Fiat 500 "Topolino"

For other Fiat cars with the model number "500", see Fiat 500 (disambiguation).
Fiat 500 "Topolino"
Overview
Manufacturer Fiat
Also called Topolino
Production 1936–1955
520,000 made
Body and chassis
Class City car (A)
Body style 2-door coupé
2-door cabriolet
2-door van [1]
3-door estate
Layout Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Related Simca 5
Simca 6
Powertrain
Engine 569 cc straight-4 sidevalve
Transmission 4-speed manual
Dimensions
Length 3,215 mm (127 in) [2]
Width 1,275 mm (50 in)[2]
Height 1,377 mm (54 in)[2]
Chronology
Successor Fiat 500
Fiat 600

The Fiat 500, commonly known as "Topolino",[3] is an Italian city car produced and manufactured by Fiat from 1936 to 1955.

The name "Topolino" translates literally as "little mouse" in Italian, but is also the Italian name for Mickey Mouse.

History

The Topolino was one of the smallest cars in the world at the time of its production. Launched in 1937, three models were produced until 1955, all with only minor mechanical and cosmetic changes. It was equipped with a 569 cc four-cylinder, side-valve, water-cooled engine mounted in front of the front axle,[3] (later an overhead valve motor) and so was a full-scale car rather than a cyclecar. The radiator was located behind the engine which made possible a lowered aerodynamic nose profile at a time when competitors had a flat, nearly vertical grille.[3] The shape of the car's front allowed exceptional forward visibility.[4]

Rear suspension initially used quarter-elliptic rear springs, but buyers frequently squeezed four or five people into the nominally two-seater car, and in later models the chassis was extended at the rear to allow for more robust semi-elliptic springs.[4]

With horsepower of about 13 bhp,[5] its top speed was about 53 mph (85 km/h), and it could achieve about 39.2 miles per US gallon (6.00 L/100 km; 47.1 mpg-imp). The target price given when the car was planned was 5,000 lire.[4] In the event the price at launch was 9,750 lire,[4] though the decade was one of falling prices in several part of Europe and later in the 1930s the Topolino was sold for about 8,900 lire. Despite being more expensive than first envisioned, the car was competitively priced.[4] Nearly 520,000 were sold.

Three models were produced. Model A and B shared the same body, only the engine of model B had 16 hp, vs. 13 hp of Model A. Model A was produced from 1937 to 1948, while B was produced in 1948 and 1949. Model A was offered as a 2-door coupé, 2-door cabriolet and a 2-door van,[1] while Model B also introduced a 3-door estate under the name 500 B Giardinetta ("estate car"). Model C was introduced in 1949 with a restyled body and the same engine as Model B, and was offered in 2-door coupé, 2-door cabriolet, 3-door estate and 2-door van [6] versions. In 1952, Giardinetta was renamed Belvedere ("A turret or other raised structure offering a pleasant view of the surrounding area", referring to its sunroof). Model C was produced until 1955.[7]

In 1955 the larger rear-wheel-drive Fiat 600 was launched by Fiat and that would become the design basis for the new Fiat 500, the Nuova 500.

The 500A is known to be hot rodded, once the car came to America. It was mostly hot rodded to a dragster, or a street rod.

Gallery

References

  1. 1 2 Fiat 500 A, www.zuckerfabrik24.de Retrieved 6 June 2015
  2. 1 2 3 "1937 Fiat 500 'Topolino' technical specifications and data - 2-door 0.6 litre (569 cc) S4 13.2 PS - Carfolio.com car specifications pages".
  3. 1 2 3 Odin, L.C. World in Motion 1939 - The whole of the year's automobile production. Belvedere Publishing, 2015. ASIN: B00ZLN91ZG.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Paul Frère (8 November 1969). "Dante Giacosa: A two part tribute to a great engineer". Motor. No. nbr 3596. pp. 27–29.
  5. ↑ "Fiat 500 'Nuova'". Motorbase. Retrieved 2010-09-17.
  6. ↑ Fiat 500 C Furgoncino, www.zuckerfabrik24.de Retrieved 6 June 2015
  7. ↑ http://www.automobile-catalog.com/

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fiat Topolino.
« previous — Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. car timeline, European market, 1920s–1960s — next »
Type 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s
0123456789 0123456789 0123456789 0123456789 0123456789
City car 500
Supermini 500 "Topolino" 600
850
Small family car 509 508 "Balilla" 1100 1100
1200 124
Large family car 501 / 502 503 514 515 1500 1400 1300 / 1500 125
Executive car 520 518 "Ardita" 1900 1800
505 507 521 522 527 2100
510 512 525 524 2800 2300 130
Luxury car 519
520
Sports car 1200/1500/1600 Cabriolet
8V Dino
MPV 600 Multipla 850 Familiare
Off-road Campagnola
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