The Fiat 500 is the Ultimate City Car
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- čas přidán 20. 05. 2024
- The classic Fiat Nuova 500 of 1957 was not destined for the stars. It was merely the latest in a line of brilliant small Fiats designed by the great Dante Giacosa, but in the fullness of history, it would become possibly the definitive icon of industrial Italy.
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Brilliant watch! There's a guy with one of these near me who I often see in Sainsbury's car park and its sheer tiny cuteness always makes me grin.
Your drive segment illustrates just what was so great about little Italian cars - they were terrific fun - and as you rightly say, they have character, charm and are just engaging. Such a shame that most cars no longer exhibit these characteristics.
a lot of performance cars have programmable modes that change the exhaust notes and do artificial backfires to make them sound like race cars... so why not build in quirks like the old school stereotypical Italian steering wheel angle and terrible shifter patterns? It's like in striving for authenticity, they forgot about authenticity.
My aunt had a dark blue one it was a noisy little bugger I remember I was only a little boy Greetings from Scotland 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Ed, as I'm sure you know, Nick Mason agrees with you. Of course, the Mini is more sporting, but it was made for a completely different market. The 500 was the first car millions of Italian families could afford. I have owned a '65 F model for 9 years over here in the States. Earlier today, I was sitting in my garage, ogling it for an hour as i prepared to redo the brakes. It's not simply cute; it is actually a masterpiece of industrial design without a bad viewing angle to be found. Giacosa was inspired when he penned it-- the greenhouse and beltline, the little fender flares and the puppy nose look as though they were born, not stamped, and the 12" wheels-- necessary on the unimproved roads of Italy's countryside, are visually balanced to it. Mine does run out of steam on steep or long hills, but that was not an issue in it's day, as the populace was groomed by economic conditions to expect a wide performance range on Italian roads.
When I want more pop, I can take out my vintage Suzuki SC 100 "Whizzkid", that is only slightly larger, but boasts 47 hp out of its 970cc 4-banger out back, and has a pretty fascinating backstory, too. The two have so much in common, yet are wildly different in character. If you haven't driven one, I would love to get your take on an SC. You are well placed to speak to today's generations without incurring the gimlet eye from those who were young when the cars you review were new. Bravo to you!
This is such a good video. The history, the technical detail, and the smiley Ed when driving this incredible little car! I really must drive one of these one day, myself!
"A man who wasn't particularly fond of petrol stations but didn't yet know it" - genius. Would have been nice to see a current bloated version side by side with this original.
I was really hoping someone appreciated this - was quite pleased when I came up with it 😅
Pretty good presentation
What is that red light flashing in the instrument panel?
@@TwinCamyes, we appreciate it.
You mean Mussolini? I’m confused.
Twin Cam, one of the very best car programs on youtube 😊🙏🏼
Fascinating information. I adore these little cars. On a visit to Lucca we saw a rally of around 100 of these. The locals were misty eyed.
They do hold on to their cars, the Italians. We could learn a lot!
Lucca is lovely. The 500 s made it even better
The single transverse peaf spring is an independent front suspension. It is mouted to the body or subframe in the middle, with what is effectively a quarter eliptical spring on each side. This system has been used for years on the Chevrolet Corvette. It seems to work rather well.
A fantastic little car full of character. A friend at work had one in the 1980’s, she gave me a lift home in it once it was so under powered that we had to go home the longer way avoiding all the hills 😂
A superbly well researched and presented video. Twin Cam is one of the finest car journalists on this platform. Bravo.
What a brilliant little car. One of the very best that there's been.
That's exceptionally kind of you to say, thank you :)
Completely agree. Don’t really understand much of the suspension chat but the enthusiasm and professionalism draw you in!
@@davidr7819 exactly. A lot of it is beyond me because I'm pretty ignorant about car engineering, but I like hearing Ed talk about these vintage autos.
The early 2CV also lacked a fuel gauge and used a fabric dip stick to judge fuel level remaining
Magnificent video, Ed! My mother had 2 of these and I grew up on the back seat. Still remember the smells and the sound. The choke and start handles. We have taken parts from Italy when on holiday. So many good memories. Luckily, the first one is still in the family, restored by my cousin. I also tracked down the 2nd one which is now an Abarth replica. Wonderful little cars 🇮🇹🥰👌
Thank you as always my friend!
Cutest car ever😎soon we start a 50000km tour in our 1971 Fiat 500
Brilliant. I've had three of these. I repaired and fettled them as running restorations. Mostly the 'tin worm' got at them, but I rarely had to touch the engines. There was no oil filter. It had a centrifuge, on the crankshaft pulley, which you cleaned out at oil changes. Shims to adjust the dynamo/cooling fan belt. My first one blew out a spark plug, where the previous owner had cross threaded it, into the ally head. I managed to limp home at 30MPH on ONE cylinder. I've driven one with a boken clutch cable. Pushing the car to get it rolling, then snicking it into gear, thereafter matching the revs to the speed and nudging the gears in. No synchromesh, so you had to learn double de-clutching. The achillies heel for MOTs (apart from rust) is the King pins on the steering. They need geasing. If you don't, they jam up, push the locating scoll pin out of the way and turn steel on steel, causing wear and wobble. I loved all of them and was impressed by the engineering.
Maybe it's just me, but i love that red body with white walled tires.
Agreed, very pretty.
The white walls do it justice.
Agree ❤
Oh absolutely. Good you’re back with a video. Indeed the little 500 and the original Mini and the VW Beetle are perfect little city cars as is the 2CV too! In today’s world the Japanese KEI cars are perfect, as are the SmartForTwo and other little EV’s like the AMI etc.
I would thoroughly endorse Kei-style positive incentives in the UK. Think of all the Honda Beats we could have 😮💨
@@TwinCam The UK should re allow the little Jimny for passenger use and it should positively encourage cars like the Suzuki Hustler etc for cities at least.
@@TwinCamObviously there’ll be slightly problems with the steering wheel being on the wrong - despite being right - side of the car, but the KEI-cars would be a huge improvement in European city traffic. Most cars driven in the morning and afternoon traffic is usually only with the driver in the car.
The KEI would really help here.
I was so excited and thrilled to find this fantastic review on my old laptop because I had searched for days to find you and worried that academics, work or finance had ended your exquisite classic tests! Phew! And what a car and what a thoroughly researched, presented and enjoyable video it gave, Scripting and presentation, as usual, was unsurpassable, and with new novel edition and filming of the driving sequence that was, as again as usual, a chance for you to really portray the character of the car and show your obvious fun and smile!
Thanks, Ed, to know you are still providing such unique reviews on Utube is a real joy, and the fact that they are chronologically a surprise from the norm, merely enhances to pleasure! Brill!
Rob
My big brother bought one new in 1969 and I used to learn to drive in it. It was fantastic and we loved it to bits. I still have the original sales brochure and I sometimes look at it and get wistful for it and my late brother. Nice video. 😊
My first car and I rolled it!
My dad owned one in the late 60's. If I remember correctly, the original dashboard was all steel and had a single, circular instrument 'cluster'. Also (could be wrong here) the choke lever was down by the drivers seat. Great video.
Fantastic stuff again twin cam. Great review of the car and a history lesson in one. Learn something new from all your videos.
Thanks for another great watch.
Thank you my friend, very kind of you to say :)
Great review Ed, have to confess I’ve been away from you’re channel for a while but I’m back now and will be tuning in more regularly
My first car. £417 on the road in 1965.
excellent review - as usual.
very detailed on the tech side, and able to perfectly explain the essence of the machine.
i had one until a few years ago. i drove it from roma to northern europe where i was living, drove it daily during long snowy winters, and then drove it back to italy when i moved back.
you need to drive it on snow or other loose surfaces to fully understand the incredible suspension setup. you can spin around a modern car stuck on ice. and in case it struggles climbing up an icy hill, just ask a couple of pedestrians to stand on your back bumper!
the car which taught me Driving.
I always liked the little 500 Fiat, I remember as a kid having a lift with a family friend from school back home in theirs.it was never intended to be “cute” but that’s what people probably think of it.
It was more practical, roomy and safe than a Vespa scooter but I think the Vespa would have probably been faster and more fun, not saying the 500 is not fun, just not AS much fun.
Nowdays a 500 would cost a few pounds more than the value of a pack of “peanuts” though.
Another great informative video again Ed, thanks.😀👍
Would love to have one - or something similar. Like every other car of it's era, though, prices have taken off to the point of ridiculousness.
Great Video Ed- Many Thanks. I remember being given a lift home from school by a neighbour's Mum in one of these. It was brilliant in the snow.
Ich werde niemals ein Produkt kaufen welches hier beworben wird, aber danke für das schöne Video
Great vlog and a beautiful example of a 500, would love you to review an Imp
I do enjoy these videos which contain so many interesting facts. Personally I believe Fiat's original Panda is a finer city car than the 500. Why ? Because it's sturdier, more practical and has better performance. Check the 1980s Fiat ads on CZcams ...they are amusing !
I had an original Panda - absolutely loved buzzing around London in it. It got it so right, that intricate balance between pared down minimalism and yet providing all that was really needed.
@@michaelbacon561 Same for me too. I owned a nearly new 1000CL for 14 years from 1988 and I so enjoyed pottering around the London area. Never let me down.
I grew up in Albania - we usually drive Classic Mercedes Diesel, but FIAT Panda 4WD with the Aircooled engine is extremely durable even if poorly made. If you’re off-roading, it’s usually either that or a Citroën Méhari 4WD (basically a 2CV but an SUV).
A Long time ago, a friend of mine made an 'epic' journey in one of these cars.
"Over the Alps ?, Crossing a dessert ?, or Circling the globe ?
NO, he drove from Yorkshire all the way to the West Midlands ! ! !
Why was that epic ? (I hear you scream), well he did it without the help of functional brakes ! ! !
How did he slow down and stop ?
As he was a strong bloke with 'Sturdy Boots' he had no problem with opening the door and stopping it by foot pressure !
And being a tiny car with a tiny engine, it was a 'credible strategy' to just be slower than everyone else and use the gears to slow down until it was possible to 'ram' the kerb side to stop !
And to 'cap it all' he made it back a few days later.
On both journeys he also carried a passenger (without any 'sturdy boots) but I'm not sure if this helped !
Allas, later on that year, it's suspension broke and it got discarded on some waste ground and when my friend returned to recover it, it had been 'Taken' !
This was a shame as the way the world has 'turned out' had he given it a bit more love and respect, it could be worth a 'ton' of money now !
What an adorable little nugget!
Isn't it just. It's a car that deserves a hug.
My Auntie has one in green that my Uncle maintains. It hasn’t been out for a few years, but they’re hoping to get it out this year. I’ve sat in it in their garage though. At 6’1” with big legs, I can just about get into a driving position.
Great review, thank you
Excellent work. You have talent.
What great review of the nice little car. Very interesting and informative. Big thanks for your work. Peace and Love!
great video and some nice in-depth info. And you seem to have mastered the art of the down -shift with the non-syncro box. Took me ages
Another informative and interesting presentation.....Thank you so much...Great memories..Roger...Pembrokeshire
Love your uploads young man
Outstanding review on a true classic. They sound so good. Fun fact - the earliest Smart City Coupé models had a transverse leaf spring at the front. Later models (Fortwo) had McPherson struts but the springs on those are very prone to breaking.
Thank you my friend, and I did not know that! I thought they all used struts.
The best review I’ve read of the 500. 💯 Thanks Ed.
@philiprodney7884 Thanks Philip, very kind of you to say 🙂
Noice video. Love the review!
Great video tkx
An enjoyable video, cheers
Excellent vlog. Great cars but not the best option in Australia's large brown land.
Bedankt
Thank you! Very kind of you! 🙂
Such a sweet car, great presentation.
Thank you :)
1977 I drove up Hardknott pass in the Lake District, no problem just stay in first gear, the gearbox, you need to double de-clutch on the change down, gets easy with practice. First gear can only be selected when the car is stationary, so stop and get into first gear before attempting any very steep hill. And stay off the M62 motorway, I was forced to drop into 2nd gear on the climb, maximum speed in 2nd 30mph, the heavy lorries will be òvertaking, although the car did climb hills better than the Citroën 2CV which had faster acceleration on the flat. The Fiat did ride with more comfort on its springs than the Mini with its rubber cone suspension.
excellent presentation as always Ed, though you really don't look yourself in those follow-car scenes 😉
back in the day when I were a lad working on cars, the thing that really got me about those little air-cooled FIAT engines was the centrifugal oil filter. simple cheap and reliable though if nobody bothered to clean them out an engine failure would be the ultimate result.
Thanks mate, someone assumed it was my Dad driving rather than the folks at Manor Park, takes all sorts! ;)
@@TwinCam the exact same thought also crossed my mind
Really? Why exactly?
@@TwinCam nothing heavy Ed, just a case of 'is that Eds dad?'
IN 1962 a worker earned 50,000 lire a month. He paid for the car in 3-4 years with monthly bills
Even our 1972 500L still had the early speedo with just a light for low fuel level.
With a big bore kit it was a lot of fun.
The gearbox was non synchro but once you got the hang of it fast double de-clutches could be made.
My next car was a 850Sport which had the same suspension layout but with the 903cc water cooled engine and a more stylish body.
The suspension of the 500 would have just been based on the 600.
Damn, I love this car!!!!
I love these
17 horses flat out all day... sounds like the description of a good lawnmower engine
😂😂
I like your video's in The Netherlands
I ride in one as being a kid and that I understod how good it was, in that small car segment there where nothing like it.
Small cars in general where as quirky, a stigma.
I fell in love and still that I apprichiate small clever designs.
I think small cars "key cars" as to be the future, it will be the only honest way in dealing with envoiremental issues.
Smaller cars as driven by hybrid systems, do we actually realy need huge cars of 2-4 tonnes in weight as pulling 150- hk and in most cases as haulin one ass and a smartphone?
Me driving a SUV no I do not think so.
Good episode, I especially like the 'seamless' cuts between you driving and then your Dad? driving seen from the car in front? threatening the Beastie Boys "Intergalactic" dodgy car cuts supremacy. AND that is the most beautiful dashboard ever? now that's what I call minimalism (2) & I have been accused of being a minimalist architect myself I'll have you know! tar, Col
HA my Dad! Goodness, I'm not a nepo baby!
You may, of course, have picked this up in the course of your research, Ed - but Topolino doesn't only mean 'little mouse', but is also the Italian name for Mickey Mouse.
The Seicento of 1955 was the official replacement of the Topolino
Did you miss the bit where I said that?
I spotted a 500 Jolly last week, nobody seemed to recognise it (people just walked past without looking).
I'm very surprised no one turned and looked, just buzzing around the business park in this one captured a few rubber neckers!
What was the red light on the left of the dash...?
The 600 morphed into the 850. I had one for a year - miles better than an original mini 850
Beetles also had no fuel gauges for quite awhile, into the 60s I think. You raised the bonnet and put a wooden dip stick into the tank to see how much fuel you had. Fortunately, they had an auxiliary tank operated by a little foot lever mounted on the front firewall. Experienced VW hands could jam the brakes on and listen for the sloshing noise as a rough guide.
Or usually you shouted at the passenger to change the lever over. Ask me how I know !!
@@Mancozeb100 ever forget to turn the lever back up after you used it so you no longer had an auxiliary? ask me how I know!!
@@coldlakealta4043 That was ... "normal" practice !!! Possibly responsible for the deterioration in decorum in everyday speech. Nothing beats a car sputtering to a halt to evoke high emotion... and low standards !
I absolutely bloody love these cars so very, very much! I must have another one. When finances allow of course.
I prefer the 600 or the 126 that succeeded it
Well, for You as an ex-Yu citizen (and for me as ex-USSR citizen) the 600 is more important just because it made our countries mobile.
126p made Poland mobile but Zastava
was a dream of many as it was there
first.
Hi. I agree that FIAT could produce a peach of an engine but the bodywork was completely rubbish. I hav an 850 that had a fabulous engine engine but the bodywork was riddled with rust after 3 years. The floor fell out on both sides and the rest of the body was also rusty.
To be fair, rust was such a standard part of 1960s motoring that I don't think you'd avoid that with many manufacturers.
@@TwinCam Agreed but FIAT wer renown for using thin metal to cut costs and weight
@killerqueen9298 Yes absolutely, especially when you compare them to a company like Rootes, who famously used very thick steel in a chase for quality.
I spy birchwood business park
Wrong side of Warrington!
"Safer than a Vespa"???? Hmmmm Thats kind of pushing it........ lol
Well, you can't fall over. I have a bad leg that has persisted for years from a gravel slide out in a corner on my Vespa 200 GT, 15 years ago.
Plus you can't get any more cool than riding a Vespa
@@JoyceTillman-jj3yp Even the name "Vespa" is cool.........
Well, it seems like Fiat engineers cared more about average driver needs than Sir Alec Issigonis.
Oh undoubtedly. Issigonis, at least from the Mini onwards, couldn't give a stuff about what drivers wanted. He just wanted to make wacky engineering test beds based on his pre-conceived views of the world. That said, Giacosa rounded-off Issigonis' rough edges with the Autobianchi Primula, then with Fiats 128 and 127.
@@TwinCam the Mini was pretty difficult to repair - its biggest flaw IMO.
At 14:17 am I seeing things? Who's driving?
Although fabric is cheaper than steel, I doubt a fabric sunroof is cheaper than a continuous steel roof due to its extra engineering and construction costs. Like the vid though, well done
Well, they weren't designing for roof strength or rollover protection, and I think it wasn't so much the cost of the steel as the shortage of supply- they didn't want to run out.
incorrect, the ultimate city car is the fiat 126... which is a fiat 500 but with more headroom for the reas passangers
I love the 126, but I can’t agree. While a worthy improvement, the formula was badly out of date by 1972, and its massive success was more down to politics than greatness. Cars are great in context, and they generally fall out of favour once removed from their periods.
Yup, by the 1970s this formula was a bit irrelevant when you could get a 127.