and smooth-running
Among the employees who came along to Fiat was Vincezo Lancia who was a well-known motorsport athlete. Fiat won a number of car races and the brand became famous. In 1907, the production of smaller and affordable cars started. In 1932 came the Fiat 508 Balilla, a very modern small car. The appearance was reminiscent of American cars of the time, only much smaller. Technically, it was better equipped than its competitors. The little 500 that came in 1936 and continued until 1955 with changes and improvements was also a trend-setter. The models 500, 600, 850 and 1100 became very popular family cars in the 50s and 60s. In 1969 came the 128, which was Fiat's transition to front-wheel drive. The subsequent models consolidated the factory's position as a producer of fast and smooth-driving family cars.
New 500
The new Fiat 500 was introduced in 1957. In this small car, Fiat offered its customers a very simple car that lacked most. But the car was very affordable both in acquisition and operation. Its minimal size made it very usable in tight cities and it became incredibly popular, especially in Italy. The model that went into production was improved compared to the prototype, so the new small model from Fiat received a lot of praise from the media. There was some criticism because it was only supplied with a fabric roof that could be folded back and turn the car into a semi-convertible. This was later changed to a completely fixed metal roof.
The USA model
The Fiat 500 was initially intended for Italian and European car buyers. But when Fiat wanted to export it to the USA it became problematic. New rules in the USA placed major restrictions on the design and installation of daytime running lights. The result was that the factory produced a separate model for the USA. It had some strange lights that were partially mounted on top of the hood. The model was produced until 1975 with ongoing changes. It was replaced by the Fiat 126.
Fiat 500 data 1957
Length: 297 cm
Width: 132 cm
Height 132 cm
Top speed 85 km/h
Engine: 497 ccm, 13 hp
See
Anders de Lange
Anders de Lange writes about car history. He has written about cars and car history for over 30 years, published his own books and written for the Norwegian car press.
