Benvenuti amici!
We recently overtook the 400 'Like' mark on our Facebook page, and we featured a great vintage photo of a 508C on said web community. So, we thought now would the perfect time to write an entry about don Dante Giacosa's creative race to the FIAT 500 Topolino checkered flag.
Most Italian car enthusiasts know and celebrate the 1957 FIAT Nuova 500. And there is a lot to celebrate in its introduction to the automobile market. The '57 Cinquino is small, cute, simple, elegant, affordable and the inspiration behind the design of the widely successful 2007-to-present FIAT 500 family range.
Although the 500 (Cinquecento) may seem like a no-brainer overnight success, it is/was anything but that. The idea of a small, attractive family car can be traced back to the earliest of FIAT S.p.A. mandates, but the first true step to making the idea… the dream… a reality must be credited to the 508 'Balilla'.
Before we continue with this automotive tale it's important to address another. That is the use of the nickname 'Balilla' and its perceived origin.
Balilla may be recognized, by some (especially anti-facists), as the name of a folk hero mentioned in the Italian national anthem. As is the case with many fascist leaders, Mussolini co-opted everything that made Italians feel proud and branded them with the mark of his philosophy. This has left an ugly stain on quite a few marvelous inventions. The national anthem was originally written in 1746, as a protest song against Austrian occupation. It is a sad twist of irony it, too, fell prey to the blood-soaked tyranny of Mussolini.
In any case, many Italian industrialists began using the nickname of the boy (Giambattista Perasso) who threw stones at Austrian oppressors for their own inventions. In the case of Fessia, Giacosa, Nebbia, Tranquillo and Zerbi, they used the name for the 1932 508. The Balilla was ambitious, but it fell short of the affordability goal. Yes, it was modestly priced… for someone already able to afford an automobile. But that important distinction meant the 508 was earmarked for an early replacement. Enter the 1936 500 'Topolino' and the 1937 508C a/k/a the 1100 'Balilla'.
The design of the 508C/1100 may look glaringly familiar to fan of the "Little Mouse" and there is good reason for that. Both models were designed/engineered by none other than don Dante, but the Balilla is clearly larger and has more doors & windows than the Topolino. The most important similarity, between the two small family cars, is the price point. Mister Giacosa continued to find ways to cut costs, paving the way to the ultimate city car.
One would think, with the introduction of the 1936 "People's Car", this countdown to 500 is complete. One would be incorrect. FIAT followed up the '36 500 with the not as famous, but equally praiseworthy, 600 (Seicento). FIAT, and Dante Giacosa, took quite the leap forward in the 1950s. With Mussolini gone, and fascism out of control, designers and engineers could get back to their art form of choice. In the case of those working for FIAT S.p.A., the goal of making the roads inside and outside of Italy as accessible to the have nots as it was to the haves became more important than ever.
The 1955 Seicento was an absolute blast of fresh air. In many ways, it played the role of herald to the the modern day automaker. After decades of close-but-not-quite-there attempts at delivering a model that could put every Italian behind the wheel of a car, Sr. Dante finally came through… and in a major way. The FIAT 600 is the direct descendent of the original FIAT 500.
By the time of the arrival of the 600, the engineering of automobiles, In Europe, was in the midst of a shift. The small car standard, established in large part by FIAT, was firmly in place and engineers were faced with finding new ways to create ample space for traveling holidays. In the case of what was codenamed Progetto 100 (Project 100), the goal was to; fit four adults, luggage while weighing in at approximately 1000 lbs and capable of at least 52 mph top speed. When one considers the corresponding numbers of the preceding model it's plain to see Mr. Giacosa had his work cut out for him. But he delivered. He placed the engine at the rear of the car, an established engineering idea, and included several innovative features… not found in other small cars of the era.
The 600 includes; a water-cooled engine, hydraulic drum brakes, single double-mounted leaf spring suspension, gas-charged & coil-over shock absorbers, 4-speed 3-synchro transmission and… wait for it... a cabin heater. Oh, don Dante also over-delivered in the speed department. His new runabout was capable of 68 mph top speed (even more, with the ABARTH version)! Along with the Scorpion stung version, the Seicento was available in a cabrio and the 6-seater minivan version called the Multipla. As a complete family range, the 600 was the stylish ticket to ride for a nation… and, later, a continent (and beyond).
So, this begs the question, how do we get back to 500?
Well, simply put, rolling average people on the road forever changed the world. With husbands working beyond the confines of one village or another, wives found the need to get around… faster... to hold down the fort. The new responsibilities required a new skill set and tools. They needed help and FIAT, once again, rose to the occasion. A second 600 for one household would be excessive, in regards to load capacity, and cost way too much money. The true need was something smaller and costing less than the Fitito/Fičko but bigger than and costing close to the price of an open air Vespa. Briefed on his mission, the General [Giacosa] went to work.
Already having delivered (in one sense) with the Seicento, don Dante gave himself the time and laid the styling and spacial foundation he needed to engineer a vehicle large enough to carry a growing Italian family with picnic gear and/or groceries but small enough to drive through pre-automobile roads and park on cramped streets. After several proposals, each edging closer to the full intent of the 1932 attempt at the perfect small city car, the master engineer and maestro of design arrived at a viable offering.
The automaker revived the 500 name in 1957, with a new 479cc-499cc rear engined addition to their range. This car lived up to its name in every conceivable way. Although not an instant hit, as was her bigger and slightly older sister, the Cinquino would eventually become the iconic symbol for La Dolce Vita. While many of the models that paved the path for her 9 foot (2.97m) footprint are oft times forgotten, the little mouse that could is celebrated in virtually every medium. The Ballila, the Fitito and the Cinquino were each spun-off to define different automobile segments -- that still exist today. FIAT continued to grow in marketshare, with models that perfectly fit into the morphing lifestyles of Italy's inhabitants.
Flash-forward to the '90s when FIAT would, once again, revive the 500 and 600 names… this time replacing the numerical with Cinquecento and Seicento. These models set the stage for the triumphant Nuova 500 reintroduction, in 2007. The latest iteration of the ultimate runabout, now a full range of city cars, is a testament to the timeless of original and groundbreaking design.
The engine has returned to the front of the vehicle, where it was in the original 1936, and the styling of the 1955 and 1957 solutions have been re-imagined for the modern age. The design/engineering language is a continually evolving one. But sometimes, as is the case with what Sr. Dante Giacosa wrought, it is so far ahead of its time that decades pass before we truly understand and make the best use of its intended purpose. Sr. Roberto Giolito carries that torch and has proven, to this FIATista, he understands the heart of the task at hand.
Onward and upward!
Ciao!
@
By the time of the arrival of the 600, the engineering of automobiles, In Europe, was in the midst of a shift. The small car standard, established in large part by FIAT, was firmly in place and engineers were faced with finding new ways to create ample space for traveling holidays. In the case of what was codenamed Progetto 100 (Project 100), the goal was to; fit four adults, luggage while weighing in at approximately 1000 lbs and capable of at least 52 mph top speed. When one considers the corresponding numbers of the preceding model it's plain to see Mr. Giacosa had his work cut out for him. But he delivered. He placed the engine at the rear of the car, an established engineering idea, and included several innovative features… not found in other small cars of the era.
The 600 includes; a water-cooled engine, hydraulic drum brakes, single double-mounted leaf spring suspension, gas-charged & coil-over shock absorbers, 4-speed 3-synchro transmission and… wait for it... a cabin heater. Oh, don Dante also over-delivered in the speed department. His new runabout was capable of 68 mph top speed (even more, with the ABARTH version)! Along with the Scorpion stung version, the Seicento was available in a cabrio and the 6-seater minivan version called the Multipla. As a complete family range, the 600 was the stylish ticket to ride for a nation… and, later, a continent (and beyond).
Well, simply put, rolling average people on the road forever changed the world. With husbands working beyond the confines of one village or another, wives found the need to get around… faster... to hold down the fort. The new responsibilities required a new skill set and tools. They needed help and FIAT, once again, rose to the occasion. A second 600 for one household would be excessive, in regards to load capacity, and cost way too much money. The true need was something smaller and costing less than the Fitito/Fičko but bigger than and costing close to the price of an open air Vespa. Briefed on his mission, the General [Giacosa] went to work.
The automaker revived the 500 name in 1957, with a new 479cc-499cc rear engined addition to their range. This car lived up to its name in every conceivable way. Although not an instant hit, as was her bigger and slightly older sister, the Cinquino would eventually become the iconic symbol for La Dolce Vita. While many of the models that paved the path for her 9 foot (2.97m) footprint are oft times forgotten, the little mouse that could is celebrated in virtually every medium. The Ballila, the Fitito and the Cinquino were each spun-off to define different automobile segments -- that still exist today. FIAT continued to grow in marketshare, with models that perfectly fit into the morphing lifestyles of Italy's inhabitants.
Flash-forward to the '90s when FIAT would, once again, revive the 500 and 600 names… this time replacing the numerical with Cinquecento and Seicento. These models set the stage for the triumphant Nuova 500 reintroduction, in 2007. The latest iteration of the ultimate runabout, now a full range of city cars, is a testament to the timeless of original and groundbreaking design.
The engine has returned to the front of the vehicle, where it was in the original 1936, and the styling of the 1955 and 1957 solutions have been re-imagined for the modern age. The design/engineering language is a continually evolving one. But sometimes, as is the case with what Sr. Dante Giacosa wrought, it is so far ahead of its time that decades pass before we truly understand and make the best use of its intended purpose. Sr. Roberto Giolito carries that torch and has proven, to this FIATista, he understands the heart of the task at hand.
Onward and upward!
Vivere.Amare.Guidare.
Ciao!
@
