The millionth Fiat 500 has just rolled off the Fiat Auto Poland production line. This iconic model, launched in 2007 and marketed in over 100 countries around the world – from Italy to Brazil, South Africa to Japan, and the United States to the Middle East – has also been produced at the Mexican plant in Toluca since 2011.
The milestone vehicle is a Lounge version ‘dressed’ in elegant three-layer Funk White and fitted with Fiat’s reliable 69 HP 1.2 engine. It is a unique car like all those produced so far. In fact, thanks to the thousands of possible combinations – combining exterior colours, interiors, engines, fuel systems and equipment – among the million units produced it is really hard to find two identical Fiat 500s.
A genuine expression of style and character, the Fiat 500 is an all-Italian invention created to satisfy everyone who loves to have fun and go anywhere behind the wheel of an exciting and charming car. Always a great ‘player’ in international markets, the Fiat 500 was recently revamped with the arrival of the 2013 range – hatchback and convertible versions – introducing six brand-new body colours, two new versions (Street and Colour Therapy) and other style details which enhance the fun-loving pop spirit of this iconic model. A genuine expression of Italian style and personality, the range today includes two versions (saloon and convertible), six trim levels (Pop, Pop Star, Colour Therapy, Lounge, Street and By Gucci) and five engine versions (1.2 69 HP, 0.9 TwinAir Turbo 85, 1.4 16v 100 HP, 1.2 69 HP EasyPower and 1.3 MultiJet 16v 95 HP).
The Fiat 500 has achieved major records in its segment thanks to its Italian design and the most sophisticated technology, as embodied by the revolutionary and multi-award-winning TwinAir engine. With more than 40 awards won internationally to date, the new car has proven since its launch in July 2007 that it is not merely a super-compact city car, but an authentic platform upon which Fiat is building a whole family of cars with technology and attention to detail worthy of a higher category.
It is not by chance that the Fiat 500 has introduced many innovations and achieved important records in its segment. It was the first to offer seven airbags as standard; the first car offering a range of over one million possible customisations; the first car only 3.55 metres long to win a prestigious 5-star EuroNCAP crash safety rating; the first car to offer the advanced ESP system with all its engine options; the first car to offer 100 original specially designed accessories; and the first Fiat Group car to be powered by the revolutionary two-cylinder TwinAir engine family.
The new products also arrived thick and fast: Abarth 500 (March 2008), 500 by Diesel (September 2008), 500 Pink (June 2009), 500C (July 2009), Abarth 500C (March 2010), 500C by Diesel (June 2010), 500 TwinAir (July 2010), 500 Matt Black (September 2010), 500 two-tone (December 2010), 500 and 500C by Gucci (in April and August 2011, respectively).
Since the day that it was first launched, the Fiat 500 has captivated both the public and international critics alike. Launched at the end of 2010 in the United States and produced at the Toluca plant in Mexico, today the Fiat 500 is the leader in its class. In October it marked its eighth consecutive month of growth.
Taking a closer look, sales of the Fiat 500 in North America have increased by 109%, while the Cabrio version marked an increase of 21%. In total, more than 73,000 vehicles have been registered in the North American market since 2011, of which 42,000 were registered in the first 10 months of 2012.
If we consider the European market (EU27 + EFTA), in 2008 the Fiat 500 achieved the 13.9% share record and the following year it recorded top sales volumes: approximately 186,000 units. An interesting fact: the Fiat 500’s forerunner of 1957 – with more than 3.4 million units produced until August 1975 – took four years of production to reach 180,000 registrations.
The last piece of data confirming the roaring success of the 500 is the Official Fan Page on Facebook (www.facebook.com/fiat500). It has collected about 300,000 visitors from around the world, a global community of enthusiasts who interact daily with the proposed contents and share opinions and images on the model that more than any other inspires warmth, style and maximum freedom of customisation.
Source: Fiat
By Malcolm Bobbitt.
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