Cinquecento..

It predated the British Mini, it was shorter than the British Mini, it was slower than the British Mini, but stuck in Rome traffic, it was everyman’s Ferrari, especially the model shown in the photo..

This is a Fiat ABARTH 595 and you should never laugh at them. They don’t like people who laugh at them..

Fiat’s of this era had bags of character, free revving engines and were all round fun. So what if they were small and noisy. Even the narrowest of streets were no barrier to the 500, and they were tough little cars.

Admittedly, when the Fiat 126 was released, Italians couldn’t wait to get out of 500’s and into the new 126, but that doesn’t take away from the fact the Cinquecento was an icon in its own lifetime.

So, now we are looking to be more fuel efficient and drive smaller cars, and guess what? The Italians have just the car, and with a tweak here and there..

.. and hey presto.. it’s a Fiat ABARTH 500, still not much room inside but far better appointed, a nice free revving 1.4L in the front and as much fun and character as you will ever have time to shake a stick at..

It is also still recognisable as a Fiat 500, which is more than can be said of the new Mini and its relationship to the original.

I had a sit in one of these at a Chrysler dealer, and if I could have brought it home with me, I would have done. Unlike my Jeep Grand Cherokee, the 500 fits like a glove, and I well remember ‘a wheel literally at each corner’ driving from my time with a 1293 Stage 3 Mini.

The Cinquecento is a car which brings a smile from people who see and the lucky driver. It is a ‘happy’ car, a fun car, and if you want to get around a city, this car should be top of your list, the old one or the new one.