2007 Fiat 500 Type 312 – Driven To Write

3 + 1 = 500

Fiat introduces a Quattroporte – well, sort of.

As the year that wasn’t continues to limp towards an ever decreasing conclusion, and our plaintive requests to the authorities for a refund continues to fall upon deaf ears, the short-lived product offensive which briefly appeared to be taking place within the auto industry earlier in the Autumn appears to have sputtered and popped, rather like a badly misfiring internal combustion engine. Those infernal devices, which it seems are no longer to Continue reading “3 + 1 = 500”

Small Change

The new electric 500 is now available to order. Sorry, how much?

While its FCA parent continues to negotiate the necessary regulatory hurdles around its forthcoming nuptials with Carlos Tavares’ Groupe PSA, life, while somewhat interrupted these past couple of months, rolls inexorably onwards; this week with Fiat announcing, a month ahead of schedule, the fixed roof version of its new fully electric 500e.

Built on, it’s said an all-new dedicated EV platform, the new generation of Fiat’s evergreen sub-compact was first shown in early March in convertible form, with a forthcoming 4-door model (Autocar says) still a remote possibility. Intended to have made its physical debut at the Geneva motor show, the advent of the viral pandemic and the ensuing shutdowns ensured that it, like so much of Geneva’s fare was lost amid more pressing health-related concerns.

But with most of Europe seemingly past the worst of C-19’s deadly swathe, Fiat has seen fit to Continue reading “Small Change”

Pointless Road Test – FIAT 500 1.2l Lounge

There probably isn’t anything left on the keyboard that has not already been written about the FIAT 500, but that’s not going to stop DTW as recent ownership has permitted some real-world insights.

FIAT 500 1.2L Lounge in Pasodoble Red — So familiar, it’s invisible

The new-age FIAT 500 is a car I don’t want to like. It’s a cynical fraud for starters, sharing underpinnings with the previous generation FIAT Panda and Ford Ka. I like the Panda, having an especially fond soft spot for the 100HP which was the meaner spiritual successor to the Cinquecento Sporting that I so cherished in my early twenties.

I think I am also biased by ownership of that car, which I thought at the time to be a logical progression of the Nuova 500’s gene-pool; the Cinquecento of the late 80’s and 90’s seemed to be just that – small, practical, basic and cheap. The pastiche Nuova 500 alike styling of the new 500 – inside and out – is a commercially cynical attempt to Continue reading “Pointless Road Test – FIAT 500 1.2l Lounge”

Special Editions: Fiat 500 By Diesel

Further to our discussions, here is the Fiat 500 by Diesel. This is less convincing than the Gucci edition. It smacks even more of aftermarket.

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And the advert here is in rather poor taste. Here is a little more on the car if you can find the strength. What would I want from a proper special edition tied in to a big-league company? The wheels should not be available on the rest of the range. The seats ought to be unique to the car even if that just means new head-restraints. I’d like fitted, branded luggage. There must be firms able to run up such a thing for a few hundred euros. I imagine the people at Diesel know how to create small runs of textile products, right?

Special Editions: 2011 Fiat 500 By Gucci

Up until now I thought Gucci had limited their dalliance with the car industry to American brands such as Cadillac.

At the other end of the scale and on the other side of the Atlantic, Gucci also graced Fiat with their magic touch. According to Gucci “The car’s silhouette is outlined by Gucci’s signature green-red-green stripe, which runs along the entire perimeter and links the exterior to the interior. The stripe also appears inside on the seats, on the gear shift, the key-cover, the carpets, and in an innovative finish on the seatbelts. The interior space of the 500 by Gucci is stylish yet functional down to every last detail: chic embroidery, exclusive materials, glossy and satin Continue reading “Special Editions: 2011 Fiat 500 By Gucci”