The "Old" Fiat 500
The old Fiat 500 was a popular city car that was manufactured between 1957 and 1975, although the estate version of the car continued in production until 1977. More than 3.7 million Fiat 500s were manufactured during this period and it is still possible to see many of these cars on the roads today, particularly in Italy, where the 500 seems to have become part of the Italian identity.
The original version of the old Fiat 500 was the Nuova, which was manufactured between 1957 and 1960. This was a compact car with a small engine that was designed to be economical to run in the postwar period, when people were interested in buying small, affordable vehicles.
The most significant features of the old Fiat 500 were its small size, its folding fabric roof, which could be opened up to enjoy good weather, and the so-called suicide doors, which were hinged on the side nearest to the rear of the vehicle, opening in the opposite direction to most modern car doors according to Fiat's Car History Report. These doors did not appear on many of the later versions of the old Fiat 500, which appeared in a number of different forms during its production. Later versions of the 500 also differed from the original old Fiat 500 in various other ways.
The first new version of the 500 was the D version, which was produced between 1960 and 1965. This car had a more powerful engine and its roof did not fold back as far as that of the original, although a Transformable version with the same roof was also available.
The Giardiniera or K was the estate version of the 500. It was manufactured between 1960 and 1977, making it the version that was in production for the longest time. The Giardiniera was larger than the other 500 versions. It had a large roof opening and the same backwards opening doors as the original Nuova.
The Berlina or F was produced from 1965 to 1973. It is often confused with the L and D versions of the car, which were manufactured alongside it. Unlike the D version, the F has font-hinged doors. The main difference between the F and the L versions are in the bumpers and the interior.
The Lusso or L version was manufactured between 1972 and 1975. It was a modernized version of the Berlina, which was sold as the base model of the Lusso. Most of the changes in the Lusso were aesthetic or intended to make the car more comfortable for the driver and passengers.
The Rinnovata or R version was produced from 1972 to 1975. It was designed to broach the gap between the Lusso and Fiat's new model, the Fiat 126, and it shares features of both.
The Fiat 500 was an incredibly popular vehicle that was a huge success for Fiat. It took advantage of the desire for small city cars after the end of the Second World War, taking on the role of the older Fiat 500 Topolino, and preceding the later, and less popular, Fiat 126 and, later, by the Fiat Panda. The Fiat 500 has continued to hold an important place in the Fiat family, however, and it remains one of the most beloved old cars. Many people still drive old Fiat 500s. The Italian government had to rethink its emissions laws in 2004, for example since they would have resulted in the scraps of more than 1.2 million old Fiat 500s still being driven in the country. The enduring popularity of the old Fiat 500 resulted in the production of the new Fiat 500, starting in 2007, which shares the name and some of the design features of the original Fiat 500. More information about the new 500 can be found on the clube500.org website.