10 Facts about the Fiat 500

The Fiat 500 entered production in 1957 to replace the 500 Topolino, which itself was a small but more classically styled prewar design. The Cinquecento stayed in production until 1975, even as more advanced small cars entered production from Fiat.

The Cinquecento name itself means 500 in Italian and refers to the 500cc nominal displacement of its two-cylinder engine, even though the actual displacement was really 479 cc. The debut model had an output of 13 hp, but a later 594cc engine appeared in 1971, borrowed from the Fiat 126.

A more luxurious version called the 500 L, for Lusso, arrived in 1967. It offered a modestly upgraded interior and better materials inside. On the outside, these are easily distinguished by front and rear bumper guards.

Abarth produced several tuned versions of the 500, starting with the 695 SS in 1966. It featured a greater displacement, as well as an upgraded camshaft and pistons, in addition to flared wheel arches and a reworked suspension. The output of that version was 38 hp. Abarth also produced aftermarket parts for the 500.

The 500 inspired some imitators, including the Soviet ZAZ 965 that mimicked the Cinquecento’s and the 600’s general styling. The ZAZ, however, shared no parts with the 500 or 600 and was not developed to compete with it—they were rarely sold in the same export markets together.

Ghia produced the wicker-seated open versions of the 500, named the Jolly. Intended as a beach car, it became a symbol of the Dolce Vita period in Italy of the 1960s. Restored examples are now quite valuable and frequently trade hands at major auctions.

During roughly the first half of the 500's production run the model featured suicide doors, lasting until 1965. Conventional doors appeared that year and stayed until the end of production.

The Fiat 500 Giardiniera was the wagon version of the 500, and it arrived in 1960. The engine remained in the back, but it was low enough for the car to still be used as a wagon. This variant stayed in production until 1977 and was also produced by Autobianchi. A panel van called the Furgoncino was also produced based on the Giardiniera.

In addition to the Autobianchi Giardiniera seen here, the Fiat 500 was produced in Austria under license by Steyr-Puch, sold as the Puch 500. The 500 also spawned the Autobianchi Bianchina, produced in Italy, which had a more conventional two-door sedan body style. The Bianchina used 500 running gear. But Spanish automaker SEAT built the slightly larger Fiat 600 under license, sold as the SEAT 600.

A total of 3,893,294 examples of the 500 were built during an 18-year run.