While the fully electric 500e has most of our attention, Fiat doesn’t neglect the first modern 500 which remains on sale. The cute urban dweller just got a new special edition called “Collezione 1957”, honoring the debut date of the classic Cinquecento with a limited production of 1,957 units for Europe and Japan. If you have a deja vu feeling it’s because Fiat has released more than a few 1957-themed special editions of the 500 in the past. The latest example doesn’t come with the cool disc wheels of its predecessors but has a few unique touches to make up for it.
The new Fiat 500 Collezione 1957 is based
on the cabriolet version of the city car. The bodywork is painted in White
Gelato and Rugiada Green, with a retractable roof made of beige fabric. Other
touches include the 16-inch Diamond alloy wheels, the chrome mirror caps, and
the “1957-2024” badges on the rear side windows.
Inside, Fiat designers chose an
ivory-colored upholstery for the seats with Frau leather inserts and “One of
1957” logos embossed on the seatbacks. The metal plaque on the central tunnel
highlights the limited nature of the model, as with the light-colored dashboard
made of wood. Equipment has all the amenities available for this generation of
the 500, including the 7-inch infotainment display. In Europe, the special
edition is exclusively available with the mild-hybrid 1.0-liter three-cylinder
gasoline engine producing 69 hp. On the other hand, Japanese
buyers only have access to the equally powerful but non-electrified 1.2-liter
four-cylinder powertrain.
The Fiat 500 Collezione 1957 is already
available to order. Pricing is quite spicy, as it starts from € 25,900 (US$ 27,843)
in Italy, making it the most expensive ICE-powered non-Abarth version of the
small Fiat, above the high-spec Dolce Vita. This generation of the Fiat 500 has
sold more than 3.2 million units since 2007. The majority of them (2.7 million)
were registered in Europe, where the 500 remains a best-seller in the city car
segment alongside its more practical Fiat Panda sibling.
