Now Viewing: fiat_500Tag type: General Any of several generations of small, proletarian yet chic passenger car from the famous Italian manufacturer. From the 1930s, 2 seater "Topolino" (the Italian name for Mickey Mouse) onwards there has often been an anime connection. The 1950s thru 70s "Nuova 500" (rear engined, 4 seater, roughly 500cc engine with 13 ~ 20bhp), in custard yellow, with a ragtop roof and enormous aftermarket turbocharger squeezed into its tiny engine bay is the definitive 500 as far as anime culture goes, being the ride of choice for Lupin III (presumably in-between enormous 1920s roadsters at the time) in the classic early 80s movie "Castle of Cagliostro". Directed by Hayao Miyazaki... who was driving one just the same at the time. Gee, wonder what inspired him to put Lupin in that car? For a while after the 500 disappeared, having morphed into the similarly diminutive quasi-hatchback "126" (itself seeing some anime/manga play, but I'm at a loss for which right now) and its market swallowed by the slightly larger, boxier, but ultra utilitarian Panda. The name made a comeback in the 90s in the form of the Cinquecento, essentially a boil-washed Panda with the remarkable claim of somehow fitting 4 adults into an almost Smartcar sized machine capable of breaking 90mph on a good day, and whose mechanicals and general shape carried forward into the slightly better looking Seiscento. Most recently the marque has been revived once more, with Fiat seeking a slightly retro reboot to its corporate image. In the vein of the VW New Beetle and other such projects, the 21st century "500" trades heavily off the chic image and universal appeal of the most widely known mid-20th-century incarnation, borrowing most of its styling cues but transplanting them onto a thoroughly modern, safe, well equipped... and somewhat larger (but still diminutive by modern standards) and more expensive (but still affordable) vehicle. The name is actually a bit of a misnomer, as in the Cinquento/Seiscento (actually 900/1100s) and late-1970s models (actually 625s), as it is equipped with engines ranging between 875 and 1375cc (thanks to modern tech, however, they are more economic than the original, as well as being much faster - between 69 and 100hp is on tap, with less than 100g/km emissions and 65+ mpg possible with some of the midrange motors) and, in a fit of extreme irony, is based upon the considerably cheaper and more practical "new" Panda's floorpan and mechanical underpinnings. It has evolved, essentially, from universal transport - pretty much the only car the average Italian could afford - into a shiny 900kg trinket. Should have a good career as a mascot car, or mascot character's car in future productions, then. Quite where it'll fit into the heaping scads of porn on this site is anyone's guess. Other Wiki Information Last updated: 06/21/11 8:16 PM by eddy_hitler This entry is not locked and you can edit it as you see fit. |
     
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