Fiat 500

• The Nuova 500 (1957 - 1960)

On July 4, 1957, in Turin, Fiat presented the Nuova Fiat 500,just two seats and a rear bench. The car could only accommodate two people, but could carry 70 kg of luggage. The 500 was 2.97 meters long, 1.32 meters wide and 1.325 meters tall. It had a wheelbase of 1.84 meters. Empty it weighed 470 kg, and fully laden 680 kg.

The Nuova has a smaller engine than all newer models,the engine of the Nuova 500 was a new petrol engine with 2 cylinders in line and air-cooled (it was Fiat’s first air-cooled engine) with a capacity of 479 cc, delivering 13 bhp/Cuna. The gearbox had 4 speeds with rapid engagement on 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Braking was hydraulic on all four wheels. The transmission was of the oscillating axle shaft type and drive was obviously to the rear wheels, with the engine positioned at the rear of the car, the second time in Fiat history,
Top speed is 85 km/h and average fuel consumption is 4.5 litres /100 km.

One of the most noticable features that makes this one stand out is that the Nuova also features a roof that folds all the way back to the rear of the vehicle, unlike the later roof design which only folds half way more like a sunroof. Another characteristic features of the Nuova 500 were the pressed metal wheels without hub caps that were painted a light colour.

The Nuova is one of three models featuring “suicide doors”. There is also a stylish Sport version of the Nuova, which features a distinctive red stripe and a more powerful engine, bored out to 499.5cc from the original 479cc engine and with a longer stroke, thus producing an impressive 21 bhp from the same original block.

The “father” of the Nuova 500 was engineer Dante Giacosa, who had already developed many other models including the 500’s predecessor, the 500 Topolino (509,650 units between 1936-1955).
The Nuova won its designer, Dante Giacosa, the prestigious Golden Compass award for industrial design in 1959.

Below is a photo of the Fiat Nuova

• The Nuova 500 Sport saloon and open roof (1958 - 1960)

In the Summer of 1958 Fiat launched the Sport version to differentiate and further strengthen the 500 range. The car initially had a rigid roof and a red stripe below the roof, and in some cases, even a two-tone body. The engine was more powerful, and the capacity increased to 499.5 cc, delivering 21.5 bhp, for a top speed of 105 km/h (+10 km/h). Consumption also increased, but only marginally, to 4.8 liters/100 km. But it returned to the 2-seat layout, with a rear bench that was not suitable for passengers. However the luggage capacity increased to 70 kg once again.
In 1959 an open-roofed version of the Sport appeared, with a canvas roof that stopped just behind the front seats. The doors were still hinged at the rear and, where styling was concerned, the tires no longer had white walls (synonymous with elegance at the time) but were plain black, more gutsy but also less expensive, and the seats were made of plasticized, washable solid tone fabric (mainly red) with a red band at the top.

Below is a photo of the Fiat Nuova