Cars

Fiat 500: the Bambino with 60 candles on its birthday cake

 Fiat revived the 500 name in 2007
 Fiat revived the 500 name in 2007  Fiat revived the 500 name in 2007

THE Fiat 500, in its current cutesy form at least, has been with us for almost exactly 10 years, writes William Scholes.

It has easily been Fiat's most successful car during that period, with more than 1.5 million examples finding homes, and continues the company's proud and distinguished tradition of small cars that dates back to the 1930s.

Having noticed the success that the Smart was enjoying in Italy's congested cities, Fiat announced in 2006 that it would be making its own new urban warrior.

With no great small car heritage of its own to call upon, Mercedes-Benz had taken a self-consciously modern approach to the Smart, for example making a design feature of its safety cell and its lightweight interchangeable body panels.

Fiat, though, boasts a small car back catalogue second to just about none.

Influenced by the huge success of BMW's retro-styled Mini and Volkswagen's revival of the Beetle, it reckoned the world was ready for a reboot of one of its own famous models. It duly arrived in July 2007.

The 500 model that today's namesake harks back to is the tiny rear-engined car produced between 1957 and 1975.

It was massively popular, particularly in Italy, and Fiat built more than 4 million of them. Never mind Ferrari - it is this 500 that can claim to be Italy's most treasured four-wheeled icon.

The Bambino, or baby, as it is known, was a product of the national desire that every worker should be able to own a car, and was the car that really got Italy mobile. As such, it was more than a mere means of transport - it was part of a social revolution.

 The Fiat 500 introduced in 1957 helped to get Italy mobile
 The Fiat 500 introduced in 1957 helped to get Italy mobile  The Fiat 500 introduced in 1957 helped to get Italy mobile

Everything about it, from its size and shape - so small it is probably the smallest usable four-seater ever, designed to buzz freely in the narrow streets of Italy's villages and towns - to its engineering and construction - as cheap to build and repair as it was durable - speaks of a purity of purpose.

No wonder that 500 stands in the line of great European small cars - the Mini, Renault 4, Volkswagen Beetle, Citroen 2CV - which not only helped get people mobile in post-war years and beyond, but which also managed to encapsulate national identity in a way that rarely happens now.

Today's Fiat 500 might recall its predecessor's name and style, but the 1957 car was itself - in name and purpose, though not design - trading off the company's original 500.

It was launched in 1937, when it was one of the smallest cars in the world, and stayed in production until 1955.

 The car that started Fiat's association with small cars, and the first to bear the 500 nameplate, was the 1937 'Topolino'
 The car that started Fiat's association with small cars, and the first to bear the 500 nameplate, was the 1937 'Topolino'  The car that started Fiat's association with small cars, and the first to bear the 500 nameplate, was the 1937 'Topolino'

That first 500 quickly become known as the Topolino - 'the little mouse', which is what the Italians also called Disney's Mickey Mouse, which was hugely popular at the time.

Sometime after the death of the 1957 iteration of the 500 in 1975, Fiat sold a small car called the Cinquecento - deliberately avoiding the numerical 500 name - but it was a more rational device than the car which sashayed into showrooms in 2007.

Never mind Ferrari - it is the Fiat 500 that can claim to be Italy's most treasured four-wheeled icon

The dinky rear-engined 126 of 1972 was true to the Topolino and Bambino small car template but perhaps more than any other Fiat model it was the Panda, which debuted in 1979, that was the 500s' true spiritual heir.

That is still largely true today, in 2017. The Panda and 500 share the same mechanicals but it is the Panda - now a five-door hatchback, notable for its efficient use of space, with the set-square edges of the original softened - that is the more honest car.

Not that this has held back the 500. Quite the opposite, in fact - there is a study to be done on how cars such as the 21st century versions of the Fiat 500 and VW Beetle reflect a shift in cultural mores in which a vehicle is marketed as much for its fashion as its function.

It is an undoubted success for Fiat - so much so that it chose to also name other, much larger, cars in its range as 500s, no matter how incongruous a cinquecento-badged people-carrier or SUV.

The 500's style is a huge part of its success, but it has also won a legion of fans because it is cheap to buy - particularly when you consider the special offers and finance deals which are always available - and economical to run.

The problem with such a style-focused offering is, of course, that one man's - or, as is far more likely in the 500's case, woman's - fashion triumph is another's fashion faux pas.

That is one of the reasons that I have personally never got along with the 500, though the fact that I struggle to fit is another major drawback; people with normal-sized feet and who have better fashion sense than me are free to disagree...

These days you can have your 500 with a range of petrol and - unusually enough for such a small car, but to Fiat's credit - diesel engines. There are also manual and automatic gearboxes.

A three-star Euro Ncap rating reflects the 500's decade-old architecture, with the crash safety body wondering if its performance reflected a temptation from manufacturers to cut down on safety equipment at the expense of looks and style.

 The design of the 1957 Fiat 500 was the inspiration for the current car
 The design of the 1957 Fiat 500 was the inspiration for the current car  The design of the 1957 Fiat 500 was the inspiration for the current car

The Fiat lacks rear seatbelt pretensioners and load-limiters, now standard on most cars, and showed poor protection of the driver and rear-seat passengers. Nor is there autonomous braking, which is already offered on half of the new cars on sale today.

"The 500 is an old car by now and the small improvements that Fiat have made on the facelift don't hide that," said Michiel van Ratingen, Euro Ncap's secretary general.

Elsewhere, the 500 does continue to receive plaudits. The company is proud of its silver award in the 'best premium supermini' category in this year's Auto Express Driver Power survey.

The Mini won gold, but the Fiat still managed to be rated highest in four of the judging categories, including 'interior and comfort', 'practicality and boot space', 'infotainment, connectivity and electrics' and 'MPG and running costs'.

Alejandro Noriega, Fiat UK's head of brand, said the company was pleased at the honour in a "landmark year for the model".

"This award means so much as it's based on real feedback from our customers and shows we continue to produce a model which really appeals to them," he said.

The "landmark year" being referred to by Mr Noriega is the 60th anniversary of the Bambino 500.

The roads are a brighter, and better, place with cars that evoke affection and even passion. The Fiat 500 is one of those

To mark the occasion, Fiat has produced a limited edition of the 500C convertible. Just 250 examples are coming to the UK, with the first 60 being individually numbered.

It's not cheap - prices start at £19,240 - but it does promise to be the 'peak' 500.

The special edition treatment includes a grey fabric roof and 'Dolcevita' bi-colour paintwork, which combines tri-coat white for the body of the car and pastel ivory for the bonnet and pillars.

Chrome mirror covers and 16-inch alloy wheels with a 'white diamond' finish, complete the look and pay homage to the styling cues of the original Fiat 500.

Vintage Fiat logos adorn the car and inside is a vinyl-covered dashboard, 'retro-inspired' ivory leather seats and the latest 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, complete with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity.

If the 500-60th is a little too expensive for you, it's worth knowing that the range kicks off at £11,490 for a 1.2-litre Pop, with the better equipped Pop Star cars priced from £12,365.

Posher again is Lounge trim, from £13,240, while a sportier-themed S model is yours from £13,390.

As well as the 500-60th, other current special editions include the very swish Riva - a collaboration with the luxury boat-maker, not a revival of the Lada of the same name - and the Mirror.

 Special editions, such as this tie in with yacht-maker Riva, are a feature of the 500 line up
 Special editions, such as this tie in with yacht-maker Riva, are a feature of the 500 line up  Special editions, such as this tie in with yacht-maker Riva, are a feature of the 500 line up

The fold-back canvas roof of the 500C adds a steep £2,650 to the price of the hatchback.

Shop smart, though, and you can take advantage of some very tempting finance deals on the Fiat 500.

Whether or not you 'get' it, there is no denying Fiat's own statement that the 500 has "influenced fashion, society and behaviours and become a genuine trendsetter".

The roads are undoubtedly a brighter, and better, place with cars that evoke affection and even passion. The Fiat 500 is one of those - just the thing for living La Dolce Vita on a budget.

 The 500 has been a huge success for Fiat
 The 500 has been a huge success for Fiat  The 500 has been a huge success for Fiat