Come Fourth of July, and we will see the rebirth of yet another iconic car, Nuova Fiat 500. Exactly half a century after the original was conceived by Dante Giacosa and launched by Fiat. The designer who is significant to Indians as being responsible for the Bombay taxis derived from the Fiat Millicento (1100).
No doubt the new Fiat 500 will be as important to the cycle of revival of Fiat as it was back then after the war. Like its ancestor the new 500 has been designed in-house. Fiat hinted on the remake of the 500 at Geneva three years back in the form of the ‘Trepiuno’ concept. The exterior of the production car may not vary much from the concept. But the interior is a far cry from Trepiuno’s use of translucent silicon surface (akin to an iPod). Instead we can expect beautifully balanced retro smells and colours in the detailing and style of the dashboard and other elements of the interior.
The car’s proportions and certain cues lend a pleasant form while also expressing the notion of solidity and sturdiness. While the ancestral version had the static solidity to counter its diminutive stature the present one seems to want to follow the same traits albeit with its distinctive sporting and dynamic exterior. Thanks mainly to the glasshouse, steeper rake angle at the rear window, forward stretching windscreen and diving profile. The wraparound type bonnet follows the feature line that loops around the car, recalling its forbearer, complete with the absence of a grille. Further nostalgic ingredients come in the form of its short bonnet, minimal overhang, compact size and optimum track dimensions. Almost every motif picked up from the past has been considered for a reason and is there to serve a particular function. In some cases reviewing its function in the original car and enhancing the feature on the new car. For instance the roof glazing makes an obvious nod at the short canvas roof of the later 500s.
With the new 500 Europe’s prominent post war quartet of small cars that were born more than half a century back, will all have a descendant that is proud of its parentage. The other members include the new beetle, BMW MINI and Pluriel (if we make ourselves believe it is a descendant of the Citroen 2CV). These cars marked the first wave of mass motorisation in Europe. The Fiat 500 is an original design, then, to convene a new post-modern consumer style that rephrases retro forms and style to satisfy contemporary needs. Not a novelty when one looks at music, furniture design, fashion, and lifestyle. Post-modernism; emerged at the very end of last century and has enthused designers worldwide. To create a blend of the past and future through an exclusive product that shifts from mass manufacture in terms of style and method of construction.
Fiat has even launched a website for the 500, where it encourages visitors to suggests new design options, perhaps to encourage and increase the 500 cult group, and make it a valuable brand. No doubt Fiat is on a mission to have this new addition to its line up of the graceful Punto and Bravo models.