Fiat 500

Fiat 500
Fiat 500
	1970 Fiat 500 L
Overview
Manufacturer	Fiat
Also called	Puch 500
Production	1957–1975; 3,893,294 units
Assembly	Turin, Italy; Desio, Italy; Termini Imerese, Italy;
Designer	Dante Giacosa
Body and chassis
Class	City car (A)
Body style	2-door saloon; 2-door semi-convertible; 3-door estate ('Giardiniera'); 3-door panel van;
Layout	Rear-engine, rear-wheel drive
Doors	Suicide (1957–1965); Conventional (1965–1975);
Related	Autobianchi Bianchina; NSU/Fiat Weinsberg 500; Vignale Gamine; Autobianchi Giardiniera;
Powertrain
Engine	479 cc I2; 499 cc I2; 594 cc I2;
Transmission	4-speed manual (non-synchronous)
Dimensions
Wheelbase	1,840 mm (72.4 in); 1,940 mm (76.4 in) (Giardiniera);
Length	2,970 mm (116.9 in); 3,185 mm (125.4 in) (Giardiniera)
Width	1,320 mm (52.0 in)
Height	1,320 mm (52.0 in)
Kerb weight	499 kg (1,100 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor	Fiat 500 "Topolino"
Successor	Fiat 126; Fiat 500 (2007);

The Fiat 500 (Italian: Cinquecento, pronounced [ˌtʃiŋkweˈtʃɛnto]) is an economy / city car that was manufactured and marketed by Fiat Automobiles from 1957 until 1975. It was sold as a two-door semi-convertible or saloon car and as a three-door panel van or estate car.

Launched as the Nuova (new) 500 in July 1957, as a successor to the 500 "Topolino", it was an inexpensive and practical small car. Measuring 2.97 metres (9 feet 9 inches) long, and originally powered by a rear-mounted 479 cc two-cylinder, air-cooled engine, the 500 was 24.5 centimetres (9.6 inches) smaller than Fiat's 600, launched two years earlier, and is considered one of the first purpose-designed city cars.

In 1959, Dante Giacosa received a Compasso d'Oro industrial design prize for the Fiat 500. This marked the first time a Compasso d’Oro was awarded to an automotive manufacturer.