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29 Jun 2017

Middle East - Celebrating the “great little car” - the Iconic Fiat 500 Turns 60

July 4 has always been a red-letter day for the Fiat 500 - it was on that date in 1957 that the original Fiat 500, the "great little car", an emblem of mass car ownership in Italy, was launched in Turin and went on to sell almost 3.8 million.

Middle East - Celebrating the “great little car” - the Iconic Fiat 500 Turns 60

 

July 4 has always been a red-letter day for the Fiat 500 - it was on that date in 1957 that the original Fiat 500, the "great little car", an emblem of mass car ownership in Italy, was launched in Turin and went on to sell almost 3.8 million.

 

It was exactly fifty years later, on July 4, 2007, that Fiat chose to celebrate five decades of heritage by introducing the new Fiat 500, a car that embodied the same spirit and personality as the original and which has also enjoyed phenomenal success around the world.

 

Ten years on, with over two million produced, the Fiat 500, affectionately known as the "cinquecento", continues to take on new market challenges without forgetting its illustrious roots.

 

The history of the Fiat 500 includes many special editions, launched throughout its life to underline its distinctive ability to combine apparently conflicting values. While remaining true to its roots, the Fiat 500 has often appeared with different (and always exclusive) looks - one of the secrets of its eternal youth.

 

While its design has always continued to be unmistakable, this much loved, world famous car has fired the imagination of artists and fashion designers, resulting in elegant, exclusive and sporty interpretations that are distinctive masterpieces in their own right. Key special editions include the 500C by Gucci, the 500 by Diesel and most recently the 500 Riva, "the smallest yacht in the world".

 

The Fiat 500 has undoubtedly had a massive impact on the automotive world - it may be small in size, but as a nameplate has shown that small is mighty over the last 60 years - few cars can claim to have had the same impact on popular culture and even fewer still have continued to inspire others and instill passion for six decades. Without a doubt, it has an incredibly unique heritage that few, if any, car manufacturers can equal.

 

To celebrate its 60th anniversary, a special commemorative stamp featuring the Fiat 500 was released on July 4 at the historic Mirafiori building - Fiat's headquarters in Turin. The event took place in the presence of Ivan Scalfarotto (Italian Deputy Minister for Economic Development), Giovanni Accusani (Head of Philatelic Department of Poste Italiane), Ivo Planeta (Operations Manager of Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato), Alfredo Altavilla (CEO of FCA EMEA) and Olivier François (Head of the Fiat Brand and FCA Chief Marketing Officer).

 

This unique collector's item, produced in an edition of 1,000,000 and printed by Officina Carte Valori of the State Printing Office and Mint, celebrates the model that made motoring history. With a face value of €0.95, it features the unmistakable outline of the classic Fiat 500 superimposed on that of the now equally famous current Fiat 500.

 

The dark blue background includes a band in the colours of the Italian flag near the top edge framing the dates 1957-2017 and the words "Fiat Nuova 500" in the same font as the original 1957 advertising posters. It is a real miniature work of art that celebrates the realisation of the great dream of mobility and freedom.

 

The 500 is definitely a miracle of Italian design, but, above all, a car that has improved the lives of millions of people. It was part of Italy's economic recovery, put the country on four wheels and was then exported all over the world. And today, 80% of Fiat 500's are sold outside Italy and it is the top selling car in Europe - number one in 8 countries and in the top three in 6 more.

 

In the 60 years since its launch, the Fiat 500 has become a true icon thanks to its functionality, innovative shape and technologies, all of which can be seen in its design, unmistakable bodywork and versatility of use.

 

With a permanent place in the world's collective memory of mass-market products and a soul and strong personality, the 500 has, for decades, been an object lesson in car design, influencing and shaping the forms and contents of most modern utility models. The 500 regained great cultural relevance for the entire automotive world in 2007, with a major step forward in technology and form enabling the new model to achieve worldwide success.

 

With 60 years of history behind it, the Fiat 500 is about to start another, long journey, maintaining its status as a symbol of the best Italian style. A democratic yet distinctive icon, it is destined to achieve ever-growing popularity and desirability worldwide, and stay forever young, thanks to its evolution and the special series that have added value to the range over time.

 

The excitement continued with the sale of the two millionth of the modern day 500 just days after this automotive icon celebrated its 60th anniversary - the most recent success of the vehicle that has broken many records and received many prestigious awards throughout its long history.

 

This means that, adding in the four million units of its 1957 forerunner, a staggering total of six million 500's have been sold over its sixty years of history - indicative of its impact on society and explains just why it has entered the world's collective imagination, embracing four generations of motorists.

 

The two million mile stone is particularly significant, especially given that it has been achieved within 10 years of launch. Sold in 100 countries worldwide, the 500 is Europe's number one city car, has experienced constant sales growth since 2007 and 80% of sales are made outside the home market - for example, 200,000 cars have been delivered to customers in Germany since 2007, so it was no coincidence that the 2 millionth of the latest generation was sold to a customer in Germany.

 

The Fiat 500 has the fastest year-on-year (2017 -v- 2016) market share growth in Germany and is among the top 10 in the A segment. It also has the highest customer satisfaction rating of any FCA brand vehicle sold in Germany, the same applying to all 500 family products, which have higher customer satisfaction levels than the benchmark German competitors in their respective segments.

 

 

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