![Fiat Cinquecento rear 20081127](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Fiat_Cinquecento_rear_20081127.jpg)
The Fiat Cinquecento (Type 170) (, ) is a front engine
front-wheel-drive
Front-wheel drive (FWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional lon ...
, four passenger, three door hatchback
city car
The A-segment is the 1st category in the passenger car classification system defined by the European Commission. It is used for city cars, the smallest category of passenger cars defined.
A-segment sales represent approx. 7-8% of the market in ...
, manufactured and marketed by
Fiat
Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...
from 1991 to 1998 over a single generation.
It was manufactured at
Fiat Auto Poland
Stellantis Poland (formerly, FCA Poland S.A., until April 1, 2015 "Fiat Auto Poland SA") is an automobile factory belonging to Stellantis formed on May 28, 1992, after Fiat acquired Fabryka Samochodów Małolitrażowych (FSM) in Bielsko-Biała and ...
, which had manufactured its predecessor the
Fiat 126
The Fiat 126 (Type 126) is a four-passenger, rear-engine, city car manufactured and marketed by Fiat over a twenty-eight year production run from 1972 until 2000, over a single generation. Introduced by Fiat in October 1972 at the Turin Auto Show ...
.
Production of the Cinquecento ended in 1998, on introduction of the
Fiat Seicento
The Fiat Seicento (Type 187) is a city car produced by the Italian company Fiat, introduced at the end of 1997 as a replacement for the Fiat Cinquecento, although it was also based on the Cinquecento. The Seicento did not differ much from its pr ...
.
Design
The origins of the Cinquecento trace to the early 1980s, with focused research projects of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche in Rome, studying a super-economical vehicle – from which a series of
prototypes
A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and software programming. A prototype is generally used to ...
evolved, with abbreviations X1/72 to X1/79. In parallel,
FSM, not yet under FIAT's ownership, was studying the BOSMAL, a small car project that would culminate in the concept
Beskid 106. Acquisition of FSM by the Italian automotive group led to the abandonment of this prototype in favor of a car that incorporated some of the concepts of the X1/7 series of previous years (until 1993 the cars produced in Poland were marketed as FSM rather than FIAT models). Notably,
Patrick Le Quément Patrick may refer to:
* Patrick (given name), list of people and fictional characters with this name
* Patrick (surname), list of people with this name
People
* Saint Patrick (c. 385–c. 461), Christian saint
*Gilla Pátraic (died 1084), Patrick ...
, Renault's chief designer, sought similar inspiration from the BOSMAL study, resulting in the first generation
Renault Twingo
The Renault Twingo is a four-seater passenger city car manufactured and marketed by the French auto-maker Renault, introduced in 1992 and currently in its third generation.
The first generation Twingo (two door, front engine) debuted at the Pa ...
.
![20120804 FSM Beskid 6837](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/20120804_FSM_Beskid_6837.jpg)
Launched in December 1991 to replace the
Fiat 126
The Fiat 126 (Type 126) is a four-passenger, rear-engine, city car manufactured and marketed by Fiat over a twenty-eight year production run from 1972 until 2000, over a single generation. Introduced by Fiat in October 1972 at the Turin Auto Show ...
, the Cinquecento was designed by
Ermanno Cressoni Ermanno Cressoni (22 July 1939 in Milan, Italy – 30 June 2005 in Milan, Italy) was an Italian car designer who worked for both Alfa Romeo and Fiat S.p.A., Fiat during his career. He designed or directed the design of a number of significant cars, ...
in collaboration with Antonio Piovano; the interior was designed by Claudio Mottino and Giuseppe Bertolusso.
The Cinquecento featured
independent suspension
Independent suspension is any automobile suspension system that allows each wheel on the same axle to move vertically (i.e. reacting to a bump on the road) independently of the others. This is contrasted with a beam axle or deDion axle system in w ...
front and in the rear, front
disc brake
A disc brake is a type of brake that uses the calipers to squeeze pairs of pads against a disc or a "rotor" to create friction. This action slows the rotation of a shaft, such as a vehicle axle, either to reduce its rotational speed or to hol ...
s, side impact beams,
crumple zone
Crumple zones, crush zones, or crash zones are a structural safety feature used in vehicles, mainly in automobiles, to increase the time over which a change in velocity (and consequently momentum) occurs from the impact during a collision by a ...
and
galvanized
Galvanization or galvanizing ( also spelled galvanisation or galvanising) is the process of applying a protective zinc coating to steel or iron, to prevent rusting. The most common method is hot-dip galvanizing, in which the parts are submerged ...
body panels.
Steering was unassisted rack and pinion.
Options included central locking, power windows, sunroof, full-length retractable canvas roof, split rear seat, headlight range adjustment, and air conditioning.
The right hand drive version for the British market was launched in June 1993, as one of the few
city cars
The A-segment is the 1st category in the passenger car classification system defined by the European Commission. It is used for city cars, the smallest category of passenger cars defined.
A-segment sales represent approx. 7-8% of the market in ...
marketed in the UK.
Engines
The Cinquecento was initially available with two engine choices, with the 1.1 L ''FIRE'' or "sporting" joining the lineup later. Although the 704 cc engine was mounted
longitudinally, the bigger units were fitted
transversely, making the little Fiat one of the few cars in the world available with both configurations at the same time.
704 cc
The smallest engine, intended for sale in Poland only, was a 704 cc
OHV
An overhead valve (OHV) engine, sometimes called a ''pushrod engine'', is a piston engine whose valves are located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier flathead engines, where the valves were located bel ...
two cylinder
The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized.
Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categoriz ...
unit, delivering or with catalyst. Cinquecento inherited this unit from the 126p BIS, an evolution of the 126p which was cancelled when the Cinquecento production started.
In order to be fitted in the
front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive (FWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longit ...
Cinquecento, it underwent a major refurbishment (although the engine still employed a
carburettor
A carburetor (also spelled carburettor) is a device used by an internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the venturi tube in the main meterin ...
), which resulted, among other changes, in the
crankshaft
A crankshaft is a mechanical component used in a piston engine to convert the reciprocating motion into rotational motion. The crankshaft is a rotating shaft containing one or more crankpins, that are driven by the pistons via the connecting ...
revolving in the opposite direction than in the 126p BIS.
903/899 cc
The bigger engine was the 903 cc version of the veteran
Fiat 100 OHV
An overhead valve (OHV) engine, sometimes called a ''pushrod engine'', is a piston engine whose valves are located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier flathead engines, where the valves were located bel ...
four cylinder engine, which saw service in many small Fiat models, starting with
Fiat 850
The Fiat 850 (''Tipo 100G'') is a small rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive car manufactured and marketed by Italian car manufacturer Fiat from 1964 to 1973.
History Overview
Its technical design was an evolution of the successful Fiat 600. The interna ...
. (This engine dates back to the initial 633 cc unit as introduced in the 1955 FIAT 600.)
It was fitted with single point
fuel injection
Fuel injection is the introduction of fuel in an internal combustion engine, most commonly automotive engines, by the means of an injector. This article focuses on fuel injection in reciprocating piston and Wankel rotary engines.
All comp ...
and was the base engine in most markets. Due to fiscal limitations, the displacement of this unit was limited to 899 cc in 1993, with a slight reduction of output, now producing .
This engine is derived from that used in the Fiat 127.
While it still retains OHV chain drive pushrod layout it now has hydraulic tappets. Also now uses twin coil distributorless ignition.
1.1 ''FIRE'' (Sporting)
![Fiat Cinquecento Trofeo 001](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Fiat_Cinquecento_Trofeo_001.jpg)
In 1994, Fiat introduced the Cinquecento Sporting, featuring the 1108 cc SOHC ''
FIRE
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products.
At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...
'' engine from the entry level
Punto of the same era, mated to a close ratio gearbox. Other additions were a drop in standard ride height, front anti roll bar, 13" alloy wheels, plus colour coded bumpers and mirrors. The interior saw a tachometer added, along with sports seats, red seatbelts and a leather steering wheel and gear knob.
It is the Sporting model which gave birth to a
rallying
Rally is a wide-ranging form of motorsport with various competitive motoring elements such as speed tests (often called ''rally racing),'' navigation tests, or the ability to reach waypoints or a destination at a prescribed time or average speed. ...
trophy and a
Group A
Group A is a set of motorsport regulations administered by the FIA covering production derived vehicles intended for competition, usually in touring car racing and rallying. In contrast to the short-lived Group B and Group C, Group A vehicles w ...
Kit-Car version.
Elettra
From 1992 to 1996,
Fiat
Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...
also produced and sold an electric variant of the Cinquecento called the Elettra. The car was offered with either a
lead acid
Lead is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metals, heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale of mineral hardness#Intermediate ...
or
NiCd battery pack, providing a ranges of and respectively. Unlike purpose built electric cars, the Cinquecento Elettra used two battery packs, one in the engine bay and one under the rear seats, replacing the fuel tank.
Although selling for 140,000
francs
The franc is any of various units of currency. One franc is typically divided into 100 centimes. The name is said to derive from the Latin inscription ''francorum rex'' (King of the Franks) used on early French coins and until the 18th centu ...
(~US$23,000), the Cinquecento Elettra enjoyed relative popularity in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
.
Abarth
Fiat offered optional extras from the factory labelled with the Abarth name. The Abarth extras for the Cinquecento consisted of cosmetic changes only. A front apron with fitted fog lights, a rear apron, side skirts and a rear spoiler with a fitted 3rd brake light. There were also a set of 13" Speedline five spoke alloys wheels available, instead of the standard Sporting alloys.
Unlike true Abarth models, there were no engine upgrades available from the factory and the car could not be purchased as a whole separate model. The Abarth parts were to be added by the purchaser at the time of ordering, hence it is common to see cars with only some of the Abarth extras.
Concepts
During the 1990s, a number of concept cars based on the Fiat Cinquecento were developed, by a number of design houses, including one that featured half of the car's interior and a ''running board'' to place bikes.
Another of these designs was the Lucciola, a proposal for a new Cinquecento by
Giorgetto Giugiaro
Giorgetto Giugiaro (; born 7 August 1938) is an Italian automotive designer. He has worked on supercars and popular everyday vehicles. He was born in Garessio, Cuneo, Piedmont.
Giugiaro was named Car Designer of the Century in 1999 and inducted ...
. However, instead of the car becoming the next small
Fiat
Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...
city car, a version of the design ended up being put into production by the
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
n
Daewoo Motor, as their
Matiz in 1998. Instead, Fiat decided to update the Cinquecento's styling in early 1998 and relaunch it as the Seicento, which continued until 2010 and enabled the Cinquecento's basic design and most of its mechanicals to survive for nearly 20 years.
Production figures
In popular culture
Ten years after it was discontinued, the Cinquecento gained a cult following after its appearance in the UK sitcom ''
The Inbetweeners
''The Inbetweeners'' is a British coming-of-age television teen sitcom, which originally aired on E4 from 2008 until 2010 and was created and written by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris. The series follows the misadventures of suburban teenager ...
'', and it served as Simon Cooper’s car for the remainder of the series. Made into a fictional special edition known as the Hawaii, this particular Cinquecento was painted yellow with pink and blue decals on the tailgate, and a distinct red passenger side-door was added after
James Buckley's character Jay ripped the original one off whilst Simon was reversing in the "Thorpe Park" episode. As of 2022, the car used for filming is still roadworthy and fully taxed.
References
External links
ClubCento - British owners clubFiat Scotland - Scottish Fiat owners club
{{Modern European Fiat vehicles
Cars introduced in 1991
City cars
Cinquecento
Front-wheel-drive vehicles
Production electric cars
Fiat electric vehicles