Fiat 500 - 1969

The Fiat 500 (Italian: Cinquecento) is a city car produced

by the Italian manufacturer Fiat between 1957 and 1975.

Launched as the Nuova (new) 500 in July 1957, it was a cheap and practical town car.  Measuring only 2.97 metres (9 feet 9 inches) long, and originally powered by an appropriately  sized 479 cc two-cylinder, air-cooled engine, the 500 redefined the term "small car" and is  considered one of the first city cars. In 2007, the 50th anniversary of the Nuova 500's launch, Fiat launched another new 500,  stylistically inspired by the 1957 Nuova 500 but considerably heavier and larger, featuring a  front-mounted engine and front-wheel drive. 

History

To meet the demands of the post-war market which called for economy cars, in 1949 a front  engine, Fiat 500 was released, a 2-door coupe body with sun-roof, this was later  complemented by an Estate (Station Wagon) version; both continued until 1954 before  replaced by the all new, lighter body car with rear-engine, on the pattern of the Volkswagen  Beetle, just like its bigger brother, the 1955 Fiat 600. Several car makers followed the now  uncommon rear engine configuration at the time and were quite successful. The Neckar  version manufactured in Heilbronn under a complicated deal involving NSU, was introduced  in October 1961.[2] In Upper Austria the firm of Steyr-Puch also produced cars based, by  agreement, on the Fiat 500.  Despite its diminutive size, the 500 proved to be an enormously practical and popular vehicle  throughout Europe. Besides the two-door coupé, it was also available as the "Giardiniera"  station wagon; this variant featured the standard engine laid on its side, the wheelbase  lengthened by 10 cm (3.9 in) to provide a more convenient rear seat, a full-length sunroof,  and larger brakes from the Fiat 600.  Sports models were famously produced by Abarth, as well as by Giannini. An Austrian variant,  produced by Steyr-Daimler-Puch, the 1957–1973 Steyr-Puch 500, had a motorcycle-derived  Puch boxer twin motor, a sports model of which was the 1965–1969 Steyr-Puch 650 TR2.  Production of the 500 ended in 1975, although its replacement, the Fiat 126, was launched  two years earlier. The 126 was never as popular as its predecessor in Italy, but was  enormously popular in the former Eastern Bloc countries, where it is famed for its  mechanical durability and high fuel economy. The Fiat 500 has a Cx (aerodynamic resistance  coefficient) of 0,38, a very good performance for its time. 

Models

Nuova (New) (1957–1960)  The true new 500, the Nuova, has a smaller two-cylinder engine than all newer models, at  479 cc (500cc nominal), hence the name, and producing just 13 bhp. This model also features  a fabric roof folding all the way back to the rear of the vehicle, like that of a Citroën 2CV  rather than the later roof design, which only folds half way back along the roof. 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  499.5 cc from the original 479 cc engine, giving a very respectable car bhp with the same  block. D (1960–1965)  Replacing the original Nuova in 1960, the D looks very similar to the Nuova, but there are two  key differences. One is the engine size (the D features an uprated 499 cc engine producing 17 bhp as standard—this engine is used right through until the end of the L in 1973) and the  other is the roof: the standard D roof does not fold back as far as the roof on the Nuova,  though it was also available as the "Transformable" with the same roof as the Nuova. The D  also features "suicide doors". In New Zealand, where it was locally assembled by Torino Motors, the 500D was sold as the  "Fiat Bambina" (Italian for "female child"), a name that is still in use there to describe this  car. K or Giardiniera (1960–1975)  The estate version of the Fiat 500 is the longest running model. The engine is laid under the  floor of the boot to create a flat loading surface. The roof on this model also stretches all  the way to the rear, not stopping above the driver and front passenger as it does in other  models of the same period. The K also features "suicide doors" and was the only model to  continue to sport this door type into the 1970s. In 1966 production was transferred to Desio  where the Giardiniera was built by Fiat subsidiary Autobianchi. A total of 327,000  Giardinieras were produced, later examples having Autobianchi rather than Fiat badging.  F or Berlina (1965–1973)  The F spans two periods of 500 production, the D and the L. As such, it is the most frequently misidentified model. Between 1965 and 1969 the F carried the same badging as the D, but  the two models are distinguishable by the positioning of their door hinges. The D has "suicide  doors": the F, produced from June 1965, at last featured front-hinged doors.[2] Between 1969  and 1972 the F was sold alongside the Lusso model as a cheaper "base model" alternative.  While the F and L are mechanically very similar, the key differences are the bumpers (the L  has an extra chrome nudge bar) and the interior (the F interior is nearly identical to the  original 1957 design while the L sports a much more modern look).  L or Lusso (1968–1972)  The penultimate model, the main change for the L is a much modernized interior (including a  renewed dashboard) which brought the Fiat 500 up to date. Greater comfort and style were  provided in this new model for the new generation. R or Rinnovata (1972–1975)  The last incarnation of the Fiat 500 was the R model. It had a larger 594 cc engine, designed  by Abarth, giving it a more usable power rating of 23 bhp, and came with a full synchromesh  gearbox. The floor-pan which was from either the 'L', or later, the new 126. It was also more  comfortable, but more simply trimmed and equipped than before — the fuel gauge was  omitted and only the low fuel indicator remained. The 500 R was also a stop-gap for Fiat  prior to the launch of the Fiat 126, and when the new 126 was launched, sales of the old Fiat  500 R plummeted. It was sold alongside the Fiat 126 for another two years before Fiat retired  the 500. 

Modifications

Fiat 500 Jolly Ghia Carrozzeria Ghia made a custom "Jolly" version of the 500 inspired by the limited edition Fiat  600 Jolly. As with its bigger sister, this was a chopped-roof doorless version with wicker seats, often seen sporting a canopy roof.

1969

Engine 499 cc 2 cylinders Power 18 HP Lenght/width 2,97 m/1,32 m Weight 520 kg