Fiat captured the 1957 car’s spirit in 2007 with great effect – and it’s worked for 20 years
What goes into a successful retro revival of an old car?
For a good example, let’s look at the Renault 5. The consensus is that it gets all the key features right. Much like the original 5, it’s great to drive and even better to look at, but at its core it captures that classless spirit that the car always had. Just as with that car (and even more so in the modern era of PCP finance and leasing), almost anyone can walk into a Renault dealership and drive away with a sharp, stylish runaround that would look just as at home in Knightsbridge as it would in Kettering.
Other rebirths haven’t been so well resolved, losing touch of the elements that defined the original, whether that be through a hike in pricing (the Land Rover Defender, I would argue) or a complete departure in terms of positioning, shape, styling and character (it starts with ‘F’ and ends with ‘ord Capri’).
So there are hits and there are misses, but when all is said and done, the king of the comeback has to be the Fiat 500.
Astonishingly, you have to go all the way back to 2004 to find the genesis of this modern classic, in the form of the Trepiùno concept, conceived in response to the overwhelming success of the Smart Fortwo city car in Fiat’s home market. It was instantly recognisable as a descendant of the Nuova 500 that had mobilised Italy after World War II.
The footprint was still tiny in comparison to its contemporaries, at comfortably less than 4m long, but there was enough space inside for a 3+1 seating layout – hence the name, which translates literally as ‘three plus one’.
It was a hit. Such a hit, in fact, that the production version was immediately green-lit and revealed just two years later with minimal fettling – apart from the sensible addition of a full-sized fourth seat.
From the off, it was clear that Fiat had stayed faithful to the 500’s original purpose. This new car was just as much of an everyman’s car as the original: priced well and easy to use. It used the Panda’s platform as its base while power came from the well-aged but eternally excellent Fire engine, economical, revvy and robust as it is.
The reborn 500 excelled in everyday use, thanks to the great visibility out of its expansive windscreen and generous cabin space that belied its diminutive dimensions, and there was a lot to love for driving enthusiasts too: well-weighted steering and a low kerb weight made it a joy to chuck about, along with the later addition of a peppy, charismatic two-cylinder engine.
A gorgeous interior, with kitchen appliance- esque HVAC dials and a delightfully simple combined speedo and tacho, helped make it an inherently cheerful car, putting a smile on your face whenever you drove it.
But the looks were what really sold it to the masses. It was as desirable as a Gucci bag or a pair of Diesel jeans (both brands that collaborated with Fiat to create special-edition 500s). Ferrari UK even ordered a fleet daubed in its signature Rosso Corsa paint to use as courtesy cars for customers.
My mum was among the admirers, buying three in a row over the years – including one in which I learned to drive and eventually had the joy of using every day.
It was an everyman’s car, yes, but it was a truly enviable one. Fiat captured lightning in a bottle in a way that very few others have ever done.
