In 2003 Fiat decided it was going to re-introduce the popular Fiat 500 that had ended production in 1975.  It took years of planning and development to get the new Fiat 500 into production in 2007.

In 1936 Fiat introduced the 500, or “Topolino” as a small car for the masses of Italy. The car seen here is a “C” model, and it is basically a station wagon model without windows.

One year after the introduction of the Fiat 600, another version was introduced–possibly the first minivan–the Multipla (which means “all service”). This vehicle had three rows of seats for a total capacity of six people, the two rear pairs of seats could be folded into the floor, leaving a large flat loading area. 

At first glance this looks like an ordinarily plain Fiat 600.  Although the car is ordinary, the owner and the story behind it is special.

The 850 Coupé seen here is a bitsa’ car, as the British would say (bits and pieces from other cars). When the museum acquired this 850, we opened up the front luggage compartment to find an engine and a water-cooled, front-wheel drive set up as well!

Carlo (Karl) Abarth selected the scorpion emblem to represent his high-performing, powerfully tuned, sports cars. Abarth vehicles were small and agile, dangerously fast and did exceptionally well in competitive racing.

This car started life as a Fiat Cinquecento. As rallies are a very popular form of motorsports in Europe, most manufacturers offer “kits” to transform a production car into a rally car.