by Lloyd Frazier
In Europe, small, economical personal transportation has been the norm for many decades. The post WWII era brought several cars to the forefront there. Economy cars were in high demand. The Volkswagen Beetle always comes to mind when discussing that time in world history. It had the longest run and was the most produced automobile for a single design in automotive history. It was still being produced in Mexico and a handful of other countries until 2003. The ‘New Beetle’, built on the Golf platform, brought about its renaissance in Europe and the US. The Beetle was the benchmark for American compact cars such as the Corvair, Vega and Pinto.
Excerpts taken from Wikipedia:
The Fiat 500 was patterned after the Beetle. The Fiat company launched it, in 1957, as the Nuova 500 and was marketed as a cheap, practical town car to alleviate congestion in Italian cities. It was originally powered by a 479 cc two-cylinder, air-cooled engine. The 500 redefined the term ‘small car’. Despite its size, the 500 proved to be enormously practical and popular vehicle throughout Europe. Production of the 500 ended in 1975.
Click here for the 1957 Fiat launch commercial at You Tube: 1957 Fiat 500 Introduction
Fiat launched the new, retro styled Fiat 500 on July 4th of this year. The original 500 was launched exactly 50 years ago from that date. It has been an immediate hit in Europe. Voted the most sexiest car of the year over the Mini. 
The 2008 Fiat 500 is expected to sell out through the end of next year due to its limited production. The car is offered with engines delivering between 59 and 100 horsepower. A range-topping 150 horsepower model has also been rumored. That rating would likely be the most popular model in the US. The next burning question is whether the US market will see this little Italian wonder car. You might see the Fiat 500 in Alfa Romeo showrooms in 2010. Americans are starting to sit up and take notice of the compact car market due to rising prices at the pump. There are a already plethora of Asian derivatives. The Mini is taking the country by storm. Daimler is set to release the Smart Four-Two soon, with many folks plunking down a $99 down payment for the privilege of being the first to park one in their garage’s. Now is the perfect time for Fiat to hit the pavement running with this awesome looking little sub-compact. It is a perfect storm for this market. I can’t wait to see one in a showroom near me!
Lloyd, signing out…
I adore your site very much. Will bookmark. Keep up to excellent posting on it. Gracias
Hi H.J.,
I made the spelling correction to ‘Alfa’. Thanks for that. Yeah, you are probably right. We, in the US, seem to miss out on some really neat products like the Fiat 500. I think it would sell really well here. SUV’s and trucks have their place in our economy. Just not as purely a status symbol. I think that purchasing SUV’s just because they make person look good in the eyes of others is a fad that is quickly fading. Economy cars are starting to come to the forefront, and they are starting to really make headway in the design area. We will see.
You are unlikely to see the Fiat 500 in the USA, even in ‘Alpha Romeo’ showrooms (do you mean Alfa Romeo? Won’t be there either!)as production is limite and Europeand will take all that are produced.
Ford has asked Fiat to build the new ka at the same polish plant, do you get that model in the US?
The sad news is you are probably stuck with Chryslers, Hummers and those other big dinosaur things….