Fiat Topolino

Fiat 500 Topolino

Manufacturer:	Fiat
Production:	1937-1955 520,000 made
Class:	micro car FR
Body style:	2-door coupé 2-door cabriolet
Engine:	569cc Straight-4 side valve
Transmission:	4 speed manual
Predecessor:
Successor:	Fiat 500
Designer:

History

The Topolino was the name given to an automobile model manufactured by Fiat from 1936 to 1955.

The Topolino (the Italian name for Mickey Mouse, meaning "little mouse") was the name given to the first Fiat 500 which was one of the smallest cars in the world at the time of its production. Launched in 1937, three models were produced until 1955, all with only minor mechanical and cosmetic changes. It was equipped with a 569 cc four-cylinder, side valve, water-cooled engine mounted in front of the front axle, and so was a full-scale car rather than a cyclecar. (The radiator was located behind the engine.)

Its top speed was about 53 mph (85 km/h), and it could achieve about 39.2mpg. The Topolino sold for about 8,900 lire. Nearly 520,000 models of the Topolino were sold.

In 1955 the mid-size rear wheel drive Fiat 600 was launched by Fiat and that would become the design basis for the new Fiat 500, the 500 Nuova (often called bambino). The 500 Nuova is often thought, mistakenly, to be the only model 500 Fiat.

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Suped-Up V8 Fiat Topolino at Wheels Of Italy

Future production

Fiat is known to be working on a low-cost entry-level city car, to fit into its range below both the Fiat 500 and Panda, codename Topolino. Based on the A-platform used by the Fiat 500 and Fiat Panda but shortened to 3150mm in length, the new Topolino will seat four people. This is scheduled for production in 2010.

The new Topolino will be built in the former Zastava plant in Serbia. Fiat said the company will invest 700 million euros to modernize the Kragujevac plant. The Serbian government will contribute 300 million euros through tax breaks, incentives and infrastructure for the new plant. By the end of next year, Fiat plans to build 200,000 units a year in Kragujevac. Capacity will grow to 300,000 units from 2010 with the addition of the B-compact models.

Hot Rodded Fiat Topolino at Wheels Of Italy

Electric versions

Fiat has unveiled the Fiat Phylla concept solar car), showing all the technology that will feature in the electric Topolino. Price is expected € 12,500.

Versions

Fiat 500A Cabriolet

Fiat Topolino 500 A

Date: 1936-1948
Length: 3.21 m
Width: 1.27 m
Height: 1.37 m
Weight: 535 kg
Engine: 4 cyl of 569 cm3 and 13 CV
Speed: 95 km / h
Production: 122,213 copies

Fiat 500B Furgoncino

Fiat Topolino 500 B

Date: 1948-1949
Body and engine: idem 500A
Power: 16.5 hp
Production: 21,263 copies

Fiat 500C

Fiat Topolino 500 C

Restyling

Date: 1948-1955
Production: 376,371 copies

Fiat 500C Belvedere

Fiat Topolino 500 Break

2 models were marketed:

Giardiniera
Belvedere

The Fiat 500 Topolino outside Italy

Fiat Topolino 500 was also manufactured in many countries, because, most of the time, customs duties extremely important then in force in all these countries:

French, Fiat Simca in Nanterre, known as Simca Fiat 500A then Simca 5, which corresponded to the Topolino and then B Simca 6 for the Topolino C . 52,507 copies out of the French factories from 15 in April 1937 and end 1950,

Poland, Fiat Polski between 1936 and 1939. Fiat 500 Topolino A,

India First, the manufacturer began a collaboration with Fiat in 1950 and manufactured under license the Fiat 500 Topolino C. Society Premier will be integrated into Fiat India in 2002,

Germany NSU-Fiat Topolino manufactured all versions A, B & C in 9064 copies.

500 La Nuova (New)

After the war, FIAT, which was headed by Professor Vittorio Valletta, was charged with power the new Republican Italy. If in the 1930 draft of the Fiat 500 Topolino was only weakly innovative, to prepare for the 1950, it was necessarily innovate.

Valletta, therefore, instructed Dante Giacosa, which had become the master of office design Fiat, to realize a new small car. At that time, Fiat painstakingly rebuilt its plants destroyed by American bombing and did not have large financial resources.

Dante Giacosa, engineer very pragmatic, will prove to be really the ideal person to invent a new concept at the right time: it was the Fiat 600, then, shortly after the Fiat 500.

Gallery

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Hot Rodded Fiat Topolino

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Fiat 500A 1939

Fiat 500A Standard Coupé 1939

Fiat 500

Fiat 500 Convertible 1947

Fiat 500C Coupé 1950

Fiat 500C 1952

Fiat 500C Convertible 1953

Fiat 500C Convertible 1954