Fiat Bambina – The 500 turns 50 – 195

Fiat Bambina – The 500 turns 50 – 195

June 2007 marked the Fiat Bambina’s 50th anniversary. Todd Niall discusses the history of this iconic micro-car, and outlines his book – Bambina: The Fiat 500 in New Zealand

The 500, with its twin cylinder air-cooled engine, became the most successful of the post-Second World War mini-cars which flourished briefly across Europe. Ironically, a design which has become something of a icon in Italy had some of its origins in Germany.

France, Germany, Italy and England were all exploring cheap and simple micro-cars as Europe rebuilt itself during the 1950s. Fiat’s Italian moves to replace the ageing (1930s) Topolino had been scuttled in the war when a prototype was destroyed in bombing.

Fiat’s Dante Giacosa had masterminded the 600, which was launched in 1955, but while successful, this car was still out of reach for many Italians. However, ideas were flowing from Fiat’s German subsidiary NSU-Fiat, in Heilbronn, and one prototype built in Germany and sent to Turin was for a compact and simple two-seater with a two-stroke engine directly over the rear wheels. It is a design which Giacosa has acknowledged as influencing the eventual 500.

In July 1957, 120 of the new Nuova 500s were paraded around Fiat’s home city of Turin. Its eventual success and cult status were slow coming, with the early models deemed too Spartan, and the in 9.6kW (13hp) 479cc engine underpowered. Fiat moved quickly though, bringing through variants with more power from 11kW engines, opening quarter-lights and other creature comforts. The introduction of the 500D model in 1960 hit most of the right spots, and sales began to climb.