The new 500 we saw last week might be the retro car of the moment but let's not forget the real car it is "based" on. No sooner had I picked up the little Esseesse a car collector friend of mine dropped over my place with his original 500 F along Shimizu-san of T.C. Garage, one of the most well know Fiat 500 importers and tuners in Japan.
Shimizu-san brought out his own Abarth which may have a fraction of the performance the new one offers but it makes up this massive deficit with tons of character…
…I mean look at that stance with the custom widened front and rear fenders holding in the race wheels and semi-slick rubber. The extended Abarth oil sump was used in competition to hold more oil for when the car tackled corners at the track or hairpin bends at hill-climb races.
I was lucky enough to take this little thing out for a ride and really loved everything about it. For such a little two cylinder the engine has enough acceleration to make things interesting but it's the sound that really put a smile on my face. The slightly more raucous twin exit exhaust makes the best of those unique offset pulses which sound so cool when you mange to nail the rev-matched downshifts, necessary on the old 500 unless you want the non-synchronized gearbox to spit out a few teeth. The lack of precision in the steering, pedals and gearshift made me laugh, but then again you can't really compare cars like this to what we are used with today.
You can really get a feel at how FIAT nailed the new 500 design, it really belongs in this line up. However the classic car is the one I'd take home with me, I reckon I could fit most of my camera equipment in the back seat. I'd like to see the look on people's faces if I start showing up to shoots with one of these little things!
Many thanks to Shimizu-san and Takamichi for the fun afternoon!
-Dino Dalle Carbonare
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
Good to see some Fiat love on Speedhunters.... these cars really are brilliant
Why are Modern Cars waistlines getting higher?
Gimme the original every time, that new one is so cramped inside - at least the old one is genuinely small. As with the new Mini and Beetle, it's a bad rip off of a classic name
Slam_Duck, the stupidly high waistlines we see nowadays exist to keep passengers safe in crashes.
...Because apparently we need the government to tell us how well our cars should protect us.
@ Slam_Duck: MacPherson struts. Waist lines are always lower on cars with upper and lower control arms, but that is sadly more expensive, so we're stuck with the awkward-looking MacPherson strut cars.
ps. I wish the new one was also rear-engine/rear-drive.
"Why are Modern Cars waistlines getting higher?" because of side impact protection, and its all very well saying give me the old over the new, but which would you rather take on the track (the old one) and which would you rather be hit by a range rover in (the new one).
A new 500AB towing a factory restored original 500AB to the track would be best, do fiat offer that option?
So, what's so cool about these cars anyway?
Alex you'd have to be a car enthusiast to understand. Most people here are.
It's a shame cars like this will never be produced again. Safety laws and other stuff make new cars look tall and too big compared to the old models.
Any chance to see a tuned 600 in SH? There are plenty of Zastavas in some parts of Europe too.
Dino, I'm surprised you fit in that cute old 500!
love those original Abarth versions especially the full rally spec. versions... not a big fan of the new versions
Oooh sooo cute I want one! I love the new models too, especially the http://www.fiat.co.uk/Showroom/#showroom/500c">fiat convertible 500c. But I really love these old fiat 500s too!