My parents drove a 500. For their honeymoon. 700 km thru Italy. Back and forth. With luggages. Buying souvenirs and stuff for friends and family along the honeymoon. Including a chandelier. Which they bought when the journey was almost at the beginning. That car must be some kind of tesseract.
I do not know about the cars where made in Italy .... but those car were made in Argentina also and there follows it is own history. That is one of most loved cars by argentineans and after a hard and long life of 60 years one of those cars can go from patagonia to alaska an back. That is an argentinean FITITO :D ua-cam.com/video/udWBNPGe4ik/v-deo.html
My wife and I had the same experience with a Fiat 500 - but a new one. From Vienna to southern germany with all the stuff you need for a wedding, getting wed, packed the car full with wedding presents, drove into the mountains and then ... back 600km to Vienna. We are talking suitcases, plants, a concrete block (don't ask) left-over food from a whole wedding... I don't know how the italians do it, but the term "The car is Full" just don't seem to apply to Fiats.
Thurnis Haley nah, we also have a lot of Mediterranean fish, a lot of meat, pasta and other dough based products and a wide variety of vegetables and spices dawg
Lupins fiat is secretly the arabath version. In Cagstriostro the engine pops out the back like an arabath and in part 5 if you look closely it has the arabath badge. Also like James said the og is slow as shit, you aint evading the cops like that.
I have seen people in america that are wider than that car. Edit: I seem to have to add that it's intended as a joke cause there are a lot of butthurt people responding in the comments. Sure it's true, but it's still a joke.
The entire Cars of the People series was a television marvel, he became my favorite presenter. The documentary style segments are the best, this, the Lancia-Audi rivalry, the Jim Clark segment, all terrific.
The Mad Gentleman although, to fully respect Italian grammar, he should’ve said “piccola” as we do have genders for nouns in Italian and car is feminine :)
Legends from the past. I remember in late 70s' I met over there 4 Italians like me on vacation, wandering around the Mediterranean islands on a 500 L (Lusso!), luggage on the roof. My friend and I on an old lovely aggressive Giulia Gtj. We joint and run about together. Well, it was hard to keep pace with them, but that little devil was unbeatable in certain passages up to the passes, white roads, small villages; and it was really fresh (open sky, engine at backside) compared to the roaring Alfa.
I remember being in Rome and seeing more of these original 500's than I had expected. A lot of them were beautifully maintained and driven by older, dignified Italians.
@@thetemptedvida8650 Oh the practicality of small cars in Rome is something I definitely noticed and understood, it's just that I hadn't expected to see so many *well-maintained old 500's.*
@@Rasbiff if by this stage you still have a Cinquecento is because you're taking tremendous care of it. Same thing applies in Spain to those who have 600s (the spanish version of the italian Cinquecento): whoever has one he keeps it in pristine condition. Though there are nowhere near as many 600s here as 500s in Italy.
@@ramjb FIAT 600 is just the bigger sister of the successful FIAT 500 not a spanish version, they were both designed and projected by Ing. Dante Giacosa. The 600 it was produced in several countries including Spain and it was a quite popular car in the sixties
@@plexone3540 Yeah, the 600 was also produced in Yugoslavia as the Zastava 750 and was very popular there as well, and even in Germany it was produced as the NSU-Fiat Jagst at some point.
JoshJLMG Productions 17 HP. Anyhow as you might expect from us Italians the old 500 was a classic to modify...typically models with a Lancia 1300cc V4 twin cam were pretty common and that made the little 500 a superfast (and deadly dangerous) monster with 86Hp on 530kg....that's a power/weight ratio around 0.42 Hp/Kg more or less like a Ferrari 458 Italia. :-D Consider that back then, in the late '70, there were no rules on seatbelts and you could drive legally after 2 liters of red wine and you have a picture of what the place was like :-)
@@michaelhardy9264 there's all sorts of tuning for that little car, I have seen some 500 that may even go to the moon🚀 😂 ua-cam.com/video/2y_sfH8GKbo/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/3yWJUFnQd7U/v-deo.html
I have 1971 500 that I drive in the USA and people go absolutely bonkers for it. A few extra things to know: -12” rims -498cc engine -Transaxle without synchros (so you have to rev-match) -5 gallon fuel tank -Less than 2 quarts to change the oil -Top speed is around 50-55mph, but at that speed the cloth top is going crazy.
one of my friends owns one, and let me say it's incredibly fun to drive. It does not have synchronized gears, so u have to shift with a "doppia debraillata" or else the gear box will make an horrible sound and grind himself to heaven. But guys, driving the cinquecento on secondary roads give u the time to appreciate the landscape, the time to think, the time to feel relaxed
Little side note, it wasn't until I think Castle of Cagliostro that Lupin started driving a little Yellow Fiat 500 (I've seen the years vary from 1965-1968) Prior to that movie Lupin drove a Mercedes Benz SSK.
This was a remarkable transition in this episode, from the dreary Beetle and Trabant to this beautiful Fiat that immediately makes you feel optimistic.
@@taniakrause9253 I also own a new Fiat 500. Really great car, comfortable, surprisingly roomy interior and trunk, and, despite Fiat's poor image, very reliable. And the design is awesome and attracts both men and women. Imho the new 500 is the first retro car that at least comes close to resembling the charm of the original - unlike those ugly, bloated hipster transport vehicles that call themselves New Mini or New Beetle, but only marginally resemble the originals.
I currently own a 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth and absolutely love this car. It's plenty peppy enough, rumbles like a mini dragon, it has been exceptionally dependable. The sport button changes the beast entirely. Would I trade my Fiat? Only for another one.
@@torstenscholz6243 That's why they've been building them for 15 years now without any major changes. They actually were successful in building a retro car that not only carries the same spirit but also plays the same role in terms of being a people mover, just as its predecessor.
My school teacher had one of these gems. I remember on a school camp she we were driving down a country road with all the school kids standing on the front seat hanging out of the sunroof. Oh happy days.
Boy does this bring back memories. I was a NATO officer stationed in Southern Italy for four years. Used to see these little cars all over the place. And the local Italians would manage to stuff their entire family into one of these. Looked like sardine packing. Ha. Ha. Ha. They would fly down the road with a list to one side or the other from all that weight.
I had the pleasure of owning 3 of these vehicles, on separate occasions. Absolutely wonderful; cheap, easy to drive and comfortable! And this is from a long time Jaguar owner!
Yes, if you're ready to spend ten times the cost for an original one. Or you can do one of those cheapo, unoriginal "things" by putting an engine by a Fiat 126 (26-30 HP) in a normal 500 and add some go-faster stripes.
Pro's of a 500+126engine transplant: very cheap and you get a synchro gearbox. Against: brakes and suspension are from a 18HP car. Beware! Anyway, true original Abarth's are rarer than hen teeth (they were almost all raced, exploited to death and mostly run into ditches or walls sooner or later), so they command stupid money today (Porsche territory).
@@BenCol I had one when young, back traction, so light and not to much power was going anywhere uphill even with snow! In Italy we use to say , when you arrive with your car the 500 maybe later will arrive too but where the 500 can go nobody can!
In Spain, this car was made under licence by Seat, and it became an icon for us. It was one of the first projects made to take Spain away from the postwar harsh years. Everybody could afford one.
An original Mini vs 500 comparison wouldn’t be bad. Btw the 500 came out in the late 1950s and truly represents the Italian style :) The nowadays version isn’t bad at all and the 500 Abarth is rather powerful. Definitely has more than 17HP :P
I just watched the movie “Italian Job” from 1969 and these little cars were everywhere. They are much smaller than my Fiat Pop 500. On a side note, not many of us Americans drive them. ☹️
Recently bought the modern version for the missus. Glad to say it retains a lot of the charm and fun that May describes, save that it is now larger, safer and (thankfully) quicker. Would definitely recommend.
This was every 3th car on the streets in Yugoslavia in 50s and 60s.. ..because it was produces here as name Fica iz Zastava and one milion were sold ..there were 2 motors with 750 ccm with 25 hp and 850 ccm with 32 hp...and there was kombi version
A Bicycle was / still is: • Far cheaper. • Easier to park. • Doesn't require a licence at all. • Doesn't take decades to reach the customer. • Has free air conditioning. • Doesn't belch out smoke like a naval destroyer... or a volkswagen ;-) .
Very early models had suicide doors. Later models had regular doors. They even made van (Furgoncino) , estate/station wagon (Giardiniera) and a 'people carrier' called the Multipla! The Multipla came out in the late fifties and had suicide doors too!
The Fiat 500 1st serie is so iconic that new 500 has same glass inclination and same proportion. This is why new 500 is so apreciate. She has the same spirit and glamour of her grandmama
My sister had one as her first car in about 1969... She was still learning,nand got stuck/stalled in a 4-way junction ! I was only about 14, but could start and drive to get her out of trouble from the passenger seat !
Fun Fact: In some small towns, you can still see one of these going around, rare, but not super rare. 20years ago it was even a 'meme' car among the youth. I had a couple of hippie friends that wanted to get their hands on one of these lol.
I'd love to see the 3 of them on the Grand Tour doing one of their budget challenges where they have to drive old classics. James in this fiat, Jeremy in something like a Ford Cortina and Richard in an old mini, involving lots of off-roading and long distances across some tricky terrain and challenging surfaces
the 500 (Cinquecento) is called whatever the local language for "500" is outside of italy. As oposed to the Cinquecento (boxy 90's city car) because it's written "Cinquecento" in the back. it is really that simple and stupid, but what you gonna do.
Following that line of thought, then you'd have the BMW dreihundertfünfundzwanzig tds and the Mercedes C zweihundertzwanzig CDI. Numbers are always read in the local language. As well as the 2CV and the Beetle, which always has a local name.
german. because he said 500 should be said cinquecento, because the car is italian and that's the name, so bmw has the 325, and it's german, so let's call it the dreihundertfunfundzwanzig. you get my point.
My grandpa bought one in 1970 with the same color of lupin the third, he actuvely used it until last year at wich point he had to stop because it wasn't in line with some laws, but it's still parked outside our home attracting tourists, gotta say it, that's one hell of a car
The ORIGINAL of this 1957 Fiat 500 was the 1955 Fiat 600 - which was less than 1 school ruler longer (321.5cm vs. 297cm for the 500) - This smaller brother of two years later copied the 600 almost exactly - just shrunken in the wash that was too hot ..
You probably weren't even born when these little cars came out. I think its great that you can appreciate them. When I was a kid in the fifties ,I was fascinated by the small European cars that I would see down town. ( I still am.) They had a popular following.. this was before safety laws stopped their import. Thanks.
My uncle and aunt have one. To get in the drivers seat, i have to make sure I get in in a particular way, otherwise my legs are both on one side of the steering wheel. I think they’re fantastic, I hope I get a chance to drive theirs one day.
funniest thing is, a true petrol head will love that car as much as a classic mustang or ferrari, it's not only an icon, but a genuinely great little car, not to mention a terrific base for a restomod
Easy to work on, parts cheap as chips and incredibly simple design makes it a very desirable restoration project indeed. Only downside is probably resale value, they don`t fetch that much over here even mint condition.
ggerely where are you from?? If you find a cheap 500 in mint condition as you told us, under 5000€, tell me where and I'll buy few. I think you're not from Italy.... Because a rusty 500 here, maybe without documents and/or plates and/or gripped engine, it's 3000 up to 4500€..... Cheap? Not at all.... At least here!
@@Ale_giro I meant parts are cheap enough and it does not have great re-sale value. I am not far from italy and never said you'd find a mint for 5k. I said once you restore one they can't make too much profit because they are cheap, a mint is around 15k here. But if you find one to restore for say 3k then spend another 3k on parts and 3k on work then the return is not that great
My family in Spain had a 600 , bigger but we were five...... Travelling around the country and taking ferries crossing to Africa, in summer. Greatest cars.
Mio padre acquistò una Fiat 500 nel 1966 quando io nacqui, abbiamo viaggiato in quattro persone per 15 anni, io, mio padre, mio fratello e mia madre, siamo andati in ogni luogo con questa macchia senza mai avere problemi, era una autovettura molto affidabile, economica e semplice. Bei ricordi. Marco
oh mine was a fiat 127 too. it was red and rusty and really a piece of crap. everything ratteled and it was slower that james may. highlight was a rev counter mounted on the dashboard in a wooden box. looked like a little closet . but how crappy it was, i had the most fun in this thing, we drove from germany through france for 2 weeks and it worked fine. had this car almost 2 years and it never failed. i dropped a tear when i brought it to the press,
@@hi-fidude6670 well this happend 1990. i was 20 years old and the car was really done. at this time cars like this were nothing special so i had to for a new one. ok other one , not new, but back then it felt right.
Whenever I look at cars from this era, like the 500 or mini, I always think to myself - how much would it cost to build these exact cars now, using improved materials, components, and safety features? Keep it basic, but also keep the look and style exactly the same, so you can have the style of these classics without the worry of breakdown and expensive maintenance. There must be a market for it?
Unfortunately safety regulations have ballooned the size of these cars to what the Modern Mini Cooper and Fiat 500 are today. What you're asking for already exists really, even if it's not what we want.
I drive one. Once you get the hang of double clutching and rev matching it feels faster than it really is. The most annoying part is that people stay next to you while you drive- they pull out their cell phones to take a pictures- what they don’t realize is that I’m basically driving a tin can and their impromptu photo shoot puts me at great risk.
Was very pleased to see that all three episodes of this series were available for purchase on Xbox Live for a sensible price. It was a grand way to spend a Sunday afternoon with James talking about cars the way he does best.
One happening I saw with one of these was funny as hell and I will never forget, in the early seventies my friend Joe had one for a while, Joe was a big fella. One day he gave another friend, Tangey, a ride downtown. Well, Tangey was an even WIDER fellow than Joe.I watched with interest as they got in the car. What a show, they finally figured out the only way they could get the doors shut was by slamming them hard AT THE SAME TIME! Wish I had a video of it.
17 horsepower. 300 years ago, if you had 17 actual horses pulling your carriage through town, people would have thought you were the king of everything.
I never had a Fiat 500 but I did have its big brother, the Fiat 600. Let me tell you about that car. First, it has suicide doors and a water-cooled engine. It had a 7-gallon gas tank and got 40 MPG. It was red-lined at 55 MPH and would over heat if you went over 45 MPH. That is, unless it was the dead of winter, at night and it was snowing. In the summer I had to drive with the heater on to help cool the engine. It wasn't a pretty picture. I did the maintaining of the car myself and, as I recall, 2 quarts of engine oil were too much. As I mentioned, the only 2 problems with the car were the overheating and the red-line at 55 MPH. In those days I was always in the slow lane of the L.A. freeways and subjected to a lot of honking. Today, I believe neither belongs on the highway. That’s just my opinion, I could be wrong.
I saw a film from Montenegro once. A FIAT 500 was used, pulling two or three hitched Refuse Carts around. Young boys were emptying the local trash into the Carts being towed. It was unique!
I test drove a newer 500... let's put it like this, it was parked on the sidewalk in front of the dealership, got into it with the dealer-man, started it up and with a plom its small size allowed me to drive it up the sidewalk and into the parking out and out onto the road.
My parents drove a 500.
For their honeymoon.
700 km thru Italy. Back and forth.
With luggages.
Buying souvenirs and stuff for friends and family along the honeymoon.
Including a chandelier. Which they bought when the journey was almost at the beginning.
That car must be some kind of tesseract.
lol i thought a colt for 2 persons for 4 days and some things bought was much
I do not know about the cars where made in Italy .... but those car were made in Argentina also and there follows it is own history.
That is one of most loved cars by argentineans and after a hard and long life of 60 years one of those cars can go from patagonia to alaska an back. That is an argentinean FITITO :D
ua-cam.com/video/udWBNPGe4ik/v-deo.html
@@sivi8272 nice but that's a Fiat 600, a bigger (let's say so) model.
My wife and I had the same experience with a Fiat 500 - but a new one.
From Vienna to southern germany with all the stuff you need for a wedding, getting wed, packed the car full with wedding presents, drove into the mountains and then ... back 600km to Vienna.
We are talking suitcases, plants, a concrete block (don't ask) left-over food from a whole wedding... I don't know how the italians do it, but the term "The car is Full" just don't seem to apply to Fiats.
@@sivi8272 Argentina is just Italy v2 :')
Italians... had to make the car as cheap as possible - yet still did not compromise on style and looks.
PUOI DIRLO FORTE!!! W L'ITALIA!!!
It would've been dead in the water if it looked poorly
the style is one of the few good things we have ...😂🙏 (And also the food of course 😋)
@@Maubald Nah. Bread noodles, cheese and tomatoes gets pretty old pretty quick no matter how you dish it up
Thurnis Haley nah, we also have a lot of Mediterranean fish, a lot of meat, pasta and other dough based products and a wide variety of vegetables and spices dawg
I remember becoming obsessed with this car because of Lupin The third. The car looks like a lot of fun
You've got good taste, and my respect sir.
Lupins fiat is secretly the arabath version. In Cagstriostro the engine pops out the back like an arabath and in part 5 if you look closely it has the arabath badge. Also like James said the og is slow as shit, you aint evading the cops like that.
@@joelikespotatoes8321 Knowing Lupin, he most likely had it suped-up/modified. Cagliostro was made in 79.
What about Luigi
I was wondering when someone was going to reference Lupin III.
this video alone beats the current Top-Gear
true
preach
But it was never on Top Gear.
That's the point
Urinating on an electric fence beats the current Top Gear.
I keep expecting either Hammond or Clarkson to interrupt in a Lamborghini, imploring him to stop being so sensible
Or drive across that Fiat with a Range Rover classic:)
Well if they raced through this ancient city, the Fiat would have won.
What's sensible if shoving a VTEC into that thing and flying around with a psychotic 160 hrsprs.
Nothing sensible about driving a car with 17hp
@@MrTruth111 Or drop a piano on top of it.
I have seen people in america that are wider than that car.
Edit: I seem to have to add that it's intended as a joke cause there are a lot of butthurt people responding in the comments. Sure it's true, but it's still a joke.
All wallmart ppl!
I've seen people in Britain that are wider than americans
Too funny.
+Beerrunner81 in America a car that size comes w a happy meal
Mike Berg
Why? So they can blow out the side windows?
Growing up makes you realise James was the best presenter all along
The entire Cars of the People series was a television marvel, he became my favorite presenter. The documentary style segments are the best, this, the Lancia-Audi rivalry, the Jim Clark segment, all terrific.
@@kl75182: Have you looked at any of James's other content? "Man Lab" and "Toy Stories" are both fantastic as well.
I've been feeling like this for a while now! Funny to see people having the same train of thought.
They are all as good imo. Thats why it works.
Count me in. We all came because of the humor of clarkson and hammond... but nowadays May just produces the best content of all three of them.
"Absolutely chuffing piccolo!"
I don't think a more British statement has ever been uttered.
The Mad Gentleman although, to fully respect Italian grammar, he should’ve said “piccola” as we do have genders for nouns in Italian and car is feminine :)
@@Vylkeer Aye. All Cars are lasses ;-) .
I disagree. A third of that entire sentence is Italian
@@Vylkeer I reckon he did say "piccola", just with a very thick British accent
HeavyMetalLukex Could also be.
I remember this car in Greece. Back in 1972 we were four 6ft + teens with long legs cramming into a Fiat 500 taxi.
Legends from the past.
I remember in late 70s' I met over there 4 Italians like me on vacation, wandering around the Mediterranean islands on a 500 L (Lusso!), luggage on the roof. My friend and I on an old lovely aggressive Giulia Gtj.
We joint and run about together.
Well, it was hard to keep pace with them, but that little devil was unbeatable in certain passages up to the passes, white roads, small villages; and it was really fresh (open sky, engine at backside) compared to the roaring Alfa.
the sausage fest car :(
@@nismocash989 shut yo dumbass up
@@innos1951 kid go protest your gay rights this month with yoh fornite playing azz 😂
@@nismocash989 Now that's what I call "edgy".
One of the finest cars ever built, pure simplicity. I wish modern cars would learn to find a line between simplicity and complexity
If they did that, they wouldn't be able to charge thousands for dealer services or take advantage of planned obsolescence.
Wouldn't be legal. Nanny wouldn't have it.
Toyota Aygo?
I remember being in Rome and seeing more of these original 500's than I had expected. A lot of them were beautifully maintained and driven by older, dignified Italians.
Because in Rome is impossible to find a parking spot, so it's better to drive a small car. Probably you saw a lot of people driving Smart too
@@thetemptedvida8650 Oh the practicality of small cars in Rome is something I definitely noticed and understood, it's just that I hadn't expected to see so many *well-maintained old 500's.*
@@Rasbiff if by this stage you still have a Cinquecento is because you're taking tremendous care of it. Same thing applies in Spain to those who have 600s (the spanish version of the italian Cinquecento): whoever has one he keeps it in pristine condition. Though there are nowhere near as many 600s here as 500s in Italy.
@@ramjb FIAT 600 is just the bigger sister of the successful FIAT 500 not a spanish version, they were both designed and projected by Ing. Dante Giacosa. The 600 it was produced in several countries including Spain and it was a quite popular car in the sixties
@@plexone3540 Yeah, the 600 was also produced in Yugoslavia as the Zastava 750 and was very popular there as well, and even in Germany it was produced as the NSU-Fiat Jagst at some point.
70 hp in a car like that? That must be actually decently quick.
Edit: Oh, 17...
same
JoshJLMG Productions
17 HP.
Anyhow as you might expect from us Italians the old 500 was a classic to modify...typically models with a Lancia 1300cc V4 twin cam were pretty common and that made the little 500 a superfast (and deadly dangerous) monster with 86Hp on 530kg....that's a power/weight ratio around 0.42 Hp/Kg more or less like a Ferrari 458 Italia. :-D
Consider that back then, in the late '70, there were no rules on seatbelts and you could drive legally after 2 liters of red wine and you have a picture of what the place was like :-)
@@sandrobindelli5607 Holy crap, that is a death trap.
No problem just supercharge it
Whait wasn't it 70?
Know there’s a few Lupin III fans hovering around here.
Yerp we do exist. The new movie looks epic and the Fiat 500 from the trailer clips looks sooooo realistic. Rest in peace Monkey Punch tho :(
The reason i want a new 500 is because of lupin the third. Sadly, it won't climb hillsides.
Eyy, you found us!
@@michaelhardy9264
there's all sorts of tuning for that little car, I have seen some 500 that may even go to the moon🚀 😂
ua-cam.com/video/2y_sfH8GKbo/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/3yWJUFnQd7U/v-deo.html
I love my fans
Simple, smart, innovative, cheerful and fun to drive. Italian engineering in a nutsell.
Of course, my sith lord
Well for the original fiat yes. But now it's more about flash pizazz and most of all PERFORMANCE
as an Italian, I really appreciate James pronunciation of Italian words
Yes. When I first saw it, his pronounciation of "479" - not in this clip - stuck with me immediately.
I have 1971 500 that I drive in the USA and people go absolutely bonkers for it.
A few extra things to know:
-12” rims
-498cc engine
-Transaxle without synchros (so you have to rev-match)
-5 gallon fuel tank
-Less than 2 quarts to change the oil
-Top speed is around 50-55mph, but at that speed the cloth top is going crazy.
one of my friends owns one, and let me say it's incredibly fun to drive. It does not have synchronized gears, so u have to shift with a "doppia debraillata" or else the gear box will make an horrible sound and grind himself to heaven. But guys, driving the cinquecento on secondary roads give u the time to appreciate the landscape, the time to think, the time to feel relaxed
boys: hey that's Luigi from cars!
men: hey that's Lupin the 3rd's car!
Ah, I see you're a man of culture as well
They didn't even know that Luigi from Cars are actually Inspired on Lupin iii fiat 500 with the same color
Kobeni's car
Little side note, it wasn't until I think Castle of Cagliostro that Lupin started driving a little Yellow Fiat 500 (I've seen the years vary from 1965-1968)
Prior to that movie Lupin drove a Mercedes Benz SSK.
@Aly H You're thinking of Clarisse's Magenta car from the chase. That was a 2CV. Lupin's car was a early-mid 60's Fiat 500.
This was a remarkable transition in this episode, from the dreary Beetle and Trabant to this beautiful Fiat that immediately makes you feel optimistic.
I used to own one and now I drive a new Fiat 500. Loved my 1968 Fiat 500 and my 2018 Fiat 500 also.🇮🇹
I totally understand you.
At the moment i drive a 2011 Fiat 500 Twin Air. A fine car.
I just orderd last week the new electro Fiat 500.
@@taniakrause9253 I also own a new Fiat 500. Really great car, comfortable, surprisingly roomy interior and trunk, and, despite Fiat's poor image, very reliable. And the design is awesome and attracts both men and women. Imho the new 500 is the first retro car that at least comes close to resembling the charm of the original - unlike those ugly, bloated hipster transport vehicles that call themselves New Mini or New Beetle, but only marginally resemble the originals.
I currently own a 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth and absolutely love this car. It's plenty peppy enough, rumbles like a mini dragon, it has been exceptionally dependable. The sport button changes the beast entirely.
Would I trade my Fiat? Only for another one.
@@torstenscholz6243 Funny u say that lol, both the new mini and new 500 were designed by the same guy
@@torstenscholz6243 That's why they've been building them for 15 years now without any major changes. They actually were successful in building a retro car that not only carries the same spirit but also plays the same role in terms of being a people mover, just as its predecessor.
My school teacher had one of these gems. I remember on a school camp she we were driving down a country road with all the school kids standing on the front seat hanging out of the sunroof. Oh happy days.
Boy does this bring back memories. I was a NATO officer stationed in Southern Italy for four years. Used to see these little cars all over the place. And the local Italians would manage to stuff their entire family into one of these. Looked like sardine packing. Ha. Ha. Ha. They would fly down the road with a list to one side or the other from all that weight.
LOL! That must've been a riot to watch.
I had the pleasure of owning 3 of these vehicles, on separate occasions. Absolutely wonderful; cheap, easy to drive and comfortable! And this is from a long time Jaguar owner!
* *Lupin III theme kicks in* *
Mans got the Lupin ride 💀
Always wanted one, though I would go for the Abarth 595 which has a humongous 28 HP.
lol
Yes, if you're ready to spend ten times the cost for an original one.
Or you can do one of those cheapo, unoriginal "things" by putting an engine by a Fiat 126 (26-30 HP) in a normal 500 and add some go-faster stripes.
durotube59 I am ready... Haha.
Pro's of a 500+126engine transplant: very cheap and you get a synchro gearbox.
Against: brakes and suspension are from a 18HP car. Beware!
Anyway, true original Abarth's are rarer than hen teeth (they were almost all raced, exploited to death and mostly run into ditches or walls sooner or later), so they command stupid money today (Porsche territory).
durotube59 Still ready, they are worth more than the money attached.
This is my dream car. Probably because of Lupin the Third.
yea i remember that!
Same. Though I doubt the Fiat 500 can drive up cliffs in real life, alas.
Come visit us in Malta we have 3 for sale atm, bargaining is a must ;)
Lupin the Third is amazing!!! They released a new movie of this month!!! Gotta wait for it to be either subbed or dubbed in English.
@@BenCol I had one when young, back traction, so light and not to much power was going anywhere uphill even with snow! In Italy we use to say , when you arrive with your car the 500 maybe later will arrive too but where the 500 can go nobody can!
In Spain, this car was made under licence by Seat, and it became an icon for us. It was one of the first projects made to take Spain away from the postwar harsh years. Everybody could afford one.
I miss the old Top Gear!
So do I.
The old top gear, the one with Clarkson & Co.
The Grand Tour coming out in November.
Oh yes! Can't wait thanks
do you realise this wasn't on top gear?
This video was taken in the city where I live: CHIERI near Turin, Italy! ❤️❤️❤️🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹
♥️
San Giorgio Church!!!
I love Turin I have skied there
🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Pensavo fossero in toscana lol
Mama Mia
2:53 such a bad parking job xD
They didn't show the finish.
no it is proper italian you just push the other car back and park assuming the other car is also from italian guy and didn't use a parking brake
@@altergreenhorn haha yes, that's also classic Spanish parking, bumping into the car in the back and the front are your best parking sensors lol
and a very convenient cut lmao
i was searching for this comment
I have one of these since 12;years. Love to commute with it to office in the summer. It puts a smile on my face every time I drive it
It's Luigi from Cars
Farhad Hossain nooo, really? I had nooo idea
Onterio Arcade, you should’ve known if you seen the movie
@@verdevanvederan7204 You missed that he was being sarcastic lol
Farhad Hossain Pit Stop?
And in cars 2 the news reporter was a Tesla model s
If I'm being honest, I'd love one today. It's a beautiful town car, no stress, great fuel efficiency
An original Mini vs 500 comparison wouldn’t be bad. Btw the 500 came out in the late 1950s and truly represents the Italian style :)
The nowadays version isn’t bad at all and the 500 Abarth is rather powerful. Definitely has more than 17HP :P
I just watched the movie “Italian Job” from 1969 and these little cars were everywhere. They are much smaller than my Fiat Pop 500. On a side note, not many of us Americans drive them. ☹️
They ARE fun, brilliant little cars. My good friend in Italy has one and they are a blast to bop around in.
Nobody:
Lupin the iii: drive’s the fiat 500
Cutest car in human history :)
The Peel P50 is a good candidate, too....
And the bmw isseta
Like a pretty Beatle
pfff how about trabant or yugo? this thing is alot cutier
You're all wrong... it's the Morris Minor
Recently bought the modern version for the missus. Glad to say it retains a lot of the charm and fun that May describes, save that it is now larger, safer and (thankfully) quicker. Would definitely recommend.
I drive one too. I wanted a small car that was also cool. I love it. And I love that James May loves it.
It's funny, though May doesn't like the modern 500.
@@MrSilnev It was the diesel version he tried and didn't like.
This was every 3th car on the streets in Yugoslavia in 50s and 60s.. ..because it was produces here as name Fica iz Zastava and one milion were sold ..there were 2 motors with 750 ccm with 25 hp and 850 ccm with 32 hp...and there was kombi version
You mixed it up with the Fiat 600.
blinski
you are right..i mixed it with fiat 600 but they look very similar
3th
The Trabant always reminded me how nice it is to ride my bicycle.
When I see miserable bicyclists on a rainy autumn day, or a freezing winter day, it always reminds me, how nice it is to have a Trabant...
I bought my trabant to have a fun, small daily driver, and to wrench on it...
Exept for the weird pedal placement, and the non existant leg room in the rear seat, it's really not that bad.
A Bicycle was / still is:
• Far cheaper.
• Easier to park.
• Doesn't require a licence at all.
• Doesn't take decades to reach the customer.
• Has free air conditioning.
• Doesn't belch out smoke like a naval destroyer... or a volkswagen ;-) .
Anyone else feel like getting in a thrilling car chases, just remember to bring some swinging jazz.
I never knew the 500 had suicide doors!
only the older version
Yeah, that's what I meant...
Very early models had suicide doors. Later models had regular doors. They even made van (Furgoncino) , estate/station wagon (Giardiniera) and a 'people carrier' called the Multipla! The Multipla came out in the late fifties and had suicide doors too!
TheRobweb I didn't ethier
@@TheRobweb And how look models after 😂???
The Fiat 500 1st serie is so iconic that new 500 has same glass inclination and same proportion. This is why new 500 is so apreciate. She has the same spirit and glamour of her grandmama
20$ says he sells tires in a small town called radiator springs
$50 that it’s probably a getaway vehicle that gets destroyed every other heist
“Widow making” 13 horse power 😂😂😂😂🤣🤣, absolutely classic
Lupin the 3rd sends his regards
One of the best designs ever.
My sister had one as her first car in about 1969...
She was still learning,nand got stuck/stalled in a 4-way junction !
I was only about 14, but could start and drive to get her out of trouble from the passenger seat !
(Lupin III theme is playing from somewhere)
This is the car Lupin The Third has run from Zenigata from for over 50 years in.
Fun Fact: In some small towns, you can still see one of these going around, rare, but not super rare. 20years ago it was even a 'meme' car among the youth. I had a couple of hippie friends that wanted to get their hands on one of these lol.
I'd love to see the 3 of them on the Grand Tour doing one of their budget challenges where they have to drive old classics. James in this fiat, Jeremy in something like a Ford Cortina and Richard in an old mini, involving lots of off-roading and long distances across some tricky terrain and challenging surfaces
I'd pity the cars then. Such a trip already cost the life of a classic Jaguar.
@tadzionl I agree 100% actually. Not sure what I was thinking in my original post. Keep the classics safe and unharmed
@@Joker-yw9hl Apologies accepted.
I think my lawn mower has more than 17hp! In fact I think the wife's sewing machine is close!
Yeah, my lawnmower has 32 hp. I wonder what will happen if I drag race that fiat
@@michaelrawlins419 what kind of lawn mower is that, my bike barely has 20hp
bear in mind that power is nothing without control
i've driven one of those.. accelerates no problem with 1 person in it. Very light.. A bit less with 2. Now with three, dunno.. never tried.
H
As a proud owner of the cutest orange colored Fiat 500 L Cross Plus, I am loving this journey down the memory lane.
Imagine you throw one of those 240KW electric motors in the back instead of the engine
Extreme wheel spin
The game BeamNG lets you do just about that!
I reckon you'd flip it if you put grippy tyres on the rear (assuming that with the engine swap you make it rwd because of simplicity and logic)
I learned to drive in one of these in 1969 in Guernsey. The perfect car for little roads. Loved it!
As an italian, I can't ear "Five hundred". It's CINQUECENTO.
the 500 (Cinquecento) is called whatever the local language for "500" is outside of italy. As oposed to the Cinquecento (boxy 90's city car) because it's written "Cinquecento" in the back.
it is really that simple and stupid, but what you gonna do.
The '90s car, made anyhow by Fiat, has the same pronunciation of "500" in Italian. Is written in the pronunciation, but the sound is the same.
Following that line of thought, then you'd have the BMW dreihundertfünfundzwanzig tds and the Mercedes C zweihundertzwanzig CDI.
Numbers are always read in the local language. As well as the 2CV and the Beetle, which always has a local name.
german.
because he said 500 should be said cinquecento, because the car is italian and that's the name, so bmw has the 325, and it's german, so let's call it the dreihundertfunfundzwanzig.
you get my point.
"Fiat vijfhonderd" here :>
My grandpa bought one in 1970 with the same color of lupin the third, he actuvely used it until last year at wich point he had to stop because it wasn't in line with some laws, but it's still parked outside our home attracting tourists, gotta say it, that's one hell of a car
Then I realize this IS KOBENI’S CAR, OMG ITS PERFECT
2:55 "...you can squeeze expertly into any gap"...that's a point, James!
The ORIGINAL of this 1957 Fiat 500 was the 1955 Fiat 600 - which was less than 1 school ruler longer (321.5cm vs. 297cm for the 500) -
This smaller brother of two years later copied the 600 almost exactly - just shrunken in the wash that was too hot ..
You probably weren't even born when these little cars came out. I think its great that you can appreciate them. When I was a kid in the fifties ,I was fascinated by the small European cars that I would see down town. ( I still am.) They had a popular following.. this was before safety laws stopped their import. Thanks.
Thanks for pronouncing so well ing. Giacosa’s naming, we miss him so much
My uncle and aunt have one. To get in the drivers seat, i have to make sure I get in in a particular way, otherwise my legs are both on one side of the steering wheel.
I think they’re fantastic, I hope I get a chance to drive theirs one day.
funniest thing is, a true petrol head will love that car as much as a classic mustang or ferrari, it's not only an icon, but a genuinely great little car, not to mention a terrific base for a restomod
Easy to work on, parts cheap as chips and incredibly simple design makes it a very desirable restoration project indeed. Only downside is probably resale value, they don`t fetch that much over here even mint condition.
ggerely where are you from?? If you find a cheap 500 in mint condition as you told us, under 5000€, tell me where and I'll buy few.
I think you're not from Italy.... Because a rusty 500 here, maybe without documents and/or plates and/or gripped engine, it's 3000 up to 4500€..... Cheap? Not at all.... At least here!
@@Ale_giro I meant parts are cheap enough and it does not have great re-sale value. I am not far from italy and never said you'd find a mint for 5k. I said once you restore one they can't make too much profit because they are cheap, a mint is around 15k here. But if you find one to restore for say 3k then spend another 3k on parts and 3k on work then the return is not that great
I've had the pleasure of driving one here in Australia and the they are indeed a lot of fun. I really enjoyed it.
And in first gear it is amazingly good off-road. I loved mine.
One of the best shows produced by the BBC, damn I miss Top Gear :(
Shame this clip isn't from Top Gear.
The irony of youtube recommending me this right after I got it’s counterpart in GTA
My family in Spain had a 600 , bigger but we were five......
Travelling around the country and taking ferries crossing to Africa, in summer.
Greatest cars.
my father's family did Milan to Naples trips in that thing (2 adults , 3 kids and around 870 km! )
Complimenti! Oggi solo il pensiero di fare l'appennino su un cinquino mi farebbe impressione ;)
I have had a Fiat 500 for 8 years now. I LOVE IT STILL. Fun to drive and good on gas.
Man I remember this, my dad's first car in zambia. I would stand in the middle in the back during road trips. Ain't no time for child car seats lol
I have today's remake of the 500 and i love my car.
One of my favorite italian cars apart from the Alfas.
A simple life could be one of unalloyed joy... this is so true
Mio padre acquistò una Fiat 500 nel 1966 quando io nacqui, abbiamo viaggiato in quattro persone per 15 anni, io, mio padre, mio fratello e mia madre, siamo andati in ogni luogo con questa macchia senza mai avere problemi, era una autovettura molto affidabile, economica e semplice. Bei ricordi. Marco
These models should again come in the market .
The Fiat 500s now are gigantic
My first car was a Fiat 127
oh mine was a fiat 127 too. it was red and rusty and really a piece of crap. everything ratteled and it was slower that james may. highlight was a rev counter mounted on the dashboard in a wooden box. looked like a little closet .
but how crappy it was, i had the most fun in this thing, we drove from germany through france for 2 weeks and it worked fine. had this car almost 2 years and it never failed.
i dropped a tear when i brought it to the press,
@@mausewix Why did you scrap it???!
@@hi-fidude6670 well this happend 1990. i was 20 years old and the car was really done.
at this time cars like this were nothing special so i had to for a new one. ok other one , not new, but back then it felt right.
@@mausewix Today they are very special though
yes but how could i know .
i love the steering wheel its so clean :D
Whenever I look at cars from this era, like the 500 or mini, I always think to myself - how much would it cost to build these exact cars now, using improved materials, components, and safety features? Keep it basic, but also keep the look and style exactly the same, so you can have the style of these classics without the worry of breakdown and expensive maintenance. There must be a market for it?
Unfortunately safety regulations have ballooned the size of these cars to what the Modern Mini Cooper and Fiat 500 are today. What you're asking for already exists really, even if it's not what we want.
dacia sandero would be the modern fiat 500 equivalent
@@Mitrofanvlad Nah, it would be Toyota Aygo or some kei car.
I drive one. Once you get the hang of double clutching and rev matching it feels faster than it really is. The most annoying part is that people stay next to you while you drive- they pull out their cell phones to take a pictures- what they don’t realize is that I’m basically driving a tin can and their impromptu photo shoot puts me at great risk.
Oh my god they filmed it in Chieri, the small town I live in! How could I not know about it?
I used to drive one. Loved it, very reliable and cheap to fix if anything goes wrong
It is classless and never looks boring. Try saying that about most of the cars these days!
Was very pleased to see that all three episodes of this series were available for purchase on Xbox Live for a sensible price. It was a grand way to spend a Sunday afternoon with James talking about cars the way he does best.
Italians are best economic and fitting middle class budget cars. I love fiat.
Lamborghini, Ferrari, Maserati, and Pagani are all italian...
@@Cubeeeeeeeee LANCIA, ALFA ROMEO , BUGATTI .
@@didisound5516 none of those are "middle class cars" dude, maybe lancia but definately not bugatti
@@Cubeeeeeeeee talking of economical cars here
One happening I saw with one of these was funny as hell and I will never forget, in the early seventies my friend Joe had one for a while, Joe was a big fella. One day he gave another friend, Tangey, a ride downtown. Well, Tangey was an even WIDER fellow than Joe.I watched with interest as they got in the car. What a show, they finally figured out the only way they could get the doors shut was by slamming them hard AT THE SAME TIME! Wish I had a video of it.
Obligatory Lupin III comment
mhm love it. also apparently fiats are indestructible so its a good car. XD
The only reason I want a car lol
Ahhhh same!!!
17 horsepower. 300 years ago, if you had 17 actual horses pulling your carriage through town, people would have thought you were the king of everything.
a horse actually develops around 15 horsepower, I'm not entirely sure why it's called that
I miss the Old Top Gear. I watched it since I was 9! Now I am 17 and I just finished school
I never had a Fiat 500 but I did have its big brother, the Fiat 600. Let me tell you about that car. First, it has suicide doors and a water-cooled engine. It had a 7-gallon gas tank and got 40 MPG. It was red-lined at 55 MPH and would over heat if you went over 45 MPH. That is, unless it was the dead of winter, at night and it was snowing. In the summer I had to drive with the heater on to help cool the engine. It wasn't a pretty picture. I did the maintaining of the car myself and, as I recall, 2 quarts of engine oil were too much. As I mentioned, the only 2 problems with the car were the overheating and the red-line at 55 MPH. In those days I was always in the slow lane of the L.A. freeways and subjected to a lot of honking. Today, I believe neither belongs on the highway. That’s just my opinion, I could be wrong.
This car became one of the symbols of Italy
as well as Vespa
Grew up in Italy. My mum had a blue 500, I even remember the day we had an accident in it.
Luigi's casa della tires. Home of the leaning tower of tires. 2006. Movie cars.
Yeah.
I saw a film from Montenegro once. A FIAT 500 was used, pulling two or three hitched Refuse Carts around. Young boys were emptying the local trash into the Carts being towed. It was unique!
My art teacher had one. Four of us lads would pick it and hide it for a laugh.
I always hoped to see one on real life so that I could do that.
I test drove a newer 500... let's put it like this, it was parked on the sidewalk in front of the dealership, got into it with the dealer-man, started it up and with a plom its small size allowed me to drive it up the sidewalk and into the parking out and out onto the road.