This collection of books is devoted to those cars that were so cherished as to become mythical. Not the inaccessible, not the fashionable, arrogant beauties of the devil, but the but the sincere and loyal friends whose natural charm is forever locked in the heart… Discovering the Fiat 500 in its real life – where it lives, who it goes out with, the roads it travels – reveals how much the car of that time is considered a member of the family, omnipresent in the photos, invited to the most modest picnic, to every wedding, partner of all the trips, inevitable accomplice of the holidays.
It was long before the Euro, ice-creams and selfies/ Italy was the Lire, gelati and photo-novels. And then she arrived, she, the Princess… Principessa. In 1957, the rebirth of a model dreamt up before the war. Dante Giacosa devised it and opened the gates of paradise for us.
With the magic number “500”, to evoke the engine capacity of the most powerful model… even if the performance was a little modest for its day… less than one hundred kilometres an hour! Forgotten in any case the Topolino (Mickey Mouse’s nickname in Italy) from 1936. This car breathes peace… and a lot more…
Look at the size, less than 3 metres long, width and height 1.32 metres, it is inevitable that it is ideal for lovers tightly cuddled up against each other, expecting to start a family… and choose a larger model. All the same, it is still the smallest car in the world! The adventure would last for eighteen years. In distinct stages, such as a fabric sunroof from 1959 or a luxury series, the “L” in 1968 and variations in bodywork such as the Jolly Beach and the Giardiniera (Gardener).
The adventure became international with versions being constructed under licence in Germany and particularly in Austria. Up to 1975 more than four million cars were launched on the roads of the Italian peninsula… and beyond like so many butterflies of the day and moths of the night. The ballet was joyful and buzzing, like one of Adriano Celentano’s songs. Before the great return in 2007. Dolce Fiat 5OO… Dolce vita!
Fiat 500
Published by This Is Not A Map
9.90€
