Fiat 500
Reviewed by Unique Cars and Parts
Our Rating: 3
Introduction
This tiny egg-shaped car is now seen in somewhat cult
status with its miniature size appealing to millions.
It was introduced in 1957 as a type of transportation
for the masses and by the end of production some four
million were built.
It actually housed four seats with the original cars being
powered by an aircooled 479cc flat-twin that was mounted
in the back. This was later altered to a 499cc that gave
18 bhp.
It could cruise at 88 km/h and was extremely miserly with
fuel consumption.
The 1968 500L model gave buyers such
alternatives as an engine and floorplan from the 126.
After 1960 a model was manufactured known as the Giardiniera
which had a surprisingly useful load area and outlasted
the standard model by a few years.
The best versions were
the SS models which were good for 145 km/h.