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Fiat 500 Topolino

Also known as Fiat 500, Fiat 500 A, B and C, “Topolino”

A real four-cylinder car, scaled down until two people fitted. The engine sat ahead of the front axle and the radiator behind it, so the nose sloped away between two headlamps perched on the wings, and Italy saw a mouse. It was called Topolino, the little mouse, from the first day, and Fiat built about half a million.

Small two-door saloon with a tall narrow grille, headlamps on the black wings and a sloping cream bonnet.
A cream and black 1936 Fiat 500 A at the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile, Turin, in May 2026.Photo: Marie-Lan Taÿ Pamart, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

At a glance

The spec plate

Fiat 500 Topolino

500 A, B and C · Turin

Built
1936–⁠1955On sale from 15 June 1936; the last Belvedere estates at the end of 1955
Country
ItalyLingotto, then Mirafiori, Turin
Maker
FiatAt the Lingotto, Turin; at Mirafiori from 1947
Engine
569 cc water-cooled side-valve fourAhead of the front axle; overhead valves from 1948
Power
13 CV9.6 kW at 4,000 rpm; 16.5 CV (12.1 kW) from 1948
Length
3,215 mm1,275 mm wide, 1,377 mm high
Weight
535 kgThe 500 A
Seats
2With room behind for luggage or two children; the estate seated four
Wheels
4Engine ahead of the front axle, driving the rear wheels
Price new
8,900 lireJune 1936; the trasformabile 9,750 lire
Production
about 520,000Fiat, all versions, 1936–⁠55; about 122,000 of them 500 As
Top speed
85km/h85 km/hThe 500 B and C saloons 95 km/h

How big is it?

True proportion

3.21 m

It is 245 mm longer than a Fiat 500, about 1.8 adults laid end to end.

  • 1.27 m wide
  • 535 kg: about seven adults
  • Two seats, and room behind for two children
  • A 2,000 mm wheelbase
Drawn at true proportion. The track is 3.6 metres long; the adult stands at the same scale. The Peel P50 is the smallest production car, on every page for comparison.

The story

History

The story Italians tell begins in 1930, when Mussolini summoned Senator Giovanni Agnelli and asked him for a car that would put Italy on wheels, at no more than 5,000 lire. Italian Wikipedia tells it that way, French Wikipedia calls it a legend, and German Wikipedia dates Agnelli’s order to his engineers to 1933.123 Italy had reason to want one: in 1936 it had about 222,000 motor vehicles of every kind for 42 million people.1

Fiat tried two ways at once. One camp would use what the firm already knew. The other was led by Oreste Lardone, a pupil of Giulio Cesare Cappa, who drew a four-seater with a 500 cc air-cooled twin and front-wheel drive. In the summer of 1931 it left the Lingotto works on its first outing, with the tester, the designer and Agnelli aboard, and on the climb to Cavoretto the engine caught fire. Agnelli banned front-wheel drive from Fiat, and Lardone was dismissed.14 Fiat Heritage’s own account, as Italpress reported it in 2026, credits the front-drive idea to the technical director, Antonio Fessia, instead.5 When Mussolini visited Fiat in October 1932, he reminded Agnelli of his promise.1

Giacosa’s economies

Fessia and Tranquillo Zerbi gave the job, coded Zero A, to Fessia’s young assistant on the Balilla, Dante Giacosa, an aero-engine engineer; Italpress dates the handover to 1934.145 It was the first complete car of one of the designers on this site, and he took cost out of it wherever he could.35 The engine, a side-valve four of 569 cc, went ahead of the front axle. The radiator sat behind and above it, so that the water could circulate by itself, by thermosiphon, with no pump. The fuel ran by gravity from a tank under the scuttle, with no fuel pump either; the engine was splash-lubricated, and the chassis was two pressed-steel beams.31 Rodolfo Schaeffer, head of the body department, shaped the body.4 On 7 October 1934 Giacosa and Fessia took turns driving the final prototype over a rough loop from Turin through Ivrea, La Serra and Cigliano, and it touched 82 km/h (51 mph) on the autostrada.14

Launched as the Fiat 500

The name Topolino, after Disney’s Mickey Mouse, was considered; after the League of Nations’ sanctions of 1935 the press guessed at “Fiat Ginevra”.1 On 10 June 1936, at the Villa Torlonia, it was shown to Mussolini and the press simply as the Fiat 500, and it went on sale on 15 June at 8,900 lire, about twenty times a skilled worker’s monthly pay; the trasformabile, with a full-length roll-back roof, cost 9,750.15 The 5,000-lire target had been missed by a long way.15 Fiat filmed the launch with the Istituto Luce on the terrace of the Circolo della Stampa in Turin.5

nuova piccola grande vettura del risparmio e del lavoro

Fiat’s description of the 500 at its launch in June 1936, as reported by Italpress in 2026. In English: “The new little big car of saving and work.”5

The sloping bonnet and the headlamps on the wings made the face, and the nickname stuck.51 The Lane Motor Museum calls it the smallest mass-produced car of its time.6 Before the war Fiat sold about 20,000 a year.5 At 3,215 mm (10 ft 7 in) it runs past the length this site takes as a microcar’s limit, and it is here because it set the idea of the small car that its successor, the Fiat Nuova 500, made smaller still.1

Living with a mouse

Two sat in front, with room behind for luggage or two children.7 Its rear-hinged doors had sliding windows, and the boot could be reached only from inside, by folding the seat back. First and second gears needed double-declutching, a flap on the air intake stopped the carburettor icing in winter, and a starting handle waited for a flat battery.3 The early cars had no fuel gauge: the owner dipped a wooden stick into the tank.8 The engine gave 13 CV (9.6 kW), the car would do 85 km/h (53 mph), and it used about 6 litres per 100 km (47 mpg).712 Its weak point was the centre big-end, which went short of oil when hot.3 The low nose gave a good view ahead, but with so much weight in front it was poor on loose or steep ground.71

A van, the Furgoncino, for 300 kg, came late in 1936, largely for the army.1 Overloaded vans, and owners who crammed four or five people into a two-seater, cracked the rear of the frame. So from chassis 046000, in the second half of 1938, the frame was lengthened at the back to take full semi-elliptic springs in place of the quarter-elliptics: the first series is known as the balestra corta, the second as the balestra lunga.71

The army used it as a liaison car from 1936 and at the front from 1940; after 8 September 1943 requisitioned cars served the Wehrmacht.1 The side-valve 500 A was built almost unchanged until early 1948, and from 1947 at Mirafiori instead of the Lingotto.15

Black and white: a small dark saloon on a cobbled road, a man leaning out of the open door.
Plate III · 1939 A 500 A on a country road in Hungary in 1939, its rear-hinged door open.Photo: Fortepan, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The B, the C and the estate

The 500 B of the 1948 Geneva show kept the body but had an overhead-valve head, 16.5 CV (12.1 kW), almost 30 per cent more power, telescopic dampers on all four wheels and an anti-roll bar at the back, and it would do 95 km/h (59 mph).15 With it came the Giardiniera, a four-seat estate with a rear door, a folding rear seat and sides of ash framing and Masonite panels in the American woody manner. It scaled down Mario Revelli’s “functional body” of 1946 for Carrozzeria Viotti; Viotti owned the name Giardinetta, so Fiat’s was the Giardiniera, the word for the carts Italian greengrocers took to market.71 Italian Wikipedia calls it the first estate car built in large numbers anywhere, a claim no other source read supports.1 The B lasted little more than a year, and about 21,000 were built.31

The 500 C of 1949 was Fiat’s hundredth model. Its headlamps were set into the wings behind a horizontal grille, the spare wheel no longer hung at the back, the head was aluminium, and it was the first Fiat built in series with a heater as standard; the roll-back roof became standard too.15 In 1951 by Italian Wikipedia, 1952 by English, the wood-sided Giardiniera, hand-built in Fiat’s special-bodies shop, gave way to the steel Belvedere, named for the pleasant view through its opening roof, and its sales rose.17 The saloon ended in 1954 and the Belvedere at the end of 1955. Fiat replaced them with the 600 in 1955 and the Nuova 500 in 1957, after which the old car was called Topolino to tell the two apart.731

Built abroad

The Topolino was built under licence in several countries. In France it was the Simca 5. In Germany it was built at Heilbronn by NSU-Fiat, a Fiat-controlled company with nothing to do with NSU of Neckarsulm: about 4,000 by 1939, at RM 1,925, and 9,064 of the 500 C in 1951–⁠55. The Weinsberg coachworks built roadsters on it, some cut down without doors.39 It was assembled by Steyr-Puch in Austria, by Polski Fiat in Warsaw and by Premier in India, and a few by Todd Motors in New Zealand before 1937; a four-seat convertible was built for export to England.31 In 1948 Fiat and Nash agreed on a spider with a Fiat chassis and a Nash body by Bill Flajole; the NXI prototype was shown in 1949, and the deal faded.1

Racing, and hot rods

Topolinos, tuned more or less, ran in hundreds of Italian races. Elio Zagato began racing just after the war in a Furgoncino stripped into a barchetta.1 Siata sold an overhead-valve conversion giving 20 PS at 6,000 rpm, and the specials ran from the Siata Amica and the Giannini 750 Sport “Mille Miglia” to Giotto Bizzarrini’s “Macchinetta” of 1953; in Germany some had Viktor Derbuel’s superchargers.31 (More in racing and rallying.) Across the Atlantic it had a second life: in the 1960s and 1970s Topolino bodies went onto American hot rods and dragsters, the “Fiat Altereds”.73

Red small car seen from above the rear, its fabric roof rolled back over the tail and a spare wheel on the back.
A 1937 500 A trasformabile with its full-length roof rolled back to the tail.Photo: Andrew Bone, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Black and white: a man in a leather jacket stepping from a small saloon numbered 29, officials and a chequered flag around him.
Plate I · 1937 Raffaello Guzman climbs out of his Fiat 500, No. 29, at the 1937 Mille Miglia.Photo: Foto Locchi, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Black and white: a small estate lettered radio italiana on its door, a man leaning in, trees behind.
Plate II · 1952 Italian radio’s 500 C estate, lettered “radio italiana”, at the Helsinki Olympic Games in July 1952.Photo: Volker von Bonin / Helsinki City Museum, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Simca 5

1936–⁠1949 · a record on this page

France saw the Topolino before Italy did. Henri Théodore Pigozzi’s new firm, Simca, at first Simca-Fiat, showed the Simca 5 at Nanterre on 10 March 1936, three months before the Italian launch, from drawings and pre-series cars that Fiat had sent.42 The strikes of the Front Populaire held real production back until the autumn. In April 1936 it cost 9,900 francs as a Standard, 10,900 as a Luxe and 12,500 as a Grand Luxe, and the découvrable, with the roll-back roof, 12,950.2 A van for 250 kg followed at the Paris salon of October 1937 and lasted until February 1949, and the Simca 6 took the car’s place.2

René Bellu’s count, given by French Wikipedia, is 46,472, year by year: 7,282 in 1936, 12,131 in 1939, 604 in 1940 and 3,328 in 1941, then 3,411 in 1946, 3,733 in 1947, 3,901 in 1948 and 221 vans in 1949. For 1937 the same article gives both 12,925 and 14,194.2 The car was 570 cc by Simca’s reckoning, with 6.5:1 compression, and weighed 560 kg (1,235 lb) in running order.2

Simca proved it with economy runs. In the 1936 Concours du Bidon de Cinq Litres, five Simca 5s took the first five places in their class, and under the Automobile Club de France’s eye one ran Paris–Madrid and back (see the records). Prepared by Amédée Gordini as a 23 hp barchetta of 450 kg, it ran at Le Mans in 1937, 1938 and 1939 and won the class for cars of up to 750 cc, by the Le Mans museum’s account as French Wikipedia gives it.2

Light blue open racing two-seater with strapped bonnet, wire wheels and a big 48 on its side.
The blue Simca 5 Gordini, No. 48, of the 1937 Le Mans 24 Hours, at the Le Mans museum in 2024.Photo: Olinone, CC0 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Pictures

More photographs, old and new

The car 32

  • Cream small saloon with red wheels and a chrome-barred grille, on a brick museum floor. Opens a larger view

    1 A cream 1936 Fiat 500 A with red wheels at the Lane Motor Museum, Nashville, in April 2009.

  • Rust-red and black small saloon parked on gravel in front of a red and white palace wall, flowers in front. Opens a larger view

    2 A restored 1936 Fiat 500 A at the Fiat 120th anniversary exhibition, Troja Palace, Prague, in September 2019.

  • Red small saloon with black wings, red wheels and headlamps on the wings, a museum card on a stand beside it. Opens a larger view

    3 A red and black 1936 Fiat 500 A at the National Polytechnic Museum, Sofia, in March 2017.

  • Pale yellow small saloon with black wings, wing-mounted headlamps and a tall grille on a dark tiled floor. Opens a larger view

    4 A yellow and black 1936 Fiat 500 A saloon at the Toyota Automobile Museum, Nagakute, in November 2025.

  • Maroon small saloon with black wings and wing-mounted headlamps, seen from the front on tarmac. Opens a larger view

    5 A maroon and black 1937 Fiat 500 A at a car show in England in October 2009.

27 more picturesFewer pictures
  • Red small saloon with black wings and wing-mounted headlamps parked in a city street. Opens a larger view

    6 A red and black 1937 Fiat 500 A trasformabile at the Bristol Italian AutoMoto Festival in April 2017.

  • Maroon small saloon with black wings, plate WSU 838, parked on tarmac beside a black open car. Opens a larger view

    7 A maroon and black 1937 Fiat 500 A on a show field in England in July 2008.

  • Off-white small saloon with white wheels parked on a street, palm trees and houses behind. Opens a larger view

    8 An off-white 1939 Fiat 500 A parked in Poreč, Croatia, in January 2011.

  • Maroon small saloon with black wings and a sign reading FIAT TOPOLINO 1943 569 cc, a painted street set behind. Opens a larger view

    9 A maroon and black Fiat 500 A shown as a 1943 car at Museum Angkut, Batu, East Java, in October 2017.

  • Maroon small saloon with a tall grille and wing-mounted headlamps in a car park. Opens a larger view

    10 A maroon Fiat 500 A at the classic car meeting in Bauma, Switzerland, in July 2019.

  • Lime-green small saloon with green wheels on a red concrete floor under a canopy. Opens a larger view

    11 A lime-green Fiat 500 A at a car-hire yard in Maleme, Crete, in September 2010.

  • Rust-red small saloon with black wings, plate MEC 20-77, parked on cobbles beside a blue coupé. Opens a larger view

    12 A red and black Fiat 500 A at the Meeting of Italian Cars in Poděbrady, Czech Republic, in April 2017.

  • Cream small van with black wings and a tall grille parked on grass with vintage cars behind. Opens a larger view

    13 A cream and black Fiat 500 Furgoncino with the wing-mounted headlamps of the A and B, at a car show in May 2010.

  • Maroon small saloon with black wings and red wheel centres beneath the wing of a camouflaged aircraft. Opens a larger view

    14 A maroon and black Fiat 500 A under an aircraft wing at the Malta Aviation Museum, Ta’ Qali, in February 2012.

  • Cream small saloon with a chrome-barred grille and a Japanese plate in a museum line-up. Opens a larger view

    15 A cream Fiat 500 Topolino with wing-mounted headlamps at the Motorcar Museum of Japan, Komatsu, in October 2009.

  • Black small saloon with wing-mounted lamps parked on grass in a park, people sitting behind. Opens a larger view

    16 A black Fiat 500 Topolino, thought by its photographer to be a 1950 500 B, in Hisaya-ōdōri Park, Nagoya, in 2022.

  • Mint-green small saloon with black wings, seen side-on in a crowded show hall. Opens a larger view

    17 A mint-green Fiat 500 A in profile at the Bremen Classic Motorshow in January 2020.

  • Black small saloon side-on in a car park, red wheels and a short tail. Opens a larger view

    18 A black Fiat 500 A with red wheels in profile in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, in September 2020.

  • Red small saloon with its door swung open towards the rear, showing black seats inside. Opens a larger view

    19 A red and black Fiat 500 A with its rear-hinged door open at the National Polytechnic Museum, Sofia, in March 2017.

  • Pale yellow small saloon from the left rear, a spare wheel on its rounded tail and black wings. Opens a larger view

    20 The rear of a yellow and black 1936 Fiat 500 A saloon at the Toyota Automobile Museum, Nagakute, in November 2025.

  • Faded blue small saloon from the left rear with a spare wheel on the tail, men looking at it on grass. Opens a larger view

    21 An unrestored blue 1937 Fiat 500 A after 40 years in a garage, at Rangiora, New Zealand, in January 2017.

  • Red small car from the left rear, roof folded open, a spare wheel on the tail and a 2CV beside it. Opens a larger view

    22 A red and black 1937 Fiat 500 A trasformabile with its roof folded back at a car show in England in July 2008.

  • Green small car from the left rear, its fabric roof rolled back and a spare wheel on the tail. Opens a larger view

    23 The rear of a green and black 1938 Fiat 500 A with its roof rolled back at the Băneasa period car show, Bucharest, in May 2012.

  • Rust-red small saloon from the left rear with a spare wheel on the tail, on cobbles. Opens a larger view

    24 The rear of a red and black Fiat 500 A at the Meeting of Italian Cars in Poděbrady, Czech Republic, in April 2017.

  • Two-tone green small car from the left rear with its fabric roof closed and a spare wheel on the tail. Opens a larger view

    25 A green 1939 Fiat 500 A trasformabile with its roof closed at Bergen aan Zee, Netherlands, in April 2013.

  • Green small saloon with black wings driving towards the camera, spectators behind barriers. Opens a larger view

    26 A green and black 1938 Fiat 500 A driving at the Băneasa period car show, Bucharest, in May 2012.

  • Small red coupé with a rally number driving across a car park, trees and spectators behind. Opens a larger view

    27 A red Fiat 500 Zagato Panoramica driving at a classic rally in Japan in October 2008.

  • Bright blue small saloon behind a blue rope barrier, plate FPG 102, an information stand beside it. Opens a larger view

    28 The Shuttleworth Collection’s blue 1937 Fiat 500 A at Old Warden in November 2011.

  • Blue small saloon with dark blue wings and an open roof, a green Topolino behind it. Opens a larger view

    29 A blue and black Fiat 500 A at the Gedee Car Museum, Coimbatore, India, in a photograph uploaded in November 2025.

  • Two small saloons on a square: a dark green and black one with a tall grille, a beige one with a wide grille. Opens a larger view

    30 A Fiat 500 A beside a Fiat 500 C at a car meeting in March 2010, the A with separate headlamps, the C with faired-in lamps.

  • Light blue small saloon and a red small saloon with a tall grille parked side by side under a shelter. Opens a larger view

    31 A light blue Fiat 500 C beside a red Fiat 500 A at the classic car meeting in Bauma, Switzerland, in July 2019.

  • Black small saloon from the front: tall grille, headlamps on the wings, a car park and hillside behind. Opens a larger view

    32 A black Fiat 500 A with red wheels seen head-on in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, in September 2020.

The car: 500 B 8

  • Red small saloon with white wheels and a tall grille parked on grass, a green car behind. Opens a larger view

    33 A red 1948 Fiat 500 B at a club meeting in Steyl, Netherlands, in June 2013.

  • Yellow small fastback saloon with headlamps on the wings, behind a rail in a museum hall. Opens a larger view

    34 A yellow 1948 Fiat 500 B at the Motorcar Museum of Japan, Komatsu, in November 2023.

  • Green small saloon with white 109 numbers on its doors and bonnet, on a red carpet at a show. Opens a larger view

    35 A green 1949 Fiat 500 B with rally number 109 at InterClassics, Brussels, in November 2024.

  • Weathered grey small saloon with its bonnet up and door open, visitors standing behind. Opens a larger view

    36 A grey Fiat 500 B with its bonnet open at the Acqui Terme motorcycle and parts fair, Italy, in October 2008.

  • Green small car with red wheels and wing-mounted lamps, its roof open, on paving. Opens a larger view

    37 A green Fiat 500 B trasformabile in Remich, Luxembourg, in May 2009.

  • Red small saloon side-on on grass, white wheels and a rear-hinged door. Opens a larger view

    38 A red 1948 Fiat 500 B in profile at a club meeting in Steyl, Netherlands, in June 2013.

  • Green small car from the left rear, roof folded open, red wheels and a spare on the tail. Opens a larger view

    39 A green Fiat 500 B trasformabile with its roof folded back in Remich, Luxembourg, in May 2009.

  • Green small saloon with black wings and a 1949 plate on a white display floor by tall windows. Opens a larger view

    40 A green and black 1949 Fiat 500 B in the ZeitHaus, Autostadt, Wolfsburg, in June 2012.

The car: 500 C 22

  • Dark blue small saloon with pale blue wheels on a chequered display floor. Opens a larger view

    41 A dark blue 1949 Fiat 500 C with pale blue wheels at the Salamanca Motor Museum, Spain, in April 2008.

  • Green small saloon with cream wings and a horizontal-bar grille parked on grass. Opens a larger view

    42 A two-tone green 1950 Fiat 500 C at Shannon’s Eastern Creek Classic, Sydney, in August 2011.

  • Pale green small saloon with a club sign on its windscreen, parked on grass among other cars. Opens a larger view

    43 A pale green 1952 Fiat 500 C at CARnivale, Parramatta Park, New South Wales, in January 2016.

  • Grey-green small saloon with a horizontal-bar grille and faired-in headlamps on gravel. Opens a larger view

    44 A green 1953 Fiat 500 C at Frauenfeld, Switzerland, in August 2021.

  • Red small saloon with black wings and red wheels in a showroom, a dealer’s banner at the left. Opens a larger view

    45 A red and black Fiat 500 C at Classic Remise, Berlin, in July 2025.

17 more picturesFewer pictures
  • Silver small saloon with a horizontal-bar grille parked on tarmac beside a hedge. Opens a larger view

    46 A silver Fiat 500 C at Classic Days, Düsseldorf, in 2022.

  • Maroon small saloon with black wings, faired-in headlamps and a horizontal-bar grille, on brick paving. Opens a larger view

    47 A red and black 1949 Fiat 500 C, its headlamps faired into the wings, in Hoofddorp, Netherlands, in September 2011.

  • Dark green small saloon parked beside a white modern car in a village street with flowers. Opens a larger view

    48 A dark green Fiat 500 C trasformabile in Radda in Chianti, Tuscany, in July 2011.

  • Faded pale green small saloon with yellow wheels parked on cobbles in front of a closed metal shutter. Opens a larger view

    49 A faded pale green Fiat 500 C with yellow wheels against a shuttered shopfront in Rome in June 2011.

  • Green small pick-up on a lawn with a basket in its bed and a dog lying on a rug beside it. Opens a larger view

    50 A green 1950 Fiat 500 C pick-up at the Desert Classic, La Quinta, California, in February 2011.

  • Dark green small saloon side-on on grass with cream wheels, parked cars behind. Opens a larger view

    51 A dark green 1952 Fiat 500 C with a black fabric roof at Floriander, Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands, in September 2011.

  • Blue small saloon side-on on grass, cream wheels and a black fabric roof, a green Topolino behind. Opens a larger view

    52 A blue 1952 Fiat 500 C in profile at Floriander, Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands, in September 2011.

  • Grey-green small saloon side-on on gravel in front of an industrial building. Opens a larger view

    53 A green 1953 Fiat 500 C in profile at Frauenfeld, Switzerland, in August 2021.

  • Green and cream small saloon from the left rear on grass, people behind. Opens a larger view

    54 The rear of a two-tone green 1950 Fiat 500 C at Shannon’s Eastern Creek Classic, Sydney, in August 2011.

  • Blue small saloon from the left rear, black fabric roof and cream wheels, under a blue sky. Opens a larger view

    55 The rear of a blue 1952 Fiat 500 C at Floriander, Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands, in September 2011.

  • Maroon small car from the left rear, plate HRG 348, a leather case on a tail rack and the roof folded. Opens a larger view

    56 A maroon 1954 Fiat 500 C trasformabile with its roof open and luggage on the rack at the Bristol Italian AutoMoto Festival in April 2017.

  • Grey small car from the left rear on grass, a suitcase on the tail rack and a fence behind. Opens a larger view

    57 A grey 1955 Fiat 500 C trasformabile with luggage on its tail rack at Tingstäde, Gotland, in August 2022.

  • Brown small saloon from the left rear on a road, a suitcase on a rack at the tail. Opens a larger view

    58 A brown Fiat 500 C with luggage on its tail rack at the classic car meeting in Bauma, Switzerland, in July 2019.

  • Dark green small car from behind on wet tarmac, its fabric roof closed and an Italian plate on the tail. Opens a larger view

    59 The rear of a dark green Fiat 500 C trasformabile on a wet street in Radda in Chianti, Tuscany, in July 2011.

  • Yellow small saloon with a black grille and a blue museum plaque, other old cars around it. Opens a larger view

    60 A yellow 1951 Fiat 500 C at the Manjusha Car Museum, Dharmasthala, Karnataka, in November 2025.

  • Navy small saloon with white wheels on a gravel display among other cars. Opens a larger view

    61 A navy 1954 Fiat 500 C at the Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, in 2017.

  • Black small saloon with a brown fabric roof on a tiled display floor, seen from above. Opens a larger view

    62 A black 1954 Fiat 500 C at the Swiss Museum of Transport, Lucerne, in December 2019.

The car: 500 C Giardiniera and Belvedere 20

  • Grey small estate with pressed-steel sides painted in a lighter panel colour, on green show carpet. Opens a larger view

    63 A grey 1954 Fiat 500 C Belvedere at Retro Classics, Stuttgart, in March 2018.

  • Green small estate with lighter green side panels on a grey floor, a red car beside it. Opens a larger view

    64 A green Fiat 500 C Belvedere at the Bonhams sale, Grand Palais, Paris, in February 2015.

  • Grey small estate with cream side panels and a folded roof, parked on grass by a hedge. Opens a larger view

    65 A grey and cream Fiat 500 C Belvedere at Dalhem, Gotland, in August 2023.

  • Dark green small estate with darker side panels from the right front in a museum. Opens a larger view

    66 A dark green Fiat 500 C Belvedere police car, Polizia 700 TS, in Rome in October 2011.

  • Faded blue small estate without a grille parked on sandy ground in front of a fence. Opens a larger view

    67 A weathered blue Fiat 500 C Belvedere, missing its grille, on a building site in October 2009.

15 more picturesFewer pictures
  • Grey small estate with varnished wood panels and a horizontal-bar grille, parked on tarmac. Opens a larger view

    68 A grey Fiat 500 C Giardiniera with wooden sides at a club meeting in July 2016.

  • Navy small estate with grey side panels side-on on paving, trees and parasols behind. Opens a larger view

    69 A navy and grey Fiat 500 C Belvedere in profile in Remich, Luxembourg, in May 2009.

  • Pale green small estate side-on with a roof rack, on a square before a museum building. Opens a larger view

    70 A pale green Fiat 500 C Belvedere with a roof rack at the Kurpfalz-Klassik, Technik Museum Sinsheim, in May 2009.

  • Grey small estate with varnished wood-framed side panels, seen side-on in front of steps. Opens a larger view

    71 A grey 1950 Fiat 500 C Giardiniera with wooden sides at a club meeting in July 2016.

  • Green and pale green small estate parked on cobbles in front of a restaurant terrace with umbrellas. Opens a larger view

    72 A two-tone green Fiat 500 C estate outside a trattoria in Via della Lungaretta, Rome, in October 2011.

  • Brown small estate with varnished wooden side panels side-on in front of a museum building and café. Opens a larger view

    73 A brown Fiat 500 C Giardiniera in profile at the Kurpfalz-Klassik, Technik Museum Sinsheim, in May 2009.

  • Green small estate with lighter side panels from the left rear on a sale floor. Opens a larger view

    74 The rear of a green Fiat 500 C Belvedere at the Bonhams sale, Grand Palais, Paris, in February 2015.

  • Pale green small estate with darker side panels, from the left rear, against a wooden fence. Opens a larger view

    75 A pale green Fiat 500 C Belvedere at Techno-Classica, Essen, in April 2016.

  • Grey small estate with cream panels from the left rear, a Swedish plate and a red car beside it. Opens a larger view

    76 The rear of a grey and cream Fiat 500 C Belvedere at Dalhem, Gotland, in August 2023.

  • Grey small estate with darker panels from the left rear, its roof rolled back and the plate blanked. Opens a larger view

    77 The rear of a grey Fiat 500 C Belvedere at a car show in Japan in July 2013.

  • Pale green small estate from directly behind, a side-hinged rear door with a window. Opens a larger view

    78 The rear door of a pale green Fiat 500 C Belvedere at Techno-Classica, Essen, in April 2016.

  • Dark green small estate from the front with a horizontal-bar grille and plate 700 TS, museum panels behind. Opens a larger view

    79 A dark green Fiat 500 C Belvedere police car, Polizia 700 TS, seen head-on in Rome in October 2011.

  • Front of a pale green small estate with rally plate 109, aircraft displayed on the museum roof behind. Opens a larger view

    80 A pale green Fiat 500 C Belvedere seen head-on at the Technik Museum Sinsheim in May 2009.

  • Green small estate with wood-look side panels and big 2209 numbers, its crew aboard, spectators behind. Opens a larger view

    81 A 1951 Fiat 500 C Belvedere running in the 2018 Mille Miglia in Brescia in May 2018.

  • Grey small estate with cream panels driving along a road beside a field. Opens a larger view

    82 A grey and cream Fiat 500 C Belvedere on a country road at Gothem, Gotland, in August 2025.

The car: 500 C Furgoncino 4

  • Grey small van with blank side panels and cream wheels on a wet-looking museum floor. Opens a larger view

    83 A grey 1953 Fiat 500 C Furgoncino van at the Lane Motor Museum, Nashville, in July 2024.

  • Dark green small van with cream wheels on a red show carpet, visitors behind. Opens a larger view

    84 A dark green 1950 Fiat 500 C Furgoncino at InterClassics, Brussels, in November 2024.

  • Black small van with a roof rack and white lettering, parked at the kerb before an arcaded building. Opens a larger view

    85 A black Fiat 500 C Furgoncino with a roof rack in a Turin street in November 2009.

  • Green small van with black wings lettered for a dairy, parked by the sea with palm trees behind. Opens a larger view

    86 A green Fiat 500 C Furgoncino of the Centro Latte Rapallo dairy in Rapallo, Italy, in October 2008.

Inside and details 12

  • Looking into a small car over a rolled fabric roof: red dashboard with dials, steering wheel and windscreen. Opens a larger view

    87 The cockpit of a 1937 Fiat 500 A trasformabile, seen over its rolled-back roof, at the Bristol Italian AutoMoto Festival in April 2017.

  • Brown leather seats, a thin steering wheel and a brown dashboard seen through the open door. Opens a larger view

    88 The cabin of a Fiat 500 C Belvedere at the Technik Museum Sinsheim in May 2009.

  • Red painted dashboard with a row of dials, a spring-spoke steering wheel and a floor gear lever. Opens a larger view

    89 The dashboard of a 1937 Fiat 500 A at a car show in England in July 2008.

  • Wood-faced dashboard with small dials, a thin three-spoke steering wheel and black leather seat. Opens a larger view

    90 The dashboard and bench seat of a 1936 Fiat 500 A at the National Polytechnic Museum, Sofia, in March 2017.

  • Faded blue small saloon with its bonnet tipped open showing the engine ahead of the front wheels. Opens a larger view

    91 The unrestored blue 1937 Fiat 500 A with its bonnet open at Rangiora, New Zealand, in January 2017.

7 more picturesFewer pictures
  • Front of a dark car with its bonnet up: four-cylinder engine ahead of the axle, radiator behind it. Opens a larger view

    92 The engine bay of a Fiat 500 Topolino with its bonnet raised, in Italy in November 2019.

  • Engine bay with the four-cylinder engine, coil, carburettor and copper pipes, radiator behind. Opens a larger view

    93 The engine bay of a Fiat 500 C Belvedere at a car show in Japan in July 2013.

  • Close view of a glossy red door and black wing on a small car, a window behind. Opens a larger view

    94 The flank and door of a red and black 1936 Fiat 500 A at the National Polytechnic Museum, Sofia, in March 2017.

  • Narrow vertical-slatted red grille between two headlamps on glossy black wings, plate WSU 838 below. Opens a larger view

    95 The tall grille of a 1937 Fiat 500 A at the Bristol Italian AutoMoto Festival in April 2017.

  • Chrome Topolino and 500B scripts and a FIAT badge on a red slatted grille. Opens a larger view

    96 The ‘Topolino 500B’ script on the grille of a 1948 Fiat 500 B at Steyl, Netherlands, in June 2013.

  • Aluminium cylinder head with spark plugs and pipework, seen from above in a dark engine bay. Opens a larger view

    97 The four-cylinder engine of a Fiat 500 Topolino seen from above, in Italy in November 2019.

  • Engine bay with a round air cleaner, distributor and pipework under a grey bonnet. Opens a larger view

    98 The overhead-valve four-cylinder engine of a Fiat 500 B at Acqui Terme, Italy, in October 2008.

Inside and details: 500 C 8

  • Maroon dashboard with three dials, a thin steering wheel and black seats, a cloth on the floor. Opens a larger view

    99 The cabin of a 1949 Fiat 500 C in Hoofddorp, Netherlands, in September 2011.

  • Brown dashboard with two dials, a cream steering wheel and a green toy mouse hanging from the mirror. Opens a larger view

    100 The dashboard of a 1949 Fiat 500 C registered in Alberta, Canada, in July 2009.

  • Cream dashboard with two round dials and a radio, a large two-spoke steering wheel in front. Opens a larger view

    101 The dashboard of a 1949 Fiat 500 C at the oldtimer meeting in Vallendar, Germany, in July 2007.

  • Engine bay under a raised white bonnet: four-cylinder engine with its radiator behind, a slatted grille below. Opens a larger view

    102 The engine bay of a 1949 Fiat 500 C registered in Alberta, Canada, in July 2009.

  • Engine bay under a navy bonnet: four-cylinder engine, coil, pipes and the radiator behind the engine. Opens a larger view

    103 The engine of a 1949 Fiat 500 C, with its radiator behind it, at Vallendar, Germany, in July 2007.

  • Engine bay under a raised maroon bonnet: aluminium cylinder head, carburettor and ignition leads. Opens a larger view

    104 The engine bay of a 1949 Fiat 500 C in Hoofddorp, Netherlands, in September 2011.

  • Rear of a pale grey car with its boot lid open showing the spare wheel, an Alberta plate below. Opens a larger view

    105 The spare wheel stowed in the tail of a 1949 Fiat 500 C registered in Alberta, Canada, in July 2009.

  • Round cream gauge marked BENZINA and OLIO on a black dashboard, the steering wheel rim in front. Opens a larger view

    106 The fuel and oil gauge on the dashboard of a 1949 Fiat 500 C in Hoofddorp, Netherlands, in September 2011.

Variants and relatives 9

  • Pale blue open two-seater with a slatted grille and wire wheels beside a printed information panel. Opens a larger view

    107 A pale blue 1949 Fiat 500 barchetta bodied by Carrozzeria Colli at the Museo Nicolis, Villafranca di Verona, in September 2018.

  • Orange open two-seat sports car with louvres on its nose and wire wheels in a dark gallery. Opens a larger view

    108 An orange Bertone-bodied barchetta on the Fiat 500 A chassis at the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile, Turin, in April 2015.

  • Small saloon in mottled camouflage paint with a red cross on its door, on a wooden display floor. Opens a larger view

    109 A camouflaged Fiat 500 A with Red Cross markings, used in the Second World War, at the Mémorial de Caen in November 2023.

  • Red small coupé from the right rear with wrap-round windows reaching into the roof. Opens a larger view

    110 A red Fiat 500 B Zagato Panoramica at the Coppa di Tokyo, Japan, in November 2024.

  • Black and white side view of a dark small estate with light side panels parked on grass under bare trees. Opens a larger view

    111 A 1954 Fiat 500 C Giardiniera-Belvedere photographed by J.W.C. Postel in the Netherlands in 1972.

4 more picturesFewer pictures
  • Navy small car seen from above with its roof rolled back and a driver in a straw hat at the wheel. Opens a larger view

    112 A navy Fiat 500 C trasformabile with its roof open at the classic car meeting in Bauma, Switzerland, in July 2019.

  • Cream small car with black wings and a dark fabric roof, seen at a tilted angle from the rear. Opens a larger view

    113 A cream and black Fiat 500 C trasformabile with its roof closed, photographed in April 2013.

  • Yellow and black hot rod with a Topolino body, fat rear tyres and a wheelie bar, among show visitors. Opens a larger view

    114 A yellow Topolino-bodied drag racer at the MSRA Back to the 50’s show, State Fairgrounds, St Paul, Minnesota, in June 2013.

  • Red open two-seater with a long bonnet scoop, seen from the front on a paved drive with Ferraris behind. Opens a larger view

    115 A red 1948 Fiat 500 B barchetta at a Ferrari event in Italy in September 2019.

Variants and relatives: NSU-Fiat 500 7

  • Red small saloon from the left rear with black wings, a luggage rack on the tail and its roof folded. Opens a larger view

    116 The rear of a red and black 1953 NSU-Fiat 500 at the oldtimer meeting in Konz, Germany, in July 2016.

  • Cream small saloon with yellow wheels, whitewall tyres and rally plaques on the bumper, on grass. Opens a larger view

    117 A cream NSU-Fiat 500 C with yellow wheels at a car show in Germany in May 2016.

  • Olive green small estate with cream wheels in a long museum hall with a wooden floor. Opens a larger view

    118 An olive NSU-Fiat 500 C estate at the Automuseum Engstingen, Germany, in September 2019.

  • Green small estate with its bonnet up in a museum display with a petrol-station mannequin behind. Opens a larger view

    119 A green 1952 NSU-Fiat 500 C Belvedere with its bonnet raised at the Auto & Uhrenwelt, Schramberg, in November 2015.

  • Green small estate side-on on a parquet floor, a petrol-station display and mannequin behind. Opens a larger view

    120 A green 1952 NSU-Fiat 500 C Belvedere in profile at the Auto & Uhrenwelt, Schramberg, in November 2015.

  • Red small saloon with cream wheels on a street, café parasols and visitors behind. Opens a larger view

    121 A red NSU-Fiat 500 C at the oldtimer meeting in Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, Germany, in June 2019.

  • Chrome shield with interlaced red NSU and FIAT lettering on cream paint. Opens a larger view

    122 The NSU/FIAT badge on the nose of a cream NSU-Fiat 500 C at a car show in Germany in May 2016.

Variants and relatives: Weinsberg roadster 7

  • White dashboard with small round dials and a wood-rimmed three-spoke steering wheel. Opens a larger view

    123 The dashboard of an NSU-Fiat 500 Weinsberg spider at the Classic-Gala, Schwetzingen, in September 2022.

  • Silver open two-seater with swept chrome flashes on its wings and a tall grille, on grass. Opens a larger view

    124 A silver NSU-Fiat 500 Weinsberg spider at the Autotron, Rosmalen, Netherlands, in August 2010.

  • Cream open two-seater from behind with a spare wheel on its tail and a wood-rimmed wheel, on grass. Opens a larger view

    125 The rear of a cream NSU-Fiat 500 Spyder at Tjolöholm Classic Motor, Sweden, in May 2024.

  • White open two-seater from the left rear with a spare wheel set into its tail. Opens a larger view

    126 The rear of a white NSU-Fiat 500 Weinsberg spider in June 2007.

  • White open two-seater with swept wing flashes and black seats, beside a wooden fence. Opens a larger view

    127 A white NSU-Fiat 500 Weinsberg spider in June 2007.

  • Bright green open two-seater with a black hood up and a tall grille in a white museum hall. Opens a larger view

    128 A green NSU-Fiat 500 spider with its hood up at the UMMC Museum of Military and Automotive Technology, Verkhnyaya Pyshma, Russia, in June 2021.

  • Red open two-seater with black seats and swept wing flashes on gravel, a green car behind. Opens a larger view

    129 A red 1939 NSU-Fiat Topolino-Weinsberg roadster at the Fiat 120th anniversary exhibition, Troja Palace, Prague, in September 2019.

Variants and relatives: Simca 5 24

  • Blue open-wheeled single-seat racing car on a brick floor, a race suit hanging on the wall behind. Opens a larger view

    130 A blue 1948 Simca-Gordini Type 5 single-seater at the Lane Motor Museum, Nashville, in April 2009.

  • Front of a navy small saloon: tall grille with a badge, wing-mounted headlamps and a rally plaque. Opens a larger view

    131 A navy 1936 Simca 5 seen head-on in France in April 2018.

  • Navy small saloon with black wings, a tall grille and a card on the windscreen, before a hedge. Opens a larger view

    132 A navy 1936 Simca 5 on grass in France in April 2018.

  • Maroon small saloon with cream wheels in a timber barn with old bicycles behind. Opens a larger view

    133 A maroon 1937 Simca 5 at the Domaine de la Petite Couère, Châtelais, France, in June 2024.

  • Red and black small saloon on gravel before a red and white palace, flowers in front. Opens a larger view

    134 A restored 1937 Simca-Fiat 5 at the Fiat 120th anniversary exhibition, Troja Palace, Prague, in September 2019.

19 more picturesFewer pictures
  • Cream small saloon with navy wings and a tall grille on paving, a rally car beside it. Opens a larger view

    135 A cream and navy 1939 Simca 5 at a car show in Poland in August 2026.

  • Cream small car with navy wings from the left rear, roof rolled back, on paving under a blue sky. Opens a larger view

    136 The rear of a cream and navy 1939 Simca 5 with its roof rolled back at a car show in Poland in August 2026.

  • Grey small saloon with mannequins in 1940 clothes standing beside it in a painted scene. Opens a larger view

    137 A grey French Army Simca 5 in a 1940 diorama at the Musée des Blindés, Saumur, in September 2021.

  • Grey small car from the left rear with its fabric roof closed, mannequins and an army truck behind. Opens a larger view

    138 The rear of a grey French Army Simca 5 at the Musée des Blindés, Saumur, in September 2013.

  • Small four-cylinder engine with its fuel tank above, under a raised pale blue bonnet. Opens a larger view

    139 The engine bay of a blue Simca 5 in Pays de la Loire, France, in May 2022.

  • Green small van with black wings and gold lettering parked on a lawn before a country house. Opens a larger view

    140 A green 1939 Simca 5 fourgonnette lettered for the Auberge du Port, Vire-sur-Lot, at Turvey, England, in May 2016.

  • Bronze-brown small saloon with cream wheels and a badge-covered grille, parked on grass. Opens a larger view

    141 A brown Simca 5 découvrable in June 2012.

  • Light blue open racing car with leather bonnet straps and wire wheels on a show stand, visitors at right. Opens a larger view

    142 The blue Simca 5 Gordini No. 48 from the 1937 Le Mans 24 Hours at Rétromobile, Paris, in February 2015.

  • Red small saloon on a lawn before a stone wall, bicycles and old cars behind. Opens a larger view

    143 A red Simca 5 shown in Meursault, Côte-d’Or, for the 50th anniversary of the film La Grande Vadrouille in September 2016.

  • Red small saloon side-on on grass, black wheels, a blue car behind. Opens a larger view

    144 A red Simca 5 in profile in Meursault, Côte-d’Or, at the 50th anniversary of La Grande Vadrouille in September 2016.

  • Red small saloon with black wings and red wheels on cobbles, a man walking behind. Opens a larger view

    145 A red and black Simca 5 at the Meeting of Italian Cars in Poděbrady, Czech Republic, in April 2017.

  • Red small car from the left rear with a black fabric roof and a spare wheel on the tail. Opens a larger view

    146 The rear of a red and black Simca 5 at the Meeting of Italian Cars in Poděbrady, Czech Republic, in April 2017.

  • Red small saloon from the left rear with a chrome grid around its spare wheel and whitewall tyres. Opens a larger view

    147 The rear of a red Simca 5 with a luggage grid on its tail in July 2010.

  • Bronze-brown small car from the left rear, its fabric roof rolled up and a spare on the tail, on grass. Opens a larger view

    148 A brown Simca 5 découvrable with its roof rolled back in June 2012.

  • Black small saloon with a tall chrome-edged grille on green show carpet. Opens a larger view

    149 A black Simca 5 at Retro Classics, Stuttgart, in April 2022.

  • Black small saloon from the left rear, a spare wheel on its rounded tail, on green carpet. Opens a larger view

    150 The rear of a black Simca 5 at Retro Classics, Stuttgart, in April 2022.

  • Brown small van behind a rope barrier on a display stand, a collection sign behind. Opens a larger view

    151 A brown Simca 5 van at the Collection L’Aventure Automobile, Poissy, in October 2016.

  • White small saloon with a number 2 on the windscreen and a tall grille, on cobbles under trees. Opens a larger view

    152 A white Simca 5 with race number 2 at the Meeting of Italian Cars in Poděbrady, Czech Republic, in April 2017.

  • White small saloon from the left rear with a spare wheel on the tail, visitors behind. Opens a larger view

    153 The rear of a white Simca 5 at the Meeting of Italian Cars in Poděbrady, Czech Republic, in April 2017.

Period photographs 10

  • Black and white: a small dark saloon parked by a fence, two children in winter clothes standing at its side. Opens a larger view

    154 Two children beside a parked Fiat 500 A in Hungary in 1940.

  • Black and white: a small dark saloon tilted on cobbles with its rear wheel detached beside it. Opens a larger view

    155 A new Fiat 500 A on the cobbles after an accident, its rear wheel off, in Hungary in 1936.

  • Black and white: a small saloon on a show stand under a high hall roof, visitors beyond. Opens a larger view

    156 A Fiat 500 B with its roof open at the RAI motor show, Amsterdam, in May 1948.

  • Black and white: a small van parked outside a shop where two women stand in the doorway. Opens a larger view

    157 A Fiat 500 C Furgoncino outside the Zeldenrust dairy on the Rechtboomsloot, Amsterdam, in May 1954.

  • Black and white: women kneeling to change the wheel of a small saloon on a road, onlookers around. Opens a larger view

    158 A wheel being changed on a Fiat 500 C during the KNAC ladies’ rally at Zeist, Netherlands, on 20 May 1950.

5 more picturesFewer pictures
  • Black and white: a smiling woman behind the wheel of a small saloon with a number 8 on its door. Opens a larger view

    159 Maria Teresa de Filippis at the wheel of her Fiat 500, No. 8, the class winner at the Salerno–Cava de’ Tirreni hillclimb in June 1948.

  • Black and white: a small saloon numbered 16 rounding a bend on a coast road below a stone tower. Opens a larger view

    160 Entry No. 16, a Fiat 500, on the coast road at Calafuria near Livorno in the 1938 Mille Miglia.

  • Black and white view of a dark open two-seater with swept wing flashes parked on gravel. Opens a larger view

    161 A 1938 NSU-built Fiat 500 A spider photographed by J.W.C. Postel in the Netherlands in 1972.

  • Black and white: men standing beside small sports cars in front of a building lettered CARROZZERIA ZAGATO. Opens a larger view

    162 Elio and Ugo Zagato with Fiat-based Zagato cars outside the Carrozzeria Zagato works in Milan in 1947.

  • Black and white: two small saloons on the upper deck of a transporter, workmen below. Opens a larger view

    163 Two new Fiat 500 Cs high on a car transporter in Turin in about 1950.

Picture credits (163)
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  135. 135 Zbigniew Czernik, CC BY 4.0
  136. 136 Zbigniew Czernik, CC BY 4.0
  137. 137 Totorvdr59, CC BY-SA 4.0
  138. 138 Alf van Beem, CC0 1.0
  139. 139 Llann Wé², CC BY-SA 4.0
  140. 140 Charles01, CC BY-SA 4.0
  141. 141 Arnaud 25, CC BY-SA 3.0
  142. 142 Thesupermat, CC BY-SA 4.0
  143. 143 François de Dijon, CC BY-SA 4.0
  144. 144 François de Dijon, CC BY-SA 4.0
  145. 145 Stribrohorak, CC BY-SA 3.0
  146. 146 Stribrohorak, CC BY-SA 3.0
  147. 147 Joost J. Bakker, CC BY 2.0
  148. 148 Arnaud 25, CC BY-SA 3.0
  149. 149 Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0
  150. 150 Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0
  151. 151 Andrew Bone, CC BY 2.0
  152. 152 Stribrohorak, CC BY-SA 3.0
  153. 153 Stribrohorak, CC BY-SA 3.0
  154. 154 Fortepan, Public domain
  155. 155 Fortepan, Public domain
  156. 156 Snikkers / Anefo, CC0 1.0
  157. 157 Willem van de Poll / Nationaal Archief, CC0 1.0
  158. 158 Jack de Nijs / Anefo, CC0 1.0
  159. 159 Unknown photographer, Public domain
  160. 160 Unknown photographer, Public domain
  161. 161 J.W.C. Postel / Erfgoed Leiden en Omstreken, CC BY 4.0
  162. 162 Unknown photographer, Public domain
  163. 163 US Economic Cooperation Administration (National Archives), Public domain

Variants

Three series and many bodies

The Topolino family
VariantYearsWhat differsHow many
500 A, first seriesJune 1936–⁠1938Quarter-elliptic rear springs; saloon, trasformabile and vanTo chassis 046000
500 A, second series1938–early 1948Frame lengthened at the back for semi-elliptic springsAbout 122,000 500 As in all
500 A FurgoncinoLate 1936–⁠48A van for 300 kg, mostly for the armyWithin the 500 A total
500 B1948–⁠49Overhead valves, 16.5 CV, hydraulic dampers, an anti-roll bar; the Giardiniera estateAbout 21,000
500 C1949–⁠54Headlamps in the wings, an aluminium head, a heater as standardAbout 370,000–376,000, Belvedere and van included
500 C Belvedere1951/52–55The estate with steel sides in place of woodWithin the 500 C total
NSU-Fiat 5001937–⁠39; 500 C 1951–⁠55Built at Heilbronn, Germany; Weinsberg roadsters tooAbout 4,000, then 9,064
Simca 51936–⁠49Built at Nanterre, France46,472

Specification

The 500 A of 1936 unless noted

Engine and drive

EngineFour cylinders in line, water-cooled, side valves, ahead of the front axle; Solex 22 HD carburettor31
Capacity569 cc (52 × 67 mm)31
Power13 CV (9.6 kW) at 4,000 rpm1214 PS by German Wikipedia; 16.5 CV for the 500 B and C
CoolingThermosiphon, with no water pump; the radiator behind and above the engine31
FuelBy gravity from a tank under the scuttle, with no fuel pump31
GearboxFour speeds and reverse; synchromesh on third and top only31
B and C enginesOverhead valves by pushrods; the B with a cast-iron head, the C aluminium1

Body and chassis

FrameTwo pressed-steel beams, drilled for lightness31
Front suspensionIndependent, a transverse leaf spring and lower wishbones31
Rear suspensionLive axle; quarter-elliptic springs to 1938, then semi-elliptic731
BrakesHydraulic drums on all four wheels; the handbrake a band on the gearbox23
SteeringWorm and wheel31
Electrics12 V, 75 W dynamo; 130 W on the B and C1

Dimensions

Length3,215 mm71
Width1,275 mm71
Height1,377 mm1
Wheelbase2,000 mm16
Track1,114 mm front, 1,083 mm rear1
Weight535 kg31560 kg for the Simca 5 in running order

Performance and running

Top speed85 km/h (53 mph)75290 km/h by German Wikipedia, 80 km/h by the Lane museum; the B and C 95 km/h
ConsumptionAbout 6 litres per 100 km7
Fuel tank21 litres1
Turning circle8.70 m1
Price new8,900 lire (June 1936); trasformabile 9,750 lire15

How many were built?

Every figure, with its source

About 520,000 built by FiatNearly 520,000 of every version were built in Italy from 1936 to 1955; Italian Wikipedia gives 519,847. The much-quoted 122,000 is not a rival figure: it is the 500 A alone, and the A, B and C together come to about 519,000.

  1. nearly 520,000Fiat 500 A, B and C, Italy, 1936–⁠55Two sources agree

    English Wikipedia; “over half a million” at the Shuttleworth Collection710

  2. 519,847the same, exactlyOne source

    Italian Wikipedia’s infobox1

  3. 516,646all Fiat-built carsOne source

    German Wikipedia3

  4. over 376,000given for the whole run, but matching the 500 C aloneOne source

    Italpress, reporting Fiat Heritage, 20265

  5. about 370,000500 CsOne source

    German Wikipedia3

  6. about 122,000500 As, 1936–⁠48Two sources agree

    Lane Motor Museum; German Wikipedia63

  7. over 110,000side-valve 500 AsOne source

    Italian Wikipedia1

  8. 46,472Simca 5s, FranceOne source

    René Bellu, Toutes les Simca, via French Wikipedia2

  9. about 21,000500 Bs, Giardiniera includedTwo sources agree

    German and Italian Wikipedia31

  10. 9,064NSU-Fiat 500 Cs, Germany, 1951–⁠55One source

    Werner Oswald, via German Wikipedia9

  11. about 4,000NSU-Fiat 500s, Germany, to 1939One source

    German Wikipedia3

  • Two sources agreetwo good sources give the figure
  • One sourcea good source, alone
  • Unconfirmeda lead only, not yet checked

Famous for

Three points

  1. No water pump, no fuel pump

    Thermosiphon cooling and gravity feed, with the radiator perched behind an engine set ahead of the axle.31

  2. The little mouse

    A sloping nose between two wing-mounted headlamps gave the car its name.15

  3. Giacosa’s first car

    The start of the line that led to the Fiat 600 and the Nuova 500.35

Racing and records

The French car’s feats, 1936–⁠39

Simca, building the car in France, set out to prove its economy and endurance, and Gordini took it to Le Mans.2

3.1 l/100 km
the best of five Simca 5s in the 1936 Bidon de Cinq Litres, over 160 km at an imposed 45 km/h (28 mph).2
3.624 l/100 km
Paris–Madrid and back, 2,500 km (1,550 miles), under Automobile Club de France control.2
105.532 km
covered in one hour at Montlhéry; a 50,000 km run at 1,000 km a day averaged 4.87 l/100 km.2
Le Mans
Gordini’s Simca 5 ran in 1937, 1938 and 1939, and won the class for cars of up to 750 cc.2

On screen

Confirmed appearances only

One is said to appear in Il segno di Venere (1955); Italian Wikipedia mentions it only in passing.

Survivors and collecting

Today

No count of survivors has been found, but the clubs are many: the Topolino Autoclub Italia, the Club Topolino Fiat Torino, the club “La Topolino Amaranto”, the Topolino-Club Deutschland and Topolino Car Belgium, which takes the Simcas too.5132 Paolo Conte’s song of 1975, La Topolino amaranto, is set in the summer of 1946.71

For the 80th anniversary, in June 2016, more than 200 Topolinos climbed the spiral ramp of the Lingotto to its rooftop test track and paraded on to the castle at Pralormo, led by Dante Giacosa’s own car from the Fiat Heritage collection.11 For the 90th, on 11–14 June 2026, the Topolino Autoclub Italia and the Club Topolino Fiat Torino ran “La Topolino va ai 90”, with a gala at Fiat’s Heritage Hub at Mirafiori.5

Turin’s Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile keeps a 500 A chassis that Fiat gave it in 1937, which shows ideas Giacosa borrowed from aircraft engineering.5 The Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden has the right-hand-drive car Dorothy Shuttleworth bought new in 1937; the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville and the National Automobile Museum of Tasmania each have a car of 1936.10612 Since 2023 the name has lived on in Fiat’s electric Fiat Topolino quadricycle.3

At auction
CarSalePrice
1939 500 A coupé découvrable, no reserveArtcurial, Rétromobile, Paris, 20148€14,304, against an estimate of €22,000–28,000
Black and white: a tiled workshop with small Fiats, one on a lift, and mechanics at work.
Plate IV · 1955 A 500 C among the cars in a Fiat dealer’s workshop in De Pijp, Amsterdam, in May 1955.Photo: Ben van Meerendonk / AHF, collectie IISG, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources

Numbered as in the text

No period road test was read, and no Fiat production table: the history rests on the Italian, German and English Wikipedia articles, with museum pages and Fiat’s anniversary reports. Sources are given as plain text; the links are on the Credits page.

  1. Italian Wikipedia, Fiat 500 “Topolino”, read in full with its infobox. Used as a lead; its bibliography includes Dante Giacosa’s memoir (1979) and Alessandro Sannia (2008).
  2. French Wikipedia, Simca 5, read in full. Used as a lead; it cites René Bellu, Toutes les Simca, and the Le Mans museum.
  3. German Wikipedia, Fiat 500 Topolino, read in full. Used as a lead.
  4. German Wikipedia, Simca 5, read in full. Used as a lead.
  5. Italpress, “Torino celebra i primi 90 anni della Fiat 500 ‘Topolino’”, June 2026, a report of Fiat’s Heritage Hub event, read in full.
  6. Lane Motor Museum, “Fiat 500 Coupé ‘Topolino’, 1936”, collection page, read in full.
  7. English Wikipedia, Fiat 500 “Topolino”, read in full. Used as a lead.
  8. Artcurial, Rétromobile sale, Paris, 2014, lot 315, 1939 Fiat 500 A Topolino coupé découvrable, read in full.
  9. German Wikipedia, NSU-Fiat, read in full. Used as a lead; it cites Werner Oswald, Deutsche Autos.
  10. The Shuttleworth Collection, “Fiat 500 ‘Topolino’”, collection page, read in full.
  11. Ken Zino, “Eightieth Anniversary of the Fiat 500 ‘Topolino’”, AutoInformed, June 2016, read in full.
  12. National Automobile Museum of Tasmania, “1936 Fiat Topolino”, read in full.