As silly as it looks, I still love my 500 Abarth! Sure, I catch hell for driving a tiny car in America, but I don't care because this car ALWAYS puts a smile on my face. That glorious exhaust note, the surprising quickness and the ability to make believers out of people who know nothing about it or do not like it all put a smile on my face.
When I catch hell I just say "hey, I don't have to prove anything to anyone".....or I'll brag about the miles per gallon and that usually shuts up the naysayers.
I also catch hell for driving a small but am laughing all the way to the bank to try to pick up my car but they don't realize that weighs 2400 lb and they still haven't got it off the ground yet but if they damaged it they will pay lol
Twin Air engine is amazing, I had a Lounge Model it was so quick, so fast! It flew along the highways here in Australia overtaking everything in its path!
I had one built about 1968. My first car, taught me how to use a gear box. Synchromesh on the way up crash on the way down. Changing down you needed to get the road speed and engine speed right. As for the top speed I had four in and we reached 70 mph in about 5 minutes. 50 mpg plus. Great first car and fun to drive but I doubt many young people could drive one today.
the old 500 is so reliable and easy to repair, and has such good mileage.. that in italy it's still around in quite huge numbers. i can't think of any other car with so many years that is still around in massive numbers.
I have a fiat 500 and it is just perfect,i love it and will be buying another one and another one.......it makes me smile everytime i drive it....ITS THE BEST.....CIAO.XXXX
Wow I never thought I might like any other car show after watching Top Gear for so long. I actually started with the Aventador review but I like everything so far. Nice to see some older stuff in the vids as well. 500 is awesome :D
It's not mine, I just drove it twice in my life, had it borrowed for a day from my uncle. It's still alive, but not used any more, he replaced it with a mid 90's Punto. It was the 16.5 HP version, what about yours?
We used to have a red Fiat 500 (the old one) just like the one in the video. My current car is a Peugeot 205 and was parked next to it and the 205 was absolutly massive compared to it. I pulled up in work and someone there drives a new 500 and I parked my car next to it. The new 500 was massive compared to my 205. It's gotta be twice the size compared to the old 500. It's not really a small car anymore. It's still got bags of character though.
Terenzio Bros Racing built a fiat 500 into an A / Altered, We put a 1959 buick 401 cu.in. engine in it and we went 10.50 seconds in the quater mile at 127 M.P.H, back in 1962. Gene Terenzio Sr.
@Skoda130 I know Alfa switched to Bosch electronics a few years back. If I'm not mistaken the person who took control of quality used to control BMW's and he stopped production of the 159 until the electronic and build quality issues were sorted out. If Alfa moved to Bosch then Fiat most probably did the same.
That's what i thought as well but i drove one of the new minis for the first time last week and despite being so bloated it's definitely just as agile and a lot faster than the original. I don't know about the 500 but the mini still has its mojo!
xXGreyWolf I never drove the original mini or. 500,but the new mini is awesome, and the 500 isn't very exciting but it can run 80 MPh on the highway so it is better than a smart car.
why americans keep saying "Fix It Again Tony"? I sometimes wonder whether they realize that they build the crappest cars in the world, their tech is 10 years behind europeans and japanese.
Andrea Yep, you're spot on. I'm American, but I'll be the first to admit that American cars are shit compared to Asian and European cars. That's why I've recently gone from Toyota, to Honda, and more recently, my beloved 2012 Fiat Sport. I see no reason to ever own an American car ever again. Heavy, gas-guzzling clunkers.
The old VW beetle is superior to any new beetle. I suggest you take some time to find out just what makes the Beetle so unique, because it is in every aspect. To make it a little easy, it has one thing is common with Subaru! Many used to think the old Lada was shit as well. Type "only dropped" or "lowdaily" in the search field, you might get surprised...
@ZeGeRiVeNz I think Fiat's may break down fairly often compared to other cars but at least they're simplier to repair. A lot of the problems with new cars is electronics. That's 90% of Alfa Romeo's problems. And that's not really Alfa's fault. The parts that break on them are the parts that have been supplied by other companies.
I'd take the twin-cylinder engine out, and put a single-cylinder in it. That is, I'd put a 700cc Maico two-stroke single in there, with 82hp. It's the engine out of the most ballistic traditional dirt-bike ever made, and the engine weighs less than 100lbs - and that includes the transmission. It's got a five-speed transmission, and because it's a motorcycle transmission, you can shift it without using the clutch most of the time. For fuel economy... well... there's blue smoke, so nevermind.
@c53204 I never doubted that the British forces played a very important role in the rebuilding process of Germany and that's the reason why I don't understand that many Britains don't acknowlegde the Beetle as an important car. E.g. in a recent Top Gear episode they made complett fun of the Beetle by throwing it out of a helicopter ( to sum it up shortly). It might not be as small as a Fiat 500 or Mini but it is still not a big car and played a very important role for the automobile branch.
To sum it up: current Fiat 500 has to do with the original 500 the same as the new Mini has to do with the original one. Nothing. Original 500's and Minis were meant to be the cheapest possible cars with the best possible inside space/outside size ratio. The current models are just "luxury" toys (with horrible inside/outside ratio for the Mini) made to "resemble" the old ones and meant to milk money out of people who could buy any other more efficient small car.
I feel like the new 500 gets a lot of crap for no reason. Half the people I talk/listen to complain about it being too small. The other half complain about it not being as small as the original. When it comes to 2 door, 4 seat cars, the new 500 is about as small as it gets when it comes to modern vehicles. I do love the classic 500, but I wouldn't want to own one. I doubt those little 17hp cars would fair well in a mountain area. Plus not being able to do 65 is kind of a deal breaker.
@215alessio Depends on how much weight you put in it (I am 20% of the car's weight) and whether you're going straight. On a straight, with a light driver, it takes way above half a minute to reach 60. I remember driving it with my friend for fun (together we added approx. 35% to the weight of the car) and we never really reached 60, it shoke more than a washing machine on full revs..
So 99% of 100 people locked in a room would say the Mini is the greatest small car in the world? Only if all 100 of them were all English! Yes, both the Mini and 500 were hugely successful in their respective domestic markets, but neither car was very popular worldwide. From a global perspective the Volkswagen Beetle would have to be greatest small car ever built. 21+ million sales and worldwide production for 65 years, not to mention being quite possibly the most recognizable car in the world.
you also have great cars made in USA. Jeep is improving, Ford in Europe sell great cars (Focus, Fiesta) which are among the best selling cars in the world. Tesla may be the next big thing in the electric cars field.
Best way to cut through the traffic in Milan or Turin is in a Ferrari 458 that is two things. One, doesn't belong to you and two, is insured by someone else.
Okay umm the VW still holds it's title as being the best selling, longest running car on a single platform EVER. It MIGHT become surpassed by its own sibling, the Type 2.
i love my express 500.. get more attn that my infinit G-37 because it's cute. of course the G37 is a much nicer car in every way .. but i actualy have more fun with the fiat and 45 ave hwy.. don't know why it's getting that good but it is .. is great
@MultiParasite I was close 20 to 30 seconds depending also the HP of the engine. and also the load inside Even with 4 it would reach 60 MPH if the engine is good; maybe the engine of your 500 is weard out. Anyway they are unstoppable and I wish my new car I am about to buy has the same endurance as that lil tough Italiana Keep your 500 or sell it to me, but don't shredd it Yes I know they shake alot :) but no task is too big for them (the old one)
You are wrong... The greatest small car in the world is the VW Käfer ( or as you'd call him Beetle)... It reflects the economical progess of a whole country
american cars (especially sold in the US market) are under any specification inferior to european cars. In Europe we have 1.4L diesel engines with 100hp, in the US you are starting developing these engines now. Supercar, do you want to compare A cadillac /mustag with a Ferrari, Maserati or Lamborghini? really, they are 10 years behind that is the reason why all your car industry have been acquired by Europeans (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM) or needed gov help.
my great grandpa was dante giacosa, the designer of the old one!! so nice to see sooo many people that like his idea!
Aimone Pitacco, mia madre e zanon e sua madre Mariella Giacosa, moglie di vittorio Zanon, e la figlia di Dante *****
sisi
MOGNEFULL I just wish they’d have used a 270 degree crank.
how cool! grandkid of a legend
As silly as it looks, I still love my 500 Abarth! Sure, I catch hell for driving a tiny car in America, but I don't care because this car ALWAYS puts a smile on my face. That glorious exhaust note, the surprising quickness and the ability to make believers out of people who know nothing about it or do not like it all put a smile on my face.
MeatballYaro2 Driving a Fiat it’s always a fun drive,I love my little cutie tiny Fiat ❤️
When I catch hell I just say "hey, I don't have to prove anything to anyone".....or I'll brag about the miles per gallon and that usually shuts up the naysayers.
Especially at the gas pump why everybody driving these big old trucks pocketing money and laughing all the way to the bank I love my Fiat 500 sport
I also catch hell for driving a small but am laughing all the way to the bank to try to pick up my car but they don't realize that weighs 2400 lb and they still haven't got it off the ground yet but if they damaged it they will pay lol
It is a small wonder
Had one in 66/67. 3 surfboards and 2 bros. what a blast
We used to drive to band rehearsals in one: 2 guys, 2 guitars in cases, a combo guitar amp and a half Marshall stack bass amp on the back seat.
Twin Air engine is amazing, I had a Lounge Model it was so quick, so fast! It flew along the highways here in Australia overtaking everything in its path!
Indeed they are.i have one,a blast
I had one built about 1968. My first car, taught me how to use a gear box. Synchromesh on the way up crash on the way down. Changing down you needed to get the road speed and engine speed right. As for the top speed I had four in and we reached 70 mph in about 5 minutes. 50 mpg plus. Great first car and fun to drive but I doubt many young people could drive one today.
Thank you for posting "Fiat 500 meets its ancestor video."
the old 500 is so reliable and easy to repair, and has such good mileage.. that in italy it's still around in quite huge numbers. i can't think of any other car with so many years that is still around in massive numbers.
We have a Fiat 500 and I absolutely love it, would not be without it.
I owned two of the old ones. A 61 and a 69. They never broke down, the most reliable cars I have ever owned.
Fun video! Just bought 2013 Fiat 500 convertible and it is so charming so much fun to drive so involving
Cheers mate
USA😮
my father rented one of the new 500's.
it was great fun!! I instantly fell in love with it.
I want them both and the new Mini Cooper with the classic one
I have a fiat 500 and it is just perfect,i love it and will be buying another one and another one.......it makes me smile everytime i drive it....ITS THE BEST.....CIAO.XXXX
I really wished this video was longer. Like a 30 minutes longer!
love the segment hope they keep going
Wow I never thought I might like any other car show after watching Top Gear for so long. I actually started with the Aventador review but I like everything so far.
Nice to see some older stuff in the vids as well. 500 is awesome :D
It's not mine, I just drove it twice in my life, had it borrowed for a day from my uncle. It's still alive, but not used any more, he replaced it with a mid 90's Punto. It was the 16.5 HP version, what about yours?
i thought the 2011 500 was small, until i saw the old one again
Lovely little car the 500...
Bella coppia....vecchia 1957 e nuova 2007!!!
I hope Fiat will change its mind and export the TwinAir to the US -- I'd buy one!!
What was sticking out the back of the newer car almost ripping through the fabric roof?
that is the same music that the KEG uses in their ads here in Canada.
i just had a testdrive yesterday!!!! and its awsome :D
We used to have a red Fiat 500 (the old one) just like the one in the video. My current car is a Peugeot 205 and was parked next to it and the 205 was absolutly massive compared to it. I pulled up in work and someone there drives a new 500 and I parked my car next to it. The new 500 was massive compared to my 205. It's gotta be twice the size compared to the old 500. It's not really a small car anymore. It's still got bags of character though.
just drive any pre 60's non sychro car and everything today will feel like somewhat of a roll royce.
by far the coolest car ever
Imagine if they kept 4 cilinders and only turned 2 of them on when cruising, but all 4 when you clicked a button or something. That'd be INSANE lmao
True, but when you compare the size of the beetle with the size of the original 500 and the mini, the beetle is huge :)
I've got an original 500. Had it twenty three years now. Bin to 60mph at least twice!
God the new 500 needs to back the hell off of the old one. Freaking tailgater.
dat positive camber on the back wheels there 1:08
you have a subaru 360 :D its like the old fiat 500's friend
Terenzio Bros Racing built a fiat 500 into an A / Altered, We put a 1959 buick 401 cu.in. engine in it and we went 10.50 seconds in the quater mile at 127 M.P.H, back in 1962. Gene Terenzio Sr.
@Skoda130 I know Alfa switched to Bosch electronics a few years back. If I'm not mistaken the person who took control of quality used to control BMW's and he stopped production of the 159 until the electronic and build quality issues were sorted out. If Alfa moved to Bosch then Fiat most probably did the same.
awww its like grandpa and grandson
Nah, I'd vote for MG Midget. Early retro ones, or even the later rubber bumper models.
excellent video
only car that came close was the austin mini :) both great little cars
16 horse power :O
My lawn mower has like 18+ HP
You are so original .
*paused at 0:21* thank you for clearing that up, dont want to confuse the fiat 500 for the greatest mini car in the world, the original ...mini cooper
I like both of them, but I like the old one better.
That's what i thought as well but i drove one of the new minis for the first time last week and despite being so bloated it's definitely just as agile and a lot faster than the original. I don't know about the 500 but the mini still has its mojo!
xXGreyWolf I never drove the original mini or. 500,but the new mini is awesome, and the 500 isn't very exciting but it can run 80 MPh on the highway so it is better than a smart car.
i love the fiat 500 the classic and the new one ♥
The offside rear wheel camber looks weird on the original 500
Interesting, there seems to be less size difference between the old and new 500 than the old and new Mini.
@lilmaz it doesnt weigh anything so it doesnt need a lot of power
They would say vw beetle! But I actually prefer this over the beetle.
why americans keep saying "Fix It Again Tony"? I sometimes wonder whether they realize that they build the crappest cars in the world, their tech is 10 years behind europeans and japanese.
Andrea Yep, you're spot on. I'm American, but I'll be the first to admit that American cars are shit compared to Asian and European cars. That's why I've recently gone from Toyota, to Honda, and more recently, my beloved 2012 Fiat Sport. I see no reason to ever own an American car ever again. Heavy, gas-guzzling clunkers.
Alex Stone Not all your cars are bad, in fact some are great...it's just GM tend to shit out clunkers
The technology is not 10 years behind , the strategy is 10 years ahead .
I agree .. the original Fiat 500 is the best tiny car ever. I do miss a Chevy Corvair, too.
I prefer the classic one
yeah, it weights like a bike, so shouldn't be too bad
great vid
I hope this does well in America, I would love to be to eventually buy an Alfa Romeo.
"top speed: you're kidding" lol
0-60 mph: You're kidding
Top speed: 57 mph
(It can't even do 60.)
Sand People Its too cool to do 60 ;)
Livelifechill that was a great line
Well you get the 1.4 liter in the spot it comes alive and mods you can do are almost boundless
@Karl21836 I had forgotten about the beetle, but I guess that even the original would be bigger than the new 500...
What about the Beetle? It's better than a 500 (which is also very good) and in a different league to a lowly Mini
@lilmaz It's immense
The new 500 looks HUGE compared to the original.
The old VW beetle is superior to any new beetle.
I suggest you take some time to find out just what makes the Beetle so unique, because it is in every aspect.
To make it a little easy, it has one thing is common with Subaru!
Many used to think the old Lada was shit as well.
Type "only dropped" or "lowdaily" in the search field, you might get surprised...
I love the fiat
back rear wheel looks unstable/off camber on the old 500?
@ZeGeRiVeNz I think Fiat's may break down fairly often compared to other cars but at least they're simplier to repair. A lot of the problems with new cars is electronics. That's 90% of Alfa Romeo's problems. And that's not really Alfa's fault. The parts that break on them are the parts that have been supplied by other companies.
This is how i feel when i go to my grandparents'.
@lilmaz 16.5bhp. AND A HALF!! that half bhp is very important
I'd take the twin-cylinder engine out, and put a single-cylinder in it. That is, I'd put a 700cc Maico two-stroke single in there, with 82hp. It's the engine out of the most ballistic traditional dirt-bike ever made, and the engine weighs less than 100lbs - and that includes the transmission. It's got a five-speed transmission, and because it's a motorcycle transmission, you can shift it without using the clutch most of the time. For fuel economy... well... there's blue smoke, so nevermind.
@c53204 I never doubted that the British forces played a very important role in the rebuilding process of Germany and that's the reason why I don't understand that many Britains don't acknowlegde the Beetle as an important car. E.g. in a recent Top Gear episode they made complett fun of the Beetle by throwing it out of a helicopter ( to sum it up shortly). It might not be as small as a Fiat 500 or Mini but it is still not a big car and played a very important role for the automobile branch.
That’s why ford Europe, opel and Vauxhal are all sold in large numbers ?
To sum it up: current Fiat 500 has to do with the original 500 the same as the new Mini has to do with the original one. Nothing.
Original 500's and Minis were meant to be the cheapest possible cars with the best possible inside space/outside size ratio. The current models are just "luxury" toys (with horrible inside/outside ratio for the Mini) made to "resemble" the old ones and meant to milk money out of people who could buy any other more efficient small car.
I feel like the new 500 gets a lot of crap for no reason. Half the people I talk/listen to complain about it being too small. The other half complain about it not being as small as the original. When it comes to 2 door, 4 seat cars, the new 500 is about as small as it gets when it comes to modern vehicles.
I do love the classic 500, but I wouldn't want to own one. I doubt those little 17hp cars would fair well in a mountain area. Plus not being able to do 65 is kind of a deal breaker.
thy had a cool show.. contest in italy how manny people can get in 500.
I forget what the prize was but it was fun show
great review
@215alessio
Depends on how much weight you put in it (I am 20% of the car's weight) and whether you're going straight. On a straight, with a light driver, it takes way above half a minute to reach 60. I remember driving it with my friend for fun (together we added approx. 35% to the weight of the car) and we never really reached 60, it shoke more than a washing machine on full revs..
@madjimms in the old or new one? or both?
@Rangeroversport12 I like the old one better, but put a Busa in both!
So 99% of 100 people locked in a room would say the Mini is the greatest small car in the world? Only if all 100 of them were all English! Yes, both the Mini and 500 were hugely successful in their respective domestic markets, but neither car was very popular worldwide. From a global perspective the Volkswagen Beetle would have to be greatest small car ever built. 21+ million sales and worldwide production for 65 years, not to mention being quite possibly the most recognizable car in the world.
That's Überly small. What was the minimum driving age in Italy back in '64? 9 years old?
you also have great cars made in USA. Jeep is improving, Ford in Europe sell great cars (Focus, Fiesta) which are among the best selling cars in the world. Tesla may be the next big thing in the electric cars field.
I live in Italy and own a 500L by 1968 and I am tall 71,7 inches high. but you can at least reach a champagne cork?
The original is so small, did Italians only have to be 9 years old to get a driving license in those days?
Best way to cut through the traffic in Milan or Turin is in a Ferrari 458 that is two things. One, doesn't belong to you and two, is insured by someone else.
How does just 16 HP push all that? It must hate hills
This car weighs less than 500 kilos, so, i'm pretty sure that it can move this nice little thing pretty well.
Okay umm the VW still holds it's title as being the best selling, longest running car on a single platform EVER. It MIGHT become surpassed by its own sibling, the Type 2.
Should have said, "Downhill in a tail-wind."
I'm of the 1% too? Awesome. I'm guessing if you put 100 Italians in a room, they'd all say the fiat. :)
He says indeed alot
it´s funny that the video is actually 5:00 long :)
Probably not, here in America Lawn mowers start around 100 HP.
American cars are bulletproof, if nothing else. Italian cars are the exact opposite, and this is coming from a 500 lover.
Fifth Gear tested the Twin Air and they concluded that consumption is about the same as the four-pot. So it's mostly just a marketing gimmick.
i love my express 500.. get more attn that my infinit G-37 because it's cute. of course the G37 is a much nicer car in every way .. but i actualy have more fun with the fiat and 45 ave hwy.. don't know why it's getting that good but it is .. is great
very very cool!
@MultiParasite I was close 20 to 30 seconds depending also the HP of the engine. and also the load inside Even with 4 it would reach 60 MPH if the engine is good;
maybe the engine of your 500 is weard out. Anyway they are unstoppable and I wish my new car I am about to buy has the same endurance as that lil tough Italiana
Keep your 500 or sell it to me, but don't shredd it
Yes I know they shake alot :) but no task is too big for them (the old one)
You are wrong... The greatest small car in the world is the VW Käfer ( or as you'd call him Beetle)... It reflects the economical progess of a whole country
@SANDEM4N that half HP is like VTEC for honda :D
The grandson meets luighi from cars.
american cars (especially sold in the US market) are under any specification inferior to european cars. In Europe we have 1.4L diesel engines with 100hp, in the US you are starting developing these engines now. Supercar, do you want to compare A cadillac /mustag with a Ferrari, Maserati or Lamborghini? really, they are 10 years behind
that is the reason why all your car industry have been acquired by Europeans (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM) or needed gov help.