The Fiat 500 is the Ultimate City Car

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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[simonhodgetts]

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.

[barrykochverts]

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!

[sfedroid]

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.

[robertngreen]

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!

[RTam]

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.

[Lucan-vezc]

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.

[ianstewartorr]

My aunt had a dark blue one it was a noisy little bugger I remember I was only a little boy Greetings from Scotland 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

[kasperkjrsgaard]

Twin Cam, one of the very best car programs on youtube 😊🙏🏼

[warrenny]

Maybe it's just me, but i love that red body with white walled tires.

[fhwolthuis]

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 🇮🇹🥰👌

[michaeltutty]

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.

[ianbeeston]

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 😂

[rogerking]

"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.

[shankarbalan]

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.

[roberttaylor]

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

[klafus]

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.

[michealhennessy]

The early 2CV also lacked a fuel gauge and used a fabric dip stick to judge fuel level remaining

[JP-]

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.

[JaydenB]

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

[PaulinesPastimes]

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. 😊