Photo by Passin’ gas at the Cohort
I considered calling this CC Capsule, “My First CC Effect.” Why? Well, you see, I have a personal connection to the pastel color of this Fiat cinquecento.
May I present my neo CC: it’s a 2013 Pop 500 with a five-speed. Ironically, I used to own a Ford Focus as well, although mine was of a different color and trim level than the one parked behind my Fiat. Of course, the Nuova 500 (The 1936 Topolino model was the original 500) was quite a different beast.
This picture of the original car gives a good idea of the size differential that characterized the Nouva 500 on American roads. A co-worker of mine who is a British expat once asked about my current car, “Jana, that bloody thing has a 500cc engine. How do you expect to get it up the hill to your apartment?” I explained to him that my Fiat is technically a millequattrocento, as all 500s assembled in Chrysler’s Toluca plant have the MultiAir 1.4 liter from Dundee, Mich. Maybe his ignorance helps explain why the modern 500 has yet to catch on: not only is it unable to rely on nostalgia like the New Beetle, as it was always an odd sight “over here,” it is also too small for most American tastes. Admittedly, I’ve had to make some adjustments in adapting to the car (want to buy a recumbent bike?).
Of course, like the Beetle, the engine did move to the front.
At first, I thought the original Nuova 500 was a repaint, but looking more closely, I see it’s not the same shade as Verde Chiaro (Fiat/Chrysler/Mopar’s term for the similar shade my car is painted). I can only hope the owner of that car is enjoying it as much as I have enjoyed mine over the six months that I’ve had it.
It’s sort of odd, as growing up in Jackson, MO (pop. 7,257, it said so right on the city limits sign), I never would have imagined owning a Fiat. But then, I wouldn’t have imagined living in Albany either. I remember there was a Fiat dealer in nearby Cape Girardeau at the corner of William and Sprigg, across the street from Del Farm/National Foods, where my dad worked as a Pharmacist (he once accepted a ride from a fellow RpH in an MG Midget, only to discover he couldn’t fit inside). In those days, foreign cars were best left to eccentrics like his friend Dr. Hutton, who could be counted on to be behind the wheel of a Volvo or a Saab. As I rapidly approach another birthday that starts with the number five, I’ve found that I also fall into that category (well, I do have a recumbent bike!).
I’ll end my little tale with another example of the example of the CC Effect, as this gorgeous red example posted to Cohort by donandreina reminded me of my initial test drive. I initially thought I was going to get a 500L, but the salesman threw me the keys to a red 500 and told me to “go have some fun.” He was successful in wooing me into the smaller car, but while I do like “resale red,” I like not meeting members of the Renesslaer, NY Police even more. Besides, as a CC’er, how could I resist Verde Chiaro?
I’ll leave you with a video that summarizes the differences between the old and new 500.
If you extended the new car’s liftgate to ground level the old car could use it as a garage!
Nice find on the color.
Given what FIAT manages with the 875cc TwinAir in Europe, the prospect of a 500cc version isn’t quite as sobering as it might once have been. The TwinAir actually has about 10 percent more torque than the 1.4 MultiAir, albeit less horsepower.
The sound of that TwinAir engine. I just love it. It sounds so sporty, so fast, just the way an engine should sound! Well at least in the videos I have seen.
The multi-air is one of those engines which never seems to comes alive. Despite all the tech, driving a 500 so equipped was a lot like driving a Mk4 Golf/Jetta with the 2.0. The TwinAir might actually give a better impression of itself than the 1.4.
That’s been the consensus of British critics, certainly. Interestingly, the official 0-60 mph/0-100 kph figures are the same for both engines (although the MultiAir 1.4 has a slightly higher claimed top speed) and the TwinAir is more charismatic, if louder.
I have a 2012 Fiat 500 I bought in 2011. It’s verde chiaro, with the ivory interior/steering wheel. I get lots of positive comments on the color, and the car. It’s been very enjoyable to own and drive, and the gas savings are phenomenal.
Your comments are spot on in relation to the compliments these cars get. In the 2 weeks I had the thing, not one person cut me off or rode up my tail. When folks wanted to pass me and get into the lane in front of me they used turn signals(gasp!!!) by contrast not a day goes by in my Fiesta that somebody does not cut me off or do other stupid crap.
Must be the cuteness factor of the 500.
As for gas mileage, I actually get between 37 and 41 in my Fiesta and I got 34 -35mpg in the 500 while I drove it so it is not exactly a gas mileage beast
That’s the same interior I have. Do get lots of thumbs up as well.
Only on the internet could one sit in Jefferson City, read an article written in Albany, New York, hear about an oft frequented grocery store from childhood, and learn about the late Fiat dealer located in the town in which at least one reader was born. Isn’t it great?
You have hit the nail on the head about the current challenge of the Fiat. However, the color of yours is infinitely better than red!
Jason, My next article will have a little bit of Cape Girardeau in it, too(more of my Mother’s history, though). The CC effect strikes again?
I agree, the Internet is wonderful, and CC is even more so.
I never could fully understand why cars like the original 500, the Beetle or Mini are considered the best small cars of all time. Particularly, when the survival rate must’ve been mighty low, if you got into any kind of serious accident. I don’t think a seat belt would save you in one of these. The whole seat (intact) would fly out the window, along with you. Should safety not bring these cars crashing back to earth, in their true ranking? Perhaps if all vehicles were this size. But there were many trucks and larger cars on European roads back then. Let alone the 4,500 pound Buicks and Oldsmobiles on North American roads.
I remember as a kid back in the 70s, I used to love to read daily newspapers. It was always the Datsun, Volkswagen, Toyota, and Pinto drivers (for example) that were killed or badly injured. It would have been the Minis too, but there were so few on the road in NA. I used to think the MIni played a role in the death of Marc Bolan.
Look at the third pic in this article. Your head is right at the same level as the base of the hood on than Chevrolet van.
I love the cuteness, practicality and frugality of the original 500. But it comes across as a high powered, enclosed lawn tractor. That fortunately had the luxury of a four stroke engine and a horn. Even by standards of 50 years ago.
Now perhaps if many cars were much smaller back then… But trucks have always been big, even in Europe. Of course cars should have been smaller, but that wasn’t the case.
I prefer small cars… but you have to be practical too. Given what else is on the road, at the time. I agree with Consumer Reports giving the Subaru 360 a ‘Not acceptable” rating in 1969. I’m sure Malcolm Bricklin would have sold all the tuna cans he possibly could.
You have a very valid point, especially when it comes to the 500. Compare to it, a VW Bettle was a Cadillac. And the Mini would run circles around it. The 500 was cute to look at, but your description “enclosed lawn tractor” is quite spot on.
The engines in them was rather despicable, so noisy, thrashy, and utterly gutless. There was no noise insulation, and the rear seat was absurdly crowded. The front ones barely met the definition of “seat”.
I found the swooning over the old 500 by the guy in the video to be a bit over the top. It’s obvious that he was too young to have endured a longer ride in one of these as a kid on a summer day. A little ride an a closed section of country road doesn’t quite tell the real story of the old 500.
Having – at the age of 15 – made a 12 hour car trip with my frugal Uncle Bruce in his ’65 VW Beetle from Spanish Fork, Utah to my home in Anaheim, California, I can assure you, sir, that the Beetle was no Cadillac, no matter what the context of the comparison.
That trip is seared… SEARED… in my memory.
If you’d made the same trip in a 500, you might feel at least a bit different; PTSD instead of just seared. 🙂 And your trip would have been more like 18 hours long.
If it was hot on your trip across the desert, keep in mind that any car without a/c would have been a wee bit uncomfortable, even a Caddy.
To be fair, wasn’t the intention of the 500 to be a step up from the motorbike for the common Italian family? Not exactly apples to apples..
Anything legally allowed on the road is apples to apples. They are all motor vehicles.
I just don’t understand the fawning over cars like the original 500, Mini or Beetle. Ranking them as amongst the best. When there’s rarely any mention that it’s a tin coffin if you hit a tree, or a stray cow on the road, let alone another car.
I think cars that offer zero protection for it’s occupants in any sort of incident, have no business being ranked amongst the best cars of the last century. I think it is an outrageous title, if they offer absolutely no safety. Cars aren’t static engineering pieces that are designed for being admired in museums. Reasonable safety at speed, is a fundamental, if these are going to be admired IMO.
My issue is with the high regard these cars have. When they are death traps in any era.
I don’t think anyone could sell a motorcycle on safety.
But you don’t put your whole family, including infants, on a motorcycle. Right?
More is expected of vehicle that is marketed to be so prolific as these. Especially, if it’s basic transportation, meant to haul an entire family.
When there’s rarely any mention that it’s a tin coffin if you hit a tree, or a stray cow on the road, let alone another car.
There was no need to mention it; it was self evident. What else were folks supposed to buy with their modest incomes? They we still safer than riding on a motorbike or scooter.
The point about safety back then is moot. That was the standard of the times. There was no realistic way manufacturers could have sold a “safe” cheap small car back then. The technology didn’t exist.
Believe me, plenty of folks died in big American cars too. Size is not everything. When a rigid steering column on a Cadillac impales your chest, you’re dead regardless. The past is the past, and fortunately, we’ve moved forwards. And yet still way too many people die on the roads…
I think you are perhaps missing my point as well Paul.
It is the way automotive historians and writers fawn over them as the greatest cars of the 20th century. I think it should be tempered with the knowledge that they may have been great engineering advances… but they were still very unsafe.
Asbestos used to be spoken highly of… But now, we put it into context.
I think we need to put these cars into more perspective IMO. They were great if you didn’t hit anything. To me, my safety and life mean enough… that it offsets great packaging and front wheel drive.
I just think the titles as best cars of the 20th century are ignoring their lack of safety. My life and safety would mean as much in 1955 as it would in 1975.
Best cars of the 20th century is a lofty title to hold. Shouldn’t limited safety bring that regard back down to Earth somewhat? That’s my point. : )
They were the greatest death traps of the 20th century. Better? 🙂
Context is everything. And hindsight is 20-20 vision. When writers praise them, it’s usually for their place in history at the time. And safety just wasn’t an issue then.
We could say the same thing about a whole lot of things back then; the world was just a lot less safe. Someday in the future, they’ll say the same thing about our cars today.
34,080 Americans died in car crashes in 2012. That’s totally unacceptable, considering that we spent a trillion dollars in response to 3,000 being killed in 9/11 (not wanting to get political here). And how many die each year because of air pollution and other environmental factors?
Driving is still dangerous, even if cars are somewhat less so. It’s a work in progress, hopefully.
Good points Paul. I do think it is foolhardy to compare eras. As it is impossible to compare cars on a level basis over such a broad period. Yet they bestow these titles. : )
You make valid points on this Daniel M but you are thinking in the context of somebody of the early 21st century where we have come to expect airbags and all sorts of safety gizmos and applying that logic on this.
Back in the day when cars like the 500, Beetle and their like roamed the world, safety standards were lax. To the general public safety took a back seat to affordability. Safety did not sell cars as Ford found out in 1956 when they offered a Lifeguard package on the 1956 Fords. The cars fitted with this package were among the safest cars of the 1950’s but nobody bought the package.
Up until the 1950’s the general public believed in a myth that in an accident you would be more likely to survive if you were thrown clear of the vehicle during the impact. It was not until a Indiana State Police officer named Elmer Paul started noticing that people were dying in accidents that were minor in nature and that they would have lived if they had stayed in the car instead of being thrown out of it. After that restraint harnesses used in airplanes were adapted to cars and tested. Even then the general public were not interested(as seen in the non interest in the Lifeguard kit offered for 1956 in Fords)
In 1974 Congress mandated that all 1974 model cars have a safety belt interlock installed so that all front seatbelts had to be buckled before the car would start. The public was so outraged that it was repealed for 1975. (It has been said that more people were pissed about those damn interlocks then were pissed at the Watergate Scandal(which speaks volumes on the mentality of mid century American mindset)
Until laws were passed that forced auto makers to get safer and laws making lack of seatbelt use a ticketed offense and education of the general public about safety happened, safety took a big back seat in car buying considerations.
In post war Germany and Italy, the UK, Japan and France, folks were trying to rebuild and any car was valued. The average European of the time was just like the Americans back then in the fact safety did not even enter the mind when car shopping.
As for car fans picking cars like the Beetle as one of the greatest cars of the 20th century, these choices were because of the success in sales and popularity. Safety was not harped upon in that era and the general public did not care about safety anyway(besides the Model T was not exactly a paragon of safety ether and it was one of the greatest cars of the century)
I totally agree with and appreciate what you are saying Leon.
I just think it’s not possible to compare eras when giving out titles like Car of the Century. When longevity and popularity are given so much weight for example.
The Beetle, 500 and MIni were sold well past their best before dates. And that factored into their popularity and production numbers. Even though, they were obsolete sooner than later.
Of the three, I think the Beetle comes closest to earning the Car of the 20th Century.
But it’s like comparing Gordie Howe to Wayne Gretzky… very hard to compare.
I agree with you Daniel M. It sort of is like MLB calling their championship series the World Series even though it is simply against two teams from North America.
@ cjiguy
Unlike a motorcycle, hitting a tree or loosing control with one of these, can likely kill an entire family. Cars from the 1930s seemed to have better and more stable seating than say the Fiat 600 Multipla.
To me, the total lack of safety, makes these unworthy of such high regard as basic people movers that nations are built upon.
Cars with third world safety, shouldn’t be getting accolades and awards IMO. Whatever the era.
Remember a lot of these cars like the 500 and the Isetta were post WWII Europe anomalies, creations that grew out of the need for something with a roof and a seat, but not much else.
I totally hear you, and fully agree Carmine.
But when you are voting for best cars of the entire 20th Century, their tin pan quality has to be considered to some degree. That’s if you are considered the best of the best. Sure, all cars weren’t safe back then. But we didn’t give the 1957 Ford titles like “Top 10 cars of the 20th Century”
Like comparing Babe Ruth to Henry Aaron… I simply don’t think it’s fair to hand out Top 10 of the Century awards. How do you compare eras? When it was far easier to design a car if all of the extra constrain of safety is not added.
By virtue of being safer… and ensuring you will live if you hit a tree at 25 kilometers per hour… should give any car after oh say… 1975 a bunch of additional bonus points.
I know ALL cars back in the 1900s to 1960s were dangerous, compared to most cars thereafter. I think that should be a factor if you are handing out heavy titles like best cars of the 20th Century.
It might be more reflective of significance and the number of people it put on wheels for its respective country, a Model T is a deathtrap too, but it introduced the concept of affordable personal mobility to millions and for that its an important vehicle, same for the Beetle and less so for the 500, but they have significance in those aspects.
I absolutely love the Nuovo Cinquecento! I’m almost certain it will be my next new car purchase. If you’ve never sat in one, side by side, it’s hard to describe the bespoke quality the car has at such an affordable entry rate. I’ve tried to cut my choices down, but so many decisions!
A Nero Pop with Rosso/Nero cloth, Beats audio, Alloy wheels, and chrome mirror caps was my first choice…
Then that Luce Blu Cattiva Sport special edition just came out…
A very common car in some parts of the world, but here in the US? I went for years without seeing one, and then a couple months ago, I caught sight of a white one with a Euro-style license plate. Obviously a recent import! I managed to get a cell-phone snapshot of it at the stoplight next to Spud’s Fish & Chips, and then it was off again.
As for the new, new 500, I rented a white one a couple of years ago. It was a cute little honey, but I was really put off by the engine noise. The noise coupled with the inevitable rent-a-car automatic transmission made it a car that I was very happy to give back to Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
I’ve long wondered if they actually sold any in the US back in the day. The 600 was rather common here back then, and there were plenty of ads for it too. But I never remember seeing a 500 in the US back then, or any ads.
But my Encyclopedia of Imported Cars (not full trustworthy) lists themas being sold, with a price of $1098 in 1959, which was of course by far the cheapest car then.
I wondered (given that it has current California plates, rather then a ‘Classic’ one), if this is a recent import. I agree, the 500 was a mite too small for American road at the time.
They did, I remember a friend of mine telling me the story of his dad driving one as a loaner from the local “import dealer” while his Triumph TR3 was in for service.
That brings back memories of seeing one of those big-eyed 500s in a picture or ad. Only 300; now that explains why I never saw one on the street. It was just too little of car for Americans, yet the 600 sold fairly well.
According to this old listing, only 300 US-spec Fiat 500s were built between ’58 and ’62.
http://bringatrailer.com/2009/09/14/original-us-spec-1959-fiat-500/
And here’s a period photo :
Yep it was a car like that, he recalled the reverse opening doors.
They’re surprisingly common in and around NYC, likely because of how many people of Italian descent live here. I see around 10 a year, all imports (I’ve never come across a US-model 500), and most seem to be driven regularly:
It helps that NYC seems like an area the Nuova 500 was designed for.
I will admit, I am a fan of the current Fiat 500. I had one as a loaner car at the end of this past January while my Fiesta was in for warranty work. It is smaller then the Fiesta but feels more roomy in the drivers seat(which is all that matters for me in a car that I used for driving to work)
During that period, the weather sucked and there was snow all about in my area and the Fiat was a champ in all of that. I read up on the 500 and a lot of the reviewers claimed it was a noisy slow car that was best driven in the city then a highway but I did not find it too noisy and did well at 65-80 mph on the BW Parkway and 95/495. Sure it was not a rocket getting up to speed but I was driving it to work and not entering it into the 24 hours at Lemans.
The things I did not like were the fact the outside and inside handles felt cheap(especially the out side ones) and it had to be filled up more then my Fiesta in the same time period due to a small gas tank.
I bought a new 2012 500 Abarth and have put 20K trouble-free, grin-filled miles on her. I split my work commute between her and an ’81 X1/9. Having purchased a 1974 X1/9 as my first new car, I was very pleased to be able to buy and operate a new Fiat without having to renounce my American citizenship.
Nice, the only 500 I like. I’ve read that they tune these Abarths way over 200 hp, up to 265 hp. This one for example, 242 hp, done by MCC Sport. (Photo: Fiatblog.nl/MCC Sport)
I would say that a standard Abarth, or Abarth EsseEsse (SS is not done in Europe, for obvious reasons), would do as a daily driver. But choice is good.
Yep, they’ve done some pretty scary things, relative to power to weight ratio. I’m thinking I might bump mine up to around 220 hp and dropping her about 1.5 inches after the warranty expires.
Seems to be a classic Italian color. Biachi bicycles, which were the quintessentially Italian bike in thr 70s and bfore were traditionally a similar shade, called “Celeste Green”.
The original 500 was too small nearly everywhere in NZ they sold as Fiat Bambinas and were useful in town taking one on the highway would have been a horrible experience Minis and VWs stay in the crawler lanes and both of those can out run the 500 not very many left now despite local assembly or perhaps because of it rust ate these things real fast and the engines do not last long being thrashed mercilessly just to stay with traffic, how slow are they? A 54 1000cc VW beetle will blow the doors off a 500 and the beetle struggles to make 50mph on the flat.
VW Bugs and Type 3 came with mounting points front and rear for shoulder belts since 1962. I saw many accidents where the passenger compartment was still pretty intact after some big impacts. In rollovers they held their shape guite well. I was hit in 1972 driver side in my 1966 Bug by a 71 Mercury Capri. I had lap and shoulder belt on, and had highback seats from a 1971. I walked away bruised on the left side but was ok. The 3 people in the Capri spent 2 weeks in the hospital. Unbelted, the went through the windshield. For a 1700 lb car they were quite strong for the day. I also saw a bug that rolled over and the girl was thrown out the drivers window and did not survive. We tipped in back on it’s wheels and could have been driven home. Lack of seat belt use contributed as much as safety design in the late 60’s late 70’s.
Maybe his ignorance helps explain why the modern 500 has yet to catch on: not only is it unable to rely on nostalgia like the New Beetle, as it was always an odd sight “over here,” it is also too small for most American tastes. Admittedly, I’ve had to make some adjustments in adapting to the car (want to buy a recumbent bike?).
I know the new 500 got off to a slow start in the US, but I thought I had read that it was selling pretty well now? This is another instance where my perception is horribly skewed; unlike “Rentzler” (I lived in Albany at one time too), the 500 is hugely popular in the southeast corner of the state and has been since it was introduced.
I love both old and new versions, and each looks great in this color!
I think it’s selling about as well as the ‘Mini’.
A mate of my brothers who was in the rugby team with him inherited one of the old Fiat 500s.it was no good to him as he was 6’6 inch tall and built like Garth!They have a charm and attraction which overlooks the flimsy build,non existent rust proofing and dodgy electrics.
So stoked to have one of my photos used! Thanks for the credit, and nice write up Jana! For anyone interested, I shot the photo in Sausalito, CA. There are a lot of curbside classics in my neighborhood, although this may only be the second Fiat 500 I’ve ever seen. I too found the color quite striking.
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Hopefully, I’ll find another one of your finds that gets my creative gasoline going.
+1 Thanks Jana. Caught this seicento at an auction house on the w/end but it looks like a respray. Cheers.
Like the new 500, love it in that color. I see one around here parked in front of a mid-century modern house – it looks like an ad from 1962.
Did the likes of SEAT and Zastava ever look at producing licensed built versions of the Fiat 500 and Fiat 126?