The one millionth Fiat 500 rolled off the assembly line in Tychy, Poland this past Monday. The modern day Fiat 500 was introduced to the world on July 4, 2007, and since this time has won the hearts and minds of people from all over the world who appreciate Italian design. The Fiat 500 is now sold in over 100 countries and has won over 40 international awards.
Come celebrate this event as we take a brief look at how the Fiat 500 achieved this milestone. Follow the links to get the full picture!
The Fiat 500 began life in 2004 as a design exercise called the Fiat Trepiùno and took inspiration from the 1957 Fiat 500; the car that brought affordable automotive transportation to the masses in Italy. The Trepiùno drew so much recognition and praise that Fiat gave the go-ahead for a production version. For the first time in automotive history, the general public was solicited over the internet for their ideas and suggestions for this tribute to the iconic Fiat 500. The results were outstanding. A remarkable 3 million suggestions poured in from those who registered on the Fiat 500 Wants You website, many of which were incorporated into the design of the new Fiat 500. The Fiat 500 is truly "The car for the people, by the people."
Read more:
Fiat 500: The Car of the People, by the People
Fiat 500 launch videos
The New Fiat 500 Began with the Fiat Trepiùno
Besides being a superb example of Italian style and showcasing Fiat's undisputed leadership in small car design, the Fiat 500 also brings award- winning technology to its segment. The Fiat 500 was the first car its size to earn a five-star crash rating in the Euro NCAP tests, the first car to have seven airbags as standard equipment and the first car to offer advanced Electronic Stability Program (ESP) on all models.
The Fiat 500 has won numerous awards for design and technology. Here are a few:
- Car Design of the Year 2007
- The prestigious European Car of the Year crown in 2008.
- World Car Design of 2009.
- The 500's TwinAir engine won the 2011 International Engine of the Year award.
Read More:
Fiat 500 Awards
The Fiat 500 has been an enormous sales hit, being a consistent number two in its segment right behind the best-selling Fiat Panda. An interesting statistic is in its first year and a half of sales, the Fiat 500 racked up approximately 186,000 registrations. It took the 1957 Fiat 500 four years to achieve 180,000 sales. This car would go on to achieve 3.5 million sales in its seventeen-year run.
In addition to being a best-seller in Europe, the Fiat 500 has also won its segment here in this country. Since 2011, there have been 73,000 Fiat 500s registered in America, 42,000 of which have been done in the first 10 months of 2012. This makes the Fiat 500 the best selling car in its class.
Read more:
Fiat Sales in the US
Inside the Fiat 500 factory...
Manufacturing the North American Fiat 500
Behind the scenes at the North American Fiat 500 factory
Discuss this story on the Forum!
Fiat 500 USA Forum
Sources: Fiat SpA, Chrysler Media, Fiat Brazil, Fiat Auto Poland
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