The cute, tiny car that was affordable for Italy’s common man in the 1950s is now the expensive love of the rich and members of the Fiat 500 Club Italia.
In 1957, when it first came out, the Fiat 500 changed everything.
It started as one of the first affordable cars with style and luxury for all people. Workers from the south of Italy moved north to Turin to work at the Fiat factories. Fiat allowed payments in installments. With this system, many workers began to purchase the 500, which created the Cinquecento boom from the ‘50s and ‘60s.
Now, those cars are considered a luxury.
A classic red 1970 Fiat 500 is used for Fiat 500 club events as well for getting around town.
“It’s a jewel of a car,” said Claudio Isabettini, car restorer, member of the Fiat 500 Club Italia, and owner of a classic Cinquecento, as it’s called in Italian. “It was the first compact car that was popular among workers in Fiat, so Italy became full of vehicles.”
The car club was created in the 1980s by a few people who were in love with the Fiat Cinquecento. Today, it has about 1,000 members.
Isabettini, 53, is the head of the club in area of Adriatic city of Fano. Here, he organizes gatherings and events as well as restores classic Cinquecentos. “Thanks to our club, we started organizing these gatherings,” Isabettini said. “We started restoring these cars that were abandoned.”
His garage is on a street in the middle of farmland and solar panel patches. Walking into the garage, you will find Fiat 500 club paraphernalia along with the body shapes of Fiats waiting to be restored. He has worked for 41 years in his garage, starting as an employee then moving to his current position as owner.
For Isabettini, restoring is not just work. It’s a passion. When asked about the classic 500 his faces lights up with smile. He said he also shares his passion for Cinquecentos with his 15-year-old son. Currently they are working on fixing up a white 1966 Fiat 500.
The average cost to rebuild a Fiat 500 is about 10,000-12,000 euro ($12,500 – $15,000), which is almost as much as for a brand new Fiat 500. The parts for the rebuilding come from junk yards, or from a stamp to mold parts of the older versions. Isabettini has parts like these hanging from the walls of his garage as well as scattered throughout the floor waiting to have a new life on the Cinquecento.
An old Fiat 500 waiting to be restored by Claudio Isabettini.
With the 50th anniversary of the 500, a new model was released, and in 2008 it won the European Car of the Year award. These newer models of Fiats are becoming more and more stylish with now having features such as convertible tops.
At a local Fiat dealership, Vendita Auto, worker Teo Kavroan says the design of the new Fiat is based on a retro feel that people like. “This one is much more spacious but has the 60s feel,” he said. “It also has the anti-lock braking system, air conditioning, radio, all the comforts, just like modern cars.”
Currently, the new Fiat 500 is not as widely sold as in the past. With the economy in its current slump, car buyers are looking for bigger, more affordable cars.
Between the love of the classic models and the newer ones, the Cinquecento keeps its place in the Italian heart. “About the new model,” says Isabettini, “I can say it’s good, but I have the old one in my heart.
Many are waiting to be restored, he said. “It’s adorable,” though humble if not cared for, he said. “But if you restore it, it’s beautiful.”
Multimedia