Fiat 500 1957 - 1975 - Model history,

Fiat 500

Fiat 500

It is not uncommon for a car to be conceived as an inexpensive means of transportation, while gaining so much popularity that it becomes a cult status.Ever since the advent of the Ford Model T, car companies have realized that while premium products brought in the most profit, the strength of the company lay in small, economical and cheap cars made for the masses. They would often know to set a future deadline for young buyers to buy a car, so it is not uncommon for the largest base of "fans" today to have companies that were the first in their countries to produce cheap cars - Ford, Volkswagen, Citroen, Mini and Fiat. As we mentioned, the first car for the masses was the Ford Model T. When it was introduced in 1908 at a starting price of only $ 250, the Model T fully popularized the auto industry in the United States and for the next 20 years represented about half of all cars on the streets.

Fiat 500

Fiat 500

Ford has announced a class that will later be modernized by the Volkswagen Beetle, Citroen 2CV and the Austin Mini, but no company began working on a competitor until the early 1930s. Namely, the Italian car manufacturer Fiat is best known in the world today for small cars, and the first such product from which it all started was the Topolino model. When introduced in 1937, the "little mouse", as its name implied, was available as a coupe, convertible and station wagon and paired with an equally small 569 cc engine and four cylinders (13 hp), could reach a maximum of 85 km / h.

Fiat 500

It was Topolino that became the first very successful small car in the world, thanks to a low price of only 8,900 lire and by 1955 sold in over 520,000 copies. After World War II, while Europe was still recovering from the rubble, auto companies were looking at ways to survive and attract customers. The first responded was the newly-formed Volkswagen, which continued to perfect the early pre-war project, later known as the Beetle, and this car would later be known as the most famous and best-selling in history. It was followed by Citroen, which introduced the 1948CV in 2, and a little later the Austin Mini arrived.

Fiat 500

However, as one of the defeated states in the war, the Italians did not have much power to present a brand new car, so the post-war Topolino was very similar to its predecessor. By the mid-1950s, Fiat had somehow managed to recover from the early crisis and the Model 1955 arrived in 600. At a starting price of 590,000 lire, or about 6,700 euros in today's currency, the 600 provided a rear engine, rear-wheel drive and space inside for four adults. This car will prove so popular that it will later be sold under the Seat and Flag designations around the world. In any case, within just a few years, Fiat manages to get big enough finances to start working on a brand new car.

Fiat 500

This product was supposed to be the spiritual heir of Topolin, but with a more modern design and mechanics. The job was offered to Fiat's chief engineer Dante Giacosi, who from the very beginning wanted a smaller 600 for the wider masses. Simple, high-quality and, above all, cheap, the new Fiat 500 was supposed to modernize Italy and "push" it into the future in terms of the car industry. Fiat also knew that while profits on a small car would be just as small, the 500 was supposed to play a key role in retaining leadership positions in this state. Namely, the buyer was supposed to start with 500, but then over the years he switched to bigger and more expensive cars of the company, which would keep him a loyal buyer of Fiat throughout his life.

Fiat 500

Giacosa, who was also one of the engineers in the development of Topolin, had a difficult task ahead of him. Specifically, his plan was based on a maximum space for two adults, two children and a bag of less than three meters in a car. For such a car to be a success, it had to easily walk through the narrow streets of Italy, while being so simple that any driver, with minimal mechanical knowledge, could repair it in his garage. While the 500 and 600 were largely identical in design, their major difference was in mechanics. In both cases, the engine was positioned at the rear, for better weight distribution, and both cars also transmitted power to the rear wheels.

Fiat 500

However, while the 600 had a four-cylinder engine, the 500 had a smaller two-cylinder engine, 479 cc with 13 hp, and it transmitted power to the wheels via a four-speed manual transmission. Introduced in June 1957, the early 500 was only available as a coupe, but for extra money the buyer could also get a canvas roof similar to the one the audience had already seen on the popular Citroen 2CV. The 500 was also one of only three cars in the world at the time with so-called "suicide doors", and soon Fiat could not produce enough, so two additional factories were opened in Italy.

Fiat 500

Fiat 500 Abarth

In the middle of the year, the 500 also gets its Sport version with a slightly larger engine of 499 cc and 21 hp. In 1960, the first caravan debuted, and soon the first copies - Autobianchi Bianchina, Puch 500 and Vignale Gamine. The 500 will remain in production until 1975 without major changes. In order to satisfy safety measures, new bumpers debuted during the mentioned period, as well as a slightly larger engine of 594 cc and 23 hp. Although it has been a very successful car in all versions throughout its career and has sold approximately four million units, the sporty Abarth option certainly attracts the most attention. Although not very active lately, this car company made history in the XNUMXs and XNUMXs, with numerous models made on the basis of Fiat cars, which gained fame both on the track and on the street.

Fiat 500

Fiat 500

The founder of the company, Carlo Abarth, was born in 1908 in Vienna. He began his career in his twenties and thirties, riding moto racing and perfecting himself as a mechanic. In 1928 he made his first exhaust and became a specialist in exhaust systems for motorcycles and cars. His affirmation is also aided by acquaintances with giants of the world automotive industry such as Ferdinand Porsche and Rudolf Hruska, who considered Abarth a genius engineer. He takes his life path through the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (where he once lived), to Italy, where, after the Second World War, he founded the firm Abarth in 1949 in Bologna. The racing department was established very quickly, and as early as 1951 the company moved to Turin, where cooperation with the Italian car industry giant Fiat began.

Fiat 500

Fiat 500

Abarth was best known for producing race cars and road vehicle exhausts, and among its clients were Ferrari, Maserati and Alfa Romeo. In addition, the factory also offered Fiat tuning kits, and participated in the races with its modifications. The introduction of the Fiat 600, better known to us as the Fiat in 1955, was a turning point for Abarth. The great tuning potential this car had, inspired Abarth to show his vision at the Car Show in Brussels next year. The new model is called the Fiat Abarth 750 Berlin S. i. Elaborazione. Behind this long name stood, almost outside, the unchanged Fiqa, while all the modifications were below the sheet.

Fiat 500

Fiat 500

Following the success of the 600, Abarth decides to try the popular Fiat 500, and the first car series arrives at the Abarth garage in 1958. Similar to the 600, Fiat The 500 Abarth looked like every other 500 on the road as the power of the car hid in the mechanics. Specifically, Abarth increased engine compression from 6.55: 1 to 10.5: 1, inserted a larger carburetor and new exhaust, and increased engine power from 13 hp to 26 hp. To show customers the quality of their products, one of the early models was constantly driven seven days and nights at a total of 18,186 kilometers, at an average speed of 108 km / h, breaking six world records.

Fiat 500

Fiat 500

Soon, great successes on the tracks started, making the 500 and Abarth a big name for themselves. Acceleration to 100 km / h was about a minute, which was also the maximum speed, but for a car weighing less than 500 kg, higher numbers were not needed. Abarth continued to offer its version 500 until the end of this car's career. In any case, the definitive end for the 500 comes after 1975, when a replacement was introduced in the form of the Model 126 (better known here as the Iron), which continued its sales success but never had the charm of the 500. Today, the 500 is certainly one from the icons of the Italian auto industry and as famous as exotic supercars.

Fiat 500

This trend was known to Fiat itself, which decided to return its most famous car to series production in 2007. with a retro design. However, unlike its predecessor, the modern 500 provides engine and front-wheel drive, more modern petrol and diesel engines, and even a premium price, but despite all the differences, it continues with the spirit that began in 1957…

Author: Talladega
Pictures: Fiat
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