FIAT'S FAMED 500 IS RELAUNCHED
Plus video of original Fiat 500
|
|
|
|
Michael Rose,
Wednesday, March 21 2007
|
Page 2 of 2  The Nuova 500 was not quite 10 ft. long, a little under 4.5 ft wide and weighed in at a whopping 1034 lbs. The car could only accommodate two people, but could carry 140 lbs of luggage. A rear seat was added three months after its launch when it became clear that people were more inclined to carry their children or
friends around than enough suitcases for month-long trip. In addition to the interior improvement, the rear-mounted 2-cylinder engine's 13 hp was boosted to 15 hp giving the 500 a blistering top speed of 56 mph. The economy didn't end with the engine. There were no hubcaps. They simply painted the bare rims. In lieu of air conditioning, there was a removable canvas roof that extended to the plastic rear window. No radio; it wasn't even an option. The capacity of the ashtray was exceeded with the third cigarette butt, a huge problem in 1950s Italy. It may be hard to imagine in an Escalade-infested world, but the puny Fiat was a huge hit. Between 1957 and 1975 more than 3.8 million were produced.  Now, with Europeans once again looking for economical fun cars, Fiat has chosen to look to the past to move the company and consumer into the future. Fiat left the US in 1984 as drivers here began to favor the "bigger is better" styling approach of the Detroit automakers, but if tastes and trends in America follow those of the European marketplace, maybe Americans will see the New 500 come rolling ashore at some point in the future. If not, head to Italy, rent a 500 and learn to say, "ciao."
Related Items:
 << Start < Prev 1 2 Next > End >> |
