4th of July, 1957. This was the date on which the “500” was first produced in Turin, the “big small car” which soon became the emblem of the concept of driving for the mass market. The figures linked to this success are significant: over 4 million vehicles have been sold.
Fifty years on, again on the 4th of July, Fiat launched the 500 of the new millennium and in the first months of 2017 will break the record of two million cars sold.
When Fiat celebrates sixty years of its global icon, for the occasion, the Geneva show will provide the stage for the launch of the special 60th anniversary series. This exclusive numbered limited edition pays tribute to the original 500 through a specific characterisation.
Exclusively available as a convertible, the Fiat 500 special 60th anniversary series presents brand new dual-colour paintwork evocatively named Dolcevita: three-layer White for the body of the car and pastel Ivory for the bonnet and pillars. The grey and burgundy waistrail enhances this chromatic combination, whereas the colour chosen for the hood is grey.
The style of this special series is enhanced by its chrome mirror caps, special 16 inch lightweight alloy wheel rims and a dedicated logo: 560. Here we truly have a brand within a brand, as the red “6” and “0” are contained in the last two figures of the 500 logo. This exclusive badge adorns the pillar and also appears on the chrome sill and the numbered limited edition nameplate.
The interior also presents retro details, such as the tubular elements of the seats in ivory leather with contrasting burgundy seams, which match the central part of the dashboard, and the bespoke dual-colour car mats.
Standard features include a leather gear stick knob and steering wheel with built-in commands, the 7 inch Uconnect Radio Live touchscreen system with Bluetooth, satellite navigator and USB and AUX IN ports; 7 inch TFT, automatic climate control, fog lights and rear parking sensors. The 2017 innovations are also present: Speed Limiter and Cruise control and, on request, the CarPlay and Android Auto system; this makes possible for users to access the main applications of their smartphones directly on the 7 inch screen of the UconnectT system integrated on the central console.
The selection of engines available on the 500 Sessantesimo includes two petrol engines – also available with robotic Dualogic gearbox and paddle shift – the 1.2 with 69 HP and the 0.9 TwinAir with 85 HP. All engines are Euro 6, including the small turbodiesel 1.3 16v Multijet II 95 HP version.
The Fiat 500 60th anniversary special series will be available for order from 9 March; the edition will total 560 cars, all with individual authenticity certificate, for sale on the main EMEA region markets with delivery from 4 July.
